Green Day

Today is St. Paddy's Day or St. Pattie's Day or as the Irish call it Lá Fhéile Pádraig. And it's a big holiday here in MA because this state is majorly Irish. Everyone's wearing green and drinking Guinness or maybe a bottle of Sam Adams in between. The Boston Celtics are wearing their gold and green uniform and people are just a little crazier today than most days. Shamrocks everywhere and leprechaun hats are in fashion. Simply because

I was wearing my green hoodie around the house and playing the latest U2 album as my own little way of celebrating with them Irish lads. We also had our Irish beer battered fish and chips last night.

It's a good holiday. I wish we had something like this back home. It's so festive and mischievous. Just like this cute little care bear "greening" the Chicago river every year on this day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day me lads.

I Want: Concerts

One of the perks of living in the US is this: Concert Tours! Recording artists (both local and foreign) are performing their hits at any given time or place in this first world country. Be it at a big arena or a park or at a local House of Blues. Unlike in Manila where a big concert comes up twice or thrice or if we're lucky 5 times a year. A lot of big names in the music business don't want to perform in a third world country because they fear for their lives, which may be taken (as the stigma goes) by kidnappers from the mountains or by an unknown disease that originated from the monkeys they think are running amok the unpaved streets. Ugh. They don't realize that Manila is urbanized and that Filipinos are music lovers who will do anything and spend anything just to see them live. And that everyone there probably has a copy of their album (from a record store or from the www or from random stalls that sell pirated CDs) and that their chords are published in a song hits magazine (do song hits still exist by the way?).

They also don't know that many Filipinos are so image conscious they will do anything to up their social status. They are perennially conscious about the brands they wear or the places they go to, like the hippest concert for example. But let's not get into that. It just reminds me of an old classmate who's so superficial, he makes me groan and wince with pain when I hear about his shallow social climbing expeditions.

The concerts. Yes. My head is spinning from all the concert tours happening near us. I want to watch them all but the tickets are pretty expensive. So we have to decide which ones to watch and we have to make an uber wise decision.

We already missed Bloc Party at the House of Blues in Boston. huhu. But it's okay cause like I said sometime in the near future they're bound to perform again.

Here's a list of some of the concerts/ shows I want to catch. There are more shows in NYC but I'm limiting my drool list to our area. More realistic that way.

Lily Allen
House of Blues
Boston, MA
04.19.2009

Kings of Leon
Agganis Arena, Boston
04.19.2009

The Killers
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
05.09.2009

Dave Matthews Spring 2009 Tour
Fenway Park, Boston MA
05.29-30. 2009

COLDPLAY Viva La Vida Tour
Comcast Center, Mansfield MA
08.03.2009

U2 360 Tour
Gilette Stadium, Boston MA
09.20.2009

We're definitely waiting for the U2 concert to start selling tickets online since these guys are just stellar. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch them. We'll have plenty of chances to catch the other bands on this list be it here or elsewhere. But U2 is simply a must. I heard that there are negotiations for a U2 concert in Manila. Hopefully they make it happen. The Filipinos have been waiting for them since Sunday Bloody Sunday.

If I only had a lot of extra money to spend around, I'd watch them all and I could complete my list of bands to watch before I die. Maybe they'll have recession rate tickets!! That would be an awesome way to spread the love and the music.

Also I have another list of bands to watch before I age. But that's another story for another post.

On a side note:
Notice how I'm a big fan of British Rock. I like most things British actually. I also love this guy. He's hilarious.


No he's not Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean. He's Russell Brand, a British comedian and host. You might recognize him from Forgetting Sarah Marshall too. He's just brill. I wouldn't mind catching one of his shows. He's kind of a gothic comic. Brit humor is just my kind of comedy. Witty Britty.

I am now on Twitter

So I am now on twitter. Wanted to see what all the fuss is about (check my sidebar). It's a lot like plurk which I have been extremely addicted to. But what I love about twitter is it brings me news and tidbits from the most interesting people from celebrities to politicians to talk show hosts to musicians and of course the few friends I found tweeting. I started last night. And so far I am following 24 people including:

CNN news
Lindsay Lohan
The New York Times
Barack Obama
Stephen Colbert
Sarah Bareilles
Joel Ramos
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton
Jimmy Kimmel
Tina Fey
Jengsterr Legaspi
Anderson Cooper
The Ellen Degeneres Show
Dave J Matthews
Britney Spears
P Diddy
Coldplay
Ashton Kutcher
Maluh Silvano
John Mayer
Martha Stewart
My sister
wandermonkey
beachbun
Cosmopolitan.com

So I follow so many people but only 2 follow me. One is Joel Ramos and check out who the other one is.

Yes, the President of the United States is following me as I am following him. I think it's an automatic thing though... still it makes me feel important hahaha :)

I love twitter. Though I'm not sure how long I can keep up and maintain everything I have going on for me in the cyberworld. I have this, I have Wordpress, I have Multiply, Facebook, Friendster, my long forgranted Myspace, Plurk and a couple of email accounts. Plus, I am following a myriad of blogs and I also have my daily lifestyle reads online. I'm gonna try to keep everything updated but so far my fave is plurk because my friends in Manila are always online and we get to chat everyday, more than we used to back home (come to think of it).

Follow me on twitter! Though i have nothing fancy to talk about like them celebrities.

P.S. Diddy is constantly posting. You may want to add him up.

The Rookie Wife Recipes

I have never been good at home economics. I remember back in grade school (Ms. Glenda’s class) I was always the person doing everything but the cooking. Always the tablesetter, never the chef. And I was lousy at sewing and making those stupid figurines from old moldy bread (what was that all about? like we would ever display such hideous creations) . That was until I moved here. Back home when I got hungry I had Mommy, the Queen of the Kitchen or Jean our maid who loved buying me merienda from far flung tindahans so she can meet boys. Here I have no Mommy, no Jean and no 8-MCDO to the rescue. I have to fend for myself and learn my way around the stove. Good thing my mom sent me off with a steno notebook filled with recipes for me to try and my sister didn’t mind me turning her kitchen into a (say it like Dexter) labo-ratory. Now that I’m married (half a year already yey!) I have my very own kitchen for my stovetop experiments. It’s been smooth so far except for a couple of disastrous explosions. One was a pot lid. Another was an egg in the microwave. I still wince at the thought. All I can say is do not microwave an egg in a cup filled with water unless you want a gooey mess. I thought it was a brilliant way to make hardboiled eggs until it exploded in my face. Ngwek ngwek ngwek. Greatness is seldom achieved through shortcuts.

Chevy has been very helpful in my culinary education too. He helps around and cooks on my nights off. More importantly, he knows how to compliment the chef and how to finish everything off the serving plate to avoid the chef turning into a female Gordon Ramsay. A little something he learned over time.

Most of what I’ve cooked are downloaded recipes or recipes I’ve learned from other people or my friends at the Food Network. Some of my copycat creations are so-so while some are good enough for seconds. And I want to share what I’ve tried so far with those people who have shared so much cooking tips with me in the past and in my own little way I want to inspire those people who think they are all thumbs in the kitchen. If I can do it, so can you. Say it with me. Yes we can….cook.

I will be putting up recipes of The Edible Ones in my Rookie Wife Recipes page in Multiply. If you don’t see any updates it means I haven’t tried anything new or worse, my experiment has gone terribly wrong. Or I have no time balancing my roles as housewife and gamer-for-life. Most likely it will be the latter.

The Rookie Wife Recipes. Do try this at home but have the delivery number ready just in case ;-)

Buon appetito and Happy Cooking!

First Vday

A year ago I wrote an entry about how every year, my Valentine's Day has been alternately bitter and sweet. See Bitterweet Valentine Flashback. And as predicted, this year it has been real sweet. As I had hoped in my post, I spent it with Chevy and with a new last name.

We're not into the whole celebrating on Feb 14 but since it was our first heart's day as husband and wife we just had to do by tradition.

It started out as a regular oh-so-domesticated day. Woke up unbelievably early (7am!) and had brunch at Wendy's (so romantic) near the supermarket then we did our groceries and spent our early afternoon sorting out the house and the kitchen as we always do during weekends. Then Chev played his strat games while I played Jeopardy on PS3. Then we played against each other and I played online and lost to a dork who had all the answers memorized. We also had some cake, my fave red velvet with cream cheese icing. Then I cooked my valentino a dinner that was so Buon Apetito Italiano.

Menu:
Sote di Vongole or clam saute for appetizer
Shrimp and Scallop Scampi over fettuccine
Side of bruschetta (with tomato and mozzarella)

and for dessert: chocolate covered strawberries.

We also had some sparkling wine which I discovered really didn't go well with the dessert. We should have gotten port or rose. But wine is wine and I drank a lot of it. Then we curled up on the couch and watched NBA All Star weekend and a bunch of late night shows that we Tivoed.

Chev got me flowers and a box of Rocky Mountain chocolate (drool). And then he complained about the flowers because they sent me the wrong colors and the flowershop sent me a new bouquet a week after so I got 2! Suhweet. I got Chevy a card which showed a couple lugging around a giant hamper after doing laundry. It was so US. And our Vday celebration was so US. We're domesticated fastfood munching gamers with a flare for romance, experimental dinners, Italian food and wine + nightcaps of NBA or tivoed shows :)

Cheers to my sweet valentine in 09 and to more simple happy romantic days like this. Hope next year won't be bitter.

red velvet cake...mmmm...

Sote di Vongole

bruschetta

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi over Fettuccine

my second bouquet with the right colors

table for two

50 Questions

i have received so many of these surveys but i only respond to a few. got this from facebook. and since i have time, tada!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
nope. my sister kept pronouncing "marie" as maya and the name stuck. she was 3.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
sunday. while watching jennifer hudson all teary eyed at the grammy's

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
sometimes. i like my print more than my cursive

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
bacon. does spam count?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
nada

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
of course :)

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
yep. but not as often as i used to

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yes. i don't want to part with them

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
yes...but only if i knew the world would end soon or if someone paid me a lot of money to do so

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
in manila that would be nestle koko krunch and fitness with fruit. here, frosted flakes.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
nope. hahaha

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
coffee, vanilla bean

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
hair

15. RED OR PINK?
red. reminds me of autumn and ferrari cars

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
my voice. people don't take me seriously sometimes because of my child voice

17. WHOM DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my family. all of them

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
if they feel like it and if they have the time why not. but i won't hold it against them

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
chevy's boxers. barefoot.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
the humming of the fridge + oh it is love by hellogoodbye

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
atomic tangerine. lol

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
library books, chevy's pits :P babies, coffee, spa scents

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
leila. coworker from NYC

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU
meme? love her...and miss her :)

26. FAVORITE SPORT?
i'm not sporty but i do love watching basketball and football. i wanna play tennis again though

27. HAIR COLOR?
right now black but might dye it brown soon (or perhaps atomic tangerine)

28. EYE COLOR?
the guy at the DMV said i had brown eyes

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
when i go out. at home i just wear my glasses

30 FAVORITE FOOD?
pizza, pad thai, paella, anything that starts with p. except pizza with pineapples

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
scary movies with happy endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
coraline. in 3d

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING
royal blue

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
fall.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
a squeeze + a "granny" kiss on the cheek

36. FAVORITE DESSERT
cheesecake. anything red velvet

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
i dunno. everyone's busy. al jean (i hope)

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
kytes navarro-de laza

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
non-fiction. get clients now by cj hayden

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
the cordless phone

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
heroes and obama's press conference

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)
ambulance sirens. kidding. the ocean, baby coos, laughter

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
beatles forever

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
europe

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
i can make my nostrils flare to the beat of any song.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
kytes navarro-de laza's. kruschev's (i would throw a party if they answer)

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
through a blind date set up by friends.

49. DO YOU STRIVE FOR HAPPINESS OR ENJOY THE DARK SIDE?
pursuit of happiness!! i've spent too many days enjoying the dark side

50. ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOU?
restless

if you feel like answering these 50 questions, copy and repost in your blog :) it's fun. i want more...

Let It Snow

Snowstorm last weekend. The people at the weather channel made it sound so dreadful. Storm will hit around 3pm Friday and it will snow nonstop until Sunday and we're all going to be buried alive. Of course they didn't say that but that was the message that I got.

We prepared for the storm. Bought tons of food and water and flashlights like what we do in the Philippines when there's a storm. Also because half of New Hampshire has no power after being hit by an ice storm (the trees grew icicles) and we were afraid it might happen here. We bought a ton of meat and then I realized that if the power goes out the meat will go bad. Then again we can always put it in the snow right. So we still stocked up on that.

And we waited and waited. Some people didn't want it to arrive. I on the other hand was soooo excited because it was going to be my first snow storm. My first snowfall actually since the snow I saw in NYC was just flurries (but I was so psyched about that too and nearly cried but of course I tried to look cool and not get emotional in front of them savvy city folks).

Friday saw me constantly checking for snow outside my window.

And when it finally started snowing I was out the door in multiple layers of clothing catching snowflakes with my tongue. So beautiful.

prancing around in the snow

my name in snow

that's me making snowangels

chevy with our snowman/ snowhead

everything's white


I love it. Even though it feels like a thousand pins when you're trying to thaw yourself in front of the heater. I love it more than wind chill and rain :)

A Sad Christmas Moment

How did he do it?

How did Chev survive Christmas 07 by himself in a house full of strangers munching on Boy Bawang while making conversation with random white people? How did he stay sane amidst the loneliness of being away from home during the holidays? I have to ask him that when he gets home because right now my heart feels so heavy.

I am so homesick and sentimental.

I am glad that I'm with Chev now and we're spending Christmas together and not from separate ends of the country (or the world). I am even more glad that we're together now as husband and wife and celebrating our first Christmas together. But I can't help but wish that we are celebrating it with all of our loved ones as well. A Christmas milestone in our life and we are so far away.

It's true what they say. Nothing beats being home for the holidays. I miss the frenzy around Christmas time. The bad traffic. The endless company parties. The monito monitas. The holiday dinner with friends. The reunion with families. I miss being around my crazy friends and family. I even miss waiting for my name to be picked at the Company Christmas raffle and lugging around giant Christmas hams and Queso de Bolas right after. I miss the noise. The raucous. The sheer panic of not having any gifts yet for your dozens of godchildren. The shopping. God I miss shopping for gifts. I miss the crazy happy Christmas in Manila. I also miss the scent of Christmas in Manila. The native delicacies, the cool air, the feel and smell of Simbang Gabi. Here it doesn't smell like pine trees as I expected. It doesn't even smell imported (you know the scent from the balikbayan box when it's freshly opened). Here it smells like peace. And quiet.

So there. I feel sad because Christmas here doesn't feel like Christmas at all. Sure it looks like Christmas with all the lights and wreaths and decors. But it doesn't feel like it.

It's really true what they show in the movies *plays Pasko na Sinta Ko* mas masaya ang Pasko sa Pilipinas.

So in an attempt to make this Christmas a little more joyful (since it's just gonna be me and Chevy and we don't have any friends or family here in Massachussetts) I put up a Christmas tree. AND I occasionally play Chirstmas songs when I'm working AND I'm planning on cooking up a Christmas feast for 10. So what if we're going to eat leftovers until Valentine's Day. I just want to celebrate Christmas like I used to. And maybe I'll start wrapping up the stuff here at home so we have things to put under our tree. Or print out giant photos of friends and families so it will look like we have them around.

Sigh. It's just that it's my first Christmas away from home and it breaks my heart. But I know Chev will do everything to make me happy. In homesickness and in health.

*sings I'll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams*

Settling Down

I have been married for 3 months now. But it was only recently, 10 days ago to be exact, that I have felt what it’s like to be a newlywed and a new homemaker. I moved to Boston last November 27. Arrived at the Logan International Airport at 5:30 AM East Coast time to a chilling 22 degree weather with two giant overweight luggages, 2 cups of orange juice in my stomach and about 2 hours of sleep during the 5 hour flight. Boston welcomed me with such open frigid arms while my husband (I’m still not used to the term) Chev welcomed me with the warmest hug inside the warmest car. Such a relief to be out of the cold. Literally and figuratively.

From the airport we drove home. I asked him to carry me over the treshold of course, in honor of this corny but timeless tradition and he lovingly obliged. The new apartment looked so nice and warm. It basically contained three things: a sofa bed, a microwave oven and a refrigerator. And some pots, plates and cleaning supplies. And of course Chev’s things were strewn all over the floor. I laughed at the mess but was touched because he didn’t buy things yet since he wanted my opinion on everything and also because well, I AM THE LAW (just kidding). During that week we spent our time fixing the apartment to make it liveable. We made two trips to IKEA (we were addicted), 4 trips to Best Buy, about 5 trips to Target since we returned our highly-controversial curtains twice, and a couple of trips to the corner dollar store.

And now after a week of assembling bookshelves and tables and chairs and decorating the place, our apartment finally looks like a home. Very cozy and warm (thanks to 3 heaters) and very IKEA looking. We were inspired by the catalogue. Will post pics soon.

Our little family of two lives in a studio off Pine street in a small city called Waltham, just 15 minutes away from Boston. It’s in a very American looking house that they converted into several small apartments. We’re lucky we got the rear apartment with our own separate entrance and frontyard that also doubles as the backyard. We live across EMBASSY cinemas where they show the coolest Art films and Indie Films, near a pub and a watering hole and near Asian Grill, one of the few Asian places here in whitey-white Massachussetts. We have a friendly squirrel for a neighbor. I call him Brownie due to his color and my lack of imagination. He spends his day rummaging through trash and running up and down the tree. We also have a small cordless vacuum that I call Dusty. For some reason he’s the only household equipment that has a name (I should get around to naming the others soon). Oh I also call the weighing scale BIG FAT LIAR since he’s very dishonest about our weights. We pretty much have everything that we need now except for paintings on the wall and Christmas decors which we'll be setting up hopefully before the 25th. We blew most of our money on our TV and that stupid GEEK SQUAD insurance (a long story). I’m currently setting up my home office which will be completed when I get all the office equipment from our NY office and I’ll be working from home from now on. I’ll be a Stay-And-Work-At-Home-Wife. My dream come true. I’ll be setting up Café Maya too. It’s just a little corner café here at home. With me as the manager, me as the barista and me as the customer…and Chev occasionally when he feels like drinking coffee. Another dream come true. Well, sort of.

Right now Chev is at work and I’m still getting the hang of working home alone. Every small noise makes me jump. Our creepy neighbor Kevin also scares me. He’s always bitching about something like our parking on his spot yada yada yada. When Chev gets home we eat early dinner and watch TV til its time to convert our sofa into a bed and call it a night. Today when he gets home we’re going to have a meeting. A Budget Setting Meeting. Our glorious spending days are over. We will now be very strict about what we spend our money on. And that will be the necessities: bills, food, water, toiletries, and occasional pizza deliveries and shopping sprees.

So this is what it’s like…settling down. I’m so new at this and so far I’m really enjoying it. It’s like playing house. Only it’s for real. And the bills are real. And the dirty dishes in the sink are real. And my responsibilities are real. And yeah. Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves. Sigh. Guess I better get a move on before Mr. B gets home and sees me for who I am – a pretentious-Martha-Stewart-wannabe housekeeper. She really is my inspiration. Minues the jail time.

I’m off to the dishes now. Note to self: make dishwasher part of the budget.

To Blog Again

I haven't blogged in a while. No, make that I haven't blogged in a long time. This year I probably posted 8 blogs in 11 months and that includes photo blogs. I just haven't had the time. They used to say that life here in the States is hectic. Spot on. It's been so busy I rarely got any down time. And when I did, I usually spent it lying around doing nothing for the sake of doing nothing (for once). I had a lot of blogs. In my head. I always put my mundane experiences into words that I have stashed in My Mental Blog or in pieces of paper or paper towels or table napkins which I have lost along with my trains of thought. And now it feels like it's time to write again. To dust off the old keyboard and put my words out there for the world to read. Like the world reads my blog.

My friend this morning told me I was a good writer. Of course I let that go to my head. He's actually trying to convince me to write an article for the MOTHER OF ALL BLOGS and of course he opened up his bag of compliments to get me to do it. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. Okay. I will. Just because he said I was a good writer. So there.

I seem to forget how to do this. I'm just writing whatever comes to mind. With no reason, no rhyme whatsoever. But isn't that what blogs are for?

For the life of me I can't remember the blog entries I stashed in My Mental Multiply.

Hmmmm....

Oh I got one. My birthday entry. Every year I do a birthday entry since I turned 25. This year I didn't write any. Because i was too busy working or riding buses and trains to and from work or shopping or window shopping or lying around doing nothing. I'll write that next. Maybe in a couple of hours.

For now I'm gonna go out and get some sun. It's sunny out. A rare New England moment. I'll bask in the sun and probably prance around while no one is watching. Frolick in the maple leaves that are brown and dead. And feel their crunch under my boots and glow in the fact that it is so nice to be alive compared to them. Or maybe I'll go out in flip flops. Such a brave thing to do.

To Blog Again. Hmm...I have forgotten how good it feels. Like the sun and the crunch of dead maple leaves.

Black is the New President

This autumn purple may be the new black but black is the new president.

I am so ecstatic that Obama got elected and I am glad to have witnessed this historic election night. Got goosebumps watching his speech last night and reading about people's reactions in the paper this morning (or rather my trainmate's LA Times). Some of the most memorable quotes I read over his shoulder:

"We voted today not to practice our civic duty but because for once we feel that it would count, that we could be heard."
"I am glad our children have a black role model to look up to...someone other than a rapper or a sports personality..."

Hahaha.

I can't help but feel proud of the Americans for this milestone in their political history. I hope that Obama can make the changes that this country needs. I hope that he really is the man they can believe in. And I hope he's not the man Nostradamus prophesized about (as the man who rises from the turmoil to bring hope and eventually destroy mankind).

For USA's sake and the whole world's sake.

We all know that he will be the most powerful man in the world. Some have even called him President of the World. And I hope that with his great power and great responsibility (shout out to Uncle Ben) he will bring about good changes.

Everybody's on a high today. the air is charged with excitement. The world feels different. It feels better. And I find myself hoping that Obama will make it better.

But don't get me wrong, my heart still belongs to the Philippines. And GMA is still my president.

Isn't she lovely?

My New Haircut

I got my hair cut. It’s my first hair cut since March. It’s horrible. Well ok not that horrible. If I sweep the bangs to the side it looks ok. Acceptable ok. Not glam ok. But the drama queen in me thinks it’s horrible. My most horrible hair since my Demi-Moore-in-Ghost hairstyle back in grade school.

It was a Saturday afternoon and my sister and I wanted to get our hair cut at her usual salon in Buena Park. But lo and behold we were so lazy we decided to go to the Super Cuts salon near our place. After all, I just wanted a basic trim. My hair is halfway down my back and part brown and part black with my real color showing at the top. I just wanted to have it cut so it wouldn't’t be flying all over the place this windy season. Super Cuts is like a basic salon. Like a Ricky Reyes in the Philippines. Cheap but reliable for trims, not for styling. And besides we also wanted to go to the Jollibee near Super cuts. So we went. After chowing down 12 bucks worth of chickenjoy and halo-halo (goodness) we went to get my crowning glory chopped off. My stylist’s (if you can call her that) name was Maria and she envied my hair for being so straight since hers was uber curly. I made small talk with her while reading about The Lonely Life of Suri Cruise in OK magazine. I told her to cut it shoulder length, no layers, with bangs. Low maintenance kinda hair. I looked up from time to time and gave her some directions on how to cut it but I wasn't’t wearing my glasses so everything looked a bit blurry. After a few minutes I put on my glasses and saw the horror that is my hair. I swear I heard the JAWS-remixed-with-the-TWILIGHT-ZONE soundtrack. I didn't’t get the blow-dry package since it was 20 bucks more than the usual. She only blow-dried my bangs while the rest of my hair was damp. The result: my bangs were all big and poofy and thick while the rest of my hair was damp and plastered around my head, highlighting the roundness that is my fez. I was shocked. I wanted to go on a rampage but the courteous lady in me thanked her while my drama queen side suffered in silence. My sister tried to console me and said it will look nice once it’s dry but after a while she started calling me Edna. As in Edna of The Incredibles.

Thank God I don't wear round glasses. I think my hair looks more like Adrianna of 90210. Self-proclaimed.

Lessons Learned from this Eye-opening Experience:

1. Don't read magazines while getting your hair cut

2. Wear contacts

3. Don't get caught up in chismis

4. SUPERCUTS = SUPERBAD

At least I can go as Edna this Halloween. Or as overdosed Adrianna. Ah. The silver linings behing my gray cloud.

What Didn't Happen in Vegas

August 26, 2008. Orange County Courthouse. I got married to my boyfriend of 2 years in a simple wedding ceremony surrounded by my family here. It didn’t happen in Vegas. It happened in Orange. And it was blissful and sweet…the kind that made me weak in the knees and teary-eyed, like every bride would be on her wedding day. It felt so wonderful to say my vows, to wear my ring and to kiss my new husband. At that moment and time I felt so whole and complete. Finally, I’ve found my missing piece.

While it wasn’t the wedding I have dreamt about since I was a little girl, I was finally married to the kind of man I have dreamt about since I was a little girl, a man who makes me feel so secure and so happy and so loved :) I know Chev will love me for as long as we both shall live. And I will love him until death do us part. The future sure looks brighter than the sun-sun-shine...can't wait. My life can't get any sweeter than this. I'm so happy :)

Cravings

When I got here 3 months ago, I didn't want to eat Filipino food because of course, I've been eating Filipino food all my life. I wanted to try the restaurant chains here that I haven't tried during my previous vacation. I also didn't feel like eating Chinese food because that's like secondary to our cuisine. I wanted to eat in the restaurants featured in Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. And I did. I tried diner food and the US fastfood joints and the usual Italian and Seafood restaurants. But now I'm CRAVING for the home cooked Pinoy ulam. Particularly my mom's adobo. I tried to duplicate it but of course it's not the same. It's always been a miss or miss for me. Which is acceptable since I'm probably just Level 2 at home ec. Months ago, I thought adobo needed calamansi. Now at least I know that it needs a bay leaf, peppercorn and that there should be more soy sauce than vinegar, because I learned from my mistake, a pretty sourly disgusting mistake.

While there are Filipino restaurants here, it's just not the same. Maybe because they don't have our brands or our sometimes odd/ exotic ingredients. The really good ones are usually fusion restaurants. More Asian than pure Filipino. Which made me realize how good Filipinos are because we can copy other country's cuisine but they can't duplicate ours. Anyhoo, I'm starving as I write this and I'm picturing the food I miss. Makes my mouth water and my stomach rumble just thinking about it. It's just another cliche. You crave for those you know you can't have. And you appreciate those things more than before. The grass is indeed greener on the other side.

I'm missing

green mango and bagoong
kare-kare (but I don't miss the tripe because I don't eat tripe)
halo-halo (with the leche flan and the ube)
Dencio's oily crispy sisg
Congo Grill's tinumok
Sentro's sinigang na corned beef and the crispy GG
Ebun's adobong pusit
Milky Way's pork binagoongan
Jollibee spaghetti (they don't serve it in the Jollibee here)
Bibingkinitan mini-bibingka and Ferino's !!
cuchinta with niyog
Island Fish crackers
Bicol express
Chicken Bacolod chicken

and last but not the least...

San Mig Light (so expensive here!)

In other news:
Cibo's Pene al Telefono and Spinaci Zola, Casa Armas Paella Marinara, Sonja's Melt-in-your-mouth flourless chocolate cupcake. Conti's mango bravo!! And from USTe days the famous Almer's porkchops and Mang Toot's liempo .Yum.

of detours and crossroads

written approximately 15 days ago...

I tried hard not to press my nose against the bus window. Windows of public transportation must be swimming with bacteria. but i wanted to see the accident upclose. The uzi Pinoy in me was yearning to see something gory...just like the rest of the passengers. The LAPD guy came up to the bus and started talking to the bus driver, pointing towards a different direction. The scene was a mess. An SUV and a sedan collided in the suburban streets of Norwalk and both looked extremely, if not totally damaged. It was my first time to see an accident that upclose. LAPD, 911, Fire Department, the works.

"But this is the only way I know. It's the only route I drive." The bus lady's panicked voice startled me from my thoughts of William Shatner and the 1990's hit show Rescue 911. She was freaking out because we had to take a detour. And she had no clue where to go. Good thing a shabbier version of Chuck Norris stepped up and guided her through the unfamiliar way back to her route. The entire bus was in eternal gratitude. I almost heard them applause.

For a moment there I felt like I was the lady bus driver. Except that she was black and had a booming voice and er, giant bumpers. With her poor navigational skills and utter lack of street smarts, she could have been my black (with an enhanced chest) version. But it wasn't her lack of street savvies that hit me, it was her words. Words that echoed what I was feeling. Words that could have been my own.

I've been in the States for 3 months now. It hasn't been a joy ride but like the wheels on the bus it has gone round and round. There are happy days, there are joyful days. There are rough days filled with homesickness and tough days filled with doubt. The only road I have known is back in the Philippines. A road of career, nearly 7 years of hard corporate slavery with family and friends around me who cheered me up when the going got tough...and with a steady bank account that financed my needs and luxuries. That road stopped and I got detoured and now I don't know how to continue. It's the only route I know. Work and play. Now I've been a bum for 4 months and my bum is getting restless. I need a job. I need security. I need a hopeful future. I need the little luxuries in my life that keep me sane in this cruel cruel world. I need a hopeful future.

But the road I'm on now is unfamiliar and I don't know the way.

But today I had help. Not just from Chuck Norris back at the bus but from a little company who wants to give me a chance. And now it seems my life is starting to get some direction. It's not final yet and there are still a lot of steps to take, people to impress and papers to be processed. Hopefully I will get through the detours of unemployment and passiveness and get back on track.

Thinking about it now, I realize that when that happens, I will be faced with a crossroad and the painful need to decide whether to stay for good or to go back home. A no-turning-back kind of decision. A decision that could alter my life. Forever. Drama, drama, drama. While the decision will be lengthily discussed, I know he'll say that it's my call. I frown at the thought. Making decisions is not my forte. I'm a Libra. It's written in the stars. We just have trouble deciding, even if it's as simple as what color of shoes or what flavor of ice cream to buy. But I will cross (and hopefully not burn) that bridge when I get there. For now I know I'm not ready to go home yet. I'm not coming home to live my robotic life without Chev. He may be on the other side of the country right now but at least we're still in the same country. Whatever happens, I'm making sure we come home together.

I pull at the cord to signal the stop request and alight the bus. I'll have major decisions to make in the future but for now I'll go home, have a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and watch TV...watch fictional people make their own decisions until the time I have to make mine. I shiver at the thought. It's such an adult thing to do.

Ex Party Girl/ Workaholic Gets Domesticated

written ages ago.

Since I got to the States, my life has made a drastic change. My 25 year old self would be shocked to see what she's turned into in just a couple of years. I've done a complete 180. And it's a relaxing break from the whirlwind life I used to live. I call this the Domestication of Maya Navarro. It's the stuff housewives and old maids are made of. I'm enjoying it so far but I don't know when I'll grow restless from too much down time.

Mornings

Before: Wake up to the sound of my annoying alarm clock at about 8/ 8:30 am, drag myself out of bed to shower, get dressed for work with about 2-3 outfit changes before finally settling on my first choice, drink coffee or pour coffee into a tumbler and drive to the office. In stilettos.

Now: Wake up to the sound of baby Armaan cooing in his crib. Sing him a good morning song while I unwrap him from his swaddling blankie. Change his diaper and play with him on the bed. Sit him down on his walker and turn on his Shapes and Colors DVD while I make coffee and cook eggs for breakfast. Barefoot and in my jammies.

Lunch

Before: Grab quick lunch at the caf or a long lunch with bosses. Or skip lunch due to the number of things to do for work.

Now: Put Armaan down for a nap while I cook (yes ladies i cook now) or heat food. Then watch TV or play Guitar Hero on PS3 (I'm getting really good!!). If I dont feel like playing, I just watch TV and drool over Home TV Shopping stuff like the Pancake Puffs maker or the Chef cuisine equipment. Very Bree Van de Camp.

Afternoon

Before: Work work work

Now: Read a book while Armaan watches his series of cartoons: Postman Pat, Theodore Tugboat, Pecola, Sitting Ducks etc. Then Ate gets home and we chat and eat snacks and play with Armaan. Or we watch downloaded movies cinema style with the blinds closed and everything. Or we cook. Again, I have learned how to cook already. Or am still learning. cookbook-in-hand style. I have cooked spaghetti, carbonara, other pasta inventions and viands like adobo, caldereta, pochero, nilaga, tinola and have experimented with Indian and Chinese cooking like Chicken Tandoori, Tofu with sesame, Lemon butter fish and shrimps, and a few more other recipes from the Internet. As I type, I'm preparing for another batch of beef caldereta with a twist (To Al Jean, thanks for the recipe).

Chicken Tandoori

Pochero

Night

Before: Dinner with friends/ dinner with Chev and a movie. Drinks or coffee with friends. Get home at around 11 or midnight, latest at around 2am then sleep. It also used to be nights at Embassy, Cuisine, Ponti, Capones or Good Earth. With blaring music, cigarettes and alcohol.

Now: TV show marathon. Mondays it's Gossip Girl, Tuesdays it's American Idol and Hell's Kitchen, Wednesday it's A.I. again and then other shows like Supernatural, Smallville, House, and Sunday's Desperate Housewives. Then it's off to bed at 10pm. Ho-hum. There are days though when we go out for dinner or we drink and play poker here at home because of the DUI law thing. Sometimes we also play Taboo and my newest game board Scene It or other card games. With chips and soda and occasional wine or beer.

Weekends are spent like how I spend it in Manila. At the mall. Bright side: At least now I don't have to work during weekends.

And on some very special weeks, I fly off to Boston to be with Chevy. And we go around and eat at places we've never tried before or have been recommended by friends or by the Best of Boston or we just hang out at this apartment and watch TV (usually NBA, Comedy Central and Food Network). Someday we plan on taking culinary lessons so we can start our own diner or cafe in Manila haha.

Sounds like a total bore huh? Not really. For me, it's my rehab from days when I shouldn't have partied too hard or worked too hard or drove home from a bar buzzed or wasted with the risk of hurting myself or other people. I enjoy learning new skills and exploring new places. It's like household-parenthood training.

I'm floating now and can't work until after 60 days since I got here. Soon I'll get back on my feet and join the Big Bad World of Work again. Hopefully :) I'm both excited and dreadful at such thought. Until then I'm just enjoying looking after my baby nephew. I mean, who wouldn't right?

Maroon 5 Rocked Manila

Last night we watched the Maroon 5 concert at the Araneta Coliseum. It was simply mind-blowing!! I have to say it was the best concert I have ever watched in my entire life. I'm a big Maroon 5 fan so maybe I'm a bit biased but still, they performed like the Grammy award winners that they are. Sigh. I am still stunned by the show. It was just amazing. Highlights of the show:

I was seated at the patron seats, about 8 rows from the stage. My ticket was free!! Saved 10grand. From where I was sitting I could see Adam Levine's gorgeous face upclose - every expression, every detail..

They sang almost all my fave songs (except Must Get Out)

The band had a great repertoire, no low moments at all and the energy in the Araneta was just WOW!! Fantastic crowd. The band was just amazing. Massive talent.

Adam was hot and charismatic, and hot and very friendly and hot. Did I mention hot? Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael was just awesome. Everyone was just awesome.

They loved the crowd, saying (and I believe without feigning sincerity) "This is truly one of our best concerts ever!" They were in awe, prolly not expecting the Filipinos to love them as much as we do.

Adam did a superb job counting in tagalog

They performed their unique music with so much passion, you could see it on their faces... it was hard not to be impressed and not to get carried away.

Bad trip moments: (@#!*%)
(1) My camera got lobat and died on me a number of times, during very critical times.
(2) I was seated beside a total dork who glared at me whenever I screamed in appreciation. (3) Some guy blocked my view of Adam during a crucial nearly-out-of-battery photo op:

To Adam, Jesse, Mickey, Matt and James of Maroon 5, you rocked my world and I hope to catch more of you in your hometown Los Angeles. And to Jane, Adam's ex-girlriend who broke up with him and inspired him to write all those fantastic songs, thank you and what on eart were you thinking?

This trims down my list of bands to see before I die:

U2
Maroon 5
Coldplay
Dave Matthews Band
Incubus
Dashboard Confessional

P.S. I got this as a souvenir. It's a mounted poster of their album. I'm bringing it with me. It fits in my cargo box. hehehe.

special thanks to Dana for letting me buy this. sayang wala tayong pic :(

special thanks to Bun for the free tix!!