Summer Reading Slump

The other day it hit me. I had reached a summer reading slump. When the new year had started, I had bought myself one of those reading journals where you get to write about the current book being read, the author, the main characters, and offer a brief summary and/or thoughts and/or opinions about the whole shabang. I've been wanting one of these kinds of journals for some time now and thought, what a nifty tool to stick into my personal library collection of books I've acquired through the years. I imagined people coming to the house and being wowed by my library...and of course soon thereafter being the closet booklover that they are, start pulling books out left and right to find one that fit them just right. They'd ask questions, "Hey, is this a good one?" or "Did this one make you cry?" or something to that affect and I'd gladly share my opinion. But then I also imagine that if/when these people would be in my house that I would be such a gracious hostess that I would be a tad too preoccupied tending to my guests and curious book folk would be left to their own devices. Enter the book journal. Here, I also imagine that I have re-read every single book (not accomplished YET!) and that I have written brief synopsis (plural: synopsi?) of each. All anyone would have to do is rummage through the pages of my book journal, find my lil' summary, and see if the book they chose is for them. But I digress...

So this book journal of mine...I looked through it a couple of days ago and actually pretty impressed with myself. Since the new year, I have read book after book quite routinely....up until the last month. Understandably so, I could say it was due to the Disneyland trip and whatnot, but still, according to the recorded dates, it has been approximately a month since I've read my last book.

I headed out to Barnes the other day...I mean, really, who can't NOT spend an entire day there?! And since I am totally on a budget, I allowed myself two books. Get this, because I will be teaching in the fall (thank God!), I thought it was appropos to sign up for one of those teacher discount cards. While one of the items I bought was school related (okay, I bought THREE items, instead of two...), and technically, I'm supposed to receive the discount on ONLY the classroom item, the cashier gave me a discount for ALL the books. Score!

Back to this reading slump I started with...I think I can pretty much squash that now. Why? Because in three and half days, I basically killed off two books. Deliciously. And guess what? I'm hungry for more! I know, I know, what a freaking nerd! Someone once asked me if I ever got behind in high school when we had to go through those summer reading lists...and surprisingly, yes, I was always behind! The theory being that since I was REQUIRED to read those books, it just prolonged the activity to do so; whereas, here and now, I am wanting to read these books of my own choice at my own volition...it's a whole different ballgame.

Which brings me to another fact of the matter that I have been trying to get back to the classics...as in the ones that I HAD to read for school. Again, being that I HAD to read them for class, I didn't quite enjoy them and appreciate them as I should have. Now, being older and wiser (somewhat), I'd like to think my appreciation for the classics would be so much more powerful and deep.

In any case, here are the two latest books being added to my collection: a review to follow later.

Lazy Hazy Days

Ahhhh....the official first day of summer. As of late, I have had no motivation whatsoever to blog. Perhaps it's the weather...when it gets so hot, one can't help but feel lethargic- no energy to move, to think, to eat, or even talk. If I could, I'd sit at the beach all day long without conversing to anyone. Just give me a good book and/or a blank notebook and I'm good to go. When the sun is just beating mercilessly on you, you can't help but be tamad. Lazy. Got a bloggable moment? Eh...it's too hot. Then of course when you're good and ready to sit at the laptop and type away, all of those bloggable moments seem like old news. Oh well....and so it goes.

Speaking of hot weather...

The temp down in Southern California last week was ohmygosh H-O-T. I accompanied my sister and her family on a trip to the happiest place on earth...that's right, people, I went to DISNEYLAND!!! Y'know, when you haven't gone in so many years, you can't help but feel like a little kid again. Now let me say this, I've always been a fan of anything Disney, but seriously, being there and being surrounded by everything Disney, you can't help but have this big ass grin on your face! Plus, seeing how happy my niece and nephew were made it all worth it, too. The only downside, if I may, is that we stayed there for four days...FOUR. We had a four-day hopper pass to both Disney and California theme parks. The first two days were totally awesome....the third, oooh, cutting it close.....come the fourth day, dude....I've had enough. Don't get me wrong, there were so many things to do and see there, but really, here comes the weather thing again, it was so freaking hot that by day three, I was ready to come back to da Bay for some fog! Plus, with the heat being so intense, we did the whole inside-outside-inside-outside thing....we'd watch a show for the A/C, stand in line for a ride, watch a show, go back outside. Get my drift? Day three heat hit with a vengeance and I was left with a pounding headache all day long. Boo. Hiss. A plus of our trip was that our hotel, the Paradise Pier Hotel, was located minutes from Downtown Disney. A hop, skip, and a jump, if you will. We didn't have to worry about parking and traffic...just the looooonnnnnng walks back after walking all day. Lol!

Since there's just way too many sharable moments, let me just give ya'll some of highlights (and a few lowlights) of the trip...in no particular order.

1. The "It's Not Fair!" incident
2. Meeting the Disney characters ("Hey! Yesterday's Pocohontas is today's Jasmine!")
3. Riding the "Matterhorn," "Space Mountain," and "Indiana Jones" while the kiddies took a nap!
4. Getting whiplash on Autopia...twice
5. Alladin (the first time around)
6. Buzz Lightyear
7. Monsters Inc. incident ("Young lady in the third row...nice glasses...")
8. "Are we there yet???"
9. Nico's trauma on Pinocchio
10. "Rodeo Nico"
11. Fast Pass Karma
12. The Chris-Sandwich

The California theme park was very cool, too, and you simply can't miss the mini-replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn't get to ride the big roller coaster ride or the Tower of Terror, and although we didn't spend as much time here than we did in Disneyland, there are a few attractions that I would recommend:

1. Soarin' (feels like you're really flying!)
2. Alladin Musical Spectacular
3. Talkin' with Crush (interactive)

Of course, the evenings wouldn't be complete without the huge fireworks show. Turns out that the Electrical Parade has been moved to the California theme park, but we didn't get a chance to hang out long enough to see it, but the fireworks in Disneyland over the castle was most awesome! Again, the whole feeling like a little kid thing...fireworks has the same exact effect. You can't help but do the "ooohhhh and ahhhhh" thing! Add the background music to the exploding sky and even the flash of Tinkerbell making her way across the sky was enough to end the night perfectly.

Overall, it was a really great trip with the family- we all got to do and see what we wanted, and heck, between my Ate and myself, we've got about 1,000 pictures to show for it! The kids especially had fun and just watching their faces light up at every little thing was too cute. It really is for them, isn't it? After spending four days in Disneyland, I can honestly say that I do NOT have to come back for a good five years or so. I came. I saw. I rode. I'm good. I'm done.

Interestingly, the other day Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll wrote the following:

There's a show at the Oakland Museum about the creation and refinement of Disneyland. It's a love letter to kindly Walt Disney, king of product placement and cross promotion, never mentioning his union-busting activities or other right-wing projects, and certainly skipping over the odd pervasiveness of shaking rodent butts in his cartoons, but it's still interesting if you can discount the hagiography.

Interesting to me, anyway. I was growing up in Southern California when Disneyland was being built, and I followed its progress avidly. I examined the schematics; I tried to envision the rides. (Particularly Tomorrowland, because I was a reader of science fiction and tomorrow was my destination. Tomorrow is all of our destinations; it just took wise little Asimoviacs like me to realize it.) I went within a month of its opening.

It was an overwhelming, if not entirely pleasant, experience. I loved Autopia, which was a sort of fourth-generation-refined bumper car experience. You drove little cars on little highways -- and my, is the portmanteau word "autopia" interesting, combining as it does "automobile" and "utopia" to describe an attraction in Orange County. Kids, can you say "irony"?

I can be scornful now; at the time, I just wanted to ride it as many times as possible. Interestingly, Disneyland was also the site of a monorail, a technology heartily endorsed by train nut Disney. It was the future of transportation! Someday our great cities will be linked by these swift, silent capsules, unless the residents of San Jose vote down the transportation bonds.

Tomorrowland later was the site of a 360-degree surround-view Michael Jackson video -- I assume that's gone now. Michael Jackson; happy little children -- not a great combo.

I liked Tom Sawyer's Island, too, and I disdained the Carousel in Fantasyland, and I was scared witless by the Abe Lincoln robot that held forth at a theater on Main Street. It was supposed to provide patriotic uplift, the improving message at the end of the fun seeking, but it didn't really look that human, and the thought occurred to me that it could be very easily programmed to slice the throats of little children. (Maybe that idea came from reading too much science fiction.) I stayed away from Honest Abe after the first time; he was just too weird.

Later on, when they were built, I liked Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. I had no interest in the Matterhorn or Space Mountain; recreational fear has never been one of my pleasures. But more than either of those rides, I liked the Monsanto ride. It's gone now, since it didn't really fit with anything.

The lobby of the ride was dominated by a giant replica of a hypodermic needle. You rode in a cart and got "shrunk" into a microscopic particle (remember "Fantastic Voyage"? -- like that) and were injected into the bloodstream of a human being and, look, there are red blood cells skimming past and oh, here comes the heart, nooo ... In other words: sort of like trying to understand the drug problem from the point of view of heroin.

When Disneyland opened, the world was so naive that injectable substances suggested nothing more than a penicillin shot. Later on, a new generation of citizens began visiting Disneyland. The Disneyland brass did not like that development -- as the brochures displayed at the museum made clear, Disneyland was a park designed by white people for white people, and employees were forbidden to wear beards, mustaches and a long list of other offensive things that might suggest deviation from the norm.

Which was ironic, because people soon discovered that getting loaded and going to Disneyland meant a day of big fun. It was an endless playground for people who said "oh wow" a lot. You could, you know, shake hands with Goofy. ("Shaking hands with Goofy" would be a pretty good code phrase for any number of proscribed experiences.) The lines were a drag, but the lines were always a drag, no matter what your synapses were doing. Go early on a weekday in winter and take your chances; that was always my advice.

At some point, it is my theory, the folks at the Disney got the idea -- they had a market. How else do you explain the Main Street Electrical Light Parade? At night, floats juiced to the gills with flashing spinning blinking lights and waving Disney characters would go by, and -- well, you know, wow. It went on forever, for longer than forever. And then there were fireworks! Yes, it was the happiest place on earth.

In any case, much thanks to Ate and BruthaMan for including me on the family outing. I had a blast! Hangin' out with you and the kiddies was awesome! Thanks for the memories...can't wait to do it again sometime. Much love to you all...

Goodbye for Now...

We all know that life is too short and for many, that the end of it comes far too suddenly and much unexpectedly. When I was younger, death was always a scary thing. To some point, it still is, but I'm trying my best to understand that it is part of life and it's a part of our journey. All the same, it's undeniably painful for those who are left behind to deal with the sadness and the grief because it's so hard to let go. It is a comfort to know that we will be reunited with our loved ones someday.

With that said, to the Susbilla and Cereca families, you're all in my prayers...until we see Tito Nato and Uncle Bob again. May they rest in peace.

Memorial Day Highlights

Okay, so I'm a tad late...a week late, to be exact...on updating my lil' excursions during this past Memorial Day. Reason being? I've been sick. Boo. Hiss. I swear, being sick sucks big time. Of course no one in their right mind ever enjoys being under the weather, but when the weather outside is warm and sunny, it just plain sucks when you can't even enjoy it. It also sucks when you don't feel well enough to even attend a FREE Madonna concert. FREE! I swear, I could kick myself repeatedly for passing a FREE concert up, but oh well, so it goes, the body was just not up to it. Aiya...did I mention that it was a FREE concert??? That sucks. Really sucks.

Moving on...

Summer Blockbuster

The DaVinci Code

Last Saturday, my sister and I went on a movie date with dear old Dad to watch the much anticipated "The DaVinci Code." If you've read the book, remember how freakishly intense the beginning was with the murder of the Louvre curator. Now imagine the movie previews are done, the lights go dim, and the opening sequence of the movie is already that! My heart was beating fast, simply because I knew what would happen, but to see it on screen was pretty cool. Although most movies adapted from books do not usually replicate scene for scene, "The DaVinci Code" did a good job of keeping to the story. But there were quite a few instances when my sis or I would ask each other, "Hey, was that in the book?" or "Did it happen like that in the book?" or "Hey! That's NOT in the book!" and even, "Hey, that SHOULD'VE been in the book!" The first time I read the book was a little bit more than a year before the movie trailer came out. The first time took my breath away. Because I didn't know some of the differences between fact and fiction, it really got me thinking. As the movie release got closer, I reread the novel again, the illustrated version this time, and knowing which actors would play whom, it made the story more alive. But seeing it all come together on-screen, well, gee, it was definitely worth the wait. I have to say, though, that Paul Bettany, who plays the albino monk in the story, was freaky. In the book, he's just plain scary, but as the movie came to a close, you can't help but feel for his character. If any of you are Paul Bettany fans, well, here's one for you....they show his ass. I'm talking full moon. Yup. In all of its glory. Blam! Lol! As for the rest of the movie, I totally loved seeing the history of France- I know I've said this before, but I would love to go to Paris one day! The outside shots of The Louvre are breathtaking! I wouldn't mind seeing the movie again...I'd probably catch some things I missed the first time around.

A quick sidenote: after the movie, I downloaded The DaVinci Code game. It's one of those where your character is in a room and you have to match three of the same symbols in order to clear a path. Kinda like Tetris, you match the same, they disappear, and you're left to match even more. Put a time limit, some police guards, some freaky music, and a Silas character into the shuffle, and you get a very obsessed MnM trying to make her way across each room. This game has 10 Chapters and within each chapter, there are 10 Levels. After the completion of each level, you receive a Crytex letter. At the end of a chapter, those letters must be rearranged to solve a riddle that will open up the cryptex- inside there will be a piece of artwork that has to be solved as well. It's all very addicting!

BUT, here's the kicker, the downside of it, if you will. Maybe it's because I was playing it until the wee hours of the morning, maybe it was because I ignored the watery eyes of searching for three of the same, maybe it was the freaky music and the ominously scary voice of Silas saying "The secret dies here" and "My hand is swift" or "Death will be quick"...maybe it was the combination of all those that actually gave me a nightmare that I was, indeed, being chased just like in the game! Laugh all you want, people, but it was enough for me to stop playing the game! (I got to Chapter 9 though...one chapter short of being "master." Lol!) I learned my lesson though...next time I play, I'll put my laptop on mute!

MnM gives it two thumbs up!

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Maybe it's a tad premature to say this, but "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" has got to be THE blockbuster of the summer! I won't even go into any details of it because I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but damn, this movie had it all! The battle scenes were pretty intense, yet as intense as they were, there were some comedic moments as well. Wolverine did his thang and Storm kicked some serious ass! She was so cool! Other mutants are introduced, too, and I just saw this article online about Psylocke being added to the mix. Maybe I just didn't notice her??? But according to this article, the girl who plays her is Pinay! Her name is Mei Melancon, not really well-known, had a mini-part in Rush Hour 2. For those of you who saw "X-Men 3," did you notice her? The article I saw was from 2005, so maybe it never panned out? Hmmmm....got me all curious...maybe I should watch it again! In any case, I'm not spoiling it by mentioning that some people die...the way they do was quite disturbing though...oh and hey, did ya'll know that it would be set in San Francisco??? I was not aware! So what if it was all green screen, it was neat to see da city on-screen! Lastly, here's the deal...if you are planning on seeing it, stick around for the credits...there's a lil' sumptin' sumptin' at the end...

MnM gives it two thumbs up, or two wings up, or two adamantium blades up, um, you get the point...

Golden Gate Park

Sunday morning should've found me at church service, but seeing that I was late that morning (and I HATE being late for church!), I ended up hanging out in Golden Gate Park instead. It was such a beautiful day last Sunday that I didn't even mind the solitude- gave me a chance to walk around, take pictures, do some writing, and just sit and think...all that, of course, after searching for parking for about twenty minutes and almost getting completely lost! It was cool. This pic is of the stage where there would be free performances in the park- although I've never been to one myself. It's actually closed down for repairs, but the architecture is always good for pictures. I love the columns! When taking pictures lately, I've noticed that I'm drawn to flowers and other stills that do NOT include people....benches, for example. There's something about them...maybe it's the weathered look that catches my eye or perhaps the view to which seated occupants are inclined to look at. Whatever it is, they intrigue me.





Golden Gate Park National Cemetary

Memorial Day. A day set apart so that we may remember those who bravely served our country and to remember those who serve it still. It's funny to think of holidays because honestly, it's just one day where we all get a day off of work. But how many really think about WHY we're getting that day off? To plan the next barbeque or picnic? This day was to honor the heroes who have given their life for their country, but why do it for just one day when we could do it everyday? I mean, we're all guilty of it, I'm just saying...it's just like Christmas. So many have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas that we take for granted that we don't need one day out of the year to honor the birth of Christ. But that's just me...

Anyways, the only other time that I've been here was when my Lola's oldest brother passed away in 1992. That was the first military funeral that I attended and man, talk about solemn and intense. From the point where the servicemen folded the American flag from the coffin and presenting it to my lola to the 21-gun salute, it was nothing but tears from beginning to end. As you can see from the picture, this cemetary is located in San Bruno...if you look closely, the mountains in the background bear the words "South San Francisco." When you're driving on 280, you can't help but notice the flagpole and depending the day, if the flag is at half staff. It being Memorial Day, all of the graves were donned with U.S. flags and my auntie and I thought it would be fitting to visit our Lolo. But first, we had to figure out WHERE he was. Near the entrance of the cemetary, there is a "grave locator"- either a computer station or a book directory. I easily found him and we were off to find his grave. When we finally found him, there was this certain sadness that came over me...a sadness that it took me this long to ever visit and even moreso, the reality that I've never really visited any of our other relatives that have long passed away. But it was nice to see his grave and to say hello nonetheless.

FRESCA

Lastly, I got my first taste of Peruvian cuisine at Fresca located in West Portal. I don't consider myself a foodie like Mrs. Voodoo and Mrs. Weekender, but I am open to trying to new things. My first experience wwas pretty tasty! I didn't know what to order, but the family next to us were raving about their meals that I decided to go with what the mom ordered- pork chops with mashed yams and a side of diced apples. I can't remember the Peruvian name, but it was yum. Also, I've had sangria before, but this particular pitcher that we ordered was just right- not too strong and just sweet enough. A pitcher of sangria was $25. Overall, it was yum. Expensive, but yum.

Titanic 2

I was just blog-hopping today and got this from Knoizki via Consuela's site. Seeing that Titanic is and will continue to be one of my all-time most favorite movies, this totally tripped me out! Oh yes, and I will unashamedly divulge that I was a huge Leonardo Dicaprio fan, too...HUGE. In any case, maybe I've been under a rock for too long, but I'm slowly noticing these YouTube video thingys all over the place lately. Check this one out...the movie preview for Titanic 2.



Isn't that a trip?! Okay, I KNOW that it's not real, but still. The concept, the idea, and the whole putting it together is genius! Now if you're a big Leo fan as yours truly, then you would've noticed that many of the clips are from his other movies. Some easily recognizable scenes are taken from Romeo & Juliet and The Basketball Diaries. After all of these years, and even watching him in "Aviator," he's still the talented and dreamy guy I know. *sigh!* Lol! Much props to this Chalt dude...either this guy is really talented or he has WAY too much time on his hands. Either way...it was dope!

And The New American Idol Is...

TAYLOR HICKS! I must say that is was a very nice surprise! I was rooting for him simply because he's unique onto himself. Throughout the entire process, he's remained very humble and plus, he's an overall likable guy. I'm impressed with America's vote because I didn't think they would go for different this time around, but hey, hooray for him! I honestly didn't care one way or another...I liked both Taylor and Katherine...but c'mon people, it really should've been the rocker, Chris Daughtry!

I have to say that last night's finale episode must have been one of THE best ones American Idol has given us yet. With so many huge stars appearing (Dionne Warwick, Meatloaf, Live, Al Jarreau, Mary J. Blige, and of course, the legend himself Prince...WOW!), it was one surprise after another! It was awesome! Then there was also the appearance of Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood...very nice...they still sound good.

In any case, I found this online and thought it was funny. It's all about the highlights and lowlights of last night's show. Read on...

By Craig Berman
MSNBC contributor

Highlight: Carrie Underwood opening the show singing the first few lines of "I Made it Through the Rain," then being joined by finalists Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. It illustrated the passing of the torch nicely. Between that and the decision to make the final Hicks-McPhee duet "I've Had the Time of My Life," the producers did a decent job of highlighting both the challenges and charms of competing on the show. (Wasn't too impressed with the last song "I've Had The Time of My Life." I couldn't stop picturing Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing!)

Lowlight: The montage highlighting the judges. Yeah, we get it: Randy says the same few catchphrases every week, Paula's either crying or hitting people, and Simon has an ego. Stop the presses. Besides, did anyone really need to see Simon feeling himself up so soon after the dinner hour? (Was it me or did Paula just look high throughout the entire season?! I get tired of Randy's use of "dawg" easily...and hey, Simon is the ONLY one who has anything valid to say!)

Highlight: Chris Daughtry performing with Live. Of all the "Idol" finalist-musical guest pairings, this is the one that is most likely to be repeated somewhere down the line. The next time they'll be on the same stage together will probably be at a rock festival somewhere next year. Interestingly. Simon said earlier in the competition that Daughtry needed to make some changes, because a band like Creed would never appear on a show like this. The fact that Live proved that theory wrong demonstrates that groups will do an awful lot to reach an audience, even if it means being in the same room with Paula Abdul. (Dope performance...and plus, Chris is in his element already!)

Lowlight: Meat Loaf. He wouldn't have made it out of "Idol's" Hollywood round with the performance he gave on Wednesday. Plus, the pairing with Katharine McPhee singing "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" was just plain wrong on every level. He looked and sounded like a dirty old man singing to the pretty young girl with whom he has no shot. (Yah...that was awkward...I actually prefer when Celine sings that song...)

Highlight: The "Pickler and (chef Wolfgang) Puck" featurette was an interesting concept, though it wasn't worth two segments. Though it went on a little long, it was nice to see Kellie Pickler able to laugh at herself as she attempted to avoid eating exotic food. But if she can't bring herself to eat a snail or even sit at the same table with a live lobster, "Fear Factor" probably isn"t in her future. (It was funny/cute, but after a few seconds, it was too much. She's better off singing...that's about it.)

Lowlight: Pickler's hair. Who told her a bob was a good idea? (Not me!)

Lowlight: The "Golden Idols" bits, in which Ryan Seacrest handed out Academy Award-like statuettes, mostly to singers who weren't good enough to make it to Hollywood. Seriously, viewers really needed to see the failed auditioners again? The talent bookers couldn't have found a few more musical stars to fill that 20 minutes of airtime? Is Nick Lachey that busy? (I agree. We didn't need to see any of the horrid rejects...as funny as they were, this was a night to hear and listen the ones that we actually like!)

Highlight: Auditioner Crazy Dave Hoover actually got to throw himself around the stage during the finale. Nice to see fame hasn't calmed him down any. The folks from Jolt Cola will be calling any minute now. But it would probably be better for everyone if the Prozac people got to him first. (He's just scary...)

Highlight: The group montage featuring the six male finalists — or really, the five eliminated finalists accompanied by Taylor Hicks on the harmonica. Very entertaining, especially since five of the six looked like naturals together. (I have to say, they all looked good in suits! Chris and Ace...hmmmm...nice.)

Lowlight: It's not his fault, but Kevin Covais seemed very out of place with the rest of the men. Surrounded by contestants a decade older than he was, he looked like somebody's kid brother who wandered onstage and was given a microphone. (The cutesy Chicken Little joke was good for what, five seconds?)

Highlight: Nice job by the booking agents - Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Prince, Live - it's as if the musical establishment has figured out that "Idol" is sticking around, so it's better to jump onto the bandwagon with both feet.

Lowlight: Uh, Mary J. Blige, the FCC is on the phone. Something about your outfit. And Malibu Barbie wants her sunglasses back. (I would've said Toni Braxton's lack of clothing...that woman really needs to cover up! She looks good and all, but damn...)

Highlight: Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken making an appearance. See that, Kelly Clarkson! Some people aren't afraid to remind people where they came from. (How come there's no mention of Reuben Studdard and Fantasia? They're Idols, too!)

Lowlight: Is that how Clay Aiken dresses now that he's a big star? He resembled a college freshman coming back to impress the high school girls at homecoming. And do they not have hair stylists in North Carolina? He looked like a giant Swiffer. (I have to say, he looked GOOD. And the hair, I liked it!)

Dvd Crazy

Everyone knows that Tuesday is THE day when new music cds and movies are released. That is THE day when people flock to the nearest Target and Best Buy to scoop up the latest must-haves. Tuesday is THE day that I'm assuming is one of the highest traffic and profit making days for such stores...AND I know all of this because I am but another customer who does indeed add to the craziness of being those people in line to get the latest whatever! Okay, so I have not been able to contribute my finances to the craziness lately, but yesterday I was witness to my sister's. Lol!

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the Facts of Life. The Facts of Life." Just for the record, this wasn't bought yesterday, BUT it was bought on a Tuesday...THE day. Now, many won't even remember when this sitcom was on, but I will always remember the beginning words of the song of the show. I can't recall every single episode, especially when it first started, but man oh man, does it bring back some memories or what?! Those of us who really get into a series or show can't help but think how real the situations are that the characters get involved in. Or maybe that's just me? Ha. Take my beloved "Dawson's Creek" for example. Yes, yes, there are no high school aged teens who talk as intelligently as they do on this planet, but the situations themselves are something that we can all relate to, yah? The "Facts of Life" are the same thing. Already into the second episode, I find myself tearing up...and I can't even remember what it is about at the moment! Just the title alone says it all...life is challenging as it is. There are people who come in and out of your life- some come and go while others remain for a lifetime. Some are there for you no matter what happens and others will let you down. You go through some things, hard things, for a reason which you may not understand, but there's always a lesson to be learned...and our job is not make the same mistakes again. I mean, sure, I may be looking so far into it than the basic entertainment purposes, but still, as corny as it is and how "simple" life and other such things were at the time, I always liked the happy-conclusions-this-is-what-I-learned-from-the-experience moments. Well, if you've never heard of a bunch of galpals named Blair, Jo, Natalie, Tootie, and Mrs. Garrett, check the dvd seasons out...and you'll be in for a lot of laughs.

Back in 1990, a show called "Wings" aired. To be quite honest, my sister and I didn't follow it much until it aired as reruns during the late night. What's so hilarious about this comedy series is that it's about two brothers who are pilots. The older one, Joe, is the more responsible one; the younger one, Brian, is the opposite. My Ate and I used to joke that those characters were US! So when the whole dvd phenomena started growing with the older series coming out, we were just playing the waiting game for when "Wings" would come out. And out it came yesterday! Whoo hoo! Sure it's funny to see the big 90's hair, hear the lingo, see the style of clothes, etc, but hey, it's a FUNNY show!


High School Musical, Disney's latest dance craze musical that is the hottest thing right now among tweeners and teens alike across the country. Okay, now let me just say that when my niece and nephew started imitating ALL the dance moves and singing ALL the songs, I really didn't know what to think of it. It sounded cute, for sure, but I wanted to see for myself what the big deal was. Sometime last month, it showed on Disney Channel. When we first saw the announcement, my niece was so hyped that she wrote it down on the calendar so we wouldn't forget! Turns out that Disney was showing a back to back feature...which we watched...that means fours hours....FOUR HOURS! Lol! Okay, now anyone who knows me is aware that I'm a sucker for musicals. Some can't stand them, but I love 'em. Grease 1 and 2? Loved it! Rent? Loved it! Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera? Loved it! Catch my drift? Well..."High School Musical" is somewhat like a really tame watered down version of Grease, except there is no mention of sex, drugs, or alcohol or anything like that. It's Disney, people! There's a lot of cool catchy tunes, fun dance moves, and of course, a good positive message to send to kids. Safe to say, I LOVED IT! Who says Disney is just for kids? Plus, kid and teen actors never cease to amaze me- I'm totally impressed!

ANYWAYS...it came out yesterday and of course, seeing how my niece and nephew are such huge fans, my sister just HAD to get it. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. If anything, I'm sure it'll bring a smile to your face...even if you're not a big fan of musicals.

*Can't wait for the following to come out on DVD and be added to my own personal collection:

- Ally McBeal
- Ed

*Ones that I have yet to purchase

- Gilmore Girls Seasons 3, 4, 5
- Smallville
- Will and Grace
- Charmed Seasons 2, 3
- Friends Seasons 3-10
- Dawson's Creek....oh wait! I already have those already! Yay!

**In case anyone is wanting to give MnM any surprises for no good reason, please feel free to choose from any of the above. LOL! (oh wow...I felt like my lil' cousin D for a split second...no shame, I tell you, no shame!)

Randomness

* Did anyone else watch the season finale of "House" last night? Did anyone get it? Did anyone understand it? Did anyone else get grossed out by the eyeballs popping out? I was so confused...so if anyone can shed some light, please do!

* I'm not quite sure what carpal tunnel syndrome feels like, but if the pain I feel in my hands and wrists are IT, then crapola.

* Still looking for employment. Anyone hiring???

Weekly Blog

Yup. That's what this blog of mine has somewhat become. It's not that I'm purposefully ignoring my site and like I mentioned before, it's not that I don't have anything blog-worthy to share. Lack of motivation, yadda yadda yadda, etc, etc, and all of that other stuff. At the end of the day, I'm either too exhausted from hanging out with the kiddies or I'm playing catch up watching non-Disney channel programs...NOT that there's anything wrong with Disney, I LOVE Disney...just NOT 24/7.

It Ain't Over Yet

Just when I thought wedding season and wedding preparation was done...at least on my end anyways. After the Weekender's wedding, there weren't any other ones that I knew of in my family that were coming up. It was probably after my cousin's wedding this past January that I almost swore that I wouldn't help out- my sis and I simply did TOO MUCH that we almost didn't have time to enjoy!

Last week, I met up with homegirl Sha to help out with her cousin's placecards. (*Ahhhh...flashback!!!!) Thankfully the guestlist wasn't totally huge and we were able to do all the printing and whatnot in about an hour. Seeing that Sha can't type worth jack (LOL!), the only payment required was some Starbucks. I'm easy, peoples....and Starbucks makes me a happy camper.

THEN, on that same day, I met up with Mrs. 3rd/5th Grade because her cousin, who is Chinese, is marrying Filipino. As the wedding coordinator, she was a tad stumped at what the heck the veil and cord ceremony were, what are the coins for, what exactly was a the money dance, and how a traditional Filipino Catholic wedding should run. After busily taking notes, asking for clarification, and going through an entire ceremony in detail (over dinner might I add...Barney's Gourmet Burgers in the Marina...YUM!), she was exhausted!

I guess it was humorous on my part because since I was raised Catholic and mostly attended Filipino Catholic weddings, this was a no-brainer for me. But since I converted, I've also gone to non-denominational and other Christian weddings and can definitely see and appreciate the differences. All in all, it's a beautiful thing to see two people in love vowing to spend the rest of their lives together, no matter what their religion, faith, or denomination because LOVE in any language is the same.

Musical Recital

Growing up and being "forced" to learn how to play the piano, I was grateful that I never had to endure the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of a large crowd for a recital unlike my sister. At a young age, I already knew that piano wasn't my forte and it really and simply wasn't my thang. After four years of lessons, I stopped. My sister, on the other hand, was under the instruction of this concert pianist and had he not passed away, I honestly think she would've had a bright future in music. Don't get me wrong, she's still good, but the piano teacher that we had afterwards was, in my opinion, nothing compared.

My niece Sabrina began taking lessons a few years ago...NOT because she was forced, but because she WANTED to. That makes a difference. Because of that desire, she has more knowledge of theory and the basics that I will probably never understand. Of course it does help that she has "piano fingers," long slender fingers that are able to stretch somewhat gracefully over the keys. Okay, her fingering can be totally wrong sometimes, but once she corrects her mistakes, she's pretty good about doing it correctly thereafter. Plus, I have to say, she's quick at memorizing pieces, a feat that I once deemed as impossible! Lol! If and when I had to memorize a piece, it would take me FOREVER...plus, it had better be a piece that I really liked. This girl, even if she is in the middle of learning something new, after a few tries, she will somehow get the first counts down. Quite impressive, I think, but at the same time, I believe that she should concentrate on reading the actual notes first. But hell, what do I know?! If she is more comfortable memorizing something as soon as she learns it, who am I to stop this creative process in motion, right? Hah...maybe I'm just jealous.

I attended her piano recital this week. It's not held in a major auditorium as I would've thought; rather, it's in the home of her teacher. Her teacher is one of the most cordial women I've ever met- so polite, so gentle, so patient- there really aren't people like her anymore. Basically, her students would come to the front and play a piece or two, starting from the recent beginners (playing variations of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star") and moving up to the more advanced (playing different sonatinas). Sabrina was somewhere in the middle. Again, I was quite impressed...she had been nervous about playing, although this wasn't her first recital, and even though she messed up at home while practicing, her performance was almost flawless. She played two pieces- It's A Small World, and a duet with her mom, a simplified version of Phantom of the Opera. All I know is that while she played, I had this big grin on my face and I'm sure if I didn't have to worry about videotaping her, the tears would've came!

To see these really young kids perform, and really well at that, is truly inspiring! I've had this nagging itch to learn how to play the violin. I think I've always had this affinity to the violin simply because I think the sound is hauntingly beautiful. There's something about the sound that mesmerizes me. Plus, after hearing some of the violin students play, the desire to learn has only grown stronger. At the end of the recital, the teacher invited guests to try the various instruments she had on display. Of course, I went straight to the violin. I have no idea what note I played, but the one note that I did sounded clear and yes, beautiful. I swear, what a difference it would've made if I had this very same desire to play the piano when I was younger...one day, people, one day.

Birthday Shout-Outs

*To my Ate: a belated birthday shout-out- she celebrated her 39th this past Wednesday! There's really not much I can say about my one and only sis without tearing up...but all I can say is that she has been the bestest friend this gal can ask for. Thanks for all that you are and all that you do, Sister...love you! Happy Happy Birthday!

*To my lil' cousin D: okay, he may not be little anymore, but he'll always be my younger lil' cuz. He turns 23 tomorrow, but his big day was really yesterday as he graduated from Sac State University! A small crew of da family made the trek up to Sacramento and boy, was it H-O-T or what?! Sufficed to say, we all came back red, sunburned with raccoon-eyes, exhausted from the heat with the amoy ng araw all over us! Plus, the aunties and I didn't quite follow the caravan back home and took the "scenic" route...yah, yah, yah, so we got lost, BIG DEAL! LOL! Much love and congratulations lil' cousin- you did it! And Happy 23rd Birthday...time to drink up...like I even had to say that! ;-)

MnM - Out From Hiding

Beginning with the Weekender's wedding, the past couple of weeks have gone by in a flash. Considering my current state of employment (or the unfortunate lack thereof), it boggles my mind as to where the time goes that I cannot find the time to blog. Is it because I haven't had anything blog-worthy to share? Au contraire! There have been definite that's-going-in-my-blog moments, but the motivation factor to actually translate anything into written form has been severely lacking. And now at almost 1am in the morning, with eyes already heavy with sleep and a mind incapable of clear thought, I attempt to make contact with the blogging world (yes, all five of you loyal readers...) to assure you that yes, indeed, I am still alive.

That is, in case you were wondering.

In any case, here's the breakdown of some of the things that's happened, in no particular order or importance.


The Da Vinci Code You've seen the trailers. You've seen the commercials. Billboards everywhere are advertising the movie that is sure to be a blockbuster as well as the center of protest. You know what I'm talking about! The Da Vinci Code opens in theaters everywhere this Friday, May 19, 2006. I won't go into detail on how awesome I think this book is- I've already done that more than once. Instead, I just had to share that I received the hardcover, illustrated version of this Dan Brown novel as a Mother's Day gift! On a recent trip to B&N, my sister surprised me with it saying that it would be an early Mother's Day present and for the past week, all I've been doing with my free time is rereading it. I consider myself to be a very visual person and so I've been soaking up all of the illustrations of the beautiful pieces of artwork and architecture that I can only hope to see in person one day. Plus, it's one thing for me to mentally conjure up a visual of what the characters look like according to the descriptions in the book, but after seeing the trailers for the movie, I reread the story with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou in mind and it makes it all the more exciting! Though it took me a week to complete it, I read and relished the last page just a couple of hours ago. It was definitely a much better read the second time around and I anticipate the discussions on whether the book or the movie was better...although in my experience, the book has almost always been the better of the two. In any case, much thanks goes out to Ate for the awesome gift!


The Promise When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was so blown away at the beautiful cinematography that I immediately knew that it was a movie that I'd like to see. Although I didn't have any plans to see it, the opportunity to do so was happen stance and I got to see it with my aunt.

A few things about the film. One, it is in Mandarin with English subtitles. With so many scenic landscapes and whatnot, it was somewhat difficult to focus on reading. I found myself wanting to lose myself in the picturesque scenes, but of course, you have to follow along with what's going on. Two, the storytelling part of it is good, although in my opinion, the movie doesn't seem to flow as smoothly which leads me to think that if the movie was based on a book (is it?), the book would have definitely been better. Three, the movie poster should have included Nicholas Tse. I've always thought that it was sexy for guys to have that piece of hair hang over right over the eyes...and his does that very thing! Very anime-ish, but sexy nonetheless! Lol! Four, the story is really a love-square. Three guys in love with the same girl. Although there is only one who truly deserves her love, you can't help but feel the pain of the other two. Five, the cinematography steals the show. Six, the ending may confuse you. I don't know what it was, but as the credits were rolling, my aunt and I were semi-stumped as to what it all meant. Hey, if you watch it and the ending makes total sense to you, please enlighten me!

A quick side note: we watched "The Promise" at Stonestown Theaters, a theater that I had believed to be closed down a long time ago! That was a shock in itself, but as my auntie and I were leaving the theater, we noticed that there was an unusually huge crowd of Pilipinos exiting the doors. Considering that the theater was only showing two movies, this crowd of kababayans HAD to be watching the other one. It turns out that there is a Filipino comedy called "D'Lucky Ones!" Now I was totally trippin' because back in da day, there was a theater on Geneva Avenue called the Apollo which showed Filipino flicks...that theater closed down, became a place for Pentacostal worship, closed down again, was rebuilt and is currently a Walgreens. I just thought it was cool that a Filipino flick is actually out in the theaters here. I'm not sure how long it will show there, but if you're interested, go check it out! Who knows, maybe there'll be others and having Pinoy movies out and about won't be a thing of the past anymore.

Hollywood-esque Party

Not that I know what a Hollywood party would look and feel like...I can only assume from what I read in magazines or see on TV. But when my auntie was invited by a couple of friends to attend this "house party," imagine our surprise when the neighborhood we drove into happened to be lined up with million dollar homes with Mercedes, Jaguars, Escalades, and convertibles that I don't even know the names of in almost every driveway. Since we were on a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend invite, it was especially intimidating to see that the only other Pinoy in the house was the bartender. Eyes were definitely on us. Oh, I forgot to mention that there was a cover/donation fee at the door and it included all you can eat finger foods and free alcoholic beverages. Yup, it's like that. There was a DJ in what would seem like the living room- the major furniture had been moved and a dancefloor was put in the middle. Outside in the pool area, there was a live reggae/Carribbean band...of course, not complete without their little cannabis-smokin' friends. There were people who were casually dressed in jeans (as we were!) and those who were dressed in their very best hootchie-mama-hey-look-at-my-cleavage dresses. We dubbed the Paris Hiltons, Lindsay Lohans, and Britney Spears quite easily- it was like that! We stuck around for a while, taking advantage of the free-not-so-free food and rounds of alcohol, danced alongside the rhythmless nation of white folks (sorry- it's just not in your blood, people!), found a personal gym complete with numerous workout machines, flat screen tv with surround sound while looking for the loo, took a tour of his garage to oooh and aaah the owner's cars and motorcycles, and met some Peruvian dudes who were trying to hook up with my auntie who thought they were the sh*t. Rich, I'm sure, but the sh*t they weren't! Lol! Oh, by the way, the party was held by some rich white dude who was raising money for medical research...apparently he acquired this huge ass house the old fashioned way...from his parents!

In any case, while I'm sure there were many "prominent" business folk in attendance, CEO's and other richie rich, it was so NOT my scene. But hey, how many times will I ever get to "crash" a party like that again? It was fun!


Happy Graduation!

Last Sunday, BruthaMan graduated from Golden Gate University. Nevermind that his final paper has yet to be turned in, the ceremony and whole act of walking in your gown- a MASTER'S GOWN - is a major accomplishment that we are all proud to have seen him earn. Rewind to the few days before the actual grad and imagine him, my sis, and myself trying to figure out HOW EXACTLY to wear the robe and gown. I didn't know that there was a difference in undergrad and graduate robes! Let's just say that we even had to consult the internet for help- how sad are we?! But the day of, it was a great moment for everyone...as BruthaMan walked across that stage, my sis and the kiddies had just given him a rose lei, his brothers and myself were there cheering him on, and his mom sat with her hanky to her eyes. After three years, all the hard work has paid off- congratulations BruthaMan! I can only hope that my turn is not that far away! Rest up and rest easy now!

The Weekender's Wedding Weekend

A huge congratulation shout-out goes to the newly hitched Sacramentos! Their wedding this past weekend was one of the most anticipated shindigs of the year simply because Mrs. Weekender is one of the last of our lil' group to be married. Yup- saved the best for last!

And what a wedding it was!

The bride was beautiful and elegant; the groom was handsome and GQ'd. They make for a disgustingly good looking couple! The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Oakland right on Lake Merritt. 'Tis a beautiful church! It doesn't boast the typical huge architectural features of many of the Catholic churches I've been to; this one was quite modern.


I loved the enormous stained glass windows and how the altar was in the middle of the church with pews and chairs encircling it. It provided a more intimate setting, especially when the immediate family was called to join the bride and groom for the wedding vows.



I have to say that the tears started flowing as soon as the Weekender walked down the aisle. I saw her get ready at the hotel...hair, makeup, gown, shoes, jewelry, the whole sha-bang...but when she walked down the aisle accompanied by her brother and her mom, my eyes filled up. From where the bridesmaids were sitting, I had a good view of the groom from behind. When the Weekender stepped out from the side corridor, Etch-A-Sketch was blown away. It's like he took one look at her, probably said something like "hot damn!" (or not!), and had to shake his head in disbelief at the beauty of his bride. It was classic and from that moment on, they both had these huge ass smiles painted across their faces for the rest of the ceremony.

After the "I Do's" were said, the wedding party headed across the street to take some pictures along Lake Merritt and from there, we were off to the reception.

The reception was held at the Boundary Oaks Country Club golf course in Walnut Creek. Because there was this whole movie theme going on, the tables inside the hall were named with some of their favorites that included Sixteen Candles (one of MnM's fave!), Blue Hawaii, and An Officer and A Gentleman. I was seated at The Wedding Singer table. They even had this huge movie poster of them that also served as their Save The Date flyer to everyone. As soon as I found our table, the bag that I was holding accidentally pushed a fork off the table and wouldn't you know it, the damn thing fell straight downward and stabbed my toe! WTF?! What a way to start the evening- LOL! Anyways...just had to share that lil' tidbit. Moving on...

Directly behind my seat, there was a chocolate fondue fountain.
The sweet smell was enough to get my going, but in actuality, I was completely paranoid the entire time because it didn't seem that the table it sat on was stable! You could hear this rattling noise and if you watched the candles that surrounded it, it was clearly shaking. Once the waiters placed stacks of serving plates, I was seriously just waiting for the moment for the table to topple over me. First my toe, then a chocolate covered bridesmaid. That definitely would've made for a memorable moment, yah? (NOT!)



On the other side of the dancefloor, they had the wedding cake on another table. It was a chocolate layer cake with chocolate and caramel with toasted pecan filling. Yum! After all of the running around, taking polaroid pictures of the guests, receiving the gifts, and directing guests, I was feening for something sweet to reenergize. Isn't it so pretty?

Aside from the normal wedding reception activities (i.e., slideshow, money dance, toasts, and speeches), one of the most sweetest and memorable moment was when Etch-A-Sketch serenaded the Weekender. It was a surprise that we all had to keep away from her and it paid off! Etch-A-Sketch had emailed us requesting the bridal party to help him out singing "Sweet Caroline" (c/o Neil Diamond...OR, think the Fever Pitch movie...). He started off with his thank you list to the guests and then turned to his bride and said the first line from the song. Then he started singing it a cappella and her tears started flowing! During this time, some of the groomsmen were passing out a copy of the words to the song and by the time Etch got to the chorus, the entire ballroom joined in- it was awesome!

"Sweet Caroline...pum pum pum...good times never seemed so good! I've been inclined...pum pum pum...to believe they never would..." It was so touching to see her crying that it had ME crying...happy tears, of course!

One of the other most memorable moments of the wedding reception was seeing a lot of old familiar faces. It was a major San Francisco State and PACE reunion in da house! We had the "old crew" back together again! It's very rare that we are all together in one place and coming for the Weekender's special day made it even more special! Not to mention that the resident Doctor is getting married himself later on this year...congratualtions Dr. SI (that's "super-intern"...inside joke!)! AND, I just have to mention here that Dr. SI's former galpal and my good friend B is ALSO getting married later this year as well! So congratulations to you Bern! We all went down memory lane and whenever we do that, it's always a guarantee to end up laughing our asses off. Oh man...good times...good times. Here are a couple of pics:


The old crew back together again...minus yours truly. SOMEONE has to take this Kodak moment!


MnM and Bern...the next bride-to-be! Congrats girlfriend!


Gerber daisies for the bridemaids' floral bouquets- beautiful!


I love this pic c/o MsClaire...the church can be seen in the background as well as the lake. The sepia color just makes it all romantic, doesn't it?


Last, but not least...the happy couple (pic c/o MsClaire). Much love and congratulations as the two of you begin your life of love together!

Shocking Sunday

I made a 9-1-1 call today
And I was calm and collected

But in the moments right before I made the call
I was in utter shock at what happened right before my very eyes

I was driving in the parking lot of Lake Merced making my way to the exit
When I noticed a car speeding along

I remember thinking, I could speed up and pass him
But instead, I slowed down

As I pressed on the brakes, (and this was all in slow motion as I recall it)
The car continued forward, jumped the curb, hit a tree, and disappeared down the embankment.

In a split second, I couldn't believe what happened
For a split second, I thought to myself, "Was I the only one to see that?!"

I haphazardly parked, jumped out, and ran to the scene
Other bystanders did the same; one man even made his way down the hill

Without a second thought, I dialed 9-1-1
I relayed what information I could with the help of others by my side

It was a Chinese fire drill of sorts- me asking if they were okay, were they in the water, etc, and others relaying the necessary information back to me to tell the operator

It was an undeniably group effort -
I told them the location, gave my name, and hung up

Help was on the way
And I couldn't help but think that I did my good deed for the day

Within a matter of minutes, help had arrived
By this time, a crowd of rubber-neckers and curious onlookers had formed

Myself and the first few people on the scene hung around
Personally, I wanted to make sure that the people inside the car were okay

Three fire trucks, five police cars, and one ambulance were at the scene
And finally, with the help of some firemen, the couple inside the car appeared

They were dazed and confused, stunned to the bones, I'm sure
But most importantly, they were unhurt

At that point, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief
I honestly don't know how I would've felt if those people had died

They easily could have, you know, and that's what is so scary
That in a matter of seconds, a life could have been lost

When all seemed to be in good hands, I finally left the parking lot
And it was only then that I began to feel shaky

Perhaps it was the adrenaline and the surprise of what happened
Or the automatic mode that kicked in to see what I could do to help

In the end, I am thankful that those people were okay
and that I was there, even in the smallest way, to help

DaVinci Code and the Quest for Answers



At the Easter Sunday service, we had a surprisingly in-depth analysis of the upcoming soon to be released blockbuster, The DaVinci Code. It kinda threw me off guard, but as soon as the sermon began, it was all very interesting stuff. It basically discussed the falacies of the book that so many are questioning, myself included. When I first read the book, I have to say that I was blown away. I couldn't separate fact from fiction, yet even if I thought I could, I was still unsure simply because I do not possess the thorough knowledge to debate such issues. The pastor used the above featured book as the basis of his sermon and as I began reading through it, I could understand how hardcore historians and theologians could laugh Brown's DaVinci Code off. Cool story aside, there is a lot of evidence that points to the contrary. However, I don't quite believe that when Brown first wrote this book that it was his intention to piss off all these people; rather, I think that Brown had a really good story on his hands and the manner in which he makes the story twist and turn the way that it does is what makes it the bestseller that it is. Everyone loves a well-written story, everyone loves suspense thrillers, and when you add a tad of controversy by adding the Jesus-factor, well there you go.

As for me, I'm totally psyched about the movie coming out. May 19th people. If ya'll haven't read the book yet, then by all means, please do! If you have, then pat yourself on the back and go even further and check out the other books that Dan Brown has written. To check out the trailer for the movie, click here.

Centennial of the 1906 Earthquake



This past April 18, 2006, marked the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake and fire. At approximately 5:13am in the morning on April 18th, 1906, the people of the City were in for a rude awakening. After 50 seconds of sheer terror, the "Paris of the Pacific," as San Francisco was called back in the day, became a broken city. There've been so many fascinating specials of the disaster and I admit that I've been hooked. In any natural disasters, it's always the human interest stories that grab my attention moreso.

For example, take the story of then Mayor Eugene Smitz. This was the first time I've heard the background of the corrupt government that he led. Because the city was devastated, it was only natural for people to begin looting groceries and local mom and pop stores for food and other necessities, but this made Smitz feel out of control. To fix this problem, he took it upon himself to declare a "shoot to kill" law of any looters. This, in turn, made many people that the city was under martial law. The military and police forces were made to follow through with their orders and as a result, many died, not from earthquake or fire incidents, but from gunshot wounds.

At the same time, many Chinese were in the midst of settling into San Francisco. Because there were no other places that they could afford and because it just wasn't allowed for them to congregate in certain places, Chinatown was born. Immediately after the earthquake, racial tensions were high and some city officials believed that this would be a perfect time to rid the city of any and all of its Chinese inhabitants. Plus, there was an economic fear as well as some Chinese began their own businesses and were proving to be successful. The Man didn't want to compete and wanted Chinatown destroyed. I suppose I am being naive because I knew that racism and discrimination existed back then...I guess I wanted to believe that in the midst of one of the major natural disasters that people would all come together to help each other out.

Lastly, there is then Fire Chief Dennis Sullivan. Years before the 1906 earthquake, Sullivan had been assessing the city's disaster plans and knew that the City was incapable of surviving a big fire. As an engineer, he knew what he was talking about and in fact, he was due in court the day of the 1906 earthquake to testify on what plans needed to be made to ensure a safer city. He was injured in the quake and died three days later and would never see his plans come to fruition.




There are so many stories of heroism from that day that I cannot mention them all here. Even the stories of how the survivors of the quake would meet year after year at Lotta's Fountain have ceased because all of them have passed away. But with them, the stories do not die.

In high school, I remember the story that the Dominican Sisters recounted about how our school fared in the earthquake and fire. As the city was engulfed by flames, the solution was to dynamite surrounding buildings to stop the fire from spreading. Ideally and in theory, it was supposed to work, but because of the lack of training by the military, it not only started more fires, but many deaths resulted as well. As the city burned for three days, my alma mater was in the direct line of buildings soon-to-be dynamited to stop the path of fire else it, too, would be engulfed. At the last minute, the wind changed direction and my high school was saved.

On that same note, when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit on that October 17 day at 5:04pm, (which, btw, I had made a comment about it being earthquake weather....ESP people...), the office staff had been busy at work when it hit. In the main hallway outside the office stands a statue of the Virgin Mary. After everything was all said and done, there was little to no damage to our school, but there was something to be said about the statue of Mary. In the how many seconds of that earthquake, (was it really 15 seconds?), the statue of Mary could have easily fallen from its indent in the wall...INSTEAD, it shifted to the right in the direction of the front office...AS IF Mary was watching over the people inside.

Every year the anniversary comes up, there's always the question of whether the City is ready for the next big one. I swear, it really does get me nervous when they have those specials...all of the analyzing, all of the predictions, all of the scenarios of what could actually happen. The latest reports are downright grim. For example, a new word that I have learned is "liquefaction." In short, because of how many roads are built, there is that possibility that WHEN, (not IF) another big one comes, these same roads could liquefy....literally become liquid because of the landfill beneath it. And it turns out that many of the on and off-ramps to many bridges are built on such places...so technically speaking, if such an earthquake were to hit and such roads did liquefy, cars could be virtually stuck on a bridge without an in or out. Craziness, huh?

In any case, had I posted this on April 18th, I would've put it out there that there were free cable car rides for an entire day in honor of the centennial. I know quite a few people who haven't been on one yet and well, it just would've been cool to go one for free.

So the anniversary has come and gone, but if anything people, and especially for those who live in the Bay, make sure you are prepared with your own survival kit...because you never know when the next one will hit

Holy Week and Good Friday

When I was younger, the beginning of our Easter vacation began during Holy Week. In the Christian calendar, this is the most significant and most important day with the birth of Christ aside. After all, we remember the last remaining days of Jesus's life leading up to his brutal death.

On Holy Thursday, we remember the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples. Through the years, the church that I attended honored the day with a reenactment of sorts complete with a meal. Sometime after that, it later included the washing of the feet. The priest would basically take the place of Jesus and some chosen people of the church congregation would act as the disciples. The "disciples" would be seated at the altar, shoes off, and the priest would go from person to person washing their feet in water and drying them off with a towel. It was very symbolic and at best, gave us a great visual of the love and service that Christ gave to his fellow man.

On Good Friday, the masses were more than three hours long. I remember dreading this mass because they were always unusually crowded! Where were all these people during the rest of the year? I would later hear these attending crowds being referred to as the "C & E" bunch....or, the Christmas and Easter bunch, aka, those who only went to church on those two days.

Good Friday masses recounted the entire passion of the Lord, from his wrongful imprisonment and trial, to his heartbreaking crucifixion and death on the cross. Just as the washing of the feet was later added to the repertoire of the Holy Thursday mass, so was there this black wooden cross that would be passed over the congregation moshpit-style like that would be so emotional and again, symbolic, that it would always bring tears to my eyes as soon as my fingers touched or even grazed it.

In hindsight, I think it was so emotional because when attending such huge Catholic churches that I was so used to, you tend to feel disconnected in some way. You're one of hundreds and the symbol and representation of Christ is all the way up at the altar. But when the wooden cross is passed along to the entire congregation, it was our way of getting close to him...to touch a part of him.

Perhaps that is why when I became a born-again Christian, I felt so connected to God in such a way that I've never felt before. I immediately felt God all around me, not just on Sundays during mass, but inside of me.

On those rare times that I did not attend a Good Friday mass, I was taught that as a young person, I was not allowed to have any fun. This meant that on Friday between the times of 12pm-3pm, any activity that I chose to do had to be low-key such as reading, coloring, or even sleeping. The theory behind that is because those were the times that Jesus was supposedly hanging and dying on the cross. Because of the trials that He was experiencing, we had to, in turn, show our respect by sharing in his agony...so to speak. This had been what I was taught growing up and it is the same thing I had impressed upon the students in my catechism class later on.

Since I became a born-again Christian, I have not attended any masses during Holy Week. In the Christian churches that I attended, they did not have any special services. It was definitely different than what I was used to.

When Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" came out in the movie theaters, my husband and I actually didn't rush to the theaters right away like we are so accustomed to doing. Instead, we waited until Holy Week to watch it....it was the Saturday before Easter Sunday in fact when we finally did. I remember the theather being packed and all you could hear was sobbing and sniffling the entire time.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting. I've always known the Passion story, but being the visual person that I am, seeing a mild realistic interpretation of what Jesus went through was simply too much to handle. All of the crucifixes and the stations of the crosses that I've seen depict Jesus with a crown of thorns, but in the movie version, it's so much more gruesome that you almost feel the thorns being pounded into the skull and taste the blood running down his head and all over his face. The same with the whipping and the scourging. I almost couldn't stomach to see actual pieces of flesh being torn away from Christ's body and again, what we saw in the movie was a mild version of what the real thing must've been like. Just thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart...especially when I know that He did all of that for me.

With it being Good Friday today, there were no masses for me to attend, nor was there "The Passion of the Christ" to watch. And even so, I'm not sure I could ever watch that movie again. It's not that I don't want to be reminded of what happened. How could I ever forget that ultimate sacrifice that was made? Instead, I watched "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Forget the fact that I was never aware of its Christian parallels while I was growing up, I know now. And to see the Christ-figure Aslan give up His life as the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of others brings tears to my eyes every single time.

Though it seems that I have changed my religion, the only thing I have changed is my relationship. I don't know if it still rings true about the whole 12pm-3pm timeline, but there was a certain laziness about the day as if my internal clock or being or whatever you want to call it knew what this day was all about. Even though I do not attend certain masses like I did once before, I still take to heart what transpired on Christ's last days here on Earth.

Ask And You Shall Receive

The sun is out and the weather is great. The simple act of asking reaps great rewards. Lol!

Splish Splash!

Dude...what the heck is up with all this rain?!

The forecast for da Bay is rain, rain, and more rain until Monday of next week. I know there's the saying of April showers bring May flowers, but geez.

Gloomy weather makes for gloomy moods. That's just how it goes.

C'mon sun...come out, come out, wherever you are! Pretty pleeeaaassseee!

Taste of Motherhood

I know quite a few people who are wondering what it would be like to have a child and are possibly even waiting to have a child of their own.

Not me.

Not that I don't want a child...on the contrary! I'm just saying that ever since my older sister had kids and ever since I started teaching, I never had to wonder what it would be like to have some of my own. From 8am-3pm, I have 28 children in my care on a daily basis for nine months. As much as I love each and every one, I am always glad to "return" them to their rightful owners at the end of the day.

The same goes for my niece and nephew. I love them to death, don't get me wrong! But after having to watch them for a few, I get a realistic taste of what being a mom is like...thankfully without having to experience the labor pains! (do sympathy pains count?)

I've been watching my sister's kids since they were born. It's no big deal. When they were younger, it was easy. Feed them. Burp them. Change their diaper. Clean them. Play with them. Put them to sleep. But now that they're older, it's different.

They're much more demanding and require a lot of attention! (not that I give in to these lil' rugrats...when Ninang says no, she means it! lol!)

Today alone, I had the little man all to myself today. My sister's youngest can be quite a handful...which is why I was secretly glad when this five-year old stayed up late with me last night to watch "Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." He woke up about 10:30am and from there, it has been nonstop hyperness- where do these kids store up their energy? I honestly don't mind babysitting because it's my chance to spend time and bond with the kids, but man oh man, it sure is tiring! Getting him to eat, clean up, toothbrush, and wash his face are chores unto itself! What could have easily been done in five minutes turned out to be a twenty minute detour.

Not that I'm complaining.

To top it all off, we had to go pick up his Ate from school...in the mini-van! I was a tad nervous about driving the mini-van because I'm just not used to driving anything so long, but I survived. Lol! I have to say that the mini-van is a nice ride! I wouldn't mind getting one in the future!

I'm hoping that I will blessed with the motherhood thang someday. I can talk all this noise about having a taste of motherhood from watching the kiddies or maintaining a classroom full of rugrats, but of course it ain't the same until I have my own.

All I know is that while I have held mothers in high regard before, I've got mad respect for them moreso.

My Weekend in Vegas

Okay first off, scratch the fact that I wasn't in Vegas for even a full 48 hours. With that being said, I can understand where the saying of "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" comes from!

A group of us gals flew out to celebrate the Weekender's bachelorette party. I have never really done the whole Vegas weekend thang and so this would be the first of me.

To start with, the weather was simply perfect. When we landed, it was a comfortable 75 degrees with a slight breeze and it basically maintained throughout the rest of the evening. Since everyone was flying in that night at different times, there was time for a late dinner at the Alladin and drinks at the Mist lounge at Treasure Island. 'Twas hip hop night and cover was free. Sweet.

The only downside of the night was walking the freakin' distance- Alladin to Treasure Island. "It's only three casino hotels away." In city blocks, I'm guessing the equivalent is approximately 10,000 blocks! Okay, a bit of an exaggeration. By cab, it would've easily been a 5-10 minute ride with traffic, but walking in the cute shoes that we were, it was FAR! Yes, the night DID call for cute shoes and yes, we definitely paid for it because at the end of the night, Voodoo and I were left with totally unattractive and painful blisters. Boo.

Highlight tidbits:
- "purple guy" - tall, bald white guy dressed in purple pants, purple shoes, purple sequined top, and purple Elton John-like shades holding not one, but TWO drinks in each hand strolling solo down the strip having a party with himself. "Purple Guy." Tight.

Saturday's agenda included shopping, spa, dinner, and clubs. While the rest of the gals got massages, I had time to wander on my own. Across Treasure Island, there's a mall that I hit up. My goal was to get a pair of flip flops. After last night's shoe debacle, I simply could not continue the trip. After finding a pair, thank God, I wandered the mall. Did ya'll know that they have an ABC store in Vegas? Y'know, the ones that line up any street in Hawaii? The very same! I had to get some some cookies and almost kicked myself when I saw the brown slippers that I so love. Should've got a pair, but I didn't. The five bucks I would've spent on those went to playing the slots instead! Lol! And play the slots I did only to have them swallow up my $30. Damn you, evil slots! *raising mad fist in the air!*

We all got ready at the hotel, but before we left, we took some pics and had a champagne toast. We headed to The Venetian for some expensive ass Italian dinner. Nice ambience, authentic Italian waiters, good food (although the servings could've been bigger...for the price anyways), and a waiter who started the evening with "Hello Filipina ladies!" "Are you from Bicol?" and even told us that "Kare-kare is not on the menu tonight!" Turns out that he's married to a Pinay from Bicol- lol!

Ended up waiting in the guestlist for club Rain at the Palms Hotel. That wasn't before trying to survive the cab ride there! Homie must've had dreams of either being a Nascar race driver OR being a driver in the Philippines- I was praying for my life, I tell you! As we waited to get in, the Weekender was busy working to complete items on her 'scavenger hunt,' all of which I cannot and will not disclose to protect the innocent- LOL!

The club itself was alright. I haven't been in a club for a hella long time...yes, I've been told time and time again this weekend that I MUST get out of the house more often! Just imagine all the drunken fools from too many consumed drinks, all the scandalously dressed hootchie mamas trying to get noticed, and all of the drunken fools trying to pick up the scandalously dressed hootchie mamas and there you have it. The dance floor was crowded with elbows and other body parts going everywhere- no surprise there. Add all the random dudes that would come up and start dancing with you because they thought they were cool and the night is complete. There was also this contraption thang that would spit out fog when down and fire when up. And man, that fire was hot! Ultimate downside? Previously mentioned blister getting pierced by unknown, yet incredily sharp heel. *Insert any combination of profanities here.*

This weekend was, I'm told, a tad unusually crowded. 'Twas due to the fact that the Playboy bunnies, Pamela Anderson and the Pussycat Dolls and a big boxing match were in town. Speaking of celebrities, the Weekender and her honey saw Hillary Duff going shopping and apparently, there was a sighting of Suge Knight in line at the club. Yes, the one and same Suge Knight that held Vanilla Ice over the ledge of a rooftop building Suge Knight. Honestly, I would've have noticed him on my own and plus, I was too distracted at trying to get to the bathroom so some yakking could be done. Ha! And that is a totally different story that I'd rather not get into and leave for memory's sake! *And just for the record, it was NOT MnM who was doing the yakking...

Although I didn't get to ride the outdoor roller coaster, I finally got to see the volcano outside Treasure Island erupt, the water show outside the Bellagio, the gondolas in the Venetian, and got to walk through Paris. All in all, it was a memorable weekend. 'Twas a time to hang out with the girls, get all dressed up, enjoy Vegas, and celebrate the Weekender's last hurrah as a single chick. Aside from the obscene amounts of smoke I inhaled (I was imagining all of the second hand smoke going through my lungs!) and the blister incident, I wouldn't mind visiting Vegas again. Maybe next time, I'll win big on the Wheel of Fortune slots- LOL!

My Personal Holiday

The 1st of April, aka April Fools Day...a day so very close to my heart!

I was originally going to post a blog about the origins and history of this particular holiday, but then I thought, who really cares? On the small off-chance that you DID care, all you'd have to do is google it. All people really care about on this day is trying to pull off some joke on a poor soul and cry out, "April Fools!"

Trust me. I am no stranger to this April Foolery.

But then again, I guess that's what I get for being born on this day! (lucky me!)

Once upon a time, some thirty-and-some-odd-years ago, MnM was born in the city by the Bay. For as long as she could remember, the spirit of this holiday was firmly imprinted in her mind beginning with the story told by her parents that SHE was supposed to be a HE. Yes, according to the sonograms, a wee-wee was seen and my parents were (supposedly) told that they were going to have a bouncing baby boy. APRIL FOOLS! Ha...imagine their surprise! Now while I do not know the extent of that truth, a name has been thrown around to what I would've been called had I been a boy. I would've been a Michael Joseph.

7th grade was the year when the April Fools jokes really began. I'll never forget how Mommy Hernandez and a lil' crew of my friends somehow got the class AND the teacher to participate in the whole do-not-mention-or-greet-MnM-even-though-it's-her-birthday thang. The joke finally ended with a big round of Happy Birthdays and laughter...and THE present. Mommy Hernandez had gotten me the 12inch Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album. I was so psyched! (yes, I was a fan of BIG hair rock bands back then...c'mon, it was 1987!)

8th grade was worse. Ya'll remember how Swatch watches were the IN thing back then? Well, everyone had one EXCEPT for me...and some of my friends thought it would make a neat birthday gift. NOT! I was presented with a beautifully wrapped super skinny rectangular case. If you ever had a Swatch watch, you know the thin case I'm talking about! I tore open the wrapper and from the clear case, there was the warranty piece of paper thingy. By this time, I'm excited and stoked that wow, my friends actually pitched in to get me a Swatch watch...NOT! When I finally opened up the case, it was with laughter in the background as another piece of paper with "April Fools" dropped out. Bastards...all of them! Lol! Just for the record...I DID end up getting a Swatch watch complete with the Swatch guard (them lil' rubber-band thingys didn't guard worth sh*t!)...although not for my birthday. But hey, I had one!

From there, high school was met with maxi pads in my locker, people telling me wrong information of where to meet them, etc. Yah...pads. That was a running joke for a while. Thankfully, most jokes, with the exception of the finger pointing of "hey, there's something on your shirt" incidents and when you'd look down, they'd flip the finger up your nose and face....thankfully those ended by high school.

Since high school, there have been three major highlights for my personal holiday-

1. 21st birthday. Drinking up at Chevy's during PCN practice. Keyopes jumping around in circles on stage doing a folk dance clearly buzzed. Going to a gay club. Seeing my uncle at the gay club with his "friend."

2. 26th birthday. Miyakes and one too many Sake bombs. Q's nightclub afterwards followed by more drinks than what my body could handle. Liquid cocaine is a name of a drink?! After much mixing of drinks that should not have been mixed, continued to make good friends with the sidewalk bushes, parking lot, and toilet bowl. Swore the day after that I would never EVER drink like that again.

3. 29th birthday. My first surprise birthday party given by the hubby. Held at the clubhouse of our new apartment. Lots of people came through. And it WASN'T an April Fools joke!

I'm sure there are many other memorable April Fool birthdays to recall, but these are the ones that quickly come to mind. Hopefully and God willing, there will be many more to come!

Just wanted to send some birthday shout-outs to my fellow fools:

*SciMathScopes- I used to think that she was my ultimate twin! We were born on the same day, baptized on the same day, and lo and behold, her dad worked with my dad in PI. Went to the same high school, became the best of friends, and did practically everything together. She's legally changed her name, but I'll always know her as that Beatles song. Though I've lost touch with her through the years and though we've gone different paths in life, just wanted to wish her the best on our birthday!

*Fred and George Weasley- if you're not a true Harry Potter fan, then you won't understand. It's only natural that these practical jokers were born on this day!

*Bad Batz Maru- yah, the one and the same Sanrio character. Why do I know this??? Honestly, I like Pocchaco much better and I think Cinnamaroll is way cuter.

In any case, hope ya'll have a fabulous day today...and hey, don't be so gung-ho about those practical jokes...it might very well be their birthday! Lol!

Life is Strange

I've been thinking about my friend who lost her baby. There is this great sadness that I have inside, but at the same time, it's a feeling of relief that the baby did not have to suffer.

I recently watched the repeat episode of One Tree Hill where a student so distraught by his tormented high school experiences turned gunman. It's the tragedy that we've all heard before in the news and the same one that we've conveniently put in the back of our minds because it's so disturbing and painful. Fortunately, I did not have to suffer through a horrific tragedy such as Columbine during my high school years, but at the same time, the entire country got a jolt of reality and suffered alongside with them in shock and loss just the same.

At a church service, a young man testified about the goodness and greatness of God amidst the tragedy of losing half of his family. This man had come from a family who served the church in numerous ways; in fact, his parents were serving as missionaries somewhere in Slovenia. His family had just left for vacation. In a single instant, he lost both of his parents and his youngest brother in a terrible car accident. Thankfully, his other two younger sisters survived.

There are so many tragedies in the world where the ones mentioned above are just a few. There's war, poverty, sickness and disease, natural disasters, hate...it's so overwhelming.

Then when we take look at our own lives, the problems and dramas that we are going through seem so trivial compared to others. Sure, I may have financial difficulties and be up to my neck in debt, but I still have clothes on my back and a bed to sleep on at night. I currently do not have a job, but at the same time, there are so many opportunities open to me, a woman of color living in America. I may be going through marital problems, but I've learned the hard way that while people do make mistakes, there's always room for change and change of heart.

I look at my life and while I often find myself down and out depressed, while it is easier to sulk and be miserable, I have to remind myself how truly blessed I am.

In all of the things to believe in this world, there are two things in which I am certain. One, there is a God. Two, all things happen for a reason. I believe that our paths have been carved out for us and while we do have the gift of free will, God is up there just watching what we do, KNOWING what we'll do, and probably chuckling and laughing at how we do it. In all things, I have faith that whatever happens in our life, good or bad, major or minor, trivial or not, that we will be taken care of. This is not to say that we can just sit back and expect good things to happen to us- on the contrary!

I believe that everything happens for a reason; that opportunities present themselves when we least expect them; that when a door closes up a chapter of our lives, another one opens; that we are on this particular path at this particular moment for a particular reason; and finally that EACH and EVERY person that comes into our lives has a purpose, too.

Life is strange, isn't it? It's a confusing maze of instances and yet, while we may not understand any of it, we just have to trust that everything will turn out okay. Life happens and we have to happen with it...and be thankful and grateful for each day.