Amish

I have almost identified myself as un-Amishy, but let me define first what Amish is. It's not even a "what", it's a "who".

You can find more information about the Amish here.

And here is a sample an Amish family photo :) They're pretty cool. These people strictly adhere to a dresscode, do their best to avoid electricity and different kinds of technology and automobiles. They definitely live a very simple life. But what happens if you throw them into a big city?

UPN had come up with a reality show about them called Amish in the City, when they get a chance to live with the un-Amishy ones, like yours truly.

China Crisis

The newest member of the Barkada

Birthday Gifts

Last night's party was so much fun. It was good to have friends over at my place :) Of course, I had different kinds of conversations with different sets of friends. It ranged from wedding preparations, engagement proposals, work, business and family. All of them did ask one same thing: When is David coming over? (Two weeks, dearies!)

I had a pretty laid-back birthday. Me and my family did the normal Sunday ritual: breakfast at 8am, hear Sunday mass and have lunch. We went to M Cafe at the Ayala Museum for lunch, and I had Chicken Adobo with Foie Gras and quail egg. Then for dessert, I had the chocolate creme brulee trio (chili, creme mint and ginger). It tasted interesting! ;) That place is one of my favorites.

Anyway, people say that when picking a gift for a friend, they would normally think about what the person is like, what she likes and what she would appreciate. With this, let me enlist the gifts I have received for my 24th birthday:

1. a journal
2. a Shutter movie DVD - (I'm still figuring out how to sue the movie producer to use me and my former colleagues' fake ghost photo in the movie! haha!)
3. Lush soap
4. slippers
5. floral top
6. a bottle of my favorite Australian Chardonnay and kamias fruit
7. Starbucks coffee mug
8. God's inspirational book
9. A Place Called Paris book

... also, I was surprised to see a dozen red roses and a teddy bear waiting for me when I got home awhileago! They're from David! :) Yey!

So, what do my gifts say about me? :) I'm sure I'll get different stuff if I celebrated 24 in New York! ;)

Anyway, to me these are just material things. Nothing's more important than the gift of love, friendship and family. And I'm happy I got them all today.

Random Spain Pics

Seville at night
Bull fight in Madrid





Spanish roses














Sorry if it's so few. I still have plenty more left from the other places we visited in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. I haven't figured out how to put all my photos in one blog -- I'll try Picasa or Flickr later. I already have a Pro Account! :)

Peeved at the US Embassy

So anyway, I went to the US Embassy yesterday to replace my F-1 visa (student visa). Although unnecessary, I still brought with me my parents' bank statements and other proofs of support or documents-that-spell-me-coming-back-to-Manila-after-my-schooling. I also never left without my I-20 and a confirmation letter from NYU saying that I have completed my Spring credits for my Master's degree.

It went pretty well. As in any American system, everything was organized and in order. The booths were properly labeled. The process was fully computerized. Everybody was professional. And they were strict with appointment schedules. It was supposed to be smooth-saling except that it was a very hot day, and it felt like my skin was getting a shade darker. But it wasn't the heat that peeved me. It was this:

Seeing again how some Filipinos would offer an arm and a leg just to find greener pastures in the West, and how some foreigners love taking advantage of that:

1. Like that little young 18 year-old prostitute arm-in-arm with some dirty old man, 50 years her senior. And that disgusting grandpa's drool over the young lady's tiny breasts.

2. Or that clammy-handed, English-spokening guy who faked work documents, in the hopes that the consul's ability to assess between a potential TNT and an honest visa applicant has deteriorated.

3. Or that girl who has given up on our country, and that guy who agreed to be dragged to the embassy, sign an application for fiance visa, in exchange for a hefty amount of $$$.

Argh... just thinking about it peeves me to the bone...
But before I get judgmental, I try to remember a couple of things:

1. I come from a third-world country
2. I live by F. Scott Fitzgerald's Page 1 of The Great Gatsby :)
3. I should be more thankful and understanding being more fortunate than a lot of my fellowmen
3. My boyfriend is a foreigner - and I am unconditionally very happy with him. Very happy.

And then, I wished the people who peeved me happiness. Then, I shut up. And so did my green mind. Then, everything else went easily, and I'm getting my student visa in a few days! :) Yipee!

The Night Before I Celebrate 24

I am two days away from being officially 24 years old, and I am throwing away a party at my place tomorrow night to celebrate that. Almost everything is prepared! There will be suckling pig, big, fat crabs, plenty of shrimp, roast beef, native veggies and my favorite, manggang hilaw! It will be very simple and casual. Just dinner and a lot of catching up. And if I'm lucky to get people buzzed, then a lot of embarrassing karaoke is in the agenda!

Thanks to my mom who is very kind to organize everything for me. I really do hope this won't be my last birthday party in Manila. It makes me wonder, where will I be when I turn 25 next year? Or 26, or 27? I'll blog it a year from now. And two from now. And three from now.

Anyway, I only evited people who are close to me, those whom I've hung out for many years, shared my laughters and frustrations, those who understand why I am this person and those who have helped shape me to be me now. Some of them will be bringing their plus ones, some will be stags, and some, though very apologetic, will be present in spirit.

Part of those who are "spirited" if I must say, is my loving boyfriend, David. Unfortunately, he won't be here to say a toast to 24. :( And it makes me miss him more. Since we became together, we have tried our best to spend time around each other, especially on special occasions. As much as I want to be upset that he won't be here when I blow my birthday cake, I couldn't, because he's still in California. And he's still impatiently waiting for his month's notice to expire. And he's still packing up his things to be closer to me in New York than ever. And we have already planned that we'll have our own celebration in two week's time. And it will be here in Manila, away from people. And it will be under the stars. And besides, the guest room in our house still smells like paint. Fair deal. :)

I was elated when I got a Fedex package from him today! In it were 3 meaningful things: a card with Gumdrop (def'n: what we'll probably name our future baby Chihuahua, there's a story behind that) in it, our Arthur/Marilyn photo and a wonderful book called "A Place in the World called Paris". It's a collection of writings from distinguished authors from the 20th century that reveal their experiences and feelings about that cliched city. The first dozen pages were overflowing with justice, and I couldn't wait to finish it. But nothing gave more justice to Paris than what I found written inside:

Pamy,
There's indeed a place in the world called Paris, and everyday I'm thankful for the magical way it brought us together.
Happy Birthday!
Love Always,
David

Distorted Dogs

Imagine your pet dogs distorted this way, what would you do?
Keep 'em, of course! It'll be crazy to give away such adorable creatures!
Think The Dog, and you'll love 'em again.
Yeah! Another brilliant ad! :)

Portrait in a Bottle

At a young age, I keep telling myself I want to collect experiences and turn them into stories to share to my kids or grandkids. Things that can never be taken away from me and I can live by with. I will share a list of what I have collected so far next time. Sometimes I do it unconsciously, sometimes I don't.

Below is an example of the latter. When my friends and family proclaim this to people, I turn red and shy away. But I am very honored. It's not an achievement to me, but one of life's nice little extra cherries. :)