Dark and Bitter

...that's how i like my chocolate. 

 look at this: 

i got to buy this dark chocolate again from a store in Taikang Lu in Shanghai that sells Australian and New Zealand trinkets.  this is good stuff.  the cocoa taste is strong with just the right amount of sweetness.  perfect for my taste.  it reminds me of the "tabliya" (cocoa tablets / balls) that my aunt use to buy for me in Batangas.  it is actually used for making hot coco, but i like eating it like a jawbreaker instead.  

In Lieu Of My Holiday

to maximize my travel in november, i'm thinking of getting a tripod and a nikkor 18-200mm.  i only have the basic 18-55 from the kit.  the catch is, don't know what kind / brand of tripod to get and where.  sana i can find a reasonably-priced one as my trip alone will already cost me an arm and a leg! hahaha.  as per the lens, don't have an idea how much a nikkor 18-200mm costs in manila.  if it won't fit my budget eh i'll make do with my 18-55 na lang.  hay, if any of you have any suggestions regarding what tripod to buy and how much a nikkor 18-200mm please let me know.  (eugene, samahan mo ko sa quiapo ha? sana mura dun. hahaha)

eto sana gusto kong tripod, kaso expensive (Php6600 expensive!): 

Giottos MT 9360

i'll make do muna with a cheaper tripod.  so please send in your suggestions.  sali na! 

Of Breathtaking Vistas and New Experiences

if you ask my friends about me, they will surely say that i'm not the most adventurous person you'll meet.  i tend to be safe if not at all boring! hahaha.  but i'm looking forward to a nice holiday soon.  well, not so soon.  i will keep you guys posted.  surprise muna.  i'm all excited now kasi that is a place that i've always wanted to go to...even before Iza. hahaha

This is so Angels & Demons

for all of you Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and Holy Blood, Holy Grail fanatics out there, you'll find JZ's post very interesting.  it's about the Knight Templars suing the Pope.  

Breathe Me

i'm loving this song:

Breathe Me by Sia from her album Colour The Small One

this is the song from the final scene in Six Feet Under's Last Episode

Gone Six Feet Under

i just finished watching Six Feet Under, all 5 seasons of it.  every time i finish watching a series, i can't help but feel a little sad (uy, hindi pathetic yun ha! hahaha).  this is also true when i finished watching Will & Grace, yes all 8 seasons.  recently i prefer watching tv series over movies.  because the story line is longer and broader and because you have succeeding episodes to go back to at the end of the day.  watching series has already been a part of my routine.  i usually have 3-4 tv shows that i take turns watching.  usually of different genres but my staple are comedies.  after Will & Grace, i'm now watching How I Met Your Mother.  the first few episodes were a bore but it's now growing on me.  

back to Six Feet Under, i've always had a thing for the dark and twisted but not necessarily sordid and gross.   so this show is not surprisingly a hit for me.   as i watch the show's final episode last night, they showed what happened to all the main characters; how they started a family, grew old and eventually died.  that got me thinking.  

in reality, everyone has to die.  your parents, siblings, children, relatives and yes, even your favorite Victoria's Secret Angel.  to me, looking at life in that perspective is really humbling.  it made me realize that i am not invincible and that if i look at the bigger picture, the things that seems major to me now, is nothing but a fragment of my entire life.  the same goes with my life per se, i am just a fragment of the human race and the whole of the world for that matter.  having said that,  i came to a conclusion that's not new to most of us.  and that is, as short as a normal life span can be, i must live my life the way i want it, with purpose and for a higher cause. 

the way i want it - need i elaborate on this?  we only get one chance in this life (unless you're a buddhist and believes in reincarnation.  pero just the same, isa lang in a lifetime) might as well make the most out of it.  this is provided that we don't implicate hurt or harm to others on purpose.  

with purpose - the only way to fill the void that we feel is to have a purpose.  however mundane you think it maybe, having a purpose serves as a beacon of light that will guide us through whatever it is we venture in to.  be it to be the top in the class, the best guitar player, the best parent, the best partner or a good christian.  these are all posts that we can measure ourselves against with.  i'd elaborate on this on a separate post.  

for a higher cause -  i'm not talking about something Jolie-Pitt-ish as i don't have the means.  but something to a scale that is realistic to me.  i believe that a life that touched others is a life that is well lived.  the riches, power and material things a man accumulates in his lifetime is nothing compared to how he affected other people's lives.  you won't be remembered as the first one who drove a Ferrari amongst your high school batch as much as how good, funny and kind a friend you turned out to be.  

in the end, death is inevitable.  if the thought of dying frightens you, then it's high time you examine your life and start working on the things you want to do or change.  when you're done, you will be surprised at how welcoming death now appeals to you.  mwahahaha!!

(on second thought, being the first one to drive your own Ferrari won't hurt.  just imagine the look on the faces of the people who dumped you back in high school....that would be priceless!   not that a lot of people dumped me or anything!  defensive much? hahaha)

Still

today, i find myself listening to Brian McKnight's Still over and over. i've always liked this song. it gives an almost haunting sense of hope that your relationship will pull through, no matter what.

and we're back with the mushy posts! hahaha

Another Gadget Lust

i found myself wishing for a new toy these past few days. as i am already set on getting the new iphone, i'm channeling my lust to Sony's new ebook reader PRS-505. read cnet's review here.

this is so cool. this makes reading more convenient. no lugging of books around, no worrying of losing your bookmark, you can enlarge texts and it can even play music files.

The Mushiness of Ironing Clothes

you can have me wash the dishes, do the laundry and clean the bathroom but i HATE ironing clothes. it's such a pain in the a@#! that's one reason why i like winter, i can go to the office without ironing my shirt since i have a jacket on anyways! hahaha (the epitome of katamaran).

the only thing that gets me through ironing my uniforms is listening to mushy songs. songs that are easy to sing along with and those that i know the lyrics of. hahaha

this morning, while doing the burden of ironing my office shirts, i was listening to Lemar's What About Love. i had it on repeat and i think i listened to it more than 10 times the whole time i was doing my ironing.

well, mushy songs and m&m's! hahaha

Scents and Sensibility

i read in some magazine (can't remember if it's GQ, Details or Esquire) that a person's perfume describes his personality. this is very true, because one's choice reflects his likes, dislikes, quirks and the likes. we choose a scent that we think reflects us and embodies what we believe in or what we want people to believe in us.


here are the current scents that i'm using:

from left to right: Pure by Hugo Boss, Terre D' Hermes by Hermes, Gucci Pour Homme II by Gucci, L'eau Par Kenzo by Kenzo, Contradiction by Calvin Klein and Polo Explorer by Polo Ralph Lauren.

i don't exactly know how to interpret my choices but all i can say is that i like conservative scents. i like it distinct but not over-powering, laid-back but active and classy but not musky.

now, what do you smell like?

Sunrise And Sunset By Command

this is another "not- really-necessary-but-is-so-cool-to-have" gadget. Lumie, a UK-based company has been dishing out light therapy gizmos for seasonal affective disorders (whatever that maybe), jetlag, winter blues and more. the above photo is of the Bodyclock ADVANCED 200 which emits light that resembles a real sunrise and sunset to encourage waking up and induce sleepiness.

Bodyclock ADVANCED 200
extra sunrise/sunset options help you find a routine that's right for you

- £99.95
- 15, 30, 60 or 90 minute sunrise & sunset
- Snooze feature
- Fade-to-nightlight option
- White noise setting to help mask sound
- Intelligent LCD display
- Dimmable bedside lighting
- Glass lamp cover
- Special daylight bulb
- Security option
- Power failure back-up
- Back-up beeper
- 19x24x18cm
- 1200g
- MAX 60W bulb E14 (SES)


in short, it's an Php8700+ portable alarm clock, bed-side lamp, and a pretend sun. how cool is that sunshine?

it's another looong saturday shift here at the office. today, there's only 3 of us here (except for the people in another department). here's how our office look like on a dead-saturday 12-hour shift.

and here's one of my fave shirts from nike (yes, kuha sa banyo yan. hahaha)

i know, i know, the last pic is not related to my post. but hey, this is the privilage of having your own blog. you get to do / post whatever you want, however irrelevant or mundane. hahaha

i'm just bored, so please humor me with this one.