the new misadventures of a commoner

Have a magical day!

2012-01-27T04:21:00.001+01:00

Hiiiiiiii. Am I blogging regularly, or what? It's so easy to plop down on my bed and catch up on my favorite TV shows, but there's something rewarding about sorting through hundreds of photos and sharing special moments.

I don't think I'll ever be old enough or jaded for Disneyland. I've been to Disneyland Paris when I was 8 and Disney World Orlando at 11, but was still very excited to visit Hong Kong Disneyland at 27. It sounds cheesy, but there really is something magical about it - even if you're not into things Disney. Okay, things Disney aren't just fairy tales and princesses anymore - ~~The Rock~~ Dwayne Johnson babysitting and Hugh Jackman training robots are hardly old school Disney plots. But I digress. This trip was also special because my BFF Ging and I had someone from the Next Generation with us: her son Karl! LOLyah I know how old and corny saying Next Generation makes me sound.

spot the not-so-hidden Mickey Mouse ears!

on board the Happiest Train on Earth! on the way, people were incredibly chatty and jolly

it was HK Disneyland's 5th anniversary. We didn't really know what time the parade would be, we just happened to be at the right place just before it started. Talk about serendipity!

the PhilharMagic 3D show was our favorite part, because of the amaaaaazing effects

the Enchanted Castle by day/dusk

Enchanted Castle by night. the lighting of the castle & fireworks just before closing time is also one of my favorite magical moments at Disneyland

Mickey Mouse-shaped pudding!

another instance of perfect timing - after we wrapped up souvenir and toy shopping, the lighting of the Christmas lights happened

Even if you're not into Disney princesses, parades at cartoons, you can never outgrow magical moments. And if you don't believe in magic, I'm sure you believe in fun.

desserts #itsmorefuninthephilippines

2012-01-25T01:24:00.003+01:00

Having a sweet tooth, dessert is my favorite part of any meal and sweet snacks are my favorite kind. Sugar crash? I don't care. My recent trip to the Philippines was more about food than ever. I had so many rice-and-viand meals that by week 2, I gave up and told my mom "ayoko na ng kanin at ulam please" and that I would just watch them while they were eating. But dessert? I could never get tired of dessert. At buffets, I would sometimes purposely eat less of the main course dishes if the dessert table looks inviting.

One of my favorite sweets ever is Max's Caramel Bar. Every week, my dad would go home after his board meetings held at Max's with a box or two of a combo meal. The chicken and the noodles were good, but the Caramel Bars were divine. Now, every time I go to the Philippines I buy a few boxes and take them with me to Vienna. Now I'm all out. Boo.

Here are a few other sweet things I enjoyed during my Philippines trip.

my favorite Halo-Halo
Razon's makes really simple, neutral-colored halo-halo with oh-so-fine milk ice, bananas, macapuno and leche flan. I only had a few spoonfuls of this because I wasn't feeling well, but I enjoyed every tiny bit of it. Soooo yummeh.

dirty ice cream!
I had a cone while sandal shopping in Liliw, Laguna. Cheese is my absolute favorite flavor. I also love those dirty ice cream sandwiches.

Toblerone cheesecake and Guilt-less chocolate cake (cue: Guilty by Blue) during tea time with Ging and Lauren

pineapple juice at family dinner at Uncle Cheffy's in Lipa, Batangas

Calamansi Juice in Boracay

Tahoooo!
I got this cup one morning in Boracay. I was a bit disappointed because the syrup wasn't sweet at all.

my cousin Rachel and I got these Korean (?) ice desserts in Boracay. Mine had mango, ice, red beans, bananas, watermelon, cherry, soft-serve ice cream and chocolate syrup

it's on like Donkey Kong in Hong Kong

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000+01:00

Ni hao! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty laid-back. I stayed mostly in bed and caught up on The Secret Circle and the final week of My Binondo Girl and watched A Chorus Line (I can't believe I haven't seen this sooner, I absolutely love it!) and Water for Elephants (it was free on my A1 TV box!), one of my favorite movies of 2011 because of the beautiful story and cinematography. Stay-in-bed weekends are great.

Oh hey, it's Chinese New Year. Kung hei fat choi! It's the year of the water dragon.

On that positive note, let me share a few photos from my Hong Kong trip in December.

me and Karl on the top deck of a double decker bus

Although nothing beats the speed of MTRs, I love double decker buses because they give you a good glimpse of the city without having to board one of those expensive hop-on hop-off buses.

neon signs and bamboo scaffolding!

The colors of Hong Kong are simply stunning. Our hotel was just off Nathan Lane, which was buzzing with energy and bursting with color whether it was day or night.

Statue Square, where Pinoys like to gather on Sundays

Ging walking out of the Stanley Post Office

We took a bus to visit the Stanley Market on our last 0.5 day to discover that the Stanley area had all kinds of Stanley establishments: a police station, pet store, market and a post office, among many others.

our friendship boots! we ♥ DMs!

My DMs are my favorite footwear for travel for non-summer trips because they're super comfortable, rain-proof (case in point: the Verona trip ~~I haven't blogged about yet~~) and photogenic. Not to mention cool.

happy condoms on a bus!

Hong Kong signs

2012-01-22T20:26:00.000+01:00

Spending a few days in Hong Kong before going to the Philippines was a great way to unwind; sort of like a vacation before a vacation. I know a lot of people like beach or rural getaways, but I'm more of an urban escapade kinda gal. I enjoy walking along the pavement, getting lost on the streets, and figuring out the public transportation system. Looking at signs is quite fun, too. Hong Kong, in all its vibrance and creativity, has lots of cute and fun signs.

warning sign by the waiting dock of the Star Ferry

on board the Star Ferry

cartoon sign inside the bus

comic outside the Stanley Police Station

Have an enchanted Christmas

2011-12-25T07:19:00.001+01:00

Maligayang pasko from the Philippines! I'm happy to spend time with my family. Christmas eve was quite hectic and loud, so I'm really enjoying this quiet time with just the family on Christmas day.

The above photo was taken at Hong Kong Disneyland, where Ging, Karl and I really did have a magical time.

I hope you have relaxing holidays!

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London lomography photos, part II

2011-12-09T22:08:00.001+01:00

More photos from one of my favorite cities taken with the Lomography LC-A. The LC-A has been on my wish list for so long, so when Lomography had online discount coupons, I couldn't resist! I even got a free Actionsample Flash (ironic because I used to own one and sold it), a bag and two rolls of film. What a deal! I love how compact it is, how saturated the colors turn out and how it doesn't need a flash. One con, and it's rather big one since I'm the type who just like to fish out my camera out of my bag or pocket without any fuss, is how easily the batteries are drained. Because of that, I have to take the batteries out when I'm not using the camera and before I put them back in, the moment is gone. That said, I guess my favorite film camera still is the Diana Mini.

So, let's talk about London. It's my third time in the city, and I still haven't seen and done enough! There's just so much to do. To me, it's like a grown-up amusement park. We skipped Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (which is kind of fun, but also very time-consuming) and Oxford Street during opening hours. Instead we went to three markets (Camden Market, the famous Portobello Market in Notting Hill, and Borough Market), enjoyed the panoramic view of London from Primrose Hill, spent 20 minutes at Primark (I LOVE Primark) before closing time and of course, drank beer at the neighborhood pub.

London lomography photos

2011-12-04T21:07:00.001+01:00

Monmouth café at Borough market
It's a Gwyneth Paltrow favorite! Monmouth apparently makes the best coffee in London.
Didn't try it, but the long queue must mean it's really good!

I love Camden Market

2011-12-03T23:32:00.001+01:00

It was my first time to visit Camden Market and I instantly loved it! My cousin Ozzy told me it was a much more fast-paced place than the rest of London. Other than that, I didn't know what to expect. I just love going to markets. If you want a bit of an alternative shopping experience, I suggest skipping Oxford Street and go here instead!

wellies in all patterns!

DMs!
I suppose these are second hand, but there's Doc Martens factory store there, too. It has a drool-worthy collection
I got a pair of Doc Martens Darcie boots at a store of which I forgot the name

snippets of summer

2011-11-29T23:08:00.000+01:00

These were taken during the last days of summer. We didn't really have the usual transition period of fall, it just felt like it suddenly turned winter, so this seems so long ago.

I love how focused these kids were on what they were drawing.

one short day in the Emerald City

2011-11-28T21:33:00.000+01:00

It took me ages to write this post even though I've been meaning to update my blog more often. When I found out that Wicked was playing on the West End during our stay in London, my heart started beating faster.

I was able to book Julie and I really good seats in the second row to a show on our first evening in LDN.

During our commute to the Victoria Apollo Theatre, the second Underground train broke down. We stayed at the station for a while in hopes it would get fixed soon. After 20 minutes, we decided to find another mode of transportation to get us to the theatre.

We wanted to take a cab, but the traffic was barely moving. We saw a rikshaw, the driver said he could take us there in 15 minutes. Off we went!

Obligatory rikshaw picture.
We were actually quite nervous because the ride was so fast! Until the driver got tired, that is.

Arriving at the theatre about 10 minutes after the show started, we were ushered to a waiting area where we were asked to stay for a few minutes. The waiting area was just behind the sound & light booths. It was so exciting for me to see those behind-the-scenes action. I wish I could've taken photos but wasn't allowed. The sound booth had a tiny TV showing the orchestra conductor. Exciting.

We were finally ushered to our seats during a scene where the characters rushed to the stage. I felt like running up on stage, too. Haha.

Emerald City

Julie and me during intermission

the framing was perfect until the person in front of me did a standing ovation.
left to right: Madame Morrible, The Wonder Wizard of Oz, Audience Member, Fiyero

a better view of the cast, now with Glinda and Elphaba

I was so in love with the musical that I bought a CD and programme. And of course, I was humming Defying Gravity for days. My favorite numbers have got to be One Short Day, Defying Gravity and As Long As You're Mine. I actually can't describe how much I loved it, but it's so inspiring that I've been thinking about musical theater a lot after watching Wicked. Powerful.

Mars on earth

2011-11-08T01:44:00.001+01:00

When I'm old and wrinkly, I would want to tell my grandchildren stories about the places I've visited and concerts I've gone to. Even though I don't have a wild past (nor present), I'm working my way to an exciting line-up of stories.

On October 12, I treated my cousins Raemar and Marc, and my aunt Tante Mariz to the Bruno Mars concert. Tante Mariz used to tag me along at New Kids on the Block and Rick Astley concerts when I was little, so taking the boys to see Bruno Mars was kind of like paying it forward.

I scored tickets to really good seats!

Marc, Tante Mariz, and Raemar

my favorite shot, albeit blurry

Bruno and the Hooligans

The Lazy Song!

Bruno performing Liquor Store Blues, one of my favorite songs

there were 12,500 people! Bruno said it was the biggest audience they've had so far

his voice and all the cellphone lights made for a really swoon-y (is that even a word?) mood

during the encore, Bruno called out his front act, the über-talented Skylar Grey on stage to sing "It will rain", which will be on the Twilight soundtrack

I'm always, always amazed when artists and their bands sound as great or way better than their records. Bruno Mars and the Hooligans have the showmanship to match the talent. Also, Bruno has a voice that makes you want to marry him. For me, a concert is great when a) you sing and /or dance along to the songs b) you can fan feel the energy all the way back to the seating area c) it inspires you d) you still listen to the songs weeks after the gig e) even the front act is awesome f) you smile like a silly schoolgirl when you think about the concert.

PS: I love Phredley Brown's tour diary over at tumblr
PPS: Concert rule #1: there's always an encore

from Prada to nada

2011-11-05T02:18:00.001+01:00

My dinners lately are an homage to my college days: cheap, easy to boil and/or instant. Why? Tuscany. The region has something far more disarming than its history, culture and charm - outlet shopping. Oh, the damage it did to our wallets.

Following the directions from Google Maps, which wasn't very accurate, we hopped on a train, walked from the train station to the town center, back to the train station, then to a bus station of a bus that didn't exist anymore (!), walked some more - all that under the hot Tuscan sun. While an Italian man gestured that only a taxi could take us The Mall outlet, a taxi van luckily drove by and took us there. While Ciara snagged a great pair of Tod's loafers, the rest of us held out for the Prada outlet, which was a taxi ride away from The Mall. Once there, each of us had to pick a number tag, which would be used when making a purchase, near the entrance. The Space Prada Outlet is easy to miss, without any signs whatsoever. From outside it looks like a container, except for the Prada ads. We got there at around 4:30 or 5 PM, which seemed to be an off-peak hour.

Well, this is us, post-shopping. There were Prada and Miu Miu shoes that cost as low as €50, and bags that cost one-third of the original price. Nevertheless, we were tired, happy, albeit worried about our bank accounts.

Benz and me!

Allan, Sha, Benz and me in the evening just before going to the grocery to buy dinner and wine in a tetra pack

Space Prada outlet
Via Levanella Becorpi
Localita Levanella, S.S. 69 Montevarchi
Italy

The Mall
Via Europa 8
50060 Leccio Reggello
Italy

Lange Nacht der Museen

2011-10-09T22:24:00.000+02:00

The Lange Nacht der Museen is an annual event where museums all over Austria stay open on a Saturday night until 1 AM. The best thing about the long night of the museums is that one ticket gets you into all museums. Children up to twelve years old even get in for free.

I went with my new friends and neighbors Wendell and Carlos. Our museum marathon route was the Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History) - MUMOK (Museum of Modern Art) - Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) - Albertina Museum. I actually sat out the last two because I've already been there and quite honestly I didn't have the attention span.

Going to the museum of modern art was quite enjoyable because it got us to discuss the art pieces (instead of just nodding and continue walking) and made us giggle a few times.

Andy Warhol!

Interesting wall fixtures I might soon be able to replicate if I don't clean up my flat:

awww...cassette tapes!

ice ice baby

2011-10-06T19:00:00.000+02:00

Here's a short story about a long walk. Following the advice of a website to go to a gelateria with the best gelato in Florence, I set out in the afternoon to have a taste of the cold, sweet delicacy. When I finally found it (I visited a few museums and got lost along the way), the sun was already setting. There it is, Vivoli Il Gelato, where the best gelato is served.

Was it the best? Yes. I went to another gelateria for comparison, and yes, Vivoli has the best gelato I have ever tasted in Florence.

Songs of the Day: Tony Bennett with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga

2011-10-05T16:38:00.000+02:00

Tony Bennett's wonderful duets with two singers I admire. Talent and charisma are such a good mix.

there's no home like Zara Home

2011-10-04T23:27:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, my soon-to-be mom friend and I were talking about shopping for her future son's room and started browsing the Zara Home website*. I've never checked it out before, because I thought it's similar to H&M Home - lots of cute stuff, but nothing I would actually buy. Jen & I spent around 15 minutes ooh-ing and aah-ing over the adorable stuff at the Zara Home Kids section before I looked at grown-up stuff for my future apartment.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Onokuni Nest of Tables

Wooster Table

Hollywood Dispenser

Zorba Bookend

Sada Lamp

See my inclination towards white and transparent? I just love it. There's also colorful stuff I adore from the Kids section - there's Liberty Art Fabrics!

Kids Coward Moses Basket Sheet Set
Liberty Art Fabrics

Kids Margaret Changing Bag
Liberty Art Fabrics

Verdict: LOVE it. When I finally move into another apartment, I will definitely get stuff from Zara Home.

* one thing I love about online shopping: delivery!

Aloe Blacc in Vienna

2011-10-03T22:10:00.002+02:00

I was so excited when one of my Facebook contacts announced that she wanted to watch the Aloe Blacc concert on July 24, and although Natalia was a rather new friend, we made plans to go together. Being an open air summer concert, it was the chance for me to buy my summer sale-acquired Zara dress (actually a t-shirt but it's quite long on me) and DM's buuuut it turned out to be rainy and cold! So I had to edit it to this:

Once I stepped outside my building, I felt how co-co-cold it really was and added a denim skirt, scarf and a crocheted beret.

Although I brought an umbrella with me, I didn't plan on using it and hoped no one else would either. I was impressed by the concert organizers that it was confiscated at the Arena entrance; that meant nothing except tall people would obstruct the view and no one would get poked by the umbrellas. We were given free ponchos.

It was the last day of the two-day Nova Jazz & Blues festival. The first day was held at a bigger venue just outside Vienna and had performers like Erykah Badu and Jamie Cullum. The venue for the second day was changed after Amy Winehouse (RIP) canceled her Europe tour. The festival has been promoted many months before, but by March, I got a hunch that Amy wouldn't participate anymore because her name wasn't on the promo posters anymore, even though the radio ads and internet still mentioned her as headliner of the second festival day. Anyway, I loved that before Aloe Blacc's performance the organizers asked for a moment to commemorate what Amy Winehouse was known and loved most for: her music, by playing "Back to Black."

Natalia and I during Keziah Jones' performance

we love Aloe Blacc's band

the drummer is <3

Aloe Blacc!!!

Aloe has an amazing stage presence and the kind of good vibes that stay with you. We were smiling the whole time and gushing way until after the concert! His voice, his style and his respect for and rapport with the band were just oh-so perfect.

summer concert: Milow @ the Donauinselfest 2011

2011-10-03T21:09:00.000+02:00

a walk in the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

2011-10-02T03:38:00.001+02:00

Hello, October! I'm sooo glad September is over. As stressful as it was though, the awfulness was balanced by the awesomeness. After the weariness, frustration and exhaustion of the first half of the month, I needed a breather and jumped at the chance to meet up with Benz and friends in Florence. More on that later...

On our last day in Florence, the gang had an earlier departure train to catch but mine wouldn't leave until late in the evening, so I had time wander about in the city. It was raining almost the whole afternoon - the perfect weather for going to museums.

I was really looking forward to going to the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. Whether in fashion, art or literature, I often wonder about the inspiration or influence behind the end product. The exhibit featured the shoe designer's inspiration behind his creations.

Before Choo and Louboutin, there was Ferragamo, the "Shoemaker to the stars" in the 1920's. I was amazed by the timelessness of his designs; his inventions of the cork wedge and the invisible sandal are still very stylish today.

Salvatore Ferragamo designed shoes for a very famous and prestigious clientele.

These shoes were made in the late 1930's! Still trendy today. Covet.

wooden lasts of the A-list of Old Hollywood

Inspiration and the shoes

local sounds and b&w

2011-09-12T19:30:00.000+02:00

Nu-uh, I'm not yet done telling about, or rather showing you my Copenhagen trip. One thing I learned about traveling alone on this trip is to leave the iPod in the apartment/hotel/hostel/b&b. I just happened to leave it because I needed more space in the bag for my cameras (I'm still looking for a spacious cross-body bag - the Mulberry Alexa comes to mind, but it's still out of my price range). Without the sound of your all-too-familiar playlist, you get a better feel of the local vibe: the language, sounds on the street, popular music; all of which you can't really capture on photos.

Speaking of photos, here are some I took in Copenhagen using my Diana Mini. (I applaud myself for that nice segue.) It's my first roll of black & white film!

lovely Lisbeth Dahl

2011-09-10T23:21:00.001+02:00

I was "warned" about the great shopping ~~danger~~ potential of Copenhagen. That's why I scheduled a whole day for shopping at Strøget. While I love long walks and shopping, the 1.1 km stretch of ~~temptation~~ eye candy was quite a lot. I focused on Danish brands and things that I wouldn't find back in Vienna. My best buys were an eye-catching pair of wedge heels and foldable ballet flats in a leopard print. I was already tired from all that walking, looking and being amazed when the shops started closing, but I happened to pass by a store that had really cute umbrellas on display. The kind of umbrellas that women in the 1800's would wear in the courtyard, except these could be used in the rain. It's hard to describe the Danish brand Lisbeth Dahl without the clichés. It's just that lovely. I could spend hours in there.

CPN

2011-09-10T22:31:00.000+02:00

I can't believe it's been months since my trip to Copenhagen and I haven't even blogged about its amazing architecture! The moment I landed I was in awe of the great mix of the old and the new. (Okay, maybe not the moment I landed, because I was so thrilled by the airport - the duty-free is awesome!) The city reminded me of London and Amsterdam.

colorful Nyhavn

the Royal Danish Playhouse won awards for its architecture and chairs

the modern buildings in Islands Brygge, the neighboorhood I stayed in

brick houses in Carlsberg (yes, like the beer)

Royal Danish Opera has one of the largest roofs in the world, which could fit two football fields!

The Black Diamond, a very chic library building

rainbow on your parade, part two

2011-08-03T00:45:00.000+02:00

Granny doesn't mind if you rain on her rainbow parade, she's got an umbrella

this reminds me of one of those toga parties I've seen in New York

guy on the left: WOW, guy on the right: looks like Thomas D from the German
hiphop band Die Fantastischen Vier

cute and proud couple

resort wear, a fashion concept I don't really understand
because I don't wear long gowns, cocktail dresses at resorts

looks like a frat party. chug! chug! chug!

... and they were all yellow

rainbow on your parade

2011-07-26T00:20:00.000+02:00

Aren't I consistent in blogging about events a month too late? Yeah. Last month, I went and watched the Vienna Pride Regenbogenparade or Rainbowparade for the first time. It was so much fun seeing all the people in cool costumes. I particularly loved the party people-loaded trucks blasting dance music.

Like a wild, wild cowboy

rainbow body paint!

fierce footwear

the guy in pink reminds me of Wilfred!

born this way

artup

2011-07-21T06:58:00.000+02:00

Recently, I found a really cool store downtown called artup. I think I walked in because they had a few nice hats in their window display. Once inside the shop, I was amazed at the range of unusual designs. The sales associate was pretty cool and helpful and let me snap photos. She told me that most of the products in the shop were designed by Austrian designers. After what must have been half an hour, I finally settled on a reversible obi belt (navy-white stripes on one side, floral pattern on the other) and a maroon rectangular aluminum ring.

Leather bags in all colors imaginable! (okay, no. I didn't see any pastels)

ceramic earrings for to add a mod flair to any outfit

dainty pillboxes for the modern day Marie-Antoinette

funky necklaces that would look great with plain t-shirts
I might go back to the store to get the one on the left

greek goddess gowns

I had a hard time letting this phone case go, it looks so cool!

quirky accessories for hipsters

artup - unique products
Bauernmarkt 8
1010 Wien
Tel: +43 (0) 1 535 5097
e-mail: shop@artup.at

Marmorkirken

2011-07-20T08:05:00.001+02:00

One of my favorite places in Copenhagen is the Marble Church/Marmorkirken, or Frederikskirken, named after Frederik V. The dome, reminiscent of the St. Peter's dome in the Vatican, makes for an impressive addition to the Copenhagen skyline, but it's the interiors that left me in awe. I just walked in, looked around and felt serene.

summer summer summer time

2011-07-19T19:31:00.000+02:00

It's been a bit of a busy summer for me so far. Weather-wise, it has been a bit confusing with unbearable heat on some days, heavy storms on others. I recently bought a Dyson tower fan and while it costs almost as much as an air-conditioner, air-cons aren't allowed in my flat and electric fans can't fight the heat of the sauna that I live in! I'm glad that I can stay home now on days I just want to laze around.

As for the things I've been doing, I've been cycling around town sometimes (yes, I finally found a bike I looove), going to an open air festival, trying to spend more time with non-work friends and shooting my friends' engagement photos, working, etc. I still wish I could do more. My extreme hairdo and body art changes made me want to try other unexpected things. How cool would it be to have an exciting hobby like skateboarding or wakeboarding or parkouring? I'm still getting used to Brave New Me, and there are terrains I won't explore yet - like attending parties where I know only one or two persons, but hey, it's a fun project!

So back to summer. Check out these great videos I found recently. One has that lovely summer vibe with a tinge of "I've got gorgeous hair, I wear great clothes and I don't sweat" feeling, and the other is a touching tribute to one of my favorite TV shows that ends this summer. Enjoy!

couchsurfing noob

2011-07-19T14:56:00.000+02:00

What I like about traveling alone is having the freedom to create your own itinerary. You can do everything at your own speed, eat at all the restaurants/food carts/bakeries you want, visit the museums of your choice (recently though, I decided to skip the museums during short trips), snap away with your camera/s as long as you want until you get the perfect shot, among other things.

What I don't like about indie travel is it can get boring and going out at night in a strange place can be awkward and potentially dangerous. Aside from exploring the city through local residents' eyes (since my Lonely Planet Copenhagen Encounter didn't really help much), I wanted to try Danish beer during my Copenhagen trip. I asked my friend En about her couchsurfing experience as she had been couchsurfing for years, either to host her couch, meet people while traveling or crash other peoples' couches. She thought it would be good for me to sign up knowing that I'd be going to Copenhagen alone. I signed up, and sent a few requests for "coffee or a drink."

On my first evening in CPH, I met up with Johanna and Skibber, who took me on a not-so-scenic, but fun walk through Christianshavn and introduced me to the local beer.

Aegte Fynsk Ale No. 16 tastes bittersweet and has a rather rich texture

with Skibber and Johanna

this Tuborg beer was my fave! It had just enough sweetness that's perfect for summer

bloody moon

2011-07-17T02:08:00.000+02:00

I know, I know, the lunar eclipse happened a month ago, but here I am blogging about it only now. I had a great view of it from my window and I was able to put my thrifted binoculars to good use. It lasted for almost 2 hours.

bloody red!

doesn't this remind you of Heroes? would be cool to gain power
after the eclipse. last time I checked, I didn't have any though

Vespa love

2011-07-04T22:02:00.000+02:00

Have you ever noticed that after you decide you want something, you suddenly start seeing it everywhere? It's the same after a breakup, btw - all of a sudden you notice shops, brands, even car plates with the same name as your ex. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I had a Vespa phase. Before that, I never knew how many Vespas there were in Vienna! I decided to snap a few of the scooters I saw with my Diana Mini.

København

2011-06-28T01:30:00.000+02:00

I'm at a loss for words, so I'll let the photos do the talking. Here's more from my trip to Copenhagen!

Cocio milk chocolate bought at 7-11 was my first meal in CPH!

love padlocks

this store was unfortunately already closed when I walked by
so I couldn't really check out the nasty and gross stuff it sold

obligatory shot with the Little Mermaid

Royal Blue is royal

2011-06-25T10:57:00.000+02:00

Or: a closer look at the Royal Life Guards' uniform

what's essential to a Royal residence?

Why, Royal Life Guards, of course!

black leather shoes with blue pants

white gloves and interesting cuff. love the accent hanging on the sabre ~~Rider and the Star Sheriffs in the sky~~ handle

patent booty bags

CPH x Airbnb

2011-06-24T01:48:00.000+02:00

I've got itchy feet all year round, but I really only give in when I find cheap air or train tickets and have a long weekend to spare. When I'm broke I ignore all promo e-mails I receive from Lufthansa, Air Berlin/ Fly Niki, Austrian Airlines, Emirates and Qatar (yeah, I have e-mail subscriptions to all of those haha).

On my birthday, Air Berlin was offering flights to several European destinations for only €98, if booked that day. For the long weekend of 11-13 June, only tickets for Paris and Copenhagen were available. Since I've never been to Copenhagen, it was the obvious choice for me.

I didn't easily find accommodation as some of the hotels were either fully booked, too expensive or had very mixed reviews. I remembered a Reader's Digest article about traveling on a budget and how it mentioned Airbnb, a marketplace for rooms in private homes, whole apartments and villas in 13,000 cities. Since I'd be traveling alone and didn't mind meeting locals and saving a few Euros without having to sleep in a bunk bed and sharing a bathroom with a dozen other people in a hostel, I looked at the room listings for Copenhagen and found one I liked. It wasn't in a tourist-filled area, but close enough to the city center by foot, bus and metro. The booking transaction was pretty hassle-free and wrapped up within a day.

My host Christina was really nice and gave me some great insider tips.

Basically, I rented a room in a private apartment with the owner also staying there. The flat was in a neighborhood called Islands Brygge, which kind of reminds me of the 'hood I live in because it's near the water.

The room was spacious and bright. I especially love this chair.

rococo

2011-06-20T07:04:00.001+02:00

Watching Marie Antoinette made me want to visit the palaces we have in Vienna. Armed with my cameras, I was really excited to go on a Grand Tour of the Schönbrunn Palace only to find out that taking photos wasn't allowed. I did sneak one photo using my Diana Mini though, harhar. We'll see how that one turns out.

In the meantime, let's look at pictures of my favorite rooms, courtesy of the Schönbrunn website.

Blue Chinese Salon

the Porcellain Room

the Millions Room

Most of the rooms were designed in the rococo style, which of course made me think of that Arcade Fire song.

After the tour, I checked out the garden of the Orangery, where photography was allowed. The Orangery was a building originally meant to be a greenhouse, but was often used as a venue for royal festivities such as performances by Mozart. Nowadays, commoners can watch orchestra concerts and even book their weddings here.

kaleidoscope world of hogwarts

2011-06-07T23:14:00.000+02:00

I'm pretty fascinated with stained glass windows. They're like kaleidoscopes for grown-ups. I went to Stephansdom/St. Stephen's Cathedral two weeks ago and they really stepped it up by covering the windows with ~~foil? gel?~~ something and made the church look almost magical (it kind of reminded me of Hogwarts, to be honest). Mesmerizing.

presents!

2011-06-03T21:52:00.000+02:00

Good morning, Upper East Siders! I'm on a Gossip Girl Season 1 marathon, can you tell?

So, about my birthday. It was in the middle of the week, so taking off from work was kind of awkward. I got an 8 AM wake-up call (bet the person calling me didn't know I was being woken up) that I didn't answer and arrived at the office with a really gorgeous cake and flowers on my desk! I also received a heart-shaped cupcake with a candle on top, had someone sing me an unknown (at least to me) birthday song and heard really funny news/gossip that literally made me LOL.

I ended my rather hectic work day with an impromptu birthday dinner (I was planning to have it on Friday night) with family at TGI Friday's.

Other than feeling very blessed with good health, a stable job, lovely family and friends, I also felt very fortunate to have received the following:

Prada clutch from me :)
Delsey spinner trolley from the Baliwags - I've always wanted to have a spinner
trolley - such a breeze to travel with!

circle scarf from Pieces gifted by Dani - LOVE the color and the sheerness. perfect for Spring and Summer
Accessorize wallet from the Patrons - it's turquoise, need I say more?
charms from Angie

postcards from Ging and Conell - both arrived on my birthday, so cool!
Peace, Love and Happiness Charm from Angie - can't have enough of those three things, can we?

Mood: GRATEFUL ♥

27 number one hits

2011-06-01T00:20:00.000+02:00

Let's Hear It For The Boy by Deniece Williams was the #1 song on the Billboard charts when I was born! Cheesy.

Songs that chopped the charts the years that followed:

1985: Everything She Wants by Wham! (we had a CD of this at home)
1986: Live To Tell by Madonna
1987: You Keep Me Hangin' On by Kim Wilde
1988: One More Try by George Michael
1989: Rock On By Michael Damian

1990: Vogue by Madonna
1991: I Don't Wanna Cry by Mariah Carey
1992: Jump by Kris Kross
1993: That's The Way Love Goes by Janet Jackson
1994: I Swear by All-4-One
1995: Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams
1996: Tha Crossroads by Bone thugs-n-harmony
1997: Mmmbop by Hanson
1998: The Boy Is Mine by Brandy and Monica
1999: Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin

2000: Maria Maria by Santana feat. The Product G&B
2001: Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Maya, Lil Kim & Pink
2002: Foolish by Ashanti
2003: 21 Questions by 50 Cent feat. Nate Dogg
2004: Burn by Usher
2005: We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
2006: Ridin' by Chamillionaire feat. Krayzie Bone
2007: Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5
2008: Lollipop by Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
2009: Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas

2010: OMG by Usher feat. will.i.am

Definitely love the 90s list. :)

quick updates

2011-05-28T00:55:00.000+02:00

doors and buzzers

2011-05-21T11:11:00.000+02:00

If you've been following Miss Igorota's travel journal, you might remember that Vienna Vixen Iggy and I went on a photo walk in a neighborhood in Vienna's second district.

the view that welcomed us when we emerged from the Nestroyplatz subway station

Note the different door-and-buzzer combos!

I love this combo. I have no idea if these babies/cherubs were
hunting or trying to extinguish a fire

Pretty Prague

2011-04-27T16:19:00.000+02:00

For our third stop of the Amazing Race, we took a bus to Prague. It's not a secret that I'm not a morning person, but for this trip I woke really early, especially for a Sunday, to catch the 8 AM bus. We agreed to meet at 7:30 so we could sort out the checking-in on time.Well, I missed two of the subway trains to the bus terminal (and if you've seen the movie Sliding Doors, missing a train by just a split-second makes a huge impact) and boarded one train going in the wrong direction. That's what happens if you go about in autopilot. I was frantically calling and texting Jo to check in already and explain that the tickets were with me and that I was on my way. The driver agreed to wait for me for 3 minutes tops, and by 8:03, we were backing out of the parking lot. Phew.


Public transportation ticket

the National Museum

lunch at a Typical Czech Restaurant

Just a typical knight at a Typical Czech Restaurant

Loo

Czech out these FC Barcelona marionette dolls

my attempt at being a streetstyle photographer, haha. I loved these women's styles, especially the one in the brown coat. On me, it would look like a tent on me.

Freyung Easter market, part two

2011-04-25T15:11:00.002+02:00

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Eastermarket, Freyung

2011-04-25T00:06:00.001+02:00

Happy Easter, bunnies! I'm having a great time during my staycation catching up on sleep and soaking up the sun. Easter Sunday was spent going to church, eating pizza, pasta and ice cream, walking a whole lot to burn off those calories and visiting the Easter market at Freyung. I snapped some photos with Chuck Bass, my Galaxy Tab - the shots are not at all bad.

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Beautiful Budapest

2011-04-24T01:44:00.004+02:00

Budapest is a memorable city for me because it's the first place I traveled to alone. That time, I had a one-week break at work, gift certificates for a hotel, cheap train tickets and a feeling of independence.

I would recommend traveling solo at least once in your life. While testing your social, budgeting and navigation skills, you can also take your own sweet time in getting up in the morning (or noon, if that's your thing), eating, staring at whatever marvelous sights there are, walking and taking photos.

Anyway, I went back to Budapest in March with my friends Wendi, Mike, Mikkel and Jo for the second leg of our Amazing Race. We took a Hogwarts Express-like train ride from Wien Westbahnhof to Budapest Keleti.

The Budapest Keleti terminal had a King's Cross Platform 9 3/4 vibe

I told you I like taking photos of tickets :)

Lunch! This was part of what they call the tourist menu. Not in photo: goulasch soup.

The Chain bridge that connects Buda to Pest and the Buda castle (where Katy Perry's video for "Firework" was shot - yes, the one my cousin is part of) in the background

That's me playing the intro to 98 Degrees' "The Hardest Thing"

There was a photo shoot going on at the bridge. Kudos to the models, it was reaaalllyyy cold!

Breathtaking Bratislava

2011-04-23T21:48:00.001+02:00

For my second time to travel to Bratislava, I expected it to look exactly the same as it did three years ago. Boy, was I wrong. Maybe it was the sun, I'm not sure, but this time it had the amazing combination of charming and cool.

I like taking photos of my tickets. Heh.

FYI

This guy's a tourist favorite!

Wendi, Mikkel and Mike.

I'm just posting this to show you how cute ~~I am~~ my earmuffs are. I got them on sale from the Burberry outlet for €15!!

We kept marveling at how the afternoon sun made the colors look so amazing.

OneRepublic in Vienna!

2011-04-21T22:15:00.004+02:00

I have a lucky streak when it comes to winning concert tickets. I win some every year since 2009. I won VIP tickets to the Energy FM festival in 2009 (when I wasn't lucky enough to check my e-mails on time though). Last year, I won tickets to Kelis' gig and gave them to a friend who's a fan of hers. This year, I won tickets to *drum roll please* the OneRepublic concert!

In February, Elki and I made plans to watch it, so I put the concert on my calendar, but we both got so busy that we forgot! I only remembered to look for tickets a week or two before the concert, but the tickets were sold out everywhere. Four days before the concert, I received an e-mail congratulating me on winning tickets from the contest I joined. Yay!

free ticket! :)

sound/ DJ booth

Elki and me. Can you spot the London Eye?


Front act Norbert Schneider. That guy's a crooner. So good.

Zach. Mm-hmm.

This was the clearest pic I could take with the most members of the band in it.

Ah, they were so magnificent. Just as I wished, they opened with "Made for You," one of my favorite OneRepublic songs. They also performed amazing covers. Their version of Adele's "Rolling in the deep" was a real crowd favorite, everyone was singing along (Vienna's ready for an Adele concert, I see). Their mashup of "Seven Nation Army" and "Sexy Back" was great, too. I think Seven Nation Army holds a special place in our hearts because it was always played during the Austrian-hosted Euro Cup '08. I also loved their version of "Stand by me" - yeah the song that starts with "when the night is young and the land is dark." I know it's not really a OneRepublic song, but I really hoped they would play Far East Movement (feat. Ryan Tedder)'s "Rocketeer."

I was really annoyed at the tall guys in front because I couldn't take proper photos without their heads blocking the frame. Eventually I just gave up on being a concert photographer and just focused on being a concert goer and just enjoyed the music. Good call.

Brent. He also plays the freakin cello!

I love what Ryan Tedder said before they played "All this time": if I'm gonna sing a song every night in every city, I have to believe it.

And then he said something about believing in love. *heartmelt*

Zach again because he's hot.

Ryan said they're working on their next album. They don't know yet what songs to put on it, and for the first time in front of an audience, they played a song that could possibly be on their third record. The song, "Life in color," definitely passed the audience test!

~~Blurry~~ artistic shot

At the encore, Ryan announced that he and the guys decided to play a free midnight show in front of the opera house just for fun. If that isn't awesome, I don't know what is. They just played a sold-out gig, they could have just returned to their hotel and write songs for their next album, right? Of course we went because the only thing better than one free concert are two free concerts!

With Elki and Dani having drinks at the Sky Bar. Dani wanted to go home after the concert, but we persuaded her to stay for the free aftershow. That's us having drinks while waiting for midnight.

At the show in front of the Opera, Ryan climbed this lamppost and sang from up there. Very Singing in the Rain, but there it was Singing in the Cold.

I love this super awesome photo shot by Elki. Yeah, we were thatclose. While Elki was happy to have taken this pic, I was elated to have touched Ryan's arm. Hrhrhr.

songs on sticky notes: I'm not going anywhere

2011-04-14T01:45:00.000+02:00

Here's another song title I found written on a post-it. Suits the rainy weather. :)

I'm Not Going Anywhere - Keren Ann (Cat's Cradle, 2/26/2008) from abbyladybug on Vimeo.

trapper hat

2011-04-13T02:01:00.000+02:00

While I consider myself somewhat ~~stingy~~ practical, I like to spend a lot on hats. During my first winter as an adult (read: when I, not my mom, bought my winter gear), I spent €42 on a turquoise bonnet/beanie. I would never ever pay for that amount on a sweater (not yet anyway. I would like to own cashmere sweaters and/or cardigans someday) or a skirt.

I refrained myself from buying any headgear this winter because I spent one month of it in the tropics, but when I saw a stand selling sheepskin goods at a market in Budapest, I fell in love with the trapper hats. Without mentioning the price, I will only say that it's my most expensive hat to date. Hrhrhr. It's also the warmest and most style neutral as it suits all of my winter coats.

I couldn't wait to wear it the next day in Prague.

That's me sporting the trapper hat in front of the National Museum in Prague.

These guards agree with my style.

As does Glee's Brittany S. Pierce

Whisper

2011-04-11T22:57:00.000+02:00

Here's what awesome: finding old sticky notes with random song titles in your office drawer. One song written on a post-it I found is "Whisper" by Ernie Halter.

I can't remember when I heard it first, but now that I've re-discovered the song, I keep hitting replay. I really admire people who can make heartbreak sound so beautiful.

i like making lists and the ♥ symbol

2011-04-05T00:50:00.000+02:00

I'm not gonna lie: I do reach, and sometimes even exceed my daily quota for complaining. I'm annoyed that it has become a habit, but I believe in expressing myself and, at the risk of sounding like a ~~douchebag~~ cynic, constantly thinking positively feels fake to me, like I'm ignoring the real stuff. Even so, I still am grateful about a lot of things. Two weeks ago I finally signed a fixed-term contract at work, yay!

I also enjoy the little things:

♥ having the elevator all by myself, especially in the mornings

♥ drinking hot chocolate

♥ drinking chai latte (thank you Trader Joe's instant chai latte for not making me spend a fortune at Starbucks!)

♥ having marathons of my new favorite series, Mad Men and Community

♥ going to my favorite gelateria and ordering my fave flavor! The salon is hidden enough not to be mobbed by everybody

♥ having film developed. Never fails, I get excited every time.

♥ leaving the office at 5:30 because the because the boss has already left and I'm done with work, not because I had to hurry for an appointment or to go to a store before it closes

♥ having a heart-to-heart talk with a friend

♥ getting giddy over teenage girly stuff involving boys

Of course, I also love receiving stuff from friends:

warm, furry house slippers from KC

leather slip-on babouches from Elisabeth
so light and so comfy, they're my favorite thing to wear at home

this picture of me in Bratislava taken by Mike
look how colorful I am in front of the colorful wall!
also, I'm wearing my smallest size jeans

this photo with Christian Bautista and Erik Santos
we watched the show because Pooh was in it. Pooh was as hilarious as expected,
but Erik Santos blew me away with this awesome voice. I'm a new fan.

macarons from THE Ladurée in Paris from Julie

9400 Hungary

2011-04-03T15:14:00.000+02:00

On January 30 (can you tell who's way behind in blogging?), Tin and her husband Nandor invited me to visit them in the Hungarian city of Sopron. Tin was my batch mate in UST before she transferred to UP in sophomore year, I think. Though we have been exchanging messages sometimes on Yahoo Messenger and Facebook, I haven't seen her since college. I happily hopped on a train to take me to Sopron in 45 minutes flat. If there's something I like, it's fast and low-cost travel without the hassle of airport security checks.

I enjoyed the scenic view from my train window. Winter Wonderland, indeed.

Ever wonder what a vineyard in winter looks like? Aside from their spas (which I have yet to try!) and affordable dental services, Sopron is known for its wine production.

Pink coffeehouse is pink.

The small streets with old buildings are oh-so charming

Daily specials

We went to a church's basement that was also an underground cemetery

Main Square

Sopron City Hall and the Firewatch tower

Sopron Plaza mall, where we stopped by to escape the cold and refuel with tea and strudel

My hosts Tin and Nandor treated me to a Pizza dinner (not typically Hungarian, but really yummy anyway :) )

daily vitamins, amazing race edition

2011-03-26T23:05:00.004+01:00

Early this month, my friends Wendi, Mike (whose wedding I sang at) and their son Mikkel went to Vienna for a short visit and a jam-packed Euro trip. It was quite the Amazing Race: four cities in four days. After some planning and bargain-hunting, we decided on Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Vienna.

So, here's what we drank.

Day 1: Bratislava, where the beer is cheaper than mineral water

Day 2: Budapest

Not in photo: two 500 ml cans of beer drank in the train on the way back

Day 3: Prague

Day 4: Vienna, where I gave up and went back to tap water and apple juice because the beer I drank in the three days made me immediately gain 2 kilos (! but easily lost on the next day. Weird, but thankyou) and because enough is enough. Haha.

walk with me

2011-03-12T11:09:00.006+01:00

Hello there, semi-neglected blog. I was feeling very tired and uninspired due to the very long and cold winter, stress at work, a health scare, and a myriad of other things that are probably not even important. Things are looking up, though, and I'm really looking forward to better things. Especially spring.

You see, winter really gets me down because you hardly ever see the sun. It gets dark very early at 4:30 PM. And while the days are really short, the work days aren't. The cold I can deal with by wearing tons of layers of clothes, but it's the lack of sun that's so depressing.

Even so, once in a while, the sun decides to show up in the middle of winter, like during the first week of February. So, during my lunch break, I decided to grab my Diana Mini and take a walk in my neighborhood (because my workplace is also in it).

Join me? :)

I don't know the official name of this church, but people call it either Black Box or Black Church. In the background, Building A or B of the Vienna International Centre.

Reflection of a skyscraper on another skyscraper

Construction site of the tallest building in Vienna.

Cute truck

The white building is where I live

The friendly neighborhood bakery, Ströck.

i keep coming back to manila

2011-02-20T21:34:00.004+01:00

Metro Manila, my home for seven years.

Before I moved to the metro, I lived for four years in Batangas. I was fresh off the plane and didn't have the easiest time adjusting to the Philippine provincial life. Being new in town + old friends gone + different culture + teenage angst + peer pressure. I'm surprised I didn't rebel. I always felt like the New Girl, always felt strange, never felt at home.

When I relocated to Manila to go to college it was so different. By then, I was over almost all my issues. Besides, everyone I met there also came from somewhere else: different cities, different provinces, different high schools. We were all new.

Aside from that, I loved the malls and how the city never seemed to sleep.

I stayed Manila for a few times during my last visit to the Philippines. While I enjoyed spending time with my friends (I also got stood up by my ex and I certainly did not enjoy that, but I learned my lesson), I was so haggard. I know I'm living in a much quieter city now, but Manila seems busier and louder than it used to be. Not sure if I'd want to live there again, but I'll always come back.

Manila City Hall

I've only ever been inside the city hall once in 2007 when I accompanied my friend Jomz who had to process some papers. That took ages, of course. We were so tired and hungry, we had to refuel at SM City Manila, the nearby mall.

Standard inscription on the doors of Manila taxis: the name of the taxi company or if privately owned, whatever name the owner wants (in this case Von Jobing), the plate number, and a telephone number. I used to memorize the plate number or text it to a friend, for safety measures. That was pre-Twitter.

There were times when I would hail cabs alone in the wee hours after going out and pass out. Yeah. *Shudders* Youth and stupidity. BUT I survived. A and I marveled at our fearlessness, still we agreed we'd never do dangerous things like that again.

Jeepney

Billboards along the highway.

Here you'll see the young, the beautiful and the influential. The influential aren't necessarily young and beautiful.

I used to want to have my image plastered on a billboard along the South Luzon Expressway, heh. That's when I thought that Fame > Fortune.

People get really close inside jeeps. It's only cute in Close Up commercials.

Along EDSA

Ortigas Center

love is all you need.

2011-02-14T08:45:00.003+01:00

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! Was it everything you ever dreamed it would be?

I got flowers from my colleague today. The potted kind that I put on my window sill. I'll take a picture when the sun decides to show its face again. Other than that, it was just another manic Monday. Oh, and I got a date covered in chocolate! The edible one. Heh.

Because it's Valentine's Day for some people, Single Awareness Day for others, and I can't post any lovey-dovey photos of myself and Andrew Garfield, here are some photos of something else I love: KitKat Green Tea.

Julie got them for me when she visited her mom in Tokyo

101 calories. It could have said 500 and I still would have eaten it.

Oishi!

i heart you

2011-02-04T01:15:00.002+01:00

Oh wow, AWOL much? :) I see I haven't blogged since mid-December hrhrhr. Merry Christmas, happy New Year and happy ~~Single Awareness Day~~ Valentine's Day! For the past few months that I haven't blogged here much, I've been doing either too much or nothing at all. I've been posting pretty regularly on tumblr and ranting a lot on twitter, though.

So, I went to the Philippines and had a really great time seeing my favorite people and going to beautiful places. For me, there are only a few things better than photos, friends and ~~influencing them to do~~ Asian poses.

Ging & me in our private pool at the Sunz en Coron resort.

Gladys: "ang baduy niyo pala."

I *heart* Coron!

Bringing jologs to Distillery Fort with old work friends Kath, Kokoy and Benz.

Me to Paul, who was taking this picture: "Bilisan mo, nakakahiya!"

Heart pose fail = Burger pose!

flea market trek & updates

2010-12-16T15:46:00.004+01:00

Hiiiiii. I finally went on my long-awaited end-of-year vacation, yehesss! Seriously, this year felt like it lasted 24 months. I'm blogging from my brother's room - he's not around, his bed is bigger & he has an extension that fits those round European plugs.

Worked for extremely long hours on my last week at work before the vacay. On Wednesday I even left at 11 PM, which was okay because on Friday I only had to leave at past 9.

It feels like a lot happened, yet I can't really think of all that much. For posterity, I'll try to recount some and write about about them here.

- My cousin and his group P-Noise were chosen to be part of Katy Perry's video Firework! I honestly can't recognize them, but what an honor it must be to be part of that.

- I'm on Tumblr! http://ohitsohdee.tumblr.com/

- Had a job interview for a fixed-term post/possible promotion in November. Was super nervous, but when I walked in the room and saw that I knew everyone on the panel, I felt a lot better. The result isn't out yet, I think they're deliberating while I'm away.

- Got a crush on the coolest guy. He got his coolness factor from wearing a suit + headphones to work, owning a vinyl record player & a globe, traveling all over the world, having had jobs in the government & international community yet still maintaining that coolness. And also, he's single. Too bad he's moving away. On a side note, he's friends with a former crush of mine. The world is just too small.

That's it for now. Let me digress. The busy-ness in the office left me really tired on weekends, so instead of going out at night, I would just stay in and catch up on my favorite TV shows. If I'd get off my lazy ass before sunset (which in fall/winter is as early as 4:30), I would usually take walks. One of them was to the flea market at the Naschmarkt. I've been wanting to go for a long time, but the flea market only happens on Saturdays, and that's when I usually just veg around my flat.

Coats and cameras

Hookah, hooks & crannies

scarves for €5 and other knick-knacks

records, frames & frames

pill boxes & puppets

Those Kasperltheater puppets used to be very popular when I was a kid.

Groovy guy & accessories

I've been really, really, really good this year

2010-11-29T19:22:00.003+01:00

A little holiday cheer because I know we're all k-kinda busy, k-kinda busy:

pimp my closet, part 1.

2010-11-17T02:36:00.003+01:00

I would love to have a walk-in closet someday, but now I'll have to make do with the limited space I have in my cabinets. On most days, of course, I turn my whole flat into a walk-in with clothes lying and hanging just about everywhere. I'm trying to kick that habit because it looks absolutely disgusting and I can't have friends over spontaneously because of the mess.

I went to Ikea* a few days ago to stock up on hooks, boxes, book ends and candles (Tindra candles seem to be very popular - almost every home I visit has some). I'm not into assembling furniture (although I'd like to point out that I assembled my coffee table by myself), so I usually go to Ikea for my organizing and storage needs. Or just to cheer up.

Most makeovers entail showing of before and after photos, but the before situation is too embarrassing, so here, a peek into my 'after' closet:

Those nifty little book ends can be used as bag dividers. Goodbye, chaos! I'd love to say that it was my idea, but I really got it from the glamourai, whose closet (and wardrobe!) is an inspiration.

This isn't technically part of the closet. I hung two of these accordion style hooks on my bathroom door facing the foyer/kitchen, so I can throw on any necklace over my outfits. Saves me a lot of time as I don't have to look for a specific piece and/or untangle it.

*new crush is from Sweden! Looks like he might move back to his homeland, though. *insert sad face here* I know, this has nothing to do with the theme of this post. I'm just saying.

ra-ra-random

2010-11-16T00:04:00.002+01:00

Hullo, I'm still alive. ☺Just busy, really busy. Can't wait to go on vacation in a month. For a month.

Some random photos:

Istanbul by night.

Spring, my favorite season. Seems so far away.

Shrek!

Spotted: Nicolas Cage!

Nick was at the UN to give a speech as the Goodwill Ambassador for global justice. Elki and I were on our way to the cafeteria talking about how we missed seeing Nicolas Cage, and poof! there he walked by!

boo!

2010-10-31T02:02:00.003+02:00

Just tried out a Halloween look:

It actually looks spookier in the mirror. This is probably what I would look like if I continue falling asleep at around 6 AM only to get up at two and a half hours later!

Happy Halloween!

let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love

2010-10-26T20:19:00.003+02:00

Love Actually is absolutely my fave movie in the categories Romantic Comedy and Holiday Movie. Some movies out there have tried and failed at copying this format of every-love-story- is-connected. So, Love Actually > He's Just Not That Into You > Valentine's Day.

I like HJNTIY (you srsly didn't think I'd type the whole title again, did you), but I think the ending kind of screwed up the message of the whole movie just for the sake of a happy ending. Valentine's Day was just a pain to watch, I waited the whole time for something good to happen. It was a lousy story with several famous actors in it. How the heck did they get Julia Roberts to be in it?

Anyway, my favorite story in Love Actually was Daniel and Sam's. After losing their wife/mother, the stepfather and son were trying to move on with their lives. Sam was just discovering love's pains and joys; Daniel just lost the love of his life. The two bonded over trying to find ways for Sam to win over Joanna, the most popular girl in school. Their take on love was very refreshing, realistic, but not too cynical. Their witty banter is just priceless.

Daniel: So what's the problem, Sammy-o? Is it just Mum, or is it something else? Maybe... school - are you being bullied? Or is it something worse? Can you give me any clues at all?
Sam: You really want to know?
Daniel: I really want to know.
Sam: Even though you won't be able to do anything to help?
Daniel: Even if that's the case, yeah.
Sam: Okay. Well, the truth is... actually... I'm in love.
Daniel: Sorry?
Sam: I know I should be thinking about Mum all the time, and I am. But the truth is, I'm in love and I was before she died, and there's nothing I can do about it.
Daniel: [laughs] Aren't you a bit young to be in love?
Sam: No.
Daniel: Oh, well, okay... right. Well, I mean, I'm a little relieved.
Sam: Why?
Daniel: Well, because I thought it would be something worse.
Sam: [incredulous] Worse than the total agony of being in love?
Daniel: Oh. No, you're right. Yeah, total agony.

love actually

2010-10-24T17:06:00.002+02:00

I was watching Love Actually last night and after Colin Firth said "alone again," we said "naturally" at the same time. Haha. I love Love Actually.

eat, drink and be retired

2010-10-20T22:06:00.006+02:00

A few months ago, a colleague of mine went into retirement. She recently turned 60, but she prepared for her retirement as early as two years before that by attending pre-retirement seminars, looking for property to buy, applying for a US visa and daydreaming about not needing an alarm clock. Yesterday she just sent an e-mail about how wonderful going into pension is. Dayum. I computed my years and if I keep going steadily, I could go into retirement at 53. Not bad! It's not difficult to imagine the kind of life I'd want to have then. I would travel to all the places I haven't been to yet, eat all my favorite food, and walk the calories off. Maybe I'll have grown-up kids by then, or maybe I'll have lots of cats, who knows?

Back to my former office mate: there was a big going-away party for her with lots of food. My only contribution was paying for some of the dessert.

My fridge doesn't really have anything solid in it, so I'll just look at these treats from the party for now:

insalata caprese

melons and parma ham

salad

mussels

garlic shrimps

fried spring rolls

rice cakes

Sacher-style cake

Asian Pose #4

2010-10-19T22:05:00.000+02:00

Wayfarer sunglasses are a bit awkardly-tilted, so they either take a little getting used to, or they just don't fit your face shape at all and you should move on to other shades. Before I bought a pair, I had to try them several times on different days just to see if they fit me at all. Now they're one of my favorite pairs*!

This year I tried on the pairs with the colored and printed frames, but they look really ridiculous on me.

Last year, when Jules and I sold some things at a flea market, I was able to score non-prescription Wayfakers for just €1 at another seller's table. They frames are bigger than the original and the glasses are lightly tinted. I love them but I only wore them a few times, one of them being in this picture:

Being in front of the computer for around 15 hours a day for the last three years, it's not a surprise my eyesight quickly got bad. One day this year I just sadly realized that I had a hard time reading text like sports scores, subtitles and teletext on the TV screen and recognizing people's faces from afar or football player's faces when they're not close-up. I just recently had an eye exam that confirmed my need to get specs.

So there I was, browsing the Fielmann's walls for frames that would suit me. Of course I tried on my fave Wayfarers, thinking that if the sunglass version looks okay on me, a pair with clear specs would, too. Also, Pandora looks great in them. Why wouldn't I? The moment I put them on, it was clear: because as I mentioned earlier, they're awkwardly-tilted. It also looked as if I was magnifying my cheek pores. Absolutely ridic. In the end, I got these:

Asian pose #4: Adjusting Glasses

The frames are a translucent gray. Black frames would have been nice too, but these days everybody's trying to look like Justin Timberlake**.

* my other favorite pair is one I bought from the Philippine brand i2i for around PhP 125, I think.

** which isn't bad, I love him! He was really good in The Social Network.

engkwentro at the viennale 2010

2010-10-17T20:49:00.003+02:00

The annual Vienna Film Festival Viennale may not be as big as the other film fests held in Cannes, Venice and Utah, but without that glitz and glamour, the Viennale makes independent movies more accessible (at least if you're in Vienna) to everyman. With the ticket prices being the same as tickets to commercial movies, it's easy to catch an indie film. The only thing I wish the organizers would change is the screening times. Sometimes films would be inconveniently scheduled at 1:30 or 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Of course, Blue Valentine with Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling and Somewhere directed by Sofia Coppola are already sold out. Shoot.

Anyway, I'm proud and excited when Filipino movies are part of the line-up. Last year, Lino Brocka was a featured director, so several of his films were shown at the festival. We were only able to watch one, Insiang, because it was the only one with a "normal" viewing schedule. This year, Engkwentro directed by Pepe Diokno is part of the Viennale film program.

Watch the trailer:

And here an interview with Felix Roco. I love it when actors aren't too showbiz-y in their interviews.

LOL at Question 4.

I tweeted about the movie being shown at the festival (yeah the "of" is missing there) and Felix Roco replied to/retweeted it! *kileg* His twin brother Dominic did, too.

Viewing schedules:

October 22 at Urania at 11:00

November 3 at Stadtkino at 20:30

my 'hood

2010-10-11T20:58:00.004+02:00

Where I live.

I just have to draw the shape of the roof in the air and people know which building I'm referring to. It has 31 floors, but to get to the last floor, a key is needed. My flat isn't up that high, but the view is amazing, nonetheless. From my window, I've seen fireworks, city marathons and once, a double rainbow.

The north-bound U1 metro.

I take this subway line to get to the nearest "mall," the Donauzentrum, which is two stations away.

The south-bound U1 line.

With it, it takes me around 15 minutes to reach the city center.

Being one of the newer trains, it's warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The old trains (the silver one above) were reported in 2007 to be donated to Manila. Not sure how and when that worked out.

Outfit:

Teal shirt from H&M, striped skirt (my current fave) from Zara, pumps from Cole Haan.

Accessories:

Earphones from Sennheiser, pearl necklace, ID strap from UN New York souvenir shop

I wore this when I saw OSS and his new girlfriend PDA-ing in public transpo. Awkward. A Forever Alone moment.

Customized Le Pliage bag from Longchamp.

Glad to have a French friend who tells me how to pronounce the name of French brands. Apparently it's pronounced longshomp. Hehe.

*all photos taken with the Diana Mini*

rome at night

2010-09-26T16:31:00.003+02:00

A few times too many have I made the mistake of wearing new shoes when large amounts of walking were required. I always seem to forget that even the flattest, most comfortable shoes need breaking in. Now I am a wiser woman and only bring my FitFlops on sightseeing and to-and-from-work walks in the summer. My feet thanked me in Rome because Rome is not a city for walking in high heels (on second thought, maybe no European city is) unless you have to have perfect balance, good stamina and very strong ankles. We walked from morning till night - just how it should be, because the views at night were just as magnificent as during daytime.

We only stopped for photo opps, gelato and food. On our first evening, we had a bit of a hard time finding the Pantheon, but when we finally found it, we stayed a while to take lots of photos. It was beautiful, well-lit and so well-preserved. It almost looked new. When we were done and moving to the next tourist site, we realized the building we marveled about wasn't the Pantheon at all. Fail.

So anyway, here goes Rome at night:

If J-Hud could do it...

2010-09-23T01:01:00.001+02:00

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

I want to be this thin again:

That's all.

Kthxbai.

this crazy world we live in

2010-09-20T20:32:00.003+02:00

Before any random shiz, I am very happy and super psyched to announce that P-Noise became Weekly Winner today in the T-Mobile Austria's Katy Perry Project and yes, will be in Katy's next video! 11,067 votes! (To my friends who voted, thank you!) Yay! :) I'm so excited! The music video will apparently be shot at the end of this month, but the location is still a secret. This is Major! I'm sooo proud.

Moving on...I envy anyone who can sing well and play an instrument at the same time (I can't even sing and use a salt shaker at the same time, I ain't got the rhythm), even more so if a person can sing well, play an instrument, write and compose songs. AJ Rafael, YouTube superstar, is one of those mega-talented people. I'm a bit excited that he's coming to Vienna next month for a gig and I might watch it. His newest song, We Could Happen, is a feel-good, light and catchy* song:

I've been thinking about you lately

Maybe you could save me

From this crazy world we live in

That's my name (and hers) spelled in Russian!

My friend Elki spent a few days in Moscow and took this photo for me :)

Note to self: clean my desk.

Rob says it doesn't just need cleaning up, it needs a makeover, too.

The sky was really weird one evening.

Also, with summer coming to an end, the days are getting shorter. I miss the days when the sun sets at 9 p.m.

*I know. I use the word catchy to describe a lot of songs.

how to be broken-hearted & look great at the same time

2010-09-19T14:51:00.003+02:00

"I've been acting like I'm okay, but... I'm not. They say it's a broken heart, but... I'm hurt in my whole body. What if I stay like this forever? What if I never get over Chuck?"

Awwww, Blair. ☹

summer twenty-ten

2010-09-16T22:10:00.004+02:00

Long walks around the city discovering streets, fountains & buildings we haven't seen before

David Villa & Iker Casillas

Nail color

Fire alarm in our building! Apparently there was a fire in an apartment on the third floor, but fortunately no one got hurt and there was no serious damage.

We threw a surprise Sweet Sixteen for my cousin Joyce in my building's playroom

Chocolate masks at our slumber party

but he's been gone since that summer, since that summer

2010-09-15T04:03:00.002+02:00

Every night for weeks, I put on my silver Rusty Lopez high heels on and put in the Lyte Funkie Ones CD by LFO. I walked and danced through the whole album in preparation for my prom. With their catchy and feel-good songs, LFO played a memorable part in my high school life and the years beyond that. It's so sad hearing the news of Rich Cronin passing.

RIP, Rich Cronin. Your songs are amazing.

"When I met you, I said my name is Rich. You look a girl from Abercrombie & Fitch."

rome, if you want to

2010-09-13T22:30:00.004+02:00

Six things you HAVE to do when in Rome:

☼ Stay at the B&B Capricci Romani. This B&B impressed us with excellent service from the time we booked a room. Massimo, the owner, is super nice and has great tips & tricks (like Massimo's Magic Map) on getting around Rome. We had sumptuous and big breakfasts every day, including the morning that we arrived there (when we hadn't even checked in yet). And the room/suite we had was so big, we used the other room (it had two rooms!) as a walk-in closet. The location is superb, being only a few steps away from Vatican City and the room rates are totally affordable.

☼ Take the 551 steps up to the Cupola of St. Peter's Basilica. It's an experience! Those steps are cuh-razy! Entrance for 551 steps: €5, entrance for a lift ride plus 321 steps €7. Save yourself the €2 (for gelato!) because the extra 230 steps are fairly easy to climb. It's the stairways that everyone have to climb that are extremely challenging. Especially on the way down. BUT if you have vertigo or claustrophobia, trust me, don't go.

☼ Go to the terrace of Castel Sant' Angelo for the best view over Rome.

☼ See the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums. The best time to go there is between 1 and 3 in the afternoon to avoid long queues. It's a looong and tiring walk through all the exhibits in the Vatican Museums (at one point I just stopped looking at the things and walked and walked and walked), but it is so worth the wait and exhaustion. You won't be allowed to take photos, so you'll just sit there and take in all the magnificence.

☼ Get a Roma Pass. For €25, you'll get free transportation for three days and free entrance to two museums. We got in for free (saved us €12) and skipped the long line at the Colosseum.

☼ Eat!

The Katy Perry Project

2010-09-13T20:31:00.002+02:00

I've never been in a music video, but I got so excited hearing that my cousin has the chance to be in one soon! And in a Katy Perry video, nonetheless! His dance group, P-Noise joined a T-Mobile Austria contest by sending a video of their choreography to "Teenage Dream."

The good news is they're leading at the moment, and if they stay at the number 1 spot, they'll be Weekly Winner by next Monday, but we still need more votes!

This is an amazing chance for young Pinoy talent to be exposed internationally, so let's make their teenage dreams come true!

Here's how:

1. If you're on Facebook, go to this link: http://apps.facebook.com/katysprojekt/video/502

2. Click "Stimme abgeben"

3. Click "Allow" to register

3. You can vote every hour!

PS: those arrows are awesome, aren't they? Teehee.

PPS: "Teenage Dream" is very very catchy song.

carbo-loaded rome

2010-09-06T01:40:00.005+02:00

Go to Rome and you'll surely get a carb overdose. Don't worry though, because you'll get a good cardio workout from ~~looking for the next place to eat at~~ walking from one tourist site to the other.

So it's totally okay, and very much encouraged to eat things like these:

Heevy breykfast

We arrived at our bed & breakfast at around 8 a.m., way before check-in time, but even then, we were treated to a hearty breakfast - pulpy pomegranate juice and cappuccino included!

It's hard to go back to eating mediocre pasta when you've had...

this:

Spaghetti, lasagna & ravioli pasta sampler

this:

Pizza Margherita

This pizza was Jo's order, so I didn't taste it. She finished all of it and I finished all of my order. We didn't share our food with each other, it was that good.

and this:

Linguine with lobster

washed down with white wine

Panacotta with chocolate

Antipasti

washed down with beer

Bruschetta

it's friday! it's september!

2010-09-03T00:31:00.003+02:00

Just a quick break from the photo overload to give way to lovely voice of Zee Avi:

I discovered her music during last year's Vienna-Manila flight and loved her music ever since. Okay I'm lying about that last part. I couldn't ~~download~~ find her album or YouTube videos anywhere at first, so I forgot about it for months. I rediscovered her in June and her music became the soundtrack to warm days and Spanish finals ~~cramming~~ study sessions.

Watched "Letters to Juliet" last night at the cinema. We walked out of the cinema giddy with joy until we wondered if true love like that exists in real life. Wow, cynical much?

Moving on.

Oh, new post is up on the Miss Iggy blog. I really want to blog more often here and there, so... I'm gonna. Heh.

That's all.

lomo lovin' in rome

2010-08-29T23:12:00.004+02:00

Because "Empire State of Mind" was the soundtrack to my NYC trip and "We No Speak Americano" the soundtrack to the Barcelona trip, I was excited to know what song would accompany the trip to Rome. As the TV in our hotel room had no MTV and we didn't go clubbing, we couldn't really associate the trip to any song. Fair enough. To be honest though, Rome doesn't need an official soundtrack. Its beauty speaks/sings for itself. The city is as beautiful in "person" as it is on photos, whether digital or analogue.

Here are some shots I took with the Diana Mini. I absolutely love the vignetting and how it captures the blue sky.

market, market BCN style

2010-08-29T17:53:00.005+02:00

The Mercat de la Boqueria was one of the highlights of my Barcelona trip. It was on my to-go list as it was recommended to me by THE Bag Hag. Gotta love Twitter, eh?

Located along the busy pedestrian area La Rambla, it was easy for me to miss it at first. If I remember correctly, the fastest way to get there is to take the L3 and get off Liceu. The market is right above the station, near Dunkin' Coffee.

I got there at around noon, so I was a little hungry. I didn't want to eat anything heavy because it was really hot, I just wanted something light and refreshing. I ended up buying fresh juice from a fruit stall and ensaymada from a bakery. That ensaymada was hands-down the best piece of bread I have ever eaten!

The Boqueria market has a fresh, colorful, sweet, savory and exotic assortment of food - just looking at everything is an experience itself.

The dress code: no swimwear allowed! That sign was absolutely necessary as there actually were lots of tourists walking around in the city dressed as if they were at the beach.

Fresh fruits! For the health junkies, there were pre-mixed fresh fruit salads available. I got myself fresh fruit juice.

Candies!

Dried fruits and nuts!

Not really sure what these were, but they were moving!

There were other things not for the faint of heart like bull testicles and goat heads (very Fear Factor!)

Organic/orgasmic lasaña!

double rainbow!

2010-08-29T03:07:00.002+02:00

Look what Friday evening brought with it:

a double rainbow!

You'll have to look closely to see the second one. It was amazing! We've been having really crazy weather the past weeks, and every time there was rain and sun, my colleagues and I looked for a rainbow. A friend said we should make a wish when there's a rainbow, but I don't know what to do when there are two at the same time! Probably make two wishes, no? I was too busy looking at it and taking pictures. So beautiful.

Friday was especially weird because it was cloudy all day. Then it rained in the afternoon and only at around 7 p.m. the clouds parted a bit and it was suddenly sunny at a time when the sun was starting to set. And then it rained at the same time.

When I posted the pictures online, my cousin sent me a link to this YouTube video:

Well, I gotta say my reaction wasn't as intense as that. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!?

Here's his interview with CBS:

So cute!

més que un club

2010-08-23T21:51:00.006+02:00

Yell-O!

So earlier today, I told my cousin that this weekend I never left my flat, did absolutely nothing and even slept from 5 to 9 PM, to which she replied "for once, you just stayed home!" Sometimes I feel like a total busybody, but at times I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything at all. Then there are times I feel like I'm always on the go, and other times when I feel that it's not enough. Wow that just sounded like a bad song. Anyway, I'll just keep the rest of this quarter-life crisis rant to myself.

What I'm hugely grateful about though is having the chance to travel. I may not be rich, but I get to go to places I only used to read about in novels, see in movies or sometimes, never even heard about! Enter: the FC Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou. I've never known of the Fútbol Club Barcelona until recently when friends started posting status messages like "Barça!"on Facebook about it during FIFA or UEFA (or whatever) season.

I'm not a football fan, but in 2008 I followed the Euro Cup towards the end and cheered for Spain (amidst German fans with matching curse words taught by my Spanish friends), and this year, I watched the World Cup games with Spain playing and winning. I'm really amazed at how the sport just brings the people together. Even non-football fans and non-"nationalistic" ones root for their teams and shout and curse and cheer. The awesome part is the high five-ing, hugging and posing for pictures with the strangers you watch the games with when your team wins. One of the most important things for me: the hot players.

The dos chicos calvos, Allen and Ryan, really wanted to go to Club Nou, home of FC Barcelona, so we took the the hop-on hop-off bus to the stadium. And whaddyaknow, it's not just any stadium, but the biggest stadium in Europe!

The line to get the tickets to the viewing area. There's a separate one for the entrance. We didn't go in. It was hot, it was noon and we didn't want to waste time falling in line.

So off we went into the Megastore!

The jerseys of the players. Like a curious kid in a museum, I "kept asking where the good-looking players were." Turns out that most of my Spanish faves were in other teams like Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Bearcelona

Asian poses? Is the thumb-up sign an Asian pose? Me being Asian, I say yes. It was too hot to do any other Asian poses than the thumb-up and the victory sign.

David Villa is one my faves. He scored five goals during the World Cup!

the new misadventures of a commoner

Have a magical day!

desserts #itsmorefuninthephilippines

it's on like Donkey Kong in Hong Kong

Hong Kong signs

Have an enchanted Christmas

London lomography photos, part II

London lomography photos

I love Camden Market

snippets of summer

one short day in the Emerald City

Mars on earth

from Prada to nada

Lange Nacht der Museen

ice ice baby

Songs of the Day: Tony Bennett with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga

there's no home like Zara Home

Aloe Blacc in Vienna

summer concert: Milow @ the Donauinselfest 2011

a walk in the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

local sounds and b&w

lovely Lisbeth Dahl

CPN

rainbow on your parade, part two

rainbow on your parade

artup

Marmorkirken

summer summer summer time

couchsurfing noob

bloody moon

Vespa love

København

Royal Blue is royal

CPH x Airbnb

rococo

kaleidoscope world of hogwarts

presents!

27 number one hits

quick updates

doors and buzzers

Pretty Prague

Freyung Easter market, part two

Eastermarket, Freyung

Beautiful Budapest

Breathtaking Bratislava

OneRepublic in Vienna!

songs on sticky notes: I'm not going anywhere

trapper hat

Whisper

i like making lists and the ♥ symbol

9400 Hungary

daily vitamins, amazing race edition

walk with me

i keep coming back to manila

love is all you need.

i *heart* you

flea market trek & updates

I've been really, really, really good this year

pimp my closet, part 1.

ra-ra-random

boo!

let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love

love actually

eat, drink and be retired

Asian Pose #4

engkwentro at the viennale 2010

my 'hood

rome at night

If J-Hud could do it...

this crazy world we live in

how to be broken-hearted & look great at the same time

summer twenty-ten

but he's been gone since that summer, since that summer

rome, if you want to

The Katy Perry Project

carbo-loaded rome

it's friday! it's september!

lomo lovin' in rome

market, market BCN style

double rainbow!

i heart you