eat sushi off of what???

why?

seriously, i don't get it. i mean, come on! us Filipinos get bashed about eating with our hands all the time. i say doing that is way better and less ickier than eating food served on top of another person's body.

i'm sure their personal hygiene are impeccable but the thought of eating off a stranger, at a party is just way out of my league.

and why did it have to be sushi? argh!

love and time

this is a bit long but do read til the end for a major awwww factor.

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.

One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"

Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

Realizing how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

-- Author Unknown

Friday hit 'n miss

HIT

Mom and Tina's Cafe

for lunch, my officemates and i decided to try the biggest buzz in Makati dining these days : Mom and Tina's Cafe. located along dela Rosa Street, the cafe is ideal for the working class at it is just a few minutes away from Ayala Ave.

we got there around 11:30 and there was already a queue of people waiting for their turn. i got excited. long line means really really good food. promising but not good for those who are famished as waiting time could last as long as 30-45 minutes.

the good thing about waiting however, is seeing food come out of the kitchen, giving us an idea on what to order. everything smelled and looked good. the wide array of baked items on display added to that i-feel-like-i'm-in-my-mom's-kitchen feel of the room.

after a good 30 minutes or so, we finally got seated outside. i ordered their Chicken Alexander - bits of chicken and mushroom in a creamy sauce layered with mashed potatos and corn served with 2 garlic cheese rolls. it. was. good. the potatos were cooked perfectly and the cream sauce gave the dish it's hearty fill.

the rest ordered the famous Shepherd's Pie (ground beef and mushroom in tomato sauce layered with mashed potatos), Fetuccine with Basil Pesto Sauce (squid and shrimp on pesto sauce and freshly made fetuccine noodles) and Paella Valenciana (a mix of chicken, chorizo and seafood on top of rice in tomato and olive oil). of course i poked my fork on everything and they all tasted sooo good.

my only complain is that there isn't enough ventilation outside which made dining a bit uncomfortable. a wall fan or two could make a huge difference.

all in all, my first Mom and Tina's experience was great. the long wait was worth it and the price is ridiculously cheap. we'll definitely go back. earlier next time.

MISS

Wensha Spa

i've been meaning to have a massage since i got back and what better place to go than Wensha Spa. i've been there several times before and i've never had reason to complain. a good massage with a complimentary buffet is a bargain after all.

last night, however, i wasn't happy. while i understand that Friday night is usually a busy night, i still expect the staff to be at their best and treat all clients in the same manner they would on a slow day. but no, at least not last night.

the massage reception area sounded like a marketplace with therapists arguing with the the receptionists on which one to go next blah blah. it was like listening to vendors offering their goods. really.

when we finally got our turn, we were escorted upstairs. what i saw as i entered the room wasn't anything i expected. there they were, 8 other girls having their massages. side by side. like a buffet of butt cheeks. not a pretty sight. so i asked the girl downstairs if it's ok to just wait til a private room is available as i wasn't comfortable sharing a room and getting naked in a roomful of naked girls.

her response :"babae naman yang mga yan eh. saka may rotation ang mga therapist. ready na yung therapist nyo so hindi na pwede palitan". another girl continued to say that it's really not possible. what the fuck??? how can it be impossible to wait??? they didn't even have the courtesy to tell us that we were going to use the common room. unacceptable!

in utter frustration, i agreed. i stripped naked in a roomful of other naked girls and had my massage. a few minutes later, another set of girls came in. TALKING REALLY LOUD while stripping. right beside my bed.

argh! so much for relaxation.

business as usual in AIG

i have been getting calls and messages from friends and family asking me about the current status of the company i'm working for. now, as most people know, i don't read nor watch the news as doing so just gets me depressed every single time.

however, in light of the current hullabaloos that Wall Street is going through these past couple of days and with two major banks filing for bankrupcy, i had to know the facts. i neded to know since the company i'm working for is a regional center of AIG New York.

more importantly, will i still have a job in the coming days?

in a span of 3 days, several emails and press releases have been sent. the US Federal Government, with 79.9% equity share saved our butt and gave AIG an 85 billion dollar loan; our CEO who sent an email yesterday assuring us that everything will be alright, was replaced today by a new guy from another insurance company. the media hype didn't help at all. we all got worried.

during a mini town hall meeting this morning, our bosses here explained everything and continued to reassure us that though there may be changes in the next few days/weeks/months, all is bound to get better.

so dear friends and family i still have a job. and to all policy holders and investors, it is business as usual in AIG.

for more details and press releases, you may click on the ff. links:

AIG Corporate site
AIG Recent Stock News
Fed’s $85 Billion Loan
Ex Allstate Exec to Run AIG
Edward Liddy

maid of honor yet again

the place has been set.

the invites are being printed.

the gowns have been fitted.

and come November 5, i will be walking down the isle as a maid of honor. again.

of pixie dusts and happy thoughts

i need a bag of these.

not because i want to fly.

but because the thought of not being able to know how to have fun gives me the creeps. i have been way too serious lately that one of my friends suddenly blurted out "pixie dusts sweetie, you need some pixie dusts".

and thus, leading me to think that i may be turning frigid and OLD. not a good thought. never a good thought.

so, Tinkerbell if you're reading this, pay me a visit tonight and sprinkle me some.

please?

West Side Story (Dress Rehearsals) @ Meralco Theater

ANITA (Rowena Vilar) ROCKED! i loved loved loved her! her voice, her accent, her moves. everything about her screamed Anita.

as for the rest...