Holiday gifts and more!

Why do I receive more gifts during Christ’s birthday than my actual birthday?

Not that I’m complaining about this fact, but rather, I’m just asking a hypothetical question.

People say it is better to give than to receive. But guess what, I’m always excited every time I open a gift. So more or less, I enjoy opening gifts rather than wrapping them. Har har. I’m just being human.

But don’t worry, it’s not only me who benefits from the gifts given to me. Everyone else does! *wink*

So if ever you gave me something for this holiday season, check out the list below that I checked twice.


I’m sending my sincerest gratitude to everyone else who shared their blessings to me this holiday season:

Mom for the Wade shoes; Teni for the 500 Php SM gc that contributed very much to my new Diesel shoes; Gabbie and Mai for the Simpson and Adidas shirts, respectively; Caitlin, Diwa, and Elena for the bags; Marielle and Pauline for the hankies, Zion for the hand towels, and Alex for the bath towel; Jack for the ‘Rayban’ shades; Nathan for the cute watch, Abbey and T. Joy for the bracelets, and Inna for the wrist band that I really love; Sam and Aiah for the key chains and T. Marie for the bling bling; Mike for the purse; Adina for the wood carved pangkamot; and Myla for the pillow.

To those who are very concerned with my hygiene:

Reisa for the Soap Factory soap specials; and Diwa and Mia for the soaps and shampoos.

I really felt Mia’s concern because the shampoo she gave me has a label that says:

“The way your hair look’s can tell a lot about you.”

Come on Princess Mia!

Diwa for the toothpaste and Jotham for the night mint toothgel that I will really enjoy; Gina and Clarisse for the M&S hand wash; and Khaim for the hand sanitizer and bug spray.

Two days before our Christmas Party, my green mug which was a gift from the UPIS Student Council suddenly turned into mugs. Because of that incident, my broken mug was replaced by four new mugs courtesy of Miggy, Kiana, Kaye, and PSYSC who gave me a UP centennial mug.

Thank you also to Marielle for the travel mug and Mrs. Yu for the water bottle I won during the Faculty Party. And also to a donor I don’t know who sent green charcoal also for the Faculty Party.

Gobs for the lovely picture frame; Toni and Misha for some CDs; Abbey for the 2010 desk calendar; DOST-SEI for the planner; Pauline for the planner and notepad; T. Rose Ann for the notebook; Ara for the post it; T. Joji for the cute crocodile stapler; Frances for the laser pointer; Wawu for the faber-castell pencils; Pangilinan Family for the led book light; Kyla, Miko, Marco, Jornales Family, Mr. & Mrs. Gutierres, and Pastor Mike & T. Francie for the enthusing books you gave.

I was really amazed why I received only one toy this Christmas! Haha! Thank you Miguel!

They say that the best way to a man’s heart is thru his stomach. I’m now opposing this saying since last December 12, I was diagnosed by my ENT to be suffering from laryngospasm resulting to coughing and shortness of breathe. She said acid reflux is causing my laryngospasm and heart burn. For that, I was advised to stay away from acidic food including those which are sour and spicy; caffeinated drinks: soda, iced tea, coffee; food with tomato sauce; and chocolates!

So now, I’m thankful for those who made me suffer this holiday season for giving me food which I am abstaining from eating. Thank you very much for making me drool as my friends and family members savor the gifts you gave me:

Jigger and Ayie for the M&S dark chocolate all butter biscuits and Belgian milk chocolate biscuits, respectively; Shauna for the Droste Pastilles; Luigi for the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark; Andrea and Marielle for the chocolates; Eloisa and Enzo for the chocolate bars; Andy for the cookies and Hans and Zeb for the brownies; and Nathan for the Chokolate de Bohol.

Let me introduce a new saying that goes:

The best way thru the Urban gurU’s heart is thru his larynx!

Thank you also for the scrumptious pastries you gave me:

Aiah for the lemon squares and T. Rafael for the lemon square cake; Manette for the macaroons; Ty and Josh for the pastries; Gaea and Kha-el for the tarts; Caparros Family for the Snowballs; and David for the M&S all butter Scottish shortbread fingers.

Thank you also to whoever gave the candy cane I found in my table; Marco for the queso de bola; and Christel for the sparkling red grape juice cocktail.

Finally, T. Fe for the Php 300 cash I won during the Faculty Party; and Mom for the Php 10,000 cash wherein half of it turned into a 29” flatron TV with the help of my other siblings.


From last year’s 75 gifts, there was a slight decrease into 72 I received this holiday 2009. But above all of these gifts, this is the most important one that all of us should be rejoicing…

'Til next year!

Misono Surprise

During the first quarter of the year, we talked about the palatability of Yoshinoya’s gyudon. After almost nine months, here is another scrumptious discovery I had from Yoshinoya’s menu:


Yoshinoya’s beef misono had its system-wide launch just last November 16, 2009. With a beef cut thicker than gyudon’s, beef misono is a pan-grilled short plate beef which was marinated with a very special sauce. Yet, if you really want the opulent beef taste to surge, dip it in a teriyaki sauce rather than its usual tempura sauce cohort.

But if you are looking for a side dish, the Japanese fried chicken is the best finger food that would make your day.


Marinated for 12 extensive hours, the Japanese fried chicken is best dipped in its sauce which is a mixture of vinegar, sugar, carrots, and onion leeks that will definitely give you a sweet and sour taste complimenting the chili tang of the chicken.

Moreover, if you are really into beef bowls and seafood, the best plate for sharing is the gyudon + ebi tempura jumbo plate. Do not forget that seven spices and red ginger (beni shoga) compliments best the gyudon while teriyaki sauce is a must for the ebi tempura. Just make sure you have these condiments before you leave the counter!


To cap it all, all of these dishes are best served with green tea that boasts a novel taste of citrus extract.

The beef burger and beef yakiniku are other beef dishes that will surely bring your appetite to nirvana.

So, are you ready now to experience the beef misono surprise?

Colloquium on Understanding the Tropical Storm Ondoy

Everyone is invited to listen and participate in the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) Colloquium entitled:

Understanding Tropical Storm Ondoy:
A Forum on the Meteorology and Hydrology of a Massive Flood Event

On September 26, 2009, Tropical Storm Ondoy hit the country, primarily affecting Regions III, IV and the NCR. A relatively small tropical cyclone with maximum winds of only 85 kph when it made landfall in Aurora, no one expected that it will bring in an unprecedented amount of rain - 367mm in 6 hours. It caused massive flooding in the Marikina River Basin as well as in areas surrounding Laguna de Bay. To date, more than 300 people have died due to the floods. Understanding such event from a meteorological and hydrological standpoint will hopefully shed some light on why such tragedy occurred; and hopefully aid us in anticipating and preparing for similar events in the future.

image source

A Panel of Experts will come from the following organizations:

• Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Department of Science and Technology
• National Hydraulics Research Center, UP College of Engineering
• National Institute of Geological Sciences,UP College of Science
  

October 6, 2009, 3-5 PM
NIGS Audio Visual Room
College of Science, UP Diliman

*The Urban gurU received this email from an alumnus of the National Institute of Geological Sciences. As part of the academe, let me invite everyone who are interested in knowing the scientific milieu of the said natural phenomenon.

Seeing Corazon C. Aquino the First and the Last Time

I woke up on a gloomy morning on the first day of August with an SMS in my phone saying:

“Former President Cory Aquino died of cardio-respiratory arrest at 3:18 am today. She was 76.”

It was a message from a friend who has been watching the news since early that morning.

Despite saddened, my day went on just like any Saturday morning. I went to my review class in school and ended up in Trinoma having dinner with my students and watching The Half Blood Prince. What was not normal there was the fact that I’ve watched already that movie in silver screen, hence, the waiters and waitresses at TGIF sang me a birthday song despite I already had my birthday three months ago. Nice one Abbey…


And thank you for the dessert!

(That reminds me, I still have to add your Dad on Mafia Wars).

From Trinoma, to Gateway, and soon I was at UP Ayala Technohub to catch a group of plurkers who had been to a death-defying-sumptuous-meal at Kanin Club. To wrap things up, some of us ended in California Berry in Tomas Morato to partially detox ourselves employing the powers of nonfat frozen yogurt. Well of course, the night won’t be complete without synthesizing what’s happening and what happened lately in our beloved Plurklandia.

Past 1 am we decided to go to La Salle Greenhills to visit the wake of the late President Aquino.

On the way, I was anxious.

Not that am still outside my room that late at night, but because, in my 25 years of existence, I’ve never seen anyone inside a coffin. Yes, it’s a big issue for me. Almost all of my relatives are in the province, since I’m staying in the Metro, I’m always absent in that kind of family affairs. And so, I took a deep breathe and pretended that everything will be okay.

After a few minutes of driving, our carpool reached Ortigas Ave. Around 1:30 am, it was still full of parked private cars stretching to a kilometer long. We crossed the street and found ourselves in a line that started at the school’s inner gate. Flowers filled the corridors leading to the gym. Approximately 300 meters of falling in line, we’ve reached the place.


Fifteen feet. Ten feet. We were three feet away from her coffin…

To my amaze, all of my qualms were released the moment I saw her face. It seems she was telling me: don’t worry; I am very much happy where I am right now.

She was at peace, very much at peace.

I remember Karen telling me while we were still on our way to La Salle when I told her I’ve never seen anyone inside a coffin, “Don’t worry, she still looks like Corazon Aquino.”

“The point is,” I blurted out, “I’ve never seen her before. In fact, I haven’t seen any Philippine president in my entire life.”

To President Corazon C. Aquino,

Seeing you for the first and the last time was a great honor for me. Your love for the country, our country, will always be remembered as untiringly genuine and persistently authentic. As you finally unite with our Father, the Filipino people will eternally remember your greatness of restoring to us our rights —most importantly our freedom.

“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
– Psalm 37:6

Thank you very, very much!

By the way, I’m grateful to Manolo for giving me his commemorative pin of the late president, and oh, not to mention the chocolate bar he gave us when we ambushed him inside the La Salle gym.

Internet Withdrawal Syndrome Explained.

All of a sudden I opened my MS Word, and started writing. Again.

I’ve been away for quite some time.

For a span of one month, I’ve let go to a lot of bloggable thoughts, side dish stories, and one-liner-quotes that would make a thousand-word-post.

Plurk Angst.

Alas! I can finally claim that I’m internet withdrawal syndrome free! Although there are still moments that I would sneak up thru our office wifi, I’ve managed to live a life without internet connection for the past 20 days. Just imagine how much karma points I’ve lost before I froze it last June 20. Grrrr. I will never reach 100. And so I admit, I envy my blogger friends who were there since early this year. Boo me!

Oh well, I’d just brag about my record of being the 5th plurker in the Philippines with the most responses, hence 42nd in the world. Now, please don’t ask me for proofs! Plurkerati is not loading the past weeks. But heck, that was a long time ago, and since I don’t have internet connection when this post was written, I, obviously, can’t verify my own claims. So again, boo me!


To my plurk friends, lovers, and haters, I miss you too! I know, life at plurk is not complete without a daily dose of negativity. So here it goes… avada kedavra!

Disconnection explained.

A tornado hit our community last June 4. I didn’t even know that it occur until a plurker posted a link to the Philippine Daily Inquirer article relating what happened. My dad was so concerned upon hearing it on the news. Okay, I was exaggerating, “he was concerned,” rather.

What’s interesting is that my broadband antenna went down the next day. Cool, huh? And so I waited the entire day to be connected until I went outside the house around 2 o’clock in the afternoon only to find out that my antenna is gone! The screeching sound of the GI sheets that woke us up early in the morning that day should have been my clue that my broadband was disconnected already… FOREVEEEEEEEEEER!

If you’re wondering how it fell down, I have no idea either. My gut feeling is telling me that we should blame global warming.

The same day, I reported the incident to the Smart Wireless Center since I was already at the mall. They assured me that they will connect it the following weekend, June 13. And so I promised myself that if ever they will not call me for the final scheduling of my reconnection, I will permanently disconnect my broadband. I gave them until June 11, Thursday.

Surprisingly, Smart was very cooperative. THEY DIDN’T CALL!

By June 14, Sunday, I went to the mall again to pay my final fees so I can have it permanently disconnected. Guess what, I still have to pay a thousand pesos, Php 999.00 to be exact, for the June dues! To think, I was only able to use my internet from June 1-4. Four days people! Four effing days!

The lady explained that my money would still be reimbursed for the days I was not able to use my connection, I just have to wait for my next billing statement. Blah! Blah! Blah! Okay fine, whatever! I will pay whatever amount just be sure that you will permanently disconnect my effing broadband!

They promised to withdraw the antenna and wires and other stuff on the 27th. How I wish they will be here before lunchtime. I have work this coming Saturday, smart people! If I’m not here, better luck next time.

Am I bitter? Obviously, I am not.

I’ve been a loyal customer for the past two years. All I ask is immediate action to the needs of your customers. So again, and again, boo me!

Sun. Globe. Smart?

I’m still undecided what wireless internet connection should I purchase. I still need internet connection, especially when I’m at home. I can’t stay overnight at my office just to leach wifi. I just have one question bothering me this time, should I still consider a smart choice?

Disconnection Explained Further.

For the past two weeks, I utterly fought my internet withdrawal syndrome. The tornado, falling antenna, bills, global warming, and everything else paved the way for my broadband to be finally disconnected. I actually have a better purpose, rather than those mentioned earlier.


After three long years, I’m going back to school. Okay, that would be redundant. I’ve been working in a school for the past three years!

I mean, I’m going to school not as the teacher but rather a FRESHMAN student! (Please notice the emphasis on the word freshman).

Since mid-2007, I’ve been very visible online. Social networking sites, forums and YM chatting were my first addictions until I gave birth to the Urban gurU in March 2008. In one day, I spend more time online than sleeping. That’s why way back then when people ask me of my job, I often ask them, “At what time of the day?” And then I will continue, “10am-6pm: I’m a Science geek; 6pm-3am: I’m anywhere online; 3am-9am: I’m kinda sleeping then; 9am-10am: I’m taking a bath.”

Now, if ever anyone would ever ask me what I’m currently doing in my life, I plan to answer back, “I just made it more complicated,” then continue, “just check out this blog entry.”





Written June 23, 2009, 11pm-1am while suffering from colds and crossing my toes that classes will be suspended the next day. And oh! It’s already raining outside! Hurray!


PPS: It had been two consecutive days of suspension of classes. Double hurray!