Proj 97 of 365 - the art of making sushi

09.20.09


frustrated cooks that we are - T, D and E went for japanese today! we literally spent hours cookin’ up the perfect japanese meal - tempura, katsudon and everyone’s favorite - california maki!

deveining the shrimps was torture and trying to make perfectly straight tempura is a talent we haven’t yet acquired. slicing the pork was hard, especially with the bones. breading was a treat, though. however, my favorite would have to be making maki. i enjoyed soaking the rice with vinegar, rolling the rice, putting in all the mango and crab to my heart’s desire (and somewhere in between rolls, putting it into our mouths, hihi). rolling and slicing and plating the maki was fun…

but the best part? it would have to be what happened after we set the table and finished cooking.

now that’s what i’d call a feast!

Proj 96 of 365 - food trip!

09.19.09


there’s a reason why anniversaries are only once a year.

one, to celebrate a milestone, and next, so that we won’t triple in size in a year.

for today, on our second year, it was a lunch date at 10th dove, then movies (with popcorn), then coffee @ gloria jeans, then capped with dinner at spaghetti factory!

imagine if it were everyday! the thought of it already makes me feel fat! :P

Proj 95 of 365 - what's in a name?

09.19.09

i am called by so many names. i wouldn’t wonder if one day i send formal invites with my name on it and people would just scratch their heads and say “who the heck is this girl?”

people at home or relatives call me Chinee - being born with chinky-eyes, ‘chinita’.

when i was in grade school, i was called KC, after my initials.

high school was the age of mIRC, and i was known for my chat names too. then i became Ti-Ann, a syllable shorter than my name.

work counterparts call me by a formal name, Kristie. a few people know that my two names really have a hyphen in between, so they just use the first name to address me. at first it felt really weird, at some point i can actually feel goosebumps! after hearing the name a few times, i have acquired an immunity to the name. lucky for my counterparts, i must say! a nun from kindergarten used to call me Kristie and i never, ever looked back or even twitched in recognition!

of all the names i am called, my favorite would have to be Tee. it started in high school when my friend R and i toyed with our names and started calling each other by first letter! we cheated, though, there are so many Kayes to begin with. and so we became R and T, much like S and B from gossip girl even before gossip girl was written.

back to that invite. to avoid confusion, i couldn’t possibly put in my name as Kristie-Ann/KC/Tee/Ti-Ann/Chinee, right?

p.s. personalized ring was given by the guy who calls me by that name and i just know upon hearing it, has a special sound to it. happy anniv! ;>

Proj 94 of 365 - yellow on a teapot

09.19.09

a hint of yellow flowers on a rainy day.

Proj 93 of 365 -welcome, summer!!!

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no, i’m not crazy. well, just a tad, maybe. (you’ll discover why, just wait for it).

drum roll, please. here goes…

meet summer and winter!!! :)

yeah, yeah. i sometimes name my shoes. and my clothes. and my bags. and my….
oh, you get the point!

Proj 92 of 365 - dress up

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as with any girl, i love to dress up. especially on weekends, when there’s no restrictions on what to wear.

one a rare dinner date with R and jimmy, i asked james to play the part too. he didn’t disappoint :)

Proj 91 of 365 - life’s little surprises

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imagine my surprise today when my department mates gathered by my cube and without a hint, greeted me a happy birthday (again) a few days too late.

with a cookies and cream muffin and a candle that cannot be lit for fear it may trigger the smoke detectors, they handed me over a nice birthday card.


thoughtful, simple, sweet.

how small the gesture was, it really made my day.

Proj 90 of 365 - starbucks

090109

when my officemates asked me what i wanted for my birthday, one of the choices was a Starbucks tumbler.
imagine how indifferent and clueless i felt when i opened a gift box containing this.

maybe it was lack of imagination, or lack of a corny bone in my body, but i didn’t get the pun until a half hour later when the nancy drew in me was still scratching my head, wondering why i got a box-ful of stars with a pretty in-your-face obvious label.

then it hit me with a jolt. Starbox… starBUCKS… get it?

Proj 89 of 365 - Basketball champ

090109

bag left in the counter. arms in position. serious faces. a serious position and stance. i try to elevate my heel as i aim to shoot hoops. to a passerby, i may have looked like i was up for championships. but really, i was just concentrating on getting a score - anything!

i shoot. it hits outside the ring. i shoot again. it hits inside, but gets thrown back, like food that it decides, after tasting it, that it will not eat after all. rejected. it was disappointing to have an “almost there“. then i try again. at last, i got lucky!

my hands were sore after shooting baskets. but i was proud of my accomplishment - 74 points. nevermind that james got 115 (i was hoping nobody would notice that, though). the important point is i didn’t get a 0.

i‘ll beat you next time, james. watch out! :)

Proj 88 of 365 - heaven

090109
a birthday girl got her wish and cravings - a japanese meal!

tempura, maki, teriyaki and katsudon - oh, yum!


i felt like i just died and went to japanese heaven.

Proj 87 of 365 - condiments

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ketchup. spice. salt. pepper. soy sauce. vinegar.

everything you need for that perfect dining experience is just right in front of your eyes.

Proj 86 of 365 - timepieces

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i needed a watch. i’ve been wanting to buy one since i realized it’s not that bad after all.
see, i’m not really what you would call a watch person. i resented wearing watches ever since i was young. i hated the feel of leather and dried sweat on my skin. or the shape of watch forming on your skin when everything else was sun-burnt.

i wanted a dress watch. just the simple yet classy, studded, ladies watch. not too shabby, not too expensive.

little did i know that my parents had another thing planned out. they wanted to give me a timeless piece for my 25th. one i can wear on a daily basis, but one that i will never outgrow. i wanted something inexpensive, fashionable, and girly. they gave me classy and timeless.

now each time i look at the watch, i think of loving thoughts. of parents - that like my new watch, i’ll never outgrow no matter how old i become.

Proj 85 of 365 - in touch with nature

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this is what boredom does to a lady out in the sun, lounging on a chair, sitting by a table adorned with coconut leaves.

Proj 84 of 365 - chunky chunks

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i arrived in the pier early for my trip. after a few boring minutes with myself, a bunch of tourists sat by me. i cannot help but notice this one lady’s foot-wear. imaginative and creative. i cannot help but smile. whatever was the inspiration of whoever designed that slipper? it was so chunky. cute, but it looked so heavy and bulky.

i had to stop my curiosity and myself from asking, “can you still walk around on that thing?”

i admire that lady. if it were me, i would have tripped over the first minute or i would have to drag my feet like having ball chains tied around my ankles instead of walking around.

Proj 83 of 365 - Hola!

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friday date night. the boyfriend and i were again deciding the life-changing : where to eat?

i was up for adventure - i wanted something new. after a moment’s hesitation, we passed by Hola Espana, looked at each other and went charging in.

the food selection was vast, but we came up with our orders easily. while waiting for the food to arrive, i went ahead and scoped the place. it was cozy, full of family and friends.

then i came around a picture of Espana, or Spain in plain English. then my mind wandered on traveling. my imagination brought me to the place. my mind floated to thoughts of Madrid and Barcelona, of great churches and architectures. and so much, much more.

note to self: travel to Europe and visit Spain someday.

Proj 82 of 365 - feel of korea

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a Sunday night. a friends4keeps night. out on aye’s birthday bash.

we were feeling a bit of karaoke so we went to this quaint karaoke bar by the barracks area.

when i went in, i immediately knew this wasn’t your ordinary karaoke stop. mirrors were everywhere, the lights were dim, yet colorful. the attendants were wearing ala sailor-moonish uniforms.

you’ll be greeted by a korean song when you come inside the room. a reverberating Wonder Girls song will fill the background. yup, endless Nobody, nobody but you in the background til you’ll get it as an LSS, or an FSS.

the rooms were huge, with mirrors (again), with two LCD monitors. the lights were again colorful, plus there were disco balls. there were tambourines, and a maracas too!

it really felt like stepping into one of the scenes of a korean movie.

and soon it turned out to be one colorful, koreanish night.

Proj 81 of 365 - of eyelets and buttons

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dee and i went shopping today to buy aye’s gift. but lo and behold, we’d always pick out something for ourselves too! we found it hard to remind ourselves we’re out buying aye a blouse, and not getting ourselves something. the temptation was too much to bear, and we wound up fitting and fitting and fitting clothes meant for ourselves!

after sore feet and contented faces, we finally found aye’s gift.

can’t wait for the next girlfriend’s birthday :>

Proj 80 of 365 - sugar rush

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i was feeling under the weather today. i wanted to be with myself to keep my feelings in check. i resorted to perhaps the most effective therapy known to women - shopping. but today, the shops lost their glitz and appeal. it only took me an hour of window-shopping at SM on a sale day til i called it quits.

before heading off to what seemed like a lost cause, i stopped by for some gelato.

as i was enjoying my lil cup, i saw this little kid who was devouring hers excitedly.

ice cream was my solace when i was younger. it was a reward for having a tooth pulled out. it was to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and victories. comfort food.

as i savored every spoonful, i wonder what the little girl’s story is. is she feeling crappy like me? did she have her teeth pulled out? was it a bribe for good behavior?

then the sugar immediately took effect. and it was after that everything i kept bottling inside, melted, like every mouthful of the tasty gelato.

ice cream, for children and children of heart alike, will always give you a feeling of happiness and warmth deep down.

Proj 79 of 365 - billed up

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though it’s been implemented for a few months now, this taxi receipt was the first and only (so far) that i’ve received.

Proj 78 of 365 - wave of childhood nostalgia

08.09.09

i can’t help but wistfully look at the playground as i passed by.

the slide, swing, tunnels, monkey bars are all part of growing up. like a rite of passage, every child goes through a phase where a playground is heaven.

when mama was still working abroad, it was papa, our aunties or our yaya who’d take us out two blocks to the park near the church. there, my sister and i would play til dusk. sometimes at mid-afternoon when the steel was warm, it was literally a pain in the behind to use the slide, but that we endured all for the sake of pure, childish fun. sliding down took just a fraction of the time spent climbing the stairs, not to mention the feeling of your knees shaking while climbing up the stairs. but it was part of the challenge and of the fun.

sitting down a swing is but of sheer pleasure! the feeling of almost flying - suspended in mid-air with the wind blowing against your face. the feeling was a pure delight.

when it’s not the park, it would be a trip to the mall where we’d get to play in the arcade.

i can’t say as a child i have been deprived. my childhood had a fair share of playgrounds - at school, at the mall, at the park, everywhere!

and yet, it still feels like i missed on a whole lot of fun.

i miss being a child.

i wish i should’ve played more, gone out more, sweated more, and maybe, had loads of fun more.