Photo Stories for 2010

The Jukebox Queen

I was planning of making photo stories this May, but I can't seem to wait. Many things have happened and it'd be best if I share it with you, my dear reader.

First, it was Carla who invited me to drop by her office so I could show her the pictures of our past shoot for her online shop. While I was there, I tried her latest craving, Snowflakes, glazed corn cereal from Nestle. It was better than Honey Stars, another kind of cereal also from Nestle. While I was there, Carla started looking up into my music archive for new songs and in return, she copied some of her songs to my flash disk.

I didn't get to listen to the songs as soon as I got back to work. Instead, I tried listening to some of the songs two days later since I found some of them too slow and surely bored the hell out of me. I took the risk to play the rest of the songs and happily, I listened to Toby Lightman and Tristan Prettyman's music. That's how I came up with this first photo story. I wanted to show Carla how I enjoyed the two artists' music by taking some photos of myself with the headset on.

Life is short. Eat dessert first.

One thing I've learned over time is to make the most out of life. I took this literally this time and so when Arianne asked me if I wanted her to send me some dessert, I quickly said "YES". I'm no YES woman, but I try to be one.

I have such a sweet tooth and rejecting the offer would be a stupid mistake. It didn't take her much time to give me the dessert and for the first time, she saw where I work and how quiet it is in the office. Anyhow, it was a decent dessert from Starbucks after all. Not one of the best cakes I've ever tried but the thought that my friend, Arianne, dropped by just to give me dessert is the sweetest thing ever.

호두과자 (Walnut Snack)

It's unexplainable why all of a sudden I just crave for some 호두과자 (hodugwaja), a type of Korean cookie originating in Cheonan, South Korea. It is made by putting in a mixture of pounded walnuts with red bean paste in dough and baking. (wikipedia.org)

It was summer of 2008 when I first laid eyes on these babies. Daniel, from Korea brought some of these on our first team building activity in Bolinao, Pangasinan. Since then, I fell in love with its sweet taste, soft texture outside and crunchiness inside. It was heaven for me.

Now, I'm thinking how I can get some of those soon. I'm thinking of sending money to one of my friends there and asking her to buy some for me. All I need is to ask how much it is and give her some money to send those to me ASAP.

Love's Chicken ADUHHHHBO

If you ask a foreigner about what Filipino dish they're much familiar about, they'd definitely say Chicken or Pork Adobo.


One of the most famous Filipino dishes around the world, Chicken Adobo is our pride and glory.(Errr...it's just one we still have Manny Pacquiao.) As much as I want to share with you how to cook this sumptuous traditional Filipino food, I can't because I never cooked. However, thanks to Google. They've got plenty of Adobo recipes to choose from. But I opted to ask my friend for her own Chicken Adobo recipe.


She invited me and some of our highschool friends over at her place last Saturday for dinner since she prepared Adobo for us. She's very proud of her own recipe and so I couldn't wait to taste it myself. As expected, her Adobo didn't disappoint me and I have friends to back me up on this.


I'm more than proud and happy to share Love's Chicken ADUHHHBO recipe. Hope you all could try this at home. Feast on people!^^

LOVE'S CHICKEN AND PORK ADUHHHHBO

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes + 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces or
choice of either 1 kilo of pork or 1 kilo of chicken
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup vinegar
2 cups of water
5 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil then sauté the minced garlic and onions.
Add the pork and chicken to the pan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or when meat is tender.
Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and on another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes.

Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce(chicken and pork stock) to thicken.

Add salt and/or pepper if desired. Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Note: The chicken and pork stock mentioned above refers to the liquid when you boiled the chicken and pork in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Try not to add too much of it so it won't be like a soup dish. Pardon my terrible cooking instructions. I'm such a bad cook.^^

We Are The World For Africa Then, For Haiti Now

The most awaited song of the year has finally come out.

The 2010 remake of "We are the World" written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie has been released formally on February 12, 2010 during the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics. This song and charity single was first recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. The last recording session for the song according to Wikipedia was held on February 28, 1985. The historic event brought some of the most famous artists in the music industry together for one cause.

Quincy Jones made it once more!

Yes, he did! He's one of the producers of the first "We are the World" and is still proving that this incredible masterpiece can truly move mountains and make everybody come together for a cause once again. Together with Lionel Richie and Haitian-American singer Wyclef Jean, Quincy Jones gathered the sought-after artists of this generation to record this remake to mark it's 25th anniversary after its first recording session in 1985.

We are the World 25 for Haiti

January 12th of this year, a devastating and catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 Mw struck Haiti that killed thousands and left millions homeless.

As response to one of the most tragic events in the history of mankind, the producers of "We are the World" decided to record this song once again in the hope of generating more funds for the victims to start anew.

A Hearty Meet-Up

I felt like I was lacking inspiration and didn't know what to write and where to start in the past few days and so I feel sorry now that I have to catch up.

It was such a wonderful weekend I had. Not that I went on a date with my significant other because I totally have none. However, I spent the long weekend with my significant friends here and abroad.

Nostalgic Saturday

As I was watching all the audio-video presentations prepared by some students for the Alumni Dinner, all the good memories back from elementary and high school flashed back and almost made me cry. It made me realize how much I've changed and how grateful I should be to the people who helped me become who and what I have become.


Going Korean Once Again

For the second time around, I got to meet another student of mine from Korea. Her name is Park Mi Hyeon or Anne. She's a 28-year old single and definitely available nurse at the Ajou University Hospital. Enough about the profiling. I feel like I'm beginning to sound like a matchmaker.

The most unforgettable class I had with her was when we talked about her ex-boyfriend, who totally ignored her and suddenly disappeared without even greeting her on her birthday. Since then, she promised herself that she'd lose weight, start a healthier lifestyle and love herself more. I also won't forget when I asked her about her birthday wish. She just wished to find Mr. Right and eventually walk the isle and raise her own family.

I can only wish for good things to happen to her. She's such a sweetheart. One of the most thoughtful person I know and definitely a food lover. I wish we could meet each other soon in Korea.

To My LOVEliest Friend

To the person I never thought would be one of my closest friends....




To someone who has shared a great laugh over the years....




To one of the most selfless and generous person I know....


Through good times and bad....



We may never be physically present all the time....


You know we're all here for you, LOVE.


Happy Birthday and We Love You, LOVE!!!

http://s760.photobucket.com/albums/xx247/madforyoumaffy/?action=view&current=Video1.flv

My Pinky Valentine

A little surprising, touching and disappointing at the same time.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and my mom, once again, got me a Valentine's present. She's such a thoughtful and giving mom. She likes spoiling me and my dad with gifts, especially when she has money. I've always wished she has money all the time.^^

This year's Valentine's theme is a pinky and a childish one. She gave me a matching pink Hello Kitty keyboard and mouse. First, I was thankful and touched that she gave me a gift, again. But then I realized how disappointing it was to receive such gifts that I won't even need. I know it sounds too ungrateful of me not to appreciate the fact that she thought of giving me another Valentine's present.

She definitely knows what I want and what I would need. But how come, she never realized that her daughter is no longer a 12-year old kid but a trying-to-be-independent 21-year old young adult?

When I asked her why she gave me Hello Kitty stuff, all she said was that Hello Kitty is "in" once again. That's what totally disappointed me. It'd be alright if she never gave me a gift because Valentine's Day is just one of the most commercialized day in a year. It makes me wonder whether she truly knows what her daughter needs and wants and hasn't she realized I'm old enough for such kiddy stuff?

I'm sorry mom for doing this. I hope you'd understand my point as well. I should be thankful rather than disappointed. As the old saying goes, "it's the thought that counts". You know I love you mom. (There goes my pinky heart for you.)

CHILD 44: The Movie (WTH?!!!)

Until now, I still can't get over the idea of how greatly-written Child 44 is. It is a thriller novel by British writer Tom Rob Smith. The story goes around an MGB agent named Leo Demidov and his search for a serial killer in Stalin's Soviet Union.

The serial killer in the story is based from a real-life serial killer from Ukraine, Andrei Chikatilo, who then moved to Russia during the Soviet Union due to famine and the threat of cannibalism in their country. He was responsible for 52 murders and is well-known as the Rostov Ripper or The Butcher of Rostov.

In the latter part of the novel, Leo Demidov discovered a horrible truth behind the serial killer's identity that somewhat affected the course of his investigation.

Nonetheless, Child 44 is a heart-wrenching story about brotherly love and how far a person would go in search of a person he loves dearly.

Sadly for me, my dream of making this novel into a movie with my friend won't come true anymore. Still, I'm excited to see how Ridley Scott would turn this bestselling novel into a blockbuster.

A Night at The Stock Market

It surely ruined my diet and left me sleepy the next day. But, it was a hilariously awesome night with my high school friends. Together, we dined and laughed the night away. We needed to even save our mouths from drooling just seeing the food being served on the table and taking some pictures of it before having a single bite. Unfortunately, a friend of ours missed it and we hope that she could make it up to us soon.

The Stock Market is located at The Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City


Caesar Salad with Chicken



Chocolate Fondue


Herb Roasted Chicken


Garlic and Lemon Alfredo with Grilled Prawns


Smothered Pork Steaks


Baked Fish Fillet

AJ Rafael: A Brief Introduction

Here's a taste of what AJ rafael's music is all about. A Filipino-American rising star, a former student from the Berkeley College of Music. He has done several covers and original songs as well. The video below features some of his friends and this is also one of my favorites. To see more of him, drop by www.myspace.com/ajrafael

His friends are awesome as well. Gotta check these guys out.

Friends for Now and Forever

It's been a long time since I graduated from high school and the memories are still fresh in my memory. How could I ever forget the people who have seen me grow and mature? These people have seen me at my worst and at my best. That's why I believe no one could ever know me better than these guys.

We may not be always physically present for each other but what's for sure is that we'd be friends for now and forever.

Tweet in the Morning. Tweet in the Afternoon. Tweet in the Evening.

This has been my life since my friends and I realized how public our lives are becoming on Facebook. It's not that we don't like socializing or whatever, but we do treasure our privacy. Take a peek on what we're doing now or better yet follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/madforyoumaffy

Innocence

My cousin's son, Jhag.

Lady Gaga and Elton John: Back-to-Back

One of the many artists that took the world by storm is Lady Gaga. By her out-of-this world outfits and morbid music videos, she made most people gaga over her. If you try to strip her costume off and that thick make-up, you'd see a gifted artist. A natural talent. She need not to try hard to show off what she got. She's one great performer. An artist. An individualist.

Wow! Philippines

Here are some places you should visit when you go to the Philippines. I haven't been to some places yet but I'll make sure to keep you all posted.

My 1st Photography Workshop

The Venue.

It was a mind-blowing two-day workshop in Batangas. I was as nervous as I was excited for the said workshop. I didn't know what to expect and as a beginner, I didn't know how I'm going to keep up with the other attendees. Surprisingly, it was one hell of a roller coaster ride. It was tiring yet fun. What made it more refreshing was we had to do fashion photography, which I used to hate.

A couple of students from one of the nearby universities were invited to model for us. An on-the-spot photo contest was held and fortunately for me, I won. I got a one-night hotel accomodation and a p500 worth of gift card from Power Mac. I was aiming for the new iPod shuffle but I failed and so I used the gift card to buy myself a new iPod.

In the end, it was an experience I would never forget.