March 31, 2009

Favorite Neil Gaiman Quotes

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Dear Me,

Who is
Neil Gaiman? When did you first learn about him?

I can't exactly recall what year I first heard the guy's name. I have this writer friend who kept on raving about the guy's creations. For me, Neil Gaiman = The Sandman comic series. Whenever his name is mentioned, I equate all his works to graphic novels & science fictions; which are not the type of reading materials I will bother picking out in a stack of books.

Well, I was utterly mistaken.

I had to check him out and discovered a lot of things helpful enough for me to like him and include his published books in my TBR pile. A lot of his writings had achieved recognitions and awards and the latest was this year's
Newberry Medal for his novel, The Graveyard Book.

Anyway, I encountered some very nice and worthy lines from Neil Gaiman's writings.

"Have you ever been in love? Horrible, isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up this whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life. You give them a piece of you. They don't ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you, or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so a simple phrase like 'Maybe we should just be friends' or 'How very perceptive' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love. I hate love." — Neil Gaiman (The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones)


"Each person who ever was or is or will be has a song. It isn't a song that anybody else wrote. It has its own melody, it has its own words. Very few people get to sing their song. Most of us fear that we cannot do it justice with our voices, or that our words are too foolish or too honest, or too odd. So people live their song instead." — Neil Gaiman (Anansi Boys)


"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe." — Neil Gaiman (The Sandman)


"What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul." — Neil Gaiman (American Gods)


Do you have favorite quotes from any of his books? Care to share? :)
March 23, 2009

Feliz Compleanos, Mi Hermano!

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Dear Me,

Before this special day comes to a close, I would like to greet the youngest in the brood,
Jepoy ---- a very fantastic




Wishing that you have a blast as you celebrate & partied your special day!


poem courtesy


To you my dear brother, always take care and may God bless you!
March 23, 2009

Manic Monday #11

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Dear Me,

It's almost 11:00 in the evening. I feel so exhausted and I'm about to reach the end of a very short fuse. It's like I'm going to short-circuit any moment. *sigh*




Do you screen your phone calls?
~~ I rarely do. My number is only known amongst friends and those who know me. But if I'm trying to avoid someone (which is kinda rare, too), I'm wary of unregistered numbers.


When was the last time you lost your temper?
~~ Today, just a few minutes ago! Actually, the entire day. My little one is throwing tantrums and being picky/playful with his food.


When you're lost, do you ask for directions?
~~ Yes, I do. It would be a great deal saving time and effort if I'm chasing time. But if I'm being carefree, I would welcome the sense of being nowhere. :)


Join the fun here.

Have a great week ahead!
March 23, 2009

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

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Dear Me,

For moms like me out there, it's time for us to party again! :)

Here comes the
Ultimate Blog Party 2009, hosted by the fabulous 5 Minutes For Mom.




It's time to party and jiggle those bodies for one week of pure fun. The party actually commenced last March 20th and will culminate on the 27th.

My name is
Frances (although I used to sport the name Ivan Girl) and I first joined the Ultimate Blog Party just last year. I bumped into it when I was carrying my firstborn. With a lot of time in my hands (since I already resigned from work), I was searching the virtual world for new mommy info that could help me appreciate the new life I was about to have.

Little
Miguel was then 5 months old when I partied with other mommies. Now, he's already 1 year & 5 months old. Obviously, he's a year older and it's another fantastic mom blogging event of the year.

In between making our house a tidy home and changing soiled nappies, I try to sort Miguel's photos in my blog, engage in my long-time vice of reading, collecting & buying books, keeping tabs with both sides of the family as well as attending family-friendly blog events.




The Ultimate Blog Party is about
building online friendships.

It's a week long party of meeting new bloggers, reading interesting blogs and a chance to snag fabulous prizes and giveaways! So what are you waiting for? *winks*

PS1. For my top picks for the prizes, I think winning any prizes sponsored internationally will be good enough for me and very much appreciated!


PS2. I'm hosting prizes but I'm still waiting for the green light from the party prize coordinator since I'm kinda late in participating. :)
March 23, 2009

Vote For Me, Please?

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Dear Me,

It's probably boredom that drove me to join
The Block & White Step Into The Light Online Photo Contest. It's just this simple mood-tripping that I'm currently experiencing.

Another thing that led me to hop in the fun was its create-your-own-catchy fill-in caption:
"With Block & White, I can step into the light when I'm ____________."


I can step into the light when I'm
free and do the things I love best like mountainclimbing
& taking a break to pose for the camera..Hahaha! :)


If you feel like voting for me, simply visit www.blockandwhite.com.ph/vote.php?uid=877 and cast your vote. You may submit your votes from March 15, 2009 to May 25, 2009. Results of the Contest will be posted on May 31, 2009. If you want to find my photo again, search in the gallery for my user name ivanulrich and it will take you straight to my photo.

Thank you very much!


PS. You can also join and upload your own photo as entry so long as you're female. Please check the
mechanics and register your entry.

If you do join and want me to vote, please post your link in the comments and I would be more than glad to return the favor. :)

Thanks again! :)
March 19, 2009

LP 03: Paboritong Alahas

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Mahal Kong Sarili,

Dahil sa malapit nang matapos ang linggong ito at kulang ang aking oras para magtagal sa harap ng aking laptop, heto ang napili kong larawan para sa temang ito ngayong linggo: ang aking
PABORITONG ALAHAS.



Dear Me,

Since this week is almost coming to an end and I don't have much luxury time in my hands to stay long in fron of my laptop, I have chosen this photo as this week's designated theme: my FAVORITE JEWELRY.

wedding ring

Ito ay ang singsing na sumisimbolo sa pagmamahalan naming mag-asawa. :)

This is the ring that symbolizes the love and affection we have for each other as husband and wife. :)

Ito ang aking ikatlong pagsali at sana ay magtuloy-tuloy ito. :)

This is my third participation and I still hope I'll get on with it weekly. :)
March 16, 2009

Manic Monday #10

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Dear Me,

Aw, it's Monday and the sky looks gloomy. It seems like the heaven's will cry in a while. Hmm. I'm feeling kinda dreary. Hmm.




Are you a saver or spender?
~~ Uhmm...I think I'm both a saver and a spender. I'm a saver on all counts but when it comes to books and bags, I tend to veer my mind away from reality. Hehehe. :)


Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Socks? Shoes?
~~ My parents regarded me as a mountain person because even at a younger age, I detest wearing any type of footwear inside the house. Back then, I usually get a reprimand and with a punishment to boot for breaking the rule of always strapping my slippers to my feet. I really feel hot and queasy everytime something covers them. It's like I will be down with a fever if I don one.


Do you talk to yourself?
~~ I rarely do but when I do so, it's because I'm trying to organize the convoluted thoughts inside my head.


Join the fun here.

Have a great week ahead!
March 15, 2009

Missing Baguio

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Dear Me,

It's summer already! I think I'm becoming delirious for I've been dreaming about this place for days. My last visit in
Baguio was way back in 2006. Before that, I've been spending my weekends in this cool place every month just to get away with the stress and exhaustion from work (doing projects and research can make you go nuts if you're in such a demanding workplace; despite that, I loved my work). Spending a few hours in that vacation destination is enough for me to rejuvenate, physically and mentally. :)

I definitely agree with
Mr. Michael Tan about this article he wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The title is just befitting. :)

Surreal Baguio
By Michael Tan
03/13/2009

The last time I visited Baguio City was about three years ago. It was not a pleasant trip, because of a combination of work and domestic pressures. I also got caught in an evening thunderstorm on the way back, making the trip all the more harrowing.

Last week's visit, mainly to attend the University of the Philippines' Baguio Centennial Conference, was totally different. It helped having someone drive for me, but the new SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) also made the trip shorter. You enter at Clark (after the Northern Luzon Expressway) and exit in Tarlac province, a rather short stretch but one which allows you to skip several towns that often have traffic bottlenecks.

I was worried that there would be a mad rush of people, given that my trip coincided with the tail end of the flower festival, but no, we just breezed through the more than 200 kilometers. Total travel time, including one hour to get out of Metro Manila and about 40 minutes for a mid-trip break, was six hours — not bad at all, especially when you have young children with you.

With what looks like a long and hot summer upon us, you might want to consider a trip up, especially since it is Baguio's centennial.

But, you might ask, what does Baguio have to offer? People, including Baguio residents themselves, complain all the time about how Baguio has deteriorated through the years. Intended as a summer capital for government bureaucrats and a place for American colonial administrators to recover from philippinitis (the term actually exists, and was even the title of a US Navy song), Baguio's cool climate, scenic spots and economic opportunities have become liabilities, attracting too many people, whether as transients or permanent settlers.

But Baguio continues to attract people, not so much because it has new attractions each time but because it's just so different, even surreal. Some of this you already know: the cool climate in what is usually a very hot country, the quaint colonial architecture, the flowers that you won’t see back in Manila, the strawberries.

Nothing's constant in Baguio. The colonial architecture used to be just that, a reminder of the American past, but in the last two decades, the buildings, now older and many rundown, have taken a new ambience, this time as haunts.

The reputed ghosts of Baguio gave me an idea for my presentation at the Baguio Centennial conference, and I'll be sharing the paper with you as soon as I can find time to shorten it.


Cowboys

Ghosts aside, Baguio has a way of constantly reinventing itself. At the centennial conference, there were two presentations that I particularly enjoyed: one on the pony boys of Wright Park by Feliz Perez, and the other on the Benguet Koboy by Alice Subido. Both the pony boys and the "cowboys" of Benguet province have common ancestry, back in the pre-American period when the "baknang" (the Ibaloi elite) hired men to care for their cattle. The Americans eventually land-grabbed from the baknang (another story, for another column), but the cowboys lived on, now no longer limited to the Ibaloi, but still carrying on the a distinctly Benguet cowhand culture.

I always wondered why American country music was so popular in the Cordillera region, especially in Baguio, and figured it was simply the product of an American colonial hangover. Mind you, this isn't just folk houses with singers strumming out John Denver songs. I still remember going to a jam-packed music hall where people played American country music complete with fiddles and cowboys strutting around with the appropriate boots and hats.

It turns out this country music craze is tied up to the Benguet Koboy. The conference session on the Benguet Koboy made me nostalgic, and I asked if there were still country music halls. The one I visited some years ago has since been converted into an "ukay-ukay" (used clothing) place, but my Baguio friends said there are still places where country music is played, complete with line dancing.

I didn't have time on this last trip to look up those places, but I did get to check out old haunts (besides haunted houses). I used to go to La Azotea on Session Road because of a folk singing place on the second floor. I ended up on the fourth floor, where the master of the surreal, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, has a center that combines, in a multi-level layout, a stage, photo galleries, installation art everywhere, and a restaurant.

Now for a magical mystery dining tour. Café by the Ruins on Chuntug Road, near City Hall, is still my favorite, with its menu offering a fusion of traditional Cordillera food, Filipino food, and a bit of something from everywhere. They now make their own "tapuey" (rice wine) but ran out the weekend I was there. They do carry all kinds of alternative "pasalubong" (arrival tokens] from other producers; instead of the usual strawberry jam, you can find hibiscus ("gumamela") jam, or dried "daguey" (a kind of berry). Weekend mornings they sell organic vegetables.

O My Khan is just across the street from Café, which is where I go for "kalamansi" cheesecake (they call it a pie, but it's really more of a cheesecake, with graham cracker fillings). Ebai, which used to be in Munsayac Hotel and has one of the best carrot cakes around, is now found at Narda's, which is an outlet for the famous Narda's textile products and handicrafts, a pastry shop and a restaurant.


BenCab

A fire just a few days before my visit had gutted down part of the city market but there's still enough of it for the usual businesses to thrive. The market is much cleaner now, but I have to say the vendors can be too pushy, almost desperate. Do scout around first before buying; you'll find, for example, that the best vegetables (including hard-to-find ones like Chinese pechay) are actually further uphill behind the market.

Baguio, or rather Metro Baguio, does have one new attraction: the BenCab Museum, which opened just last month. You go north into Naguilian Road, and right before Cooyeeson Mall, you turn into the town of Asin. The museum is on Km 6 and has National Artist Ben Cabrera's amazing collection of traditional crafts, as well as his and his friends' artwork. The museum is on a piece of land that also has a garden, farm and breath-taking views of the mountains. The ground floor has a restaurant, Café Sabel, with a still limited menu.

Don't rush through the museum. There's enough in there for at least an hour, more if you are into art or anthropology. I had the kids with me and they were quite behaved, almost as if the artwork had sedated them. They were allowed to roam quite freely, but were not allowed into an Erotica Gallery.

So there you have a bit of surreal Baguio in the 21st century. I'm planning one more trip in May, more leisurely this time, without having to think about ghosts and haunted houses, unless my son brings it up. We stayed at a bed and breakfast on Leonard Wood and on our last night there, he kept waking me up, pointing to the window and claiming someone was looking at us from outside.

Source: PDI
March 13, 2009

Sweet Treat: S'mores Chocolate Cake

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Dear Me,

I only have a sweet tooth for chocolates. I'm a glutton when it comes to those yummy, munchy bars. I can never stop at one choco bar a day. It's like coffee for me; this time, with a sweet kick!

Before I don't like cakes. Cake shops these says are so innovative and original that I can't help myself but utter a ooohh, ahhh, uummph!

Normally, he first thing that usually piques our interest about a particular cake is its appearance. Just by looking at it elicits a very distinctive pleasing sensation. :)

Second is the name of these delectable cakes. Hearing your favorite sweets concocted in these mouth-watering cakes is such pure delight.

And the one thing that makes all the differences worth indulging in such a sweet sin is its taste! Delightful, delectable, divine! :)





Together with a steaming mug of coffee, it is such a tremendous bliss to be captivated with my new favorite, S'mores Chocolate Cake from Red Ribbon Bakeshop!



Delightfully moist chocolate chiffon cake, made more heavenly with layers of soft marshmallow and grahams, wrapped in the goodness of rich whipped chocolate and chocolate cookie crumbs. Topped with luscious caramel, cream kisses and chocolate squares.




Red Ribbon Bakeshop
Store Locations
Products: cakes, breads & pastries, rolls, platters
Homepage: http://www.redribbonbakeshop.com.ph/default.asp
March 12, 2009

LP 02: Blusa/Polo

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Mahal Kong Sarili,

Mejo naantala ang paglahok ko sa
Litratong Pinoy. Naging masyado akong naging abala sa pag-aalaga ng aking nag-iisang anak at sa pagsasaayos ng aming tahanan.

Dear Me,

My participation in Litratong Pinoy has been momentarily cut short. I have been preoccupied in taking good care of my only baby as well as tidying up our home.


Sa linggong ito, ang napiling tema ay BLUSA/POLO.

The chosen theme for this week is all about BLOUSE/POLO.

maliit na polo

Ang maliit at puting damit na ito ay ang kauna-unahang polo ng aking sanggol na si Miguel. Una niya itong sinuot nung binyag niya. Mahigit isang taon na si Miguel pero wala akong balak itong ipamigay o itapon. Ito ay aking itatago bilang alaala na minsan ay sinuot ito ng aking anak.

This small, white piece of clothing was my baby Miguel's first polo. He first wore it during his baptism. Now, Miguel is more than a year old already but I have no intention of giving it to anyone nor dispose it. I will treasure this as a remembrance that Miguel had donned it once upon a time.

TNF shirts para kay Papi

Sa palagay ko, ang mga damit na ito ay di matatawag na polo. Sa kabilang banda, naisip ko lang isama ang larawang ito dito. Ang mga ito ay damit galing sa The North Face store sa Glorietta. Binili ko ang mga ito para kay Papi dahil gusto ko ang tela na ginagamit nila.

I think these clothes can't be considered as polo(s). On the other hand, I thought of including this photo here. These shirts were from The North Face store in Glorietta. I bought them for my hubby because I like its fabric.

Ito ang aking ikalawang pagsali at sana ay magtuloy-tuloy ito. :)

This is my second participation and I still hope I'll get on with it weekly. :)
March 11, 2009

Miguel @ 11 Months - Watching Barney

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Dear Me,

I think I will forever be sorting and organizing my files and photos in my laptop.

Last month, I shared these adorable expressions of
Miguel during his 10th month.

When Miguel was born, we've been playing Barney on tv for him to watch and learn songs. Barney has been a very good friend to him. He keeps him company while he eats, play and sleep. :)


watching Barney's friends sing


ssshhh...he's seriously watching


Barney!


Barney & friends with Mother Goose


feeling sleepy already...ahehehe!


These photos were taken one evening in September. He was 11 months old then.


Keeping tabs:
March 09, 2009

Manic Monday #9

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Dear Me,

A lot of things have been going on lately. I simply didn't have much time to sit in front of my laptop and punch keys.
Miguel has been craving my attention everytime I attempt to divert my attention elsewhere, especially on this screen. Now, he is having his short-time nap.



What would you do with an extra hour each day?
~~ If someone I can trust can watch Miguel for me, I would spend that extra hour to jog around and sweat the fats off. Hehehe. I really need to reduce weight.


Do you wear a watch? If so, tell us about it. If not, how do you keep track of time?
~~ I don a wristwatch everytime I go out of the house. I need one so I can keep track of time since I tend to forget how long I've been out engaging in my pastimes. There was a time I entered a bookshop during lunchtime and oblivious of time, I discovered that it was already dusk. My watch is a girly pink Timex given as a gift by hubby. :)


If it was possible, would you want to know how many days you had left to live?
~~ I don't want to but I would appreciate a rough estimate. My reason behind that is that I would want to spend much quality time with the people who care for me and whom I deeply love. Also, I would want to indulge myself in the things that I would want to accomplish before I sigh my last breath.


Join the fun here.

Have a great week ahead!
March 01, 2009

Who Made You Interested In Reading?

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Dear Me,

This was a question posted at
Shelfari.

Actually, the right question would be What or WHAT PLACE made me start reading.

Back when I was in elementary, our library wasn't a friendly place at all. It was kinda dark and gloomy, more like scary because only a handful number of souls go there.

But I dared myself and learned to peek through the ominous-looking mahogany shelves. I saw books, small and big, entirely hardbounds and discovered
Nancy Drew.

It was my break time and my Chinese classes were about to start. I only read a few pages and I got hooked. From there on, I sneaked every available time I had just to go to our scary library to read Nancy Drew.

Our handsome although stern-looking librarian caught up with me one time and asked me why I frequent the library (he said that during that time I was the only person who constantly visit the library without fail). I told him that I liked reading all those Nancy Drew stories; that I never thought that our library had such great, interesting books (yeah, I was so naive then). He laughed. I wondered why he laughed but instead of replying, he told me to approach him the next time I visit. I told him that I would be there later in the day to read.

To cut this long tale short, he provided me a library card so I could bring some books home.

Thinking about it now, I think the question just seemed apt after all. It was that handsome but strict accommodating Chinese librarian from school! :)

What about you? What's your story about books and reading?

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