A Friday Tag

I promised Panaderos that I'd do his nice little tag. Here goes the tag questions and my answers:

• Have you ever gone on a blind date? Yes, with my cousin’s classmate in law school. He was nice but in trying too hard to impress me, he was quite rude to the waiter which turned me off.

• Skipped school? In high school, I skipped a few classes of an elective that bored me to death to play “dama” (Spanish checkers) with the boys at the bleachers.

• Been on a plane? Yes…I have a few weird and funny plane stories to tell.

• Been lost? Oh yes…story of my life! I absolutely have no sense of direction. I once drove for more than an hour thinking I was going to the direction of Ortigas or Edsa. It was past one in the morning and after making a few wrong turns, I asked a group of men drinking along the street but it was like talking to a bunch of 5-year olds. I finally stopped at a gas station and asked where I was. Turned out I was driving towards the opposite direction---I was almost in Espana! I also got lost in Paris because I couldn't read the map, and the French refused to speak English; and in Los Angeles going to Irvine.

• Swam in the ocean? Yes, yes, yes! I’m not a very good swimmer but I love to be in the water.

• Cried yourself to sleep? Oh yes! Countless times…I wake up with swollen eyes but with a lighter heart and happier disposition.

• Played cops and robbers? Not really…

• Played dolls? Yes…but not the usual injection-molded plastic dolls. I invented my own dolls when I was a kid…made from paper cutout and some plant I found in my grandmother’s garden. Don’t ask me to describe it…hahaha!

• Recently colored with crayons? No.

• Sang Karaoke? Of course! It’s a great stress-reliever and way to show off the diva in me (awwww)!

• Paid for a meal with coins only? Yes, a long time ago, when a complete meal in the school cafeteria was less than ten pesos, the jeepney fare was 50 centavos, and rice was 2 pesos a kilo.

• Done something you said you wouldn't? Unfortunately, yes. No regrets, though.

• Cheated on a test? Never…too scared to get caught.

• Made prank phone calls? Hmmnnn…Yes, a few times in high school. My friends and I used to make prank calls to a funeral home, and a radio station.

• Caught a snowflake on your tongue? No…I forgot to open my mouth!

• Danced in the rain? Oh yes! My cousins, my sister and I danced in the rain and splashed water from potholes to each other. We used the broomstick as a guitar and danced to Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”.

• Written a letter to Santa Claus? No, I was never introduced to Santa Claus.

• Watched the sun rise with someone you care about? Yes...it made up for the lack of sleep (hehe).

• Been kissed under the mistletoe? No.

• Gone ice skating? No.

• Been skinny dipping outdoors? Yes (blushing). I spent a weekend with cousins and friends in a beach resort in Guimaras many summers ago. The beach was in a secluded cove, and we had the place to ourselves. We went skinny dipping under the full moon…the water was so calm and warm, it felt like oil to the skin. It was a wonderful experience. This was way before the Guimaras oil disaster.:-D

• Favorite drink I'm allowed on a regular basis - Coffee

• Tattoos? Yes…just a tiny one.

• Body piercing? ...on both ears.

• Vacation spot? Too many beautiful places, too little time---my favorite spot is in Palawan.

• Eaten cookies for dinner? Yes…cookies and ice cream were my favorite dinner in college…either I was too lazy to cook, or my allowance was dwindling.

• Ever been on TV? No…except on videos taken during weddings and parties.

• Ever been in a car accident? No, thank God!

• Favorite number and why? In numerology, I’m a life path 7...so it's my favorite number.

• Favorite movie? There are too many to mention---on top my head, I love Juno, The Thin Red Line, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Prince of Tides, The Godfather Trilogy, The Deer Hunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Cape Fear, Forrest Gump, There Will Be Blood, Of Mice and Men, The Last Samurai, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Insiang, Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag, Amelie, and many more…

• Favorite holiday? The best holiday is time spent with my dog and people I care about…exchange ideas with them, reminisce, share laughter, or just lounge around enjoying time away from work.

• Favorite smells? I love the fresh and clean scents of lavender, vanilla, sandalwood and rosemary, and the sensual scent of jasmine; smells of freshly cut grass remind me of summer mornings and burning dried leaves evoke childhood memories in Miranda

• What do you do to relax? Put my feet up, listen to music, and read a good book, play with my dog or have a body massage.

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Possibly with more dogs, and enjoying a simple, uncomplicated yet exciting life.

I'm not tagging anyone, but if you'd like to play, just go ahead and enjoy!

Daydreaming [and a Tag]

sailing in San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge at the background

I like to daydream. It's one of my escapes when I'm bored or stressed. It's also a motivator when I need to get creative. I guess I just have an over-active imagination.

I daydream about all sorts of things. I never told anybody but when I was a kid, I used to daydream I was Kelly (played by Jaclyn Smith) of Charlie's Angels. In my grandfather's laguerta, there was a huge uprooted acacia tree and it was my favorite playground. I would sit at the longest end of the root and daydreamed of being a pirate princess riding the waves.

a boat-shaped Alcatraz at the background

I'm an adult now and yes, I still daydream.

While stuck in traffic, I imagine myself driving a red Porsche along the Italian Riviera. Most people would rather go to sleep during long trips, but not me. I prefer to daydream...build my castles in the air. In one of my trips to Baguio, I imagined myself living in a rustic cabin on top of the mountain, complete with a satellite TV and wi-fi. In Boracay, I daydreamed of owning a yacht where I also live, read all day, and sail from island to island. I imagine myself in an African safari as a professional photographer. I imagine visiting the Taj Mahal with Richard Gere (my imaginary boyfriend) where he pledges his undying love for me. I imagine being rich enough to have my own shelter for battered women and abused children, and have more than enough money to send my three nephews to Harvard or Oxford (this would probably remain a dream, unless there's divine intervention on their grades).

As I get older, my daydreams have become a little bit realistic (well, except for Richard Gere and his undying love, but hey, who knows? ). I don't think that old age has made me less imaginative. I'd like to believe that I'm now aiming for things that I can possibly attain. I once daydreamed of going to Paris and walk by the River Sienne under the moonlight. Well, it was not exactly under a full moon, but I was able to visit Paris two years ago and walked by the River Sienne from the Louvre to the Notre Dame Cathedral. I dreamed of experiencing New York City (yeah, from watching Sex and the City :D), and it happened. I don't know what will come next. I hope it's the rustic cabin on the mountains or a DSLR camera!:D

Bay Bridge and Bay area skyline

I have a cousin who once showed me a scrapbook of her dreams. A picture of her dream house, her dream car, beautiful places she would like to see. She believes that if you have visual aids of your dreams, it's easier to strive for them. No, I don't have posters of Richard Gere or a vintage red Ferrari at the ceiling above my bed.:D

Is daydreaming bad? No, i don't think so. As long as you separate your daydreams from reality, they're a great motivation for us to work harder for a better life. I'm a dreamer. There are a lot of things that I dream of doing before I die. Some I've already been able to attain, but some I still need to work for.

How about you? Do you think dreams can come true?


While you're thinking about the question and your dreams, I'm doing the Tag from Lawstude.

The Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Why 7, I don't know...but it's my lucky number, so here goes:

1. The younger years: My first fashion show was at age 3 where I wore a muumuu, kalachuchi garland, another kalachuchi at my right ear, and my beaded slippers were chewed by a family dog. I won my first singing competition at age 5 with the song “Help Me make it Through the Night. Prize money was 10 pesos. I practiced singing on top of the dining table with the whole clan as my critic and audience.

2. I have been to Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, US, London, France, Italy, Amsterdam, and three quarters of the Philippines---half the time, I traveled alone.

3. I cry at the lamest of movies. I deny crying when Gabby married Sharon. I cry at TV commercials, Lupang Hinirang, and one time at Don McLean’s American Pie while riding a jeepney. I cry at weddings and christenings more than I cry at funerals.

4. I have cravings for pop corn, salmon sashimi, squash seeds and raw oysters dipped in vinegar with chili.

5. I pull my hair. Shaving my head is one of my favorite fantasies when I look in the mirror.

6. I once dreamed of becoming a painter, a writer, and an architect. Sometimes, I wish I’m a social worker, an activist, an assassin, or a barrio doctor.

7. My weary spirit is soothed in bookstores, with body massage, and at the ladies’ shoe section.

I'm tagging 7 blog buddies whose blog sites I visit often, and are nice enough to leave their comments here. No pressure, no rush...no need to reveal your deep dark secrets.:D

1. Gizelle

2. Bugsybee

3. Cons

4. Panaderos

5. Senior Enrique

6. Migs

7. Bertn

When you can't think of anything to blog

...a meme is the only way to go. Thanks, Crissy!

Name Four Scents You Love

• Allure by Chanel (the bottle is almost empty!)


• baby's scent


• freshly-brewed coffee


• freshly cut grass

Name Four Things You Are Thinking About Now

• Syet, I need to clean my desk before Friday!


• Did I call Bais' tourism office?


• Oh, crap...my boss already left and I forgot to give him my leave form!


• Oh, syet...it's raining again!

Name the Last Four Things You Have Bought

• notebooks, notebooks, notebooks for my nephews


• dog biscuits for Fritz


• a box of 'food for the gods'


• a kilo of grapes

Name Four Drinks You Regularly Drink

• coffee


• orange juice with pulp


• iced tea


• mango shake

Last Time You Said 'I Love You' And Meant It

• Last night...to Fritz. He licked my toe afterwards.

Last Time You Cried?

• About 2 hours ago, after I saw the photos of the victims in Burma

What's In Your Music Player?

• If I write them all here, I'd miss my dinner. Currently, I have more than 1,000 songs in my pc and currently playing Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". It's a mix of classic rock, jazz and blues.

What's Under Your Bed?

• 3 suitcases and lots of dust, I suppose
  

What Time Did You Wake Up Today?

• 8:30 am but I left my bed around 9 am

Current Hair?

• layered cut just below my shoulders

Current Clothes?

• red, black and white striped shirt and black RL jeans

Current Desktop Picture?

• red chili peppers

Current Worry?

• That I won't be able to get seats in a boat for dolphin and whale watching

Current Hate?

• the traffic jam outside

Favorite Physical Features Of The Opposite Sex?

• chest, butt, clean nails

Last CD You Bought?

• Best of Aerosmith, The Millennium Collection, a few months ago.

Favorite Places To Be?

• my living room


• my cubicle in the office


• Italianis-Greenbelt


• The Spa in Bonifacio High Street

Least Favorite Places?

• dental clinic


• hospital's emergency room


• a crowded mall


• stuck in traffic

If You Could Play An Instrument?

• a violin

Favorite Color(s)?

• red and black

Do You Believe In An Afterlife ?

• Hmmm...can I call a friend? hehehe

How Tall Are You?

• 5'2"

Current Favorite Word/Saying ?

• Syet!


• I wish!

Favorite Season?

• the season after Christmas but before Summer..meron bang gano'n?

One Person From Your Past You Wish You Could Go Back And Talk To

• my father

Favorite Day?

• Sundays and holidays :D

Where Would You Like To Go ?

• Jerusalem

How Many Kids Do You Want ?

• too late...:D next question, please

Favorite Car?

• a vintage Ferrari convertible

"124" Book Tag - Heirloom Dahlias

I got this tag from a blog buddy, Gizelle, early this week, but I was up to my eyeballs with work. Finally, I was able to do the tag today.

Here are the easy-to-do tag rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people.

Problem is, I'm at work and I have no books here. I only have tons of catalogs, trade manuals and magazines. The pile on my desk right now consists of 3 issues of Veranda, Elle Decor and Wallpaper magazines---I hope these counts since there are also words and sentences in it.:D

I grabbed the one on top of the pile...a 20th anniversary issue of Veranda. When I opened page 123, it's a full-page ad so I flipped on the next page. Mine is a "124" magazine tag, Gizelle! Hahaha

my desk

Page 124 is an article about Heirloom Dahlias, with photos of the bold and captivating bloomers in deep burgundy, old-rose pink and maroon hues. The article was written by Katherine Whiteside, who wrote that these flowers “have everything to do with young, impetuous love in a hot, sanguine country.”

The next 3 sentences after the first five sentences read:

The Hollands continued to live a romantic, peripatetic ex-pat life in France and Spain. While in the latter country, the now-Lady Holland saw dahlias in bloom for the first time. It was love again.

page 124

To give you an idea what the three sentences were all about---here's the juicy part: it is Florence at the end of the 18th century. And there, Sir Geoffrey Webster and his 23-year old wife, were enjoying the lavish life of wealthy Brits living abroad. Enter Lord Holland, age 20, and his wife. This young couple was making the European grand tour, while in Italy, stopped by to visit the Websters. Before you could say cocoxchitl (which Dahlia was called by the Aztecs), Lady Webster and Lord Holland began a torrid affair, ran off together and, in 1796, produced a son. A year later, Lord Webster divorced his wife, and Lord Holland and the former Lady Webster were able to marry.

Years later, the now-Lady Holland sent seeds of dahlia back to Britain and, thus, has been credited with jump-starting the dahlia's introduction into English gardens.

Originally, dahlia tubers were grown by Aztecs for food. Spanish explorers in Central America tried this indigenous treat but declared the taste "repulsive and nauseous." Sometime in 1785, some unnamed explorer sent the tubers to Spain and it was christened in honor of Anders Dahl, a student of the great botanical name-dropper Linnaeus.

A subsequent story about a dahlia tuber that was once exchanged for a diamond is perhaps an exaggeration, but later in the 19th century, the dahlia was so popular that there were more than 10,000 different types in cultivation. Lord Holland was rightly proud and wrote the following bit of dahlia doggerel for his darling after they had been together for almost 20 years:

The Dahlia you brought to our isle

Your praises for ever shall speak;

Mid gardens as sweet as your smile,

And colour as bright as your cheek.