When the songbird sings

Appetizer
Which television shows do you just refuse to miss?

I don’t watch a lot of TV, but my favorite shows include House, Grey’s Anatomy, LOST (though I’m losing interest in the series lately) and now, Heroes. Thanks to dibidi, of course.

Soup
Who did you last speak to on the telephone?

Tina.

Salad
How many pillows do you keep on your bed?

One. I used to have two, but I guess it’s better to save the extra space for books. I’ve got about 3 books (BLINK! by Malcolm Gladwell and Pulitzer winners, Martin Dressler and Middlesex) and three magazines (TIME, National Geographic, The Economist) on one side of my bed. Once I’m done with the book titles, I’ll start The Name of the Rose, Washington Goes to War, London and The Color Purple, which have been gathering dust on one side of the room. I’m a compulsive book and magazine buyer and the last time I counted, I had about 103 titles. That, after throwing out a bag-full of paperbacks. There’s also a huge box of old magazines on the apartment’s porch which are waiting to be collected by garbage collector.

It’s as one ad says: Read more, be more.

Main Course
Name one addition to your computer (software, hardware, etc.) that you’d love to have.

Why not one entire computer? Gee, I’ve always been hoping to buy a new laptop. One day…one day… *crosses fingers*

Dessert
What is your favorite foreign food?

I’ve got lots of favorite foods–Thai, Japanese, Italian are tops. As much as possible, I’d try new restaurants as long as I can afford what they serve or that they don’t serve stuff that are too exotic. I also hate dishes that leave a strong after-taste. Ewww!

Questions from Friday’s Feast.

I missed doing this.

Appetizer
What comes to mind when you see the color orange?
The orange fruit, what else? Lately, Orange Menthol Peel cigarettes has been a favorite cigarette brand. Although it’s slightly expensive than most cigarettes out there at P75-P84 per pack at your favorite ciggie stands and convenience stores, the flavor and smoothness is worth the P20 to P30 difference from other popular imported brands. Smells great too!

Soup
Did you ever get into trouble while you were in school? If so, what was it for?
Yes. My name often landed on the “noisy” list. I also had this “bad” habit of asking questions in the middle of lectures about which my teachers often took offense.

Salad
Which topping(s) make up your perfect pizza?
Salami, pepper, garlic, tomatoes…jeez, just put everything on it! I love Yellow Cab’s New York’s Finest.

Main Course
Do you believe in UFOs/aliens/etc.? Why or why not?
Do you think we’re the only living creatures in the entire universe?

Dessert
What color is your bedspread/comforter/quilt?
Yellow and brown. Checkered. With bear prints! Ahihihi….

Appetizer
What is one of your Christmas traditions?

It’s usually big breakfast with my mom’s side of the family which we hold right after attending very early Christmas mass. This is one of the traditions that make me grateful for having a huge family. On the other hand, it looks like this Christmas will be slightly different since I’m not planning to visit Nueva Ecija but invite my mother and sister to our apartment in stead.

Soup
Who is the easiest person on your list to buy presents for?

More than one person, actually–Jane, Marian and Fat are among the easiest persons to buy presents for simply because I have a fair idea of what they want or will appreciate and on the case of Fat, she texted me her wish list so I know there’s little possibility of giving her the “wrong” gift.

Salad
What is your favorite Christmas scent?

Puto bung-bong and bibingka. Those rice cakes that vendors hawk at hungry churchgoers after early morning masses.

Main Course
If you could give a fellow blogger a Christmas gift, who would it be and what would you give them?

Hmmm…that’s a tough one. I guess anybody who blogs most often will be the one to whom I would give a year’s worth of blog hosting as a gift.

Dessert
What’s something on your Christmas wish list this year that you need (not just want)?

I already got my black coffeemaker, which is the best replacement for the one that I broke recently. I really need it because I need a strong brew of barako in the morning to jump start my day.

Survey from Friday’s Feast

Appetizer
What was your very first job with a paycheck?

I worked as editorial assistant for a local magazine right after college. The job lasted for only four months. The paycheck, as expected, was a joke.

Soup
Did you ever lose something really important to you?

I guess a number of jewelry and watches are counted as important, so yes, I have. I’ve always had a tendency to lose such small articles–especially when I was growing up–which gave my mom fits on a few occasions.

Salad
What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

I’d count the small things that my grandfather gave me as the best. Every Christmas, he saves some items that he gives only to his favorite granddaughter (me, hehe!), like a bottle of wine, shirts, boxes of chocolates. Those things he always gives wholeheartedly and it’s a treat to see the warmth on his face whenever he hands me those gifts.

Main Course
Tell about a favorite “hang out” place for you and your friends when you were in high school.

I spent my high school years at a very small town in rural Nueva Ecija province, so there weren’t malls nor coffee shops around. However, we were friends with the owners of this eatery right across the street from our campus and that was where we usually spent after-class hours just talking about schoolwork, classmates, teachers, dance rehearsals, school paper, student body, competitions, our crushes and what-not.

Dessert
Name something that always brings a smile to your face.

Just the thought that my day was well worth the make-up brings a smile to my face hehehe!

Survey from Friday’s Feast

Appetizer
Which language would you like to learn and why?

French. It’s spoken in the UN, a number of EU countries and parts of Canada. The language is sexy. And more than anything, it helps when ordering food at a French restaurant or when watching French movies or listening to French songs, of course.

Soup
What’s the funniest thing you’ve heard or read so far this week?

I’ve been having lots of LOL moments with Mike and Earl lately. Most of the topics border on the green and this afternoon was record-breaking in the sense that our discussions about life’s little trivia swerved on toilet humor. I don’t think I should post such things on this blog, but those are the funniest I remember.

Salad
Which movie was so bad you couldn’t watch the whole thing?

Jeez, where should I start? I guess the absolutely brain-dead flick “The Marine” is somewhere on the top of my list, followed by anything produced by Seiko Films, Regal Films and the rest of the soon-to-be dead Philippine movie industry. While movie piracy is a huge reason behind the slump in ticket sales, local film makers should also start rethinking the way they make movies and stop insulting the movie-going public with their corny, stupid, cliches-on-reels.

Main Course
If there were a holiday in your honor that didn’t use your actual name, what would the day be called?

Brewed Coffee Drinkers’ Day in honor of my favorite morning upper. I need at least two cups in the morning, otherwise I’m a zombie.

Dessert
Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.

I’d like to see Spiderman 3, sure. But being a shameless Potter fan (shake yer head all you want, come on!), I’m more excited about Order of the Phoenix, which comes out in July next year. Here be the teaser:

Questions from Friday’s Feast.

Appetizer
Have you ever changed a flat tire by yourself?

No. I don’t own a car. I don’t know how to drive and I don’t know how to change tires either. And while I do hope to own a car one of these days, I don’t relish the idea of changing a flat tire by myself. That’s why those towing companies (i.e., Wheelers International) and “vulcanizing” shops were invented.

Soup
Do you have an “innie” or an “outie” belly button?

It looks neither “innie” nor “outie” to me. It’s more of an “okay-okay” belly button that neither looks like it wants to jump out of my tummy nor bury itself in my stomach.

Salad
Name a new paint color and describe it.

Citrus flame. It’s a cross between fire red and orange. Lame color name, I know, but hey at least I tried.

Main Course
What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I’m a big fan of Christmas because it means being surrounded by the people I love and either Christmas bonuses or 13th-month pay. It’s become a tradition on my mom’s side of the family to to have a huge Christmas breakfast after attending the morning service at our community church. I’ve grown less religious over time and it’s been so long since I attended Christmas morning mass. However, I still tend to romanticize these food- and family-centric gatherings with dozens of aunts and uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and some godchildren.

Dessert
If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be, and why?

I guess I’d be a banana-chocolate chip-raisin oatmeal cookie. I don’t know why, it’s just something that came out of my head. Maybe because I love bananas, raisin bread and chocolate chips. Bananas provide vitamins and are great alternatives to rice as a source of carbs for pre-games prep-ups. Raisins and oatmeals are good sources of fiber, while chocolate is a happy food.

Survey from Friday’s Feast.

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

I love coffee. Nothing tastes better than freshly brewed barako coffee in the morning and I take about 2 cups to jumpstart my day.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

A trinket from Singapore of which name I already forgot, a gold jewelry box which I’m using as paper clip case, and matryoshka doll from Russia.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

9. I’m fairly honest about my thoughts and feelings, although sometimes I hold my words back when I’m not sure that I should be saying certain things to certain people or on certain occasions.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

Cabanatuan, my home town, definitely needs a new name, imho. But honestly, the city’s name makes for a good tongue-twister. I’m not sure about the epystemology of the name either, so if it hadn’t been around for more than a century already, I’d have named it to something that’s quite easy to pronounce. Unfortunately, I’ve no idea what to replace the name with. Makati is a funny name too, which means “itchy” in Tagalog.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

Politics and all manners of power struggle are definitely stressful. Rush hour traffic is also high on my list of stressors.

————
Questions taken from Friday’s Feast blog.

40 questions

1. Where do you hang your towel to dry after showering?
on a hook behind the bedroom door

2. What kind of mouse pad do you have?
black leatherette covered mousepad courtesy of Enderlin school.

3. Do you brush your hair with a comb or a brush?
Comb

4. In your opinion, who do you think is the hottest celebrity?
It’s a toss between Orlando Bloom and Ewan McGregor

5. You got a project due tomorrow, do you use tape or glue?
Huh? What for???

6. Chicken or pork adobo?
Neither

7. By the time you get to school, is the sky still dark?
I don’t go to school anymore, but by the time I get to work, the sun’s already up in the 10.30 AM sky

8. If you had a choice to see a unicorn or mermaid which would it be?
Unicorn. Pero puwede bang si Orlando Bloom na lang?

9. What color is your underwear?
White

10. What time does the sun usually set?
Between 5.30 and 6.00 pm

11. What do you think of last before you go to sleep?
Bakit gising pa ako? (Why am I still awake?)

12. AC or fan?
Fan

13. Do you wear braces?
I used to

14. Can you hand stand?
No. Can you?

15. If you were the opposite sex, how would you style your hair?
In anything that looks good on me.

16. What level of math are you in?
Will high school math do? I like algebra.

17. Jessica Simpson or Alba?
None

18. Which subject is worse, English or Math?
What do you mean worse? I like them both, though I do better in English that Math.

19. What’s one thing you really want to do this very moment?
Sleep

20. After buying something, do you automatically throw your receipts away?
No

21. CD player or iPOD?
iPOD. Though what I have is a Samsung mp3 player.

22. Would you rather spin upside down going 30 mph or drop 400 ft. into water?
Neither

23. Whats your favorite shape?
None

24. What do you have planned for the weekend.?
Play badminton in Intramuros if there’s a schedule. Go out with Rome if he isn’t busy. Watch a movie, get drunk, see friends, update my blog, clean the apartment, blog, relax, read a book.

25. Have you ever gone ice skating?
No

26. If you were put in a room with nothing except for a pencil and a paper, what would you do?
Write a short story.

27. Is it always easy finding your remote everytime you want to watch TV?
Yeah. It’s either in the kitchen or buried under the pillows.

28. How was your day?
OK-OK

29. Do you grow your nails, bite or trim them?
I trim my nails. I hate long fingernails.

30. Describe your handwriting
Unreadable, Illegible and other such similar adjectives.

31. Do you consider yourself a stalker?
Uhhh…I googled someone before meeting him for the first time just to check if the guy I was going to have coffee with wasn’t a serial murderer. Hehe… Nah, stalking is a waste of time.

32. Do you bruise easily?
Yes, depending on which racquet I’m using when I accidentally hit myself.

33. There’s nothing on TV except Barney and Japanese news what do you do?
Either watch DVD or read a book or a magazine.

34. Do you know more than 3 myspace codes?
I’ve got the Nooz’d widget, plus MySpace video of Josh Groban and Michael Buble performing together, which doesn’t work. I like my profile’s layout to be as clean as possible. The blog looks insane, though, so I’ve got to work on it.

35. You got an essay due, you either can type or write in pen, which will it be?
Type. Preferably in a computer.

36. Do you wear jeans to relax at home?
No.

37. Describe yourself using one word:
sleepy

38. Do you use deodorant?
But of course!

39. Do you like ice in your drink?
Yes, except when it’s hot coffee or tea that I’m drinking

40. Do you have abs?
Flabs, more like.

This week’s Friday’s Feast:

Appetizer
Measured in minutes or hours, how much exercise have you had in the last week?

I normally walk from the nearest bus stop to reach my building, which sadly sits right in front of Loading-Only stop. It takes me about 5 minutes to briskwalk between the building and the bus stop, so I should say I must have had about 50 minutes total of walking exercise. Contrary to what my boyfriend believes, I love walking. It’s the only chance I get to think about my daily existence, make a mental list of all the things I must do in the day or simply to daydream that I were somewhere else.

Soup
If you had to change your blog title to something else, what would it be?

I wouldn’t because I like my blog’s title. Yeah, I’m stubborn that way.

Salad
Name one television show you watched when you were 9-12 years old.

Voltron, Defender of the Universe.

Main Course
If someone gave you $50 to spend with the one condition that it had to be educational, what would you purchase?

I could buy two business books with $50 (approx. Php 2,500): From Good to Great by Jim Collins, Blink! by Malcolm Gladwell (paperback at Php 350+). The change will be probably for either a French-English dictionary or a travel book even if I don’t plan to travel within the near future.

Dessert
Do you tend to prefer dark colors, neutral shades, or lighter/pastel hues?

It all depends either on the weather or my mood, as well as the occasion. I noticed that my wardrobe is composed predominantly of black, blue and red colors. Black for when I feel fat or unsure of what to wear to a particular event/occasion, blue for business activities (i.e., job interviews) and red for when I didn’t have enough sleep the previous night or I’ve got any reason to walk around with a chip on my shoulder.