This takes the cake!

I have always had weird dreams

.....my friends and I in Grecian attire standing on an infinity pool, with pillars behind us looking at an orange sun that wont set.

..... me with someone walking around a park and in an instant two knife-wielding guys were running after us making the two if us run for our lives all around the park even jumping over fences.

.... me walking along a corridor when it suddenly became flooded and my red shoes being taken away by the current into a storm drain but I caught it in time.

But this morning I think I had a dream that takes the cake for being the most weird of the bunch.

It looked like I was in a corner table at some restaurant, wooden or bamboo was the material. The table had those plastic floral table covers I used to see in carinderias. Anyway, I was with 2 other women. One I know, the other one didn't look at all familiar to me. But what the heck we shared the table. It looked like we were drinking. Of all drinks, we were drinking gin and of all brands this is what we were drinking. We were drinking a lot but we didn't seem to get drunk. Then next thing I know I looked at my glass and the thing turned brown. Then someone told me to shake my glass and it will be clear again. So I did and it did turn clear. So now each time I take a sip, I shake it first so it will be clear. I did that a couple of times but then this time when I shook it and it became clear I saw a baby octopus and a stuffed toy catfish in the bottom of my glass. (See I told you its weird.) Then my companions said to go ahead and eat the octopus. Its like the worm at the bottom of the tequila bottle. There was no way I was going to eat the toy so I got a fork and was about to poke the octopus to eat it. Then all of a sudden I heard a sound from my right - one of my companions, the one I know was slumped over what looked like a cabinet. I tried waking her up but she was too drunk and she had passed out.

Then I woke up to the sound of rain. The first in California for the season.

This dream was just beyond weird. I don't drink gin, don't think I ever had and the brand...of all brands. The octopus? The little stuffed toy catfish, if I am not mistaken it was colored purple?

I wonder what its trying to tell me.

How cool is this?

My otherwise hoo-hum Friday morning got a sudden jolt upon reading on Our Awesome Planet that Anthony Bourdain...THE Anthony Bourdain of "Kitchen Confidential", "A Cook's Tour" and "No Reservations" is in the Philippines!! Woohoo!

I have always enjoyed his brand of hosting..straight forward, quirky, witty and at times laced with sarcasm that is so fresh. He goes into places that are not at all touristy but honest to goodness good food which is what its supposed to be. I watch his shows a lot even the re-runs. I have even influenced my other relatives to watch his show. While watching, we have always wondered "when is he going to the Philippines?" It seems like we were not the only ones. He said in his blog that "Of all the people who watch NO RESERVATIONS, it's been Filipinos who have been consistently among our biggest fans and most vocal about our having yet to film in their country." Well not only that when his show invited fans to send in their videos for the "FAN-atic Special" one of the finalist was Augusto Elefanio who invited Mr. Bourdain to take a trip to the Philippines and discover that our cuisine is more than just the "balut".

And now he is there. So far, it seems part of his itinerary have been Manila, Pampanga and Cebu. Those are the ones known so far. The rest is kept under wraps - too much under wraps that I don't think mainstream press are even aware that he is there which is a good thing. He strikes me as someone who really just want to keep a low profile and enjoy what he went there for which is the food and the culture. I don't know when this will air on The Travel Channel, reports have said January 2009. Which day between 1 and 31 is still to be determined. I will keep my eyes and ears peeled for this one. I am so excited to see which foods he sampled and what his take on them will be. So far, it seems he got a pretty good introduction. I read from Anton's blog that he enjoyed drinking San Mig Light (maybe a little too much too). It is a known fact how much he loves his beers. Cosmic because it is I think the only beer in this world that I can drink more than one. That and Newcastle.

Trust your friends

... to wear the same thing when you didn't discuss it.

... to lift your spirits up.

... to make you laugh when you need it the most. Or even when you don't but just because.

... to let you cry your eyes out when they actually want to slap-shock you to your senses.

... to listen to your rants no matter how pointless and petty and repetitive they may be.

... to keep you sane and also share your insanity.

... to keep you grounded and yet be the first to float your boat.

... to tell you like it is and yet also sugar-coat things when they need to be.

... to lend an ear to hear and a heart to listen. Or give you an earful but you know its coming from their heart.

... to lend you their smile when you cant seem to find your own.

... to understand you or at least pretend that they do because well they know its what you need.

... to respect you even if they don't agree with you.

... to give you a comforting hug when words are just not enough.

... to fill up your prospect pool

... to be there for you even when with the way you are acting they'd rather be somewhere else.

I know its not Friendship day but I am declaring my own holiday. It is MY Friendship Day!

"Shared sorrow is half-sorrow. Shared joy is double joy."

Thanks!

Here is your horoscope
for Monday, October 20:

You need to find an emotional outlet, but that won't be hard -- almost everyone else has the same idea! People are definitely looking for folks to speak with and listen to, so open up and enjoy the ride!

Boxing match

You have taken all the hits that you can take..but you are still standing.

You see the blows coming but feeling them is a different thing...but you are still standing.

Numb...but still standing.

Prof. Randy Pausch said that "brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

But what if brick walls are guised as metal walls - cold..hard..impermeable, multi-layered. No mallet, sledgehammer, electric drill, or even tractor can make it come down. I know even a metal wall has its Achilles heel, its weak point but what that weak point is, I do not know.

Question is...do you continue to fight when it seems you have no more strength left to do so or throw in the towel and walk away? Walk away scathed but still alive. Walk away with nothing but the experience and the lesson.

I wish...

Here is your horoscope
for Wednesday, October 15:

You need to check what's going on in your life against your value system. It might be time for you to make a few changes or walk away from something that's just not that good for you.

I wish I can. I wish I have a way. I wish I know another way so I can walk away. I can walk away if I know where to go. I will walk away if I have another choice.

Until then... I can only...well... wish for that day to come.

It's about time

Updating the Filipiniana

The Indians have their sari. The Chinese have the cheongsam. The Vietnamese have the ao dai...Koreans the hanbok and Japanese the kimono. I think its about time that the Filipiniana be updated a little bit and look more modern so that more and more Filipinas will be inclined to wear it outside of formal events or worse as costumes when its a Filipiniana themed event.

A couple of friends and I have discussed how essential and important it is that every Filipina should have a terno in their closet. It is not only the perfect "go-to" dress for formal events but its a representation of who and what we are, something that we should be proud of. The terno is for the formal ones. There should also be choices when its more casual events, even day to day wear. I saw a host of a show on TFC once that she had this greenish Maria Clara type bolero jacket paired with a white tank top and jeans and it looked so cool. This is what I am talking about. We wear a certain clothing that is representative of us being Filipinas and still keep it modern and fresh and not look like we are going to some party. There have been innovations to the Barong why not do the same thing for the Filipiniana.

They still got it!

The voices...the moves..the choreography...the charms

Even after 15 years!

I was at their concert last night and I am still feeling high. It was a really fun and awesome concert. Chrissie and I didn't realize that two hours have gone by and it was so well spent. They sang cuts from their new album and of course their classic songs which don't seem to get old. Once I heard the intro notes, it brings back so many memories.

It was a fulfillment of a childhood wish and yes I am not ashamed to let the whole world know that.

Wishful thinking

Here is your horoscope
for Wednesday, October 1:

You need to relax as much as you can -- though it might be tough! Things aren't as smooth as usual and you might have to endure a bit more discomfort with friends or coworkers before they return to normal.

Soon. Very soon.