of friends and best friends

Got this off my email and want to share it:

What is the difference between a friend and a Best frined? the difference is clear!!!!!!!!!!

Friend: calls your parents by mr. and mrs.
Best friend: calls your parents dad & mom or tito & tita.

Friend: has never seen you cry
Best friend: has always has the best shoulder to cry on

Friend: never asks for anything to eat or drink
Best friend: opens the fridge & makes herself at home

Friend: asks you to write down your number.
Best friend: they ask you for their number (cuz they can't remember it)

Friend: borrows your stuff for a few days then gives it back.
Best friend: has a closet full of your stuff

Friend: only knows a few things about you
Best friend:could write a biography on your life story

Friend: will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing
Best friend: will always go with you

Friend: will ask where you've been (after going AWOL)
Best Friend: will say MISS YOU & goes on being your friend

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Natuwa lang ako sa paglarawan ng best friend... pano, kung nasa bahay kami ng barkada eh parang bahay na rin namin. bwhahaha

intermission

An little intermission:

A precious little girl walks into a pet shop and asks, in the sweetest little lisp, between two
missing teeth, "Excuthe me, mithter, do you keep widdle wabbits?"

As the shopkeeper's heart melts, he gets down on his knees so that he's on her level and asks, "Do you want a widdle white wabbit, or a thoft and fuwwy bwack wabbit, or maybe one like that cute widdle bwown wabbit over there?"

She, in turn, blushes, rocks on her heels, puts her hands on her knees, leans forward and
says, in a tiny quiet voice, "I don't think my python weally gives a thit."

time line tag

I was tagged again by Major Tom and this time it's a timeline tag. I have to shift through my gray matters to remember events from 20, 15 and 10 years ago. The last time I made a timeline of my life was in 2000 during an exercise in an MBA class (remember doc?) Anyways here goes nothing:

TWENTY YEARS AGO. Hmmm, that would make it August 1985 and I would be ten years old and in grade 4. I remember vividly not being in the top five of my class during a certain grading period because I have a grade of 79 in art class (My first and only failing grade). I should have submitted all requirements, bwhahaha… but I am not that creative anyways so I really did not bother accomplishing the required task. Needless to say, I was punished for this.

Learning for the first time that my aunts were part of the moro struggle (original group) and the real reason why they were not in the Philippines (I met my aunts and cousins a year after, when the 1986 peace pact was signed and they were able to come home – and now my cousins have become like siblings.)

Hmmm.. what else ba? Ah, having lunch at school (baon) for the first time. I live near our school (WMSU – appox. five minutes ride) and always have lunch at home. I had friends who would take their lunch at school and I wanted to experience eating with them. After lots of pleading my parents allowed us to have the “lunch at school” experience though I never really experienced bringing lunch. My grandma insisted that we (my sister and I) eat piping hot food prepared at home. So we were the only students that I know of who have lunch delivered (complete with iced water / juice) bwhahaha… mga brats talaga.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. That would be August 1990. I am in third year high school and am 15 years of age. Significant event? Hmmm… typical junior high school student -- hanging out with barkadas after class (usually at home and at our regular tamabayan place near our school [WMSU]) and on weekends (usually the beach…we did have some parties at the beach organized at the last minute). You can check out my previous post re friendship.

Things / events I remember the most: Making the most out of my pocketbook collection. I guess you might say that I was an entrepreneur when I was a lot younger. I sold shirts, blouses and even had my collection of books rented out (5 to 10 pesos a week yata plus fine for late return). Since my parents taught us that not all that we wanted will be handed to us on a silver platter, I made do with what I have to have money to buy the things I want. I even had enough profit at the end of each week to buy a book or two and sometimes I buy jeans with my earnings. Those books paid for themselves.

I remember wishing / planning to open a bookstore / restaurant were people can browse, borrow, read and buy books, eat and have the freedom to discuss book of the week. I even have a name and a business plan – those were the days of dreams and ideas! How I wish I could do that in ZC. Anyone interested to partner with me?

TEN YEARS AGO. That would make it 1995. I would be 20 years old and in 4th year at the UP CMC. Nothing much except that my friends and I are excited and scare at the same time re gradutation. OJTs in ABC-5 and the UP radio station as well as preparing for thesis keep me busy kuno. bwhahaha. My friends and I are fast becoming cum laudes in SM 101. hehehe

Wednesdays are prebooked for our SM class (note movie watching) and the sunken gardne become our study corner. The friends I met during the first few days of college have become my confidnats and are still my closest friends to this very day.

PS. Still no BF and I had chicken pox that year too. hehehe

FIVE YEARS AGO. 2000 -- a year of change and roller coaster ride. I resigned from my privious job (actually we closed down the travel agency not long after I resigned), took a chance in the UP MBA entrance examination and managed to get in the day program. Met some really good friend (Hi doc!) whom I learned a lot from.

Also the year I met my special someone. Even though our relationship was like a roller coaster ride, I learned more about relationships from him than anyone else. With him , I ceased to be the brat that I am and learned about the "give and take" thing in relationships. You can say that I grew up / matured with the things I've learned from him and from my other friends.

It was also the year that my baby (my youngest sister) left for the UAE to pursue her studies. It is the very first time for her to be so far away from my parents (good thing that my brother was with her). The first time that she was oceans apart.

THREE YEARS AGO. 2002... graduated from MBA program. Started to look for work. Had a 6 month stint as a sales consultant in a record company. Tried a hand in giving / conducting seminars / workshops and enjoyed the work tremendously. (Would love to conduct workshops in the near future)... Got back with my old flame (is love sweeter the second time around?)

LAST YEAR. Transistion time...SLPL recently resigned and SACY takes over. I really did not know if I will go with SLPL or stick it out with the Department. Eventually I stuck it out with the government (the pay is not all that but I had ither things to consider -- like savings, peace of mind, stress)

Started blogging upon the influence of some friends... and has not stopped since then.

THIS YEAR. Nothing much... applied at the ADB, passed the IQ and computer test, but failed the typing test. ... Giving myself another year working for the gov't.

NEXT YEAR. Reapply for that ADB position, or look for another job. Try to save more for the condo unit.

TEN YEARS FROM NOW. I would like to be any of the following: 1) working for a multinational or the ADB; 2) be a consultant / trainor; 3) have a business of my own (maybe I might just open that bookstore; 4)help out in our school (SBLC) and more community work and 5) happy married with 2 or 3 children.

WHO I WISHED WOULD TAKE THESE QUESTIONS: kung may time lang po -- doc emer, baby pink, elf ideas, delish and any one who would like to do a time line of their life.

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Why are memories from childhood more vivid than recent memories? I guess because it takes you to a time of innocence, dreams and ideals.

Big Brother

The phrase "Be careful of what you say, Big Brother is watching you" has been associated with George Orwell's classic novel 1984. This book tells about a totalitarian society in which the government has complete control over the the people and Big brother is the supreme leader of the government (aka the Party).

The term Big Brother is associated with the government, corporations or any "leader" that is "taking people's freedom" and bringing them under control. For them control is power -- the more control they have over people (what they think, how they act, what they should buy, etc), the more powerful they become.

These days, the term Big Brother can very well be associated with the "voice" that tells 12 housemates what do do and how to act inside the "Big Brother House" in a chance to win 1 million pesos, a house and lot and a nissan pick-up truck.

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Pinoy Big Brother (with the tag line -- ang teleserye ng totoong buhay) is said to be the first "real" reality show in Philippines. 12 housemates (6 males and 6 females) are vying to be the last one "standing" / left in the "Big Brother House" after 100 days in order to win the said prize.

According to their website this is what to expect with Pinoy Big Brother:

1 house
12 complete strangers
100 days of isolation from the outside world

No phones, newspapers, radio or television sets
No contact with their loved ones

But there is someone who sees everything they do.
He guides, he challenges, he inspires…

He is Pinoy Big Brother.

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With the advent and success of reality based TV shows in the United States and the airing of these programs in the Philippines, it was only a matter of time before one of the networks buy copyrights of a said show (in this case Big Brother) and produce it locally.

Our society has turly become a voyeur society... we like to watch and talk about what our neighbor /other people are doing.

News has somehow ceased to be reports of facts but rather reports of what people say and what the government / "influential people" want the public to percieve ( see sassy lawyer's article on this matter).

TV programs that rate are NOT public affairs program that tells us the facts, rather these are programs that tell the public what celebrities are doing and what certain politicians are saying. Reality based shows are becoming more and more successful (which networks also love -- they spend less money on production cost but have high ROI).

I really don't know if this show (Pinoy Big Brother) will be successful, all I can say is that reality shows in the Philippines (Extra challenge, as well as the american produced shows) are raking it in (ratings and ROI).

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by Major Tom and Diane.

The Book Club Tag

What's in a book? Tough one... A book can take you to places you have never been before...a cheap way to travel to fantasy land or into the real world. A world / instrument where you can have your imagination run wild, your knowledge expanded and your "gray cells" challenged.

Number of books on the shelves: No time to count... I think hundreds na including those left in zamboanga. Includes non-fiction (biography, business books) and fiction (mystery, suspense, fantasy, romance, children's)

Last few books that I bought: To name a few: American Gods by Neil Gaiman; Saints and Sinners by Tom Holt; Harry Potter and the Half Bold Prince by J.K. Rowling;

Books I bought for /with my sisters: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire, Girls in Pants: the third summer of the sisterhood by Ann Brashares and a number of weird but interesting children's book. I think the we close to 20 books in the last 2 weeks alone.

Book that I'm reading now: American Gods (last few pages)

Last few books read: HPHB, The second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares, It's your ship by Captain D. Micheal Abrashoff, Career Warfare by David Alessandro, Blink by Micheal Gladwell, The new messies manual by Sandra Felton.

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Getting to know me

Your complete name: Anicee Sharima Tan Lim

Interests: Literature, Travel, Cooking, Food (dinning out and trying new stuff), Movies

What things can’t you live without? Family, Friends and Food (!?)

If you were a guest on “Fantasy Island”, what would you ask for? A stress-free paid vacation to places of my choice with my love ones for 3 months and at the end of the vacation -- my dream house / resort. Syempre dapat libre lahat ng expenses... hmmm, pwede ba a successful business and a good economy? Isa pang hirit: NA staying with us for good.

What do you have handy at your bedside? My mobile phone, a book to read before sleeping, the tv remote, chocolates for that midnight craving.

A big movie producer wants to cast you in his film and lets you pick your role… what would you pick? Can I work behind the scenes? bwhahah... actually wonka of the chocolate factory seems fun

If you had a chance to spend one whole day with a TV character, who would it be? MONK!

If you had to talk about something for 2 hours, what would it be about? Life and childhood

If you could choose one person who would remain youthful forever, who would it be? papa

At a moment’s notice, you were given a chance to step into a “talent duplicator machine” which could duplicate any person’s talent and make it yours for life. What talent would you pick and whose? Donald Trump's talent of turning nothing into something

If you had to live in another country, where would you go? England

You get transported into Cartoon Land and get to pick any cartoon identity to have as your own. Which cartoon character would you choose? Mulan (of Walt Disney)

Looking back in time, which year would you have wanted to last twice as long? 2000 & 2003-4

Who is the person you most admire and look up to? My dad

If you were stuck on a desert island and could have only one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be? puttanesca

If you had to be a lifeless object for a day, what would you be? A book or a TV

If you had to be an animal, what would you want to be? A bird or a lion

Name the top 3 dream jobs you’d like to have: 1) consultant; 2) trainor ; 3) travel / food writer / broadcaster

What is your favorite feeling? being alone... solitude

What do you think is the worst feeling in the world? disrimination / prejudice

What’s the best advice you’d give yourself today? get out of the safe zone

Describe your dream vacation. Tour of Europe and a cruise to an exotic local (pwede na rin the disney resort in the bahamas, bwahaha)

Describe your dream home. A balinesse inspired beach house with lots of room for children and adults to play... an asian inspired city house with all the latest gadgets.

Your ideal man/woman? Someone who would love me for what I am and not what they want me to be. Someone who would allow me space to be me.

afternoon tea

Last Saturday, My family and I were in Greenhills to run some errands (and book shopping) while waiting for my father to arrive from Zamboanga. hmm. who are we kidding, we went to Greenhills for 3 things: lunch at Gloria Maris (my mom was craving their dimsum and I their veggie pao), book shopping (at fully booked) and pants / socks shopping at the tiangge.

My mom was really impressed with how much Greenhills has changed since the last time we went there more than 8 months ago... (she [together with my siblings] were also able to pray at the controversial prayer room). It was not just a place for bargain hunters, but a place where food lovers (like us) to enjoy.

After browsing through Fully Booked (bookstore) for more than 2 hours (where my sisters and I ended up buying armloads of books), we decided to have our mid-afternoon snack at Bizu. (This after having dimsums / lunch at Gloria Maris less than 3 hours before! -- our family sure loves to eat! hehehe)

While my mom and siblings ordered cakes and pastries, I decided to take the afternoon tea set menu (comes with sandwiches, pastries and 2 chocolates and a pot of tea all for P400) for 2, shared it with my brother's girlfriend and we eventually shared it with everyone else. hehehe. (afternoon tea treats shown below, pics c/o the bizu website)

Afternoon tea treats (sandwiches, pastries) are served in this cute three tiered thing.

A close up shot of the treats

the lovely and scrumptious cakes sold at Bizu

The cakes were really scrumptious and heavenly that we really didn't mind the price of P140++ for a small personlized serving. Hey, its nice to treat one's self once in a while right?

I had such a nice experience, that I want to share it (the experience and the afteroon tea) with a friend...Hmmm, would anyone want to have afternoon tea with me?

life tips

Basic life tips are learned in kindergarten, some we pick up as we move through life and experience it, others we pick up reading emails... here are some tips sent to me by a friend:

Tips

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7. Believe in love at first sight.
8. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11. Don't judge people by their relatives.
12. Talk slowly but think quickly.
13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve GREAT risk.
15. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
16. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
18. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
19. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
21. Spend some time alone.
22. Spread the love... good karma will attract good.

grilled chicken infused with garlic and ginger

I tried out the South Beach Diet once (cant live without rice or chocolate for a week that's why the south beach diet went north -- hehehe). Anyways, here is one recipe that is simple enough to do and can be a base for chicken bbq.

What you need:
Chicken Breast fillet (1 500g pack-- about half a kilo)
Olive Oil (just enough to coat chicken)
Garlic (5-6 cloves minced)
Ginger (small - minced/ diced into small pieces)
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Marinate chicken breast in olive oil, ginger and garlic for 4 hours or overnight for flavor to penetrate.

Add salt and pepper before grilling. Adding salt and pepper in the marinate will draw out the chicken's natural juices and will dry the chicken out.

Serve with fresh green salad with balsamic dressing.

You can use yogurt or coconut cream instead of olive oil for "Sate" effect and add achuete or yellow food color for effect. You can use a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi and chili pepper for dipping sauce.

An enchanted weekend 2

This post has been long over due... As I said in my previous post (an enchanted weekend, 11 July 2005) I will be posting some pictures from our family "adventure" at the enchanted kingdom... Most of the pics were taken while we were in queue since taking a picture while on the ride seemed hard, well we were there to enjoy the ride and not take pictures. hehehe.

Below are our day in pictures. ENJOY!


The EK facade calling our name!



getting ready for an enchanted weekend. (L-R Japy, Amina and me)


Patak-patak time! Who's in charge nga? (that's me in stripes, my sister amina (white shirt), eldest sister ghania (in hijab) and Japy.


My sister and I inside the park.


In queue for the bump cars


In queue for bump boats


Enjoying the bump boats! Our first foray in getting (someone) wet. Time to attack amina!


Waiting for our turn in the Jungle Log Jam (L-R my brother Aziz, Japy and Amina)


Enjoying the ride


The law of gravity...What comes up must come down (wet!)


After getting wet and wild.


Waiting for the 3D experience to begin. Time for more pics


The 4D experience. Aren't our yellow glasses cool? hehehe


Atchie Ghans and Aziz taking it easy after a ride


On to Rio Grande where we ALL got WET (be sure to bring extra change of clothers and underpants).


Eating, munching, talking and resting time


AH ice cream! (my bro & I)


Pondering on what to do next... Rio grande again!


A pic on the wheel of fate


The wheel of fate ground view


One last round at the rio grande (we made 4 rounds of this ride) before going home and "closing the park"

pasta puttanesca

pic from foodnetwork.com

I love pasta and pizza! One of my favorite pasta dish is pasta puttanesca -- I love it so much that it is sometimes served at least once a week or once every two weeks. It is easy to prepare (minimal ingredients and takes less than 30 mins to cook). We usually have this with garlic bread or galic and cheese pizza.

Here is the recipe (I dont really measure when cooking, dinadaan sa taste at smell lang. just adjust the recipe for personal taste):

olive oil (around 3 tablespoons)
garlic , minced (6 cloves, but I usually use one head -- I love garlic)
anchovies
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
sliced black olives
capers
2 cans diced tomatoes (I usually use hunts diced tomoto flavored with basil) -- i use 1 tin of anchovies per 1 can of diced or stewed tomatoes (i usually do mixed - 1 can diced and 1 can stewed)
milk
spagetti cooked al dente
black pepper, italian seasoning

Soak anchovies in milk for 15-30 mins, then drain.

In a large skillet, heat oil, anchovies, chili flakes and garlic. Saute mixture until anchovies are dissolved and garlic tender.

Add tomatoes, olives, capers and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pepper, italian seasoning to taste and let simmer for additional 5 minutes.

Toss sauce into cooked pasta. Serve with garlic bread / garlic and cheese pizza.

ENJOY!

my childhood weekends

I love the beach.

As a child growing up in Zamboanga weekends were usually spent picnicking near the sea since the beach is just a few minutes ride from home. Having a seaside picnic was always a big event – a big family gathering.

I remember getting up real early Sunday morning. It is usually chaotic when you enter the kitchen and garage as aunts, uncles, siblings and my parents are preparing for the “outing”. Some will be packing cooked rice in banana leaves, others will be preparing the picnic lunch (fish, green mangoes, agar-agar, and tausog native cakes, dishes), while others are taking care of transportation and logistics.

We usually arrive at the beach between 9 – 10 am and stay there till 3 or 4 pm or until we are sunburned. Hahaha. Talk about spending the whole day at the sea shore! You can usually find us kids swimming, or making sand castles or looking for shells and star fishes. Adults are usually in charge of cooking and making sure that there is always food at the table.

As I grew older, Weekend picnics are spent not only with family, but with friends as well. (you can read about my HS friends [friendship, june 21 entry] here). However, my love for the beach did not in anyway diminish. My friends and I celebrate birthdays, and other occasions at the beach.

Ah those were the days! Days of innocence and endless wonders! How I miss it… How I miss going to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Working in Manila meant no more weekends at the beach since the beach is hours away/ or if I want to go to the beach I have to plan in advance.

Lately my friend Binoe is encouraging me to take up scuba diving lessons. Since I love and miss the beach, I promised him that I will take up on his offer as soon as I get some disposable income (maybe near the end of the year).

Meanwhile, I will be contented with watching finding nemo… hehehe.

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If you want scuba diving lessons pls check out www.fundiveasia.com. you can email him at bino@fundiveasia.com (just tell him you got his email off my [annie] blog).

is it our culture?

What is wrong with the Philippines? Why have we lagged so far behind from our ASEAN neighbors? What hinders our growth? Is it because of too much politics? Is it because of poverty? or is it perhaps due to our culture and how we view things?

Let us dig deeper into our culture and how we percieve certain things:

Juan Tamad: this character is often portrayed as the "hero" in Philippine tales and folklore. He seems to epitomize the basic Filipino character flaw. Someone who wishes riches but will do nothing to attain it.... walking or driving down a typical Philippine street, one can see Juan tamad in different shapes, sizes and forms.

At your corner store, you see pinoys starting the day with a drink or two or playing billards...Housewives who have seemingly nothing else better to do but talk about their neighbors and the latest showbiz news... Pinoys who bitch about the economy and their lives but do nothing about it... People who are just too "lazy" to climb the stairs / use the pedestrian overpass and cross the street just about anywhere... People who want to alight right at their doorstep/ destination instead of walking a few meters from the bus / jeepney stop... these and so many other small things that when taken as a whole, contribute to a chaotic place to live in.

Being too forgiving / loyal to a fault: Loyalty to family and friends are great Pinoy traits, Our close family ties ensure that our family members are treated well and in case of problems -- family members make it a point to help one another. Strong family ties and great interaction with family members keeps one "sane" and helps one fight stress and depression.

I guess we sometimes take some good traits a little too far and make it into a negative. Erring government officials (such as the case of Marcos, Erap and Gloria) are easily forgiven. They never really learn their "lessons" or are not punished (ie. put in jail) as their "sins" are easily forgiven and forgotten. There is no accountability for past actions as long as you say "I am sorry".

Pinoys value family and "Utang na loob" to a fault. Loyalty to family, friends and "padrinos" come first before loyalty to country. This trait sometimes hinder us from upholding justice and the rule of law. This is why I think American justice system (ie jury system) can never work in the country...a place where anyone seems to have ties with everyone.

Bringing other people down instead of being happy for the success of others. It seems that instead of looking at the positive, we always tend to look at the negative / find fault on why certain people are successful than others. We tend to make-up stories to justify our percieved notion of people.

Gustong "maka-isa" sa iba: These are people who make it their life's purpose to do one over other people. We sometimes break simple traffic rules/laws para lang makaisa sa ibang driver.

"Keeping up with the Jones" or Pabonggahan. Fiesta / Celebrations means a grand gathering regardless of expenses. Most Filipinos would rather loan money from loan sharks to put out a feast or to buy things that their neighbors have regardless of the long term effect it might have.

I am not a sociologist nor do I pretend to be. This is how I view certain things...There are positive as well as negative cultural traits ... but it is up to us to really make the most of the positives and learn from the negatives.

sick and tired

I haven't watched the news lately... I have gone to the habit of changing channels (thank God for cable!) when ever there is a "flash report" or the nightly news. I am just sick and tired of the daily "dirt" being hurled by the different camps, the weekly "surveys" and "expose", and the never ending Telenovela that is Philippine politics.

For once, I would like to wake up to a day where Good news is THE NEWS. Where Philippine economy is in the upswing and where Filipinos are praising each other instead of pulling each other down.

For once, I would like to wake up to a different culture of people "getting the better" of their fellow men. Where it is deemed great when people not just think about themselves but how they contribute to the community as a whole. Where they realize that their actions (whether it is small or not) is part of a greater picture.

I would like to wake up to a Philippines that is united in the sprit of making the economy strong instead of being united in plotting ways to over throw the administration and taking the ecomomy down with it.

Until then, let me be happy watching five queer guys make the world better one straight man at time. Let me stay in my bubble and dream that I won't wish to work and migrate to another country anymore.