Filed under: Insights
While watching Lifestyle’s new show called “Foodie,” I kept complaining why the host-slash-chef kept speaking English all the time, even when talking to vendors in the wet market in Pampanga. I was irritated at the idea of it; it seemed like she was forced to do it because of the target market of the show, and she didn’t seem comfortable. It led to my complaining on her credibility as a chef. I kept insisting that the herbs she used to garnish her meatloaf did not match the flavor of the meat and that she didn’t actually know what she was talking about. Heh.
Then after the commercial break, I saw the show’s “logo” or its opening board where they show its title. I was shocked. “Foodie with Chef Myrna Segismund0.” Like, OMG. The hell of me, I kept ridiculing her in my mind, and she’s Myrna Segismund0?! I was shocked, saddenned, starstruck, amazed and boggled for a split second. Myrna Segismund0! I don’t really know her, nor how she looks like. All I can remember is that she’s a food stylist, she writes articles on my monthly FOOD Magazine and her name is mostly visible on several recipes on my Filipino cookbooks. And all my rants melted down like a hot knife through butter. Yeah, right.
What a difference that makes! The show resumed to the same format, but this time with my very own instinct in line with what she’s talking about. I kept nodding on her fabulous comments and agreeing with her tips on cooking.
This tells a lot about me.
But enough about that. Speaking of chefs, why don’t you click here? Rate it! :)
Filed under: Celebration
Left: Karlo Victor Lumbao. November 21, 1988. UP Mathematics Club. Center: Olga Martinez. December 1, 1988. UP Mathematics Club. Right: Britney Jean Spears. December 2, 1981. Mickey Mouse Club.
Filed under: Britney Spears
For the next 10 days, all my blog entries might be anything about Britney Spears. Please understand. Hehe. (There’s really nothing I can do, I just look up to this person too much. Probably, there are only at least 20 people I love more than her. *blush*) Before listening to Circus, I tried listening back to all her released music up to 10 years prior. Bear with me and my maturity.
1. …Baby One More Time
Released: January 12, 1999
My Rating: 
By its album covers alone, …Baby One More Time is Britney at sixteen. Infused with bubblegum pop beats, most songs are fit for a young pre-teen listener, discussing love and relationship at those ages.
Pros: Album is targeted to young audiences – wholesome content with danceable beats.
Cons: Album is targeted to young audiences. Haha. I guess it can’t grow with you.
Recommended: “…Baby One More Time,” “Email My Heart” and “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart.”
No-no! “Sometimes,” “Born to Make You Happy” and “Thinkin’ About You.”
2. Oops!… I Did It Again
Released: May 16, 2000
My Rating:
With the rise of Xtina in the midst of …Baby One More Time’s release, many predicted the demise of Britney. But Oops!… sold 11 million copies in the US alone.
PROS: Served as a follow-up to …Baby One More Time, even following up its success to young audiences.
CONS: Eurobeats.
Recommended: “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know,” “What U See (Is What U Get)” and “When Your Eyes Say It.”
No-no! “Lucky,” “Stronger” and “Can’t Make You Love Me.”
3. Britney
Released: November 5, 2001
My Rating:
Britney’s transition from teen pop singer to a confident woman seems uneasy, and this album covers some of those shifts. The album includes a completely new genre including RnB and hard pop-rock songs.
PROS: Showed growth and has a personal touch from Brit herself.
CONS: Watching the music video of the lead single, “I’m A Slave 4 U,” I was: 
Recommended: “I’m A Slave 4 U,” “When I Found You,” “Overprotected” and “What It’s Like to be Me.”
No-no! “Let Me Be,” I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” and “Bombastic Love.”
4. In The Zone
Released: November 16, 2003
My Rating:
More creative inputs from Brit, this album was not really a follow up to Britney, but a whole new material. It was more pop, yet with less danceable beats.
PROS: I finally knew who Madonna was. Before, I just know what she was but never really know what sounds and looks like. (She was featured in the lead single, “Me Against the Music.”)
CONS: Most songs were sexual in nature.
Recommended: “Toxic,” “Touch of My Hand,” “Hook Up,” “(I Got That) Boom Boom” and “Everytime.”
No-no! “Shadow.”
5. Blackout
Released: October 30, 2007
My Rating:
Perhaps my favorite album yet, this is a comeback after nearly four years of hiatus. Features club-friendly beats and lots of layered vocals.
PROS: Danceable. Good production.
CONS: Released without any kind of promotion in the dark phase of her life. *tears* The album cover is hideous.
Recommended: “Gimme More,” “Piece of Me,” “Radar,” “Get Naked (I Got A Plan)” and “Toy Soldier.”
No-no! “Perfect Lover.”
(Belated) Happy birthday, James! Haha sorry no time to blog this past few days. Libre! :P And I thought you would have your surprise appearance Wednesday night at the Main Lib, with boxes of doughnuts. Haha! :P
Filed under: Britney Spears
COUNTDOWN!
It’s nice that the COOL leadership summit, the CSSC Carol Fest and the CS Lantern making will be dustracting me in this agonizing two weeks. *Fingers crossed* that the Philippine edition follows that from Europe with lots of bonus tracks.
Filed under: Britney Spears
I failed at trying out Cuptails and Dreams (by Reena Francisco). Apparently, they don’t have a physical store; all items are bought online and delivered at their designated pickup stations. There. So much for my cupcake samplers. Now, I’m in search for more.
At ATC last week, I saw a poster for *I can’t remember the name* cupcakes. I thought I’d give it a try, but we lacked time and decided just to come back the next week. While dining with the council Thursday night, Clar told me about Ienne’s Cupcakes at ATC. She was kinda obsessed with it; she told me I had to try it to. This afternoon, I did. After spending hours gaming with my brother, we decided to try the cupcakes Clar was talking about.
It turned out, the *I can’t remember the name* cupcakes was what Clar recommended: Ienne’s Cupcake Cafe!
We ordered three cupcakes, the basic flavors – vanilla and dark chocolate, plus my special request – red velvet cake.
The cupcakes tasted so smooth. The flavors were crisp especially the chocolate one. They were very decadent, and soft to the bite. Mmm. Aside from those, they looked too cute with light colored buttercream topping paired with five-inch dessert fork. Plus, they’d give you printed instructions on how to remove the pleated paper containing the cupcake. (Their cupcakes were wrapped differently from other cupcakes. They have to be unwrapped in a specific way.) That was the fun part. Tasting it for the first time was too classic for words.
After enjoying these, we bought some more to take home. The packaging isn’t as kikay as the ones from Sonja’s. It’s more manly pa nga, putting a grey-striped box in a brown paper bag. Hahaha!
Comparing these with Sonja’s, I’d lean towards this one. Aside from being cheaper (by not much, but still) and simply tasting better, it has a more “natural homey” feel to those cupcakes. Perhaps this is because of the less designs on the cupcakes - just plain buttercream base forsting to all flavors plus a mini sugar star. (Christmas designs are available, too.) However, Ienne’s suffer from lack of variety. Buy half a dozen of their product and you got yourself a bit of everything: vanilla, mint vanilla, dark chocolate, mocha, red velvet, raspberry, blueberry. (I take that back. Repeat: Buy half a dozen plus one and you got…)
[Perhaps this review is biased against Sonja's because Den told me that Sonja's cupcakes were overpriced and they "tasted nothing special." Why I regard what Den has to say on cupcakes is a completely new story! Hahaha! *teaser*]
Filed under: CSSC
UPDATED! This leadership seminar is open to all members and officers of the eighteen CS organizations. If you’re interested in joining, but not belonging to those organizations, kindly contact me through mail, or visit the CSSC office at the CS Library and Administration Building.
Venue changed: It will be held on UP ISSI Sotero Lee Room (RM 306).
Left: Janis Mae Narvas. (Both at The Princess Shop, 2008) Right: The Legendary Miss Britney Spears. (Top: “Gimme More” music video screencap. Below: Random paparazzi photo in 2007)
Yeah, I suck at Photoshop. Sorry, judges.
As usual, last night we went to High Street to unwind, hangout and dine. Janis and Izzay were with me; Lenlen still had class, or so we thought; Daniel said he won’t make it, although he told us earlier to text him if we’re heading to the Fort area. After Janis and Izzay were done trying out wigs and having a heavy dinner at Italianni’s, we headed to Serendra because Izzay is dying for Cupcakes by Sonja. [/son-Juh/ with a hard J, not /son-yuh/. Did a little research here.]
A little background: Janis and I first noticed that little cupcake shop in mid-October nearing the Halloween season. We entered and there was a life-size witch in the corner preparing something in a cauldron. I, in particular, was bothered by that witch because it just didn’t blend in with the over all ambiance of the shop, so we left. How we wished that the witch was pretty.
Yesterday, we returned to that store. The witch was gone, thank goodness. We ordered some and gosh, they were pretty good.
Yes, they were pretty good. (I just want to say it again.) They were pretty and they were good. :P I’ll give them 4.5 stars out of five. They’re delectable, not very airy and they flavor is bold. That is, of course, comparing it to ready made cupcakes from the grocery. The red velvet vixen is great, the vanilla *something* cupcake is okay. I haven’t tried the other flavors, but I will later after trying the ones I took home. Basta, the cupcakes are good. Although a bit pricey, overpriced, in fact according to some true connoisseur-friends describing the cupcakes as ordinary. (Hah, I don’t get to taste those everyday!)
Those interested, especially to my blog readers in Istanbul, they’re available at the Serendra Piazza in Taguig. I’m not sure if they’re available online. I guess not.
I can’t say they’re the best cupcakes available locally yet. I have to try Cuptails & Dreams by Reena Francisco. [Hah! Failed attempt at food blogging.]
Filed under: Chronicles
UPDATED! Today was filled with super random events I never expected would even happen. Aside from Sarah Palin’s defeat. Joke lang, Janis.
1. My Form 5A was missing. First thought was I already completed my required units last semester and that I miscalculated them, AND that I should have graduated already. Oh no, I started panicking. This would be the most anti-climactic event in my life (if I was right): graduating college without knowing it. Then I started thinking about my CSSC duties, and Math Club renewal, and my enlisted CRS. Anyway, the found it in the Secretary’s office. It was there because I’m graduating this semester. :))
2. At the Sec’s office, I’d have to line up like everyone else. Good thing, Ate Lulu was there. She knows me. :)) She initiated a new distribution line (apart from the RA’s) and instructed those halfway through the line of people to start the new one. Hahaha starting from Mr. Abesamis daw. Yay!
3. While parking roadside near Xavierville, a kid assisted me. Not that I didn’t need him, but I really had no choice. I had to pay him. I gave him two pesos, and he stared back at me. Sabi ko, “Wala na eh.” and then I emptied my purse and gave him the rest of it consisting of 25 centavo coins (totaling to around 3-4 pesos more). To my surprise, he ignored them and all the coins slipped from his hand and fell. ABA. He kept staring at me; I insisted na wala na. He told me, “Sige kuya pagbalik niyo na lang. Pangkain lang po.” Okay.
4. We ate two tubs of ice cream at Miji’s place. Surprise!! This is the most random event this day. Haha. Yeah, I so missed Miji and I kept bugging her all day with DD jokes. (Dennis and Diet jokes.) With us were Janis and Lenlen, too. We made ice cream sandwiches with pan de sal and strawberry ice cream. Hahaha, sandwich kung sandwich. Left at 8PM, got home at 9:15PM and blogging now.
5. Secret. Only my mom, my brother, my sister and I knows. Nagtatago kay Dad? *ka-ching* Tapos isa pang secret namin naman ni Beng. Then one more between Salve and I. Kidding, I made up the last one, but Salve did ask. :P
6. (Earlier) In the office, we chatted with Tintin for a while until Dr. Roque came in.
Ma’am: Anung ginagawa mo dito? Gala kang bata ka.
*sinapak ni Ma’am si Tintin kunyari*
Tintin: Aaaw! Aaaah!
Ma’am: Hindi kita anak eh, ang panget mo!
*sinapak uli ni Ma’am kunyari*
Jodi: Ma’am may walis doon!
*kinuha ni Ma’am yung walis*
Ma’am: Hiyaaah! Hiyaaah!
Filed under: Celebration
Oops!… I did it again. After seven semesters, I finally made it the chancellor’s list of scholars, i.e. US ako! Yay!
*Yabang part starts here*
I’m really grateful for this blessing which was 90% unexpected. Hmm, it was unexpected because of rumors of how one of my non-Math teacher grades his students. I’m not gonna elaborate on this because the rumors were not true. (Or my grade was just a special case.) Nonetheless, I’m really thankful for such an ‘achievement.’ Haha! To some, this occurs as frequent as the normal distribution, but to me, this is, perhaps, comparable to the probability of the Wiener process transcending discontinuously through time. Whatever, I didn’t get it, too. Expecting only to be a college scholar, I prepared this post long before, quoting Maxie’s title, “Oops!… I Did It Again” (she posted it when she was CS again. Hehe.) However, I did not do it again, so I had to edit edit.
*Yabang part ends here*
Thank You, Lord. :D I hope everyone had good grades.
PS I’m not anymore wary of the council work I love. *wink wink*
