Archive for March 2011
Dinner With The Prez
Posted on: March 30, 2011
As you know there was a special guest at LittleTwinUncle’s 60th birthday bash. And being the startstruck cousins we were, we asked LittleTwinBoardmember to take us to the most powerful man in the land for a souvenir photo.
Tah – dah!
LittleTwinBoardmemberDino, moi, LittleTwinPNOY and LittleTwinBro JV
So when LittleTwinBoardMember presented us, here’s the 5 second conversation we had.
PNOY: Oh hi! I haven’t seen you in such a long time!
Lala: (thinking: holy kamote he seems to know me!) Um… yeah… you’ve been kinda busy. So sorry we’re interrupting your dinner.
PNOY: Ah, no problem.
Moby – Raqi – Mommy
Posted on: March 29, 2011
Do you recall way back when I wrote a post about the Moby Carrier?
I said I’d love to have one for my next (if ever!) baby.
Well, be careful what you blog for. Who knew that 10 months after posting that, I’d be expecting another superbaby!
I’m glad to report, we have been making use of our Moby (which I have in green because only green and black were available at Target when I went).
Ain’t we cute?
Enough posing – here is my brief review of the Moby:
PROS
- very comfy to wear
- comes with very clear, photographed instructions
- very versatile, can be used from birth to almost 40lbs.
- one size fits all
CONS
- I sometimes need help with putting the baby in there or if I’m on my own, I need to be in front of a full length mirror
- the fabric is veeerrrryyy long so it’s almost impossible not to have it touch the floor as you’re wrapping it around yourself
- in the tropics, having all the fabric + a baby on you can become quite hot
TIPS
- put baby in the Moby when she’s happy and well fed
- if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again
- when wearing baby, do not bend forward. bend at the knees with back straight.
All in all, the Moby means having a happy baby, hands-free mommy – the best of both worlds. (And I’m probably strengthening my wobbly core muscles while having her as my little marsupial in there). Everyone should be baby wearing. If you don’t have a baby, make or borrow one!
His Story
Posted on: March 28, 2011
I know this post is a month overdue but better than never…
During the 25th Anniversary of the People Power revolution which I blogged about before we were invited to Tito Peping’s party cum book launch.
He wrote a book? Yes. Apparently, he, Tita Tingting and Marisse had been working quietly on and off over the past few years to bring this book to fruition.
The book details the long road from dictatorship to democracy. There are chapters written by people other than the three. Some of the writings are by Ninoy and Cory. Other parts are told by Ballsy, Nick Joaquin and Lupita Aquino so it’s a personal telling of historical events. Skeptics might say this could taint the accuracy of the content but years from now when there is no one left to tell the stories first hand, this book will be truly priceless.
For me, since I was just a twinkle in my parents’ eyes at the time of many of these events, His Story gives me a more coherent picture the Martial Law years. I would hear of the rallies , riots and arrests but did not have a good grasp as to the chronology and details.
I started on the first few chapters then stopped to finish other books on my night stand but I am due to start His Story again soon.
As for the night itself, you missed some succulent lechon baka…
cousin bonding…
bulilit bonding…
and autograph signing…
Here’s what Tito Peping and Marisse wrote. (Note Rocio asked for her own dedication!!)
You should ask LittleTwinBro what was written in his copy 
Crosby Street Hotel
Posted on: March 27, 2011
For a night cap, we ended up in the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho. The interiors are really a feast for the eyes. I will attempt to let the pictures speak for itself.
Hotel’s unassuming facade
Lovely chandelier.
Vintage telephones as wall decor
The unassuming facade is balanced out by such intricate accents.
Rooms you can rent for functions
Check out this bookshelf
New York’s finest
A movie house in the hotel! After dinner you can come down and see a featured film.
Wanna stay here when you come?
100 Years Ago Today
Posted on: March 25, 2011
On this day 100 years ago was the worst workplace fire in New York City. Known as the Triangle Fire, it abruptly took 146 lives of workers, mostly immigrant women and some as young as 14 years old! The Triangle Shirtwaist Company employed many immigrants to work in their garment factory located right off Washington Square Park (my school).
Apparently, these workers were subjected to working conditions we would consider unaccepatable today – low wages, no over time pay, bad working environment and un-trusting, suspicious employers. The fire broke out on the 8th floor and quickly spread trapping the workers. The staircase that they could have used to escape happened to be locked that day! The firemen were helpless because their ladders only reached the 6th floor. The only silver lining this devastating tragedy brought was that legislators were forced to evaluate the horrible working conditions of blue collar workers and revamp regulations on occupational safety and health. Here are some photos I grabbed from another blog (awesome blog on development, btw). So photo credits go to aidwatchers.com
A warning to all employees. Doesn’t this kind of management still resonate in the Philippines today?
NYU boys attempt to save the day.
Union Advocates wanting to be heard.
The Triangle building 100 years later.
In a way it’s sad that the lives of 146 workers had to be sacrificed to make this country one of the best places to work in. But it seems to be our nature to choose to learn the hard way. So how about we make these 146 “martyrs” heroes for the month of March?
Another Pop-Up Shelter
Posted on: March 24, 2011
I thought I’d share with you another of MADDEL’s pop-up shelters. This can be set up in disaster areas as temporary medical facilities, temporary school houses and temporary homes. The great feature in this model is the provision for privacy for women and children. Check it out!
Glee Originals
Posted on: March 17, 2011
A few posts back, I was telling you how cool it would be if Glee used their talents in writing and singing original songs. Well it seems that Ryan Murphy follows Kiki and Lala Land because in last Tuesday’s Regionals episode in Glee, guess what they sang? Originals! Here’s one your little brats will surely like.
Mikel-isms 12
Posted on: March 14, 2011
Lolo was on his way out to head to work and as is his custom, he passed by the play room to say good bye to his favorite grandson.
Lolo: Bye Kimkim!
Mikel: Lolo… Whatchu goweng?
Lolo: To the office to make money for you.
Mikel: Ookee… becott I wanting mannee.
OMG, OMD!
Posted on: March 11, 2011
Do you remember OMD? Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark? If you don’t, you will after this post. For sure!
Well I was lucky enough to be invited to their concert a few nights ago, and I had a blast! It was everything I hoped for: old songs, ridiculous new wave dance moves, and hilarious, dry British humor. Terminal 5 was packed with 30 and 40 somethings all pumped up to relive their already distant youth. Check it out below.
Their front act was Oh Land. Awesome punk rock chick! I really think you will like her so I suggest you find her in iTunes.
Did you notice that cool thing they did with the balloons?
White balloons used as a video screen
And then came OMD.
Here is something to whet your dormant new wave palette.
And if you want more, here’s an excerpt of Enola Gay. Check out his new wave dance moves. Are you nostalgic yet?
For a bunch of old guys, I did not expect them to have so much energy. We were pumped to the very end thanks to their contagious and hyper vibe. I was also surprised to hear their voices still solid and unchanged after 30 years!
I must thank my cycling buddy, Ron from team We Ride for OJ, for the ticket and for painstakingly sharing his pictures and videos to Kiki and Lala Land. Ron, with your near perfect new wave moves, you are almost a rock star! Thanks a million!
Modernist Cuisine
Posted on: March 8, 2011
I’m saving my pennies to buy The Modernist Cuisine. Its a 5 volume book on cuisine.
It looks at cuisine more than just an art but as a science. It debunks old myths and answers festering questions like:
- Why plunging food in ice water doesn’t stop the cooking process; Uh-oh…
- When boiling cooks faster than steaming;
- Why raising the grill doesn’t lower the heat;
- How low-cost pots and pans can perform better than expensive ones; Yes!
- Why baking is mostly a drying process;
- Why deep-fried food tastes best and browns better when the oil is older;
- How modern cooking techniques can achieve ideal results without the perfect timing or good luck that traditional methods demand
So it’s a very technical and scientific approach to cooking and for information obsessed Geminis like you and me, I think this would be a great way to understand the world of cooking. The book is the brainchild of a bunch of scientists and cuisine artists: Nathan Myhrvold, an inventor and founder of Microsoft research; Chris Young and Maxime Bilet from the Fat Duck.
It costs close to $500. So perhaps you could pass the hat back home and get me this for my birthday?
