suits

i heard good reviews about this new lawyer show from USA network so i took the time to watch the show this month.. and boy i'm glad i did!

Suits is a legal drama starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Abrams. According to wikipedia, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) is a brilliant college dropout. Mike's childhood dreams of becoming a lawyer are derailed after unforeseen circumstances, including having to care for his beloved grandmother. Naturally intelligent and with an eidetic memory, Mike makes a living taking tests for other people, particularly LSATs.

Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) is one of New York City's top attorneys who has recently been promoted to senior partner at his firm, and is forced by company policy to hire an associate. After an accidental interview with Mike, Harvey is impressed by the younger man's quick wits, his encyclopedic knowledge of the law, and his genuine desire to be an attorney, and hires him. Due to the fact that Mike lacks a law degree, and because the firm prefers Harvard alumni, they both pretend that Mike is a Harvard graduate.

At the firm, Mike is continuously hounded by junior partner Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), Harvey's jealous rival. Mike is eventually befriended by Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle), a paralegal, whose test anxiety has prevented her from attending law school, and the two soon develop a mutual attraction. Mike and Harvey often come into conflict over Mike's naivete and ethical scruples and Harvey's hard charging and seemingly uncaring demeanor.

Since this is a summer show, season 1 was shorter - only 12 episodes but i loved every single episode. Really really like Harvey (he's effing fantastic!!). I also like Mike (he has a different personality than Harvey which is good because i feel like he humanizes Harvey). I love the bromance between the two. As for the girls, well  I wish Harvey meets a beautiful independent woman who will love him. For Mike, at first I liked Rachel more than the girlfriend, but after Rachel's behavior,  I like the girlfriend more. Rachel is one of the reasons why an office romance is so tricky and can be complicated if it goes awry. I also like the cases per episode and i hope they keep showing interesting cases for next season (which is still 6 months away!!). I also like the secondary characters such as Harvey's loyal secretary, the rival senior associate may be a pain in the ass but I've come to like him too. The boss (Jessica) is also quite good.

I have recommended these shows 2 my friends and they are also loving this show!

oct and nov booklist

october wasn't exactly a busy month for me but i spend most of my time watching my favorite tv shows than reading my Kindle while i was in the mood for reading ebooks during the month of november.

46. ask anyone by sherryl woods

Waking up to discover an antique carousel horse and an armed guard in his front yard is not what Bobby Spencer needs on a quiet Sunday morning. Once again the Spencers are going to be the talk of Trinity Harbor, Virginia. And Bobby isn't feeling very kindly toward the person responsible.
But Jenna Pennington Kennedy is a desperate woman. That carousel horse is her ticket to capturing Bobby's attention and convincing him to offer her the opportunity to plan the town's new riverfront development. It is also her chance to prove to her father that she is a responsible woman and not the reckless kid she'd once been. The last thing Bobby wants in his life is a sexy single mom who's driven to succeed. The last thing Jenna's looking for is another ride on an emotional roller coaster. But in Trinity Harbor, love has a way of defying expectations. Ask anyone.

4 stars. while the story was great, the lack of chemistry and romance between the two made it a bit boring to finish.

47. big girls dont cry by cathie linz
After her plus-size modeling career tanks, Leena Riley becomes a receptionist in her hometown veterinarian's office. Too bad the vet is Cole Flannigan, a boy who taunted her all through school. Good thing Leena has grown into her curves, because he's about to grow very fond of her.
4 stars. fun read. i like both characters but not the rest of the characters.

48. epic fail by claire lazebnik

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

4 stars. i like derek, elise, chase and jules, though chase and jules getting together at the first day of school was just too fast it's unbelievable. the book didn't really explain what derek liked about elise except on the last page which i thought wasn't enough. layla was okay for me but it would have been nice for elise to include layla with them once in a while. i mean she's the sister and they have to be friends right? not sure if there would be a sequal? and im also not sure why the book is called as such. oh, i didn't like the mom very much. she's the principal yet she seems to like the boys more for their popularity than being good boys to her daughters. same with the best friend dianne (even though she had very limited exposure). everyone seems to be obsessed with derek's parents than him but i guess it's his fault for being standoffish but i like how the author made him popular but mysterious and not the usual rich and all around great guy.

49. her best friend's wedding by abby gaines

When did Sadie Beecham get those curves? She'd always been the geek next door, his baby sister Meg's brainy best friend. Smart, sure. But hot? He never would have imagined it…before. Now, Trey Kincaid's imagining all sorts of things. And none of them has to do with Sadie's gifted mind.
A mind, he discovers, she's clearly lost. Because she thinks she's in love with Meg's fiancé. And that's an obsession he's determined to put an end to—one way or the other.

4 stars. loved the characters from the very start. i like that this book talks about having flaws and that there's no such thing as a perfect relationship. there should be give and take and love is not always enough. you also need commitment to make it work.

50. every move she makes by beverly barton
When he was 18 years old, handsome bad boy Reed Conway was convicted of a crime he didn't commit killing his abusive stepfather, Junior Blalock. Out on parole after 15 years and back in his hometown of Spring Creek, Ala., Reed is determined to find the real murderer. But it seems everyone had a reason to kill Junior, including Senator Web Porter, the man who prosecuted Reed when he was the county DA. Meanwhile, the murderer, aware of the danger posed by Reed's probing, arranges events that will put the parolee back in the slammer. Complicating matters further is Reed's attraction to Web's daughter, taciturn Ella Porter. Ella is drawn to Reed's raw strength, and together the two overcome their vastly different backgrounds, join forces and try to find the real killer.
4 stars. i like reed and ella though it's unbelievable that they can fall in love after having short tense encounters that resulted in them always arguing about the past. or maybe their feelings came from when they were still young (before reed was sent to prison) but then the book mentioned that they've never interacted before. midway through the story i had kind of guessed who the killer was because she was the only person that didn't have a redeeming quality (she was too whiny and bitter for the reader to feel bad about her situation). i also thought that the killer was going to such lengths to not get caught that her ideas were strangely getting absurd by every chapter. i thought she was too deranged and i guess i was right after reading the final chapter. she was so consumed with hate and anger she lost all sense. i also didn't like how everyone's sex lives were intertwined with each other. i felt like i was reading the creepy version of melrose place. regina as wade's daughter was fine but cybil as ella's mom is too much. and all throughout the story ohn henry loved carolyn but in the end he actually loved cybil but was just jealous thinking she was in love with wade after one night stand? too lame. oh and ella not knowing all the connections in her family? either she's naive or stupid to not notice all these things happening in her own home. if you do away with logic and just read the book, it's still a fun read.  

51. the man she loves to hate by kelly hunter

Three reasons to keep away from Cole Rees...1. My mom had a scorching affair with his dad--just think how awkward that "meet the family" would be...
2. His arrogance drives me mad--he might be a gorgeous billionaire, but I hate how he knows it!
3. Every time he touches me I go up in flames...and it's utterly terrifying.
Come on, a fling with the man I love to hate? Like that would ever work out...

3.5 stars. i like the story because the conflict was believable. i would have rated this higher but i didn't like that the story seems to condone adultery with rachel saying that it's okay as long as you love the person, which is not right. she didn't even regret or apologize to her daughter for what happened. what kind of mother is that? mothers should be protecting their daughters. also, the book seemed to blame everything on james but rachel was also wrong in having an affair with a married man so openly, even if she didn't take a cent from james. i think this novel focused more on the damage an affair can have on children but the story could have had a deeper impact if there had been a closure between colin's mom and rachel (maybe like a showdown) because there wasn't any. it was like colin's mom became the bad person after james died and rachel is still the woman who loved a man. im not saying im siding with colin's mom since she was also bad but i wish rachel acknowledged her wrong doing to the mom. i thought the ending was also a bit rushed. i was hoping that hannah would have reconciled with jolie (since hannah said that she didn't hate jolie, she just had to choose between her family and jolie so she hated that she had to push her away) but it didn't happen except for a short talk in the toilet. funny how the lead character was named after angelina jolie.. dont know it that was deliberate or not. lastly, i wonder if hannah has her own story. id love her to get together with derek (the granite-eyed man).

52. charming by susie kaye lopez

Three psychics in two countries with the same message can’t be wrong, can they? Sophie Lancaster is about to find out. Going off to college is stressful enough without throwing in the revelation that someone has been watching you your entire life. This is Sophie’s reality when she is informed that her soul mate from a former lifetime is by her side. A practical skeptic when it comes to love, Sophie refuses to believe this could be true. However, as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, she finds it is becoming impossible to deny.
It is not until Sophie meets her soul mate in a dream and recognizes him immediately that she surrenders to the truth. He is the boy she has been sketching her entire life, the one she calls Charming. Suddenly in the midst of her own fairytale, Sophie soon finds herself in an impossible love that she’d do anything to keep. But are the soul mates destined to live their life together only in dreams?

4 stars. the story somewhat felt familiar but it still kept me interested enough to finish in one sitting. i thought lopez was delaying the meeting between ethan and sophie so that she can have her "big twist" (though the hints throughout the story just made it anti-climactic). i thought it would have been better to let the two meet one or two chapters earlier (and not on the last few pages) so we could have seen their interaction in their new bodies. oh and there was too much kissing for two teenagers, felt like that's all they did whenever they met in a dream, they didn't even talk much except for professing their beyond forever love for each other. which was a bit cheesy but then they've waited for 150 years to be reunited so i guess that's a reasonable excuse. 

53. lola and the boy next door by stephanie perkins

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit-—more sparkly, more fun, more wild-—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.
When the family returns and Cricket-—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

3.5 stars. i really loved anna and etienne so i guess i kinda expected a lot from this book. the story is great but somehow i wasn't as invested with lola and cricket as i were with anne and etienne. i like lola but cricket, not so much, and that's the reason why i didn't like the book as much as i would like to. i also didn't like how the author tried to make max really nice at the start then just suddenly make him a huge jerk just to justify lola breaking up with him and finally going out with cricket? i think that was a big disappointment for me (kind of like meg cabot's queen of babble series).

jason mraz in manila

earlier this year i had a blast watching maroon 5 concert at moa, but nothing compares to the jason mraz concert at araneta coliseum last oct 30.

first we got silver seats so we had a good view (not too far but not too expensive too) of the stage.
second, these were reserved seats so we didn't have to stand up for 2 hours or jostle with the crowd. N and i were happily sitting down listening to great acoustic music.
the entire coliseum was jam packed with people.. it was so amazing!

earlier, when we were waiting for the show to start, i was excitedly chatting about all the songs i wish he would sing tonight and N was smiling at me telling me, i like jason but you're a bigger fan than i am.. when jason finally came out N and i just started screaming our hearts out. N turned to me and said, "who am i kidding? i love jason" and just continued to scream. HAHAHA.

i wasn't able to watch his concert years ago due to my busy schedule and lack of funds but when i first found out he was coming, i just bought tickets asap. i didn't want to miss the show. it was also a good thing that i moved my beijing trip a few days earlier so i was able to watch the concert.

and it was such a fantastic show! so much energy from the crowd. jason was wonderful. just goes to show you dont need a lot of flash, bright lights, sexy backup dancers or too much autotune to make a great concert. you just need a guy with a beautiful soul and singing incredible music. just pure talent!

i tried to record some of the songs that i like, unfortunately, i forgot to charge my camera's battery when i arrived from beijing, so i was only able to record 1 song using my camera. the rest of the videos below i recorded using my HTC desire HD phone. oh and sorry in case you hear the loud screams... those were coming from me and my friend. hehe.

here's the setlist for the manila show:
1. she's the bomb
2. dynamo of volition
3. live high
4. if it kills me
5. across the universe (snippet beatles cover)
6. lucky - love how he sang both parts

7. fly me to the moon (had to change to my htc phone so i missed the first few lines)

8. the world as i see it
9. the woman i love - looove the song
10. a beautiful mess
11. please dont tell her
12. i wont give up
13. 93 million miles
14. you and i both - one of my fave

15. the remedy / wonderwall (oasis cover)

16. details in the fabric
17. life is wonderful

encore:
18. rescue
19. butterfly - i was hoping that jason would sing this song tonight so really happy that he did!

20. the freedom song - love how he ended the song with "Real men dont buy girls" HOT!!
21. i'm yours - of course, this song is on my repeat itunes playlist

there were some songs i hoped he sang like Make it mine, Sleep all day, I'll do anything but since the last 2 were quite old it was understandable. make it mine is also another one of my faves but i dont mind since he sang Live high.

overall, it's a concert i will always fondly remember. the next morning, my head was still buzzing with his songs that i couldnt help but play his songs on my ipod the rest of the day. im also ecstatic to hear he is releasing a new album next year. jason said he will be back in manila in 2012.. really hope so.. i would still go and watch his concert again!!

satisfied customers :)

k-drama triple review

this is long time coming but haven't had the chance to write about this k-dramas that i watched last year (i know.. so delayed).

Prosecutor Princess

Title: 검사 프린세스 / Geomsa Princess
Previously known as: 검사 마타하리 / Prosecutor Mata Hari
Genre: Romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2010-Mar-31 to 2010-May-20
Air time: Wednesdays & Thursdays 21:55

Synopsis: Ma Hye Ri is a woman with an excellent memory and ability to focus, which allowed her to pass the bar exam with ease. Despite her talents, she is more interested in being fashionable and dislikes hard work so she is far from being an ideal prosecutor and has doubts about her suitability for her job. Through her conflicts with senior colleages and struggles with difficult cases, however, Hye Ri gradually matures into a brilliant prosecutor with a sense of duty and justice.

Cast:

Kim So Yeon as Ma Hye Ri
Park Shi Hoo as Seo In Woo

Review:
I only know Kim So Yeon from All About Eve where she played a really bitchy and bitter woman to Chae Rim's character and her risque outfits during award shows. However, I was interested in watching this show after reading that she was sort of like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, which is one of my favorite Reese Witherspoon movies. When i first started watching the show, I liked it immediately because the first few episodes were more comedy and instantly rooted for Ma Hye Ri. It's also great that KSY had immense chemistry with PSH which made watching kiligable. I also loved all of KSY's outfits, even though some are outlandish.

I also liked the episodal cases that they handle and I love how the drama showed Ma Hye Ri's growth from a spoiled sheltered rich woman to someone who is more compassionate and more understanding. The main conflict (did MHR's dad kill PSH's dad?) was believable and mysterious, and it kept me guessing and analyzing all through out the series on how it will all end. I felt the pain and the love between the 2 characters and funny, even though MHR's dad was scary and strict, I actually liked him and I was so glad everything worked out well in the end. I was however quite bored with the 2 secondary leads (the two lawyers) though i did liked the way the guy proposed to the girl (by using Lee Seung Gi's Will You Marry Me as a ringtone). Overall, I loved this series.

september booklist

September was a busy month for me, with juggling 2 accounts and getting an unexpected travel to bangalore for a new audit. i did however managed to get some reading time in the airplane and in the hotel room.

43. major crush by jennifer echols
Tired of the beauty-pagean circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles -- drum major of the high school marching band. Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything -- including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster. 4 stars. Cute ya novel.

44. flat out sexy by erin mccarthy
Two years after Tamara Briggs's husband was killed in a wreck at Talladega, she's back to dating, but her latest beau is a dud. She dumps him and remains intent on not ending up with another race-car driver, but that's exactly what she gets when she meets Elec Monroe. Things progress quickly, and soon she's having dynamite sex with this younger man who's nice to her kids—who could ask for more? There's a catch of course: Elec is the son of Tamara's dead husband's father's sworn enemy. 4 1/2 stars. Loved eric and tamara and their sweet story. there wasn't really much conflict like the plot made it out to be and focused more on their relationship.

45. divorced, desperate and dating by christie craig
A mystery writer is forced to reconsider her policy against dating when she is protected from death threats by the sexiest cop she's ever seen. 4 stars. Fun story but i hated the dilly dallying between the 2 characters which went all through out the story. the girl was so pakipot and the guy was just to tight lipped.

46. compromising positions by jenna bayley burke
David Strong knows how to do a lot of things that is, until he gets tangled up with Sophie Delfino and her Sensational Sex workout. He’s supposed to help her demonstrate Kama Sutra positions for her couples’ yoga class which unexpectedly tests his control to the limit. Sophie’s been fantasizing about David since her teens, but she never dreamed she’d actually be expected to run through her intimate desires—with an audience! Sophie knows she wants David in every way, and she’s flexible enough to use whatever she has to get him. David can’t afford any unexpected distractions. Besides the sensual positions he has to endure without embarrassing himself in public, there’s an embezzler stealing from his company. And then there’s Sophie—who is well on her way to stealing his well-guarded heart.
3 1/2 stars. Started great but went downhill during the last few chapters. didn't care much for craig and daphne. liked david but the vasectomy thing/storyline was just lame.

novels started but did not finish - maybe i was just not in the mood or the writing/story just didn't have an appeal for me to read until the end

47. tammara webster - between the lines
boring. didn't sound like they were hollywood actors (well, not that i know what happens offscreen). read in the reviews that the story gets better but wasn't interested enough to read on.

48. janice thompson - fools rush in
for some reason, i dont lke reading stories on italian americans (i guess because my weird mind tends to read the story with a really bad accent and all i can picture are the people from the godfather or jersey shore).

bangalore!

i thought my mumbai trip in august was my last trip to india for a while.. turns out one of the managers needed someone with a valid visa to go to india last sept and asked if i can go. normally i might have declined but then i was in the middle of completing 3 audits so i wasn't that busy on that week and so i agreed. it is much harder to pretend you have work and stare at the laptop all day doing nothing than go on a trip and be busy and useful to someone else. besides it's a plus for me if i can work on something different and get to know other team members. and so off i went to bangalore.

after my bad encounter with thai airways, i decided to go via hong kong instead and take CX (Manila-HK) then DragonAir (HK-BLR). While the dragonair plane looked a bit old, i still enjoyed the business class section because I was able to sleep comfortably (the seats can go flat and i didn't have a seatmate).

When i reached Bangalore... wow... i fell in love with the weather!! sure it was almost 11.30at night. but damn! the wind was so cool it was amazing! i felt like i was in the province (well bangalore is a semi-province). My office mate later told me that Bangalore used to be like the vacation place of the rich Indian families because of the cool weather. The weather stays cool the whole year around except for a few weeks during summer.

On my first day, i booked a room at Taj Vivanta, which turns out was quite far from the office -- at least 1 hour due to the heavy traffic. seems like everyone is going to the city center at the same time. I met up with my colleague in front of the lobby. I was wearing my favorite dress and my new 3 inch high heels and carrying a laptop on one shoulder and my big Longchamp bag on the other. You see, the roads and side streets in India are made of cobblestone -- which makes it harder to walk esp when wearing high heels.. yup you guessed it.. i tripped!! my colleague was walking too fast for me (aside from being taller than i am, he was wearing flats while i was lugging two big bags and cautiously stepping on the cobblestone).. despite my careful efforts, i still slipped, my left knee banged against the rocky-edged cobblestone (hugh ouchie!!!). i tried hard to stand up and i felt wobbly for a few seconds and i was trying hard not to wince at the pain. luckily my colleague had his back turned so he didn't see me fall down, though he did turn and asked if i was okay when he saw my bloodies left knee (sob sob). he then took my laptop bag and carried it for me. (he's such a nice guy). i didn't care that all the male tambays saw me fall down and probably saw more than what they're supposed to (luckily i had worn black undies!) but i didnt care - dont know them and will never see them again and i dont understand what they're saying anyways.

the rest of the day went by uneventful. by night time, colleague T and i decided to have dinner in the only mall in the city called Forum mall -- the restaurant name is called Sahib Sindh Sultan (http://sahibsindhsultan.com/). it was traffic going to the mall, we ended up spending 1hr and 20mins to get to the place. but it was worth it -- the interiors were designed like old trains -- really nice. the place was packed! seats were like in trains and even the waiters and the order takers had old train guard uniforms. i tried to take pics but it was too dark and blurry. Food was also great -- my colleague was vegetarian so we ate vegetarian food -- which i find are practically the same types of veggies but cooked different ways -- like the aloo (potato), veggie curry, etc.. of course i always make sure to eat roti :) we finished almost around 11pm and good thing traffic was lighter and we were able to reach the hotel in 30 mins.

the next day, we decided to move to Crowne Plaza Hotel which is exactly infront of the Blr office -- made sense since my client only comes in at 6pm so i had to stay longer in the office - at least i get go back and forth to the hotel anytime i felt like it. Downside is that there were only 2 places to eat in the hotel -- the breakfast lounge and the Italian restaurant. the breakfast lounge served started breakfast buffet but the food was unexciting - i dont eat Indian food in the morning coz im afraid my stomach may not take too much spice in the morning so i ended up eating light for breakfast. on some days, i skip breakfast and go straight to lunch. the italian restaurant wasn't so bad at least the meal was familiar. for dinner, all of us will be so hungry and didn't want to wait for our order so we would just grab the dinner buffet at the lobby lounge.

luckily, i was able to finish my job on time. unfortunately i wasn't able to go out of Electronic City again and do some sightseeing (though there's nothing really there). but still i enjoyed my time there (mainly because of the weather). maybe if they ask me to come back there i will.. thought i hope next time i can go to Jaipur!!

china

After 30 years of existence im finally going to china! My ancestor's homeland. I have studied the chinesw map, mandarin and chinese history all through out high school. Been fascinated with kung fu movies and wanting to visit the great wall and now i finally can!

As a first timer i had to gather alot of requirements for the chinese visa. After more than 2 weeks of completing my requirements my friend and i decided on a good day to submit our application. Our plan was to go there around 8am to get a number and hope that we finish before lunch (we both had to go to work in the afternoon). The night before d-day i was checking my requirements when i realized that i still did not receive my coe from hr. I asked for the coe a week ago and 2 days ago hr called me up to say that theyve sent it via messenger. The next day was when typhoon nesat came and due to the chaos i forgot to follow up on it. Turns out the messenger didnt deliver it to my office. Since i only discovered it around 7pm, the mailroom crew have left for the day and they told me to come back early morning.

The next day i hurriedly dropped by the office at 8am to speak to mailroom. It was around 8.30 when they were able to trace the document. It was still in the branch. I thanked the cres person and told her to hang on to it while i make my way to makati. Meanwhile my friend was already in the embassy and took a number. We were no 309. Since my office was near rizal drive i took the buendia flyover to makati. Big mistake. I was stuck for more than 30mins! Seemed like everyone wanted to go to makati. When i reached makati avenue the coast was clear.. the main traffic was only in the buendia section. I sped fast until i reached ayala ave. I forgot to ask the cres lady to meet me downstairs so i had to park at the basement, run up the 23rd floor, pickup the document and leave the building. It was alteady 9.30am and my friend said that we were just 7 nos away! Good thing i was quite familiar with the roads and the embassy as ive been there several times before and even got lost trying to navigate the one way street that i wad able to reach the embassy in less than 10mins. I was so panicky i didnt even bother changing my driving shoes and just ran to the 2nd floor. When i met my friend u saw the no being served was 304. Whew!!! Made it!!!

Our turn came and we nervously waited while the lady checked our requirements. I was so relieved that she handed me the pink slip which means okay and to pick up the passport 4 days later. However they did not accept my friend's bank stayement. We had to go to the bpi branch across the embassy, transfer sone money to her account, get a bank certification and go back to the embassy. Good thing we were only got for less than 30mins. My friend went back to the same lady who allowed her to cut in rather than take a new no. Minutes later she got her pink slip too and we went back to the office.

My friend went back to the embassy last thur to pay the fee and pickup our passports! Yehey so now were busy planning and packing for our trip!! Will definitely blog about it when im back!!

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august booklist

i was able to read many books this month since i stayed in mumbai for 2 weeks and didn't bring anything to keep me company except for my kindle.

37. so over you by gwen hayes

Layney Logan, girl reporter. That's all she's ever wanted to be. This year, her senior year, not only does she have to share the coveted Senior Editor position with her arch nemesis, Jimmy Foster, she also has to figure out how to keep the school paper alive. With the local paper closing and the school cutting Journalism from the budget, it's a long shot. Working side-by-side with Foster, the guy she likes to call Lucifer,makes it even worse. The only thing Layney dislikes more than swimming in the high school dating pool is Jimmy Foster think he got the best of her, so she takes his ridiculous newspaper assignment--to go on twelve blind dates--to prove his powers of darkness won't work on her. The trouble is, the more she learns about herself on her journey of bad blind dates, the more she wonders if maybe Foster has known her better than she knows herself all this time.  And maybe she should have trusted him with the secret she’s kept for four years—the secret that broke them up to begin with.

4 stars - the ending came out of nowhere, as if the author just wanted to make an "unexpected twist" at the end to shock us or to justify them breaking up in the first place. i think if they had talked about it they wouldn't have broken up (so what a waste!) but then i guess that was the true cause --they were too young and they needed time to grow up and face this tough situation in a more mature manner. nevertheless, i had fun reading all of layne's dates and the chemistry between the two.


38. lonely hearts club by elizabeth eulberg

Penny's parents are Beatles fanatics - in fact, they love the Beatles, so much, they named their daughters Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds), Rita (the Lovely Meter Maid) and Penny Lane after Beatles songs.
When Penny discovers her boyfriend cheating on her, she decides she's sick of boys and all the aggravation they cause her. She swears off boys (until she's out of high school, anyway) and decides to form a club. What better name than The Lonely Hearts Club since she's grown up in a Beatles culture? To be a member you must:
* stop dating boys while you're in high school
* attend all couple events (such as Homecoming, parties, etc) as a group
* attend Saturday night meetings
* be supportive of friends, even when they make bad choices
The Lonely Hearts Club turns out to be more popular than Penny ever imagined, but it also causes problems. The boys at her high school aren't crazy about it and the principal thinks it's disruptive. Things really start to heat up for Penny, though, when she starts to like a certain boy. Penny and her club learn a lot about life in just a few months.


4 1/2 stars - really love this book. i love the girl power movement in the story even though it started because of a boy. i loved the story between penny and ryan bauer. and i like the message at the end that just because you're in a relationship does not mean you cannot hang out with your girlfriends. in fact that's always been my motto -- boys come and go but girlfriends are forever!

39. caleb+ kate by cindy martinusen-coloma

As the popular darling of the junior class and heiress to the five-star Monrovi Inn empire, Kate has both everything and nothing. She's bored with school and life...until she locks eyes with Caleb at a school dance.
Caleb is new to Kate's exclusive prep school, and it's clear he doesn't fit in. In fact, he and his dad work in maintenance for Kate's father. And while Caleb knows better than to spend time with the boss's daughter, it seems that every time he tries to back away, something pulls him right back in.
When their parents demand that they are to stay away from each other, they learn of a fight between their families that occurred more than fifty years ago. It's a mystery Kate doesn't understand...but a legacy Caleb has endured his entire life.
With the world stacked against them, Caleb and Kate will have to walk by faith to find the path that God has planned for them.


3 1/2 stars - the story was okay, very predictable since of course you know they will end up together. i was a bit bored with the writing and skipped some parts because it felt like i have seen this movie before (like a disney channel original movie or a lifetime tv movie) but i still liked the ending.

40. cindy ella by robin palmer
Prom fever has infected LA—especially Cindy’s two annoying stepsisters, and her overly Botoxed stepmother. Cindy seems to be the only one immune to it all. But her anti-prom letter in the school newspaper does more to turn Cindy into Queen of the Freaks than close the gap between the popular kids and the rest of the students. Everyone thinks she’s committed social suicide, except for her two best friends, the yoga goddess India and John Hughes–worshipping Malcolm, and shockingly, the most popular senior at Castle Heights High and Cindy’s crush, Adam Silver. Suddenly Cindy starts to think that maybe her social life could have a happily ever after. But there’s still the rest of the school to deal with. With a little bit of help from an unexpected source and a fabulous pair of heels, Cindy realizes that she still has a chance at a happily ever after.

4 stars - the story reminded me a little bit of hillary duff's movie, cinderella story meets pretty in pink so it was no surprise to me that her chatmate was the hot senior she was crushing on. but still it's a good YA book. the stepmom and the twins were actually not so bad and i liked her friends India and Malcolm. just dont understand the obsession on prom though.

41. perfect play by jaci burton

The last thing event planner Tara Lincoln needs is the jet-set lifestyle of a football pro like Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand proved that Mick is an all-star-both on the field and in the bedroom.
Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a certified heartbreaker. But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind to catch this sultry vixen.


4 stars - nice story but there was just too much sex! so many sex scenes that were quite graphic that i ended up skipping most of these parts. 

42. romantically challenged by beth orsoff
When L.A. entertainment lawyer Julie Burns becomes convinced that finding The One is "just a numbers game," she sets out on a dating frenzy. From chance meetings and blind dates to dating services and the wonderful world of the Internet, Julie will try anything to meet her man. And in the process, she discovers a secret or two about the single life: Sometimes love sneaks up on you when you least expect it-and even the worst first impressions can have surprising results.

3 1/2 stars - i liked the story overall but i thought there were too much dating and too many guys for one girl. i understand that's the point of the story that she's unlucky in love but then she ended up with one of the first guys introduced in the story.. it's like the author gave us a wild goose chase only to come back to the start. but i guess it's journey that brought her to her true love that's more important.

Travel woes

I have been to mumbai and back for the last couple of years but this trip was different because not only is this probably was last trip, it's also the first i've experienced problems with my flight and luggage.

My flight was slated to depart at 1:05 pm. I was checked in and waiting at the lounge by 11am. Come 1:05 they told us flight is moved to 3pm due to technical problems. So everyone grumbled and i went back to the lounge. When it was 3pm they again moved our flight to 6pm. 6pm rolled in and an airport officer dropped by to inform us that the plane has not been fixed and we were all transferred to the 8:30 flight. I approached him and told him i had a connecting flight to mumbai which i will miss. He was efficient in making sure that he booked me an overnight stay at bangkok novotel airport hotel and made arrangements for me to tAke the jetair flight the next day at 9:40am. By 7pm he finally announced that the original plane is ready for boarding. Funny most of the pinoys and asians boarded the flight while the westerns were scared and waited for the next flight. Me and a few others who had a connecting flight that we will miss anyway decided to stay and take the next flight too.

When we finally arrived in bangkok, i met another pinoy who was going to mumbai too so we decided to stick together for now. Unfortunately they had a hard time looking for my luggage!! We waited for about 30 mins until they told me to go to the hotel and they will deliver my luggage as soon as they find it.

The novotel airport hotel had a huge lobby and the rooms are not bad at all. Unfortunately i couldnt take a good rest because it was already 1:30 am and im worried about my luggage. I finally got a call that they found my luggage and will be bringing to the hotel and i was able to sleep.

When i woke up at 5am i got my luggage from the concierge. First thing i noticed the zipper which i left at the lower left side is now on the upper right side. I thought it was odd but didnt think too much of it until i opened my luggage and discovered several things: 1 my luggage was thoroughly ransacked; 2 my zipped bag which had my box of perfume and shampoo sachets was opened and everything inside are missing; 3 all my clothes are a mess those i put at the bottom were on top and vice versa; 4 even my zipped bag containing all my chargers were opened and were removed but luckily not stolen; 5 even my chinese textbook that i placed inside a plastic was also taken out; and 6 small envelopes where i put my receipts were removed! In short super f-ing bad trip!!!!! Thats why it took them such a long time to locate my luggage!! It can only happen either in manila during the flight delay or in bangkok during baggage claim. Unfortunately my guess is it happened in manila since a friend also had the experience and her perfume also went missing. Interestingly my padlock was perfectly fine. I guess its true that you can unzip the luggage without breaking the locks like in that youtube video.

I was furious but since it was just perfume i didnt report it, also since i had to catch a flight to mumbai in a few hours.

1 day later i realized that my company issued webcam was also missing :( this time i finally had to report it to the airlines and my company and file a report to claim it. Good thing the airlines were very responsive and when i arrived in manila last sat an officer met me to sign the pilfered baggage report. Now just have to talk to the claims officer tomorrow for the procedure.

Lessons learned for me: dont be stubborn and hand carry my laptop. Look for a lighter laptop bag. Buy a smaller perfume to handcarry. Next time when i buy a luggage maybe find one without a zipper.

Twitter experiment

Twitter this twitter that. Whats all the hype on twitter?

So i finally gave in and launched my twitter experiment. I created my own account and made my first tweet. Then i started following people.

Whats my goal? I have no idea. Do i want to be able to communicate with celebs? Why not? Do i want to meet new friends? Can be as long as theyre good people.

But lets face it. Twitter is for the ego. People want to know if they are popular and powerful enough to gain a following. Am i right? And also curious as to what kind of people will follow them.

I mean i was so excited when i got a note that 2 strangers started following me til i realize that theyre porn!! Haha! FAIL!!! I cant count them as a valid follower. Now how do i delete them?

Also surprised that someone reasonable tweeted me. Thats cool. I hope this side project gets good results in 3 months or il have to cancel my account. #hopingforawin

june and july booklist

really busy months so haven't had the chance to read as much books as i can:

june
26. deirdre martin - icebreaker
Sinead O'Brien is a top female litigator in New York City and a workaholic. Adam Perry's hard-hitting style is legendary among hockey players and fans, and Blades management hopes he'll inspire the team to win the Stanley Cup. But although a recent hit was legal according to the rules of the game, an ambitious district attorney has charged him with assault. And while the league is officially supporting Adam, behind the scenes it's another matter. 4 stars


27. robin kaye - breakfast in bed
Rich Ronaldi is almost the complete package-smart, sexy, great job-but when his girlfriend dumps him, Rich swears he'll learn to cook and clean just to win her back…

Rich is the only guy Becca Larsen's ever met who hasn't tried to change her. She's glad to help him master the domestic arts, but she'll be damned if he'll start cooking in another woman's kitchen-or bedroom… 4 stars

28. anne humphrey - rhymes with cupid
Goodman's Gifts & Stationery Store

February 14
Cashier: Elyse

3 boxes of heart-shaped chocolate . . . $12.00 Chocolate is the only good thing about this nauseating holiday.

4 containers of candy hearts . . . $5.00 Ever since my ex cheated on me, I've sworn off love. Too bad my new neighbor Patrick didn't get the memo.

1 Valentine's Day card . . . $4.50 I'm not interested. Although, he is pretty cute. And sweet. And funny.

1 singing Cupid doll (promotional item) . . . $0.00 Stupid Cupid! Point your arrows at someone else. . . .Subtotal . . . $21.50

It's going to be a complicated Valentine's Day.

4 stars

29. kate angell - strike zone
When the captain of the Richmond Rogues starts dating his former runaway bride, he knows this time their relationship will be a home run. 4 1/2 stars 

30. aimee ferris - will work for prom dress
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date? 
But the prom costs money and that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.
He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch).  But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.
This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster. 4 stars.

31. kate brian - sweet 16
Teagan Phillips's sweet sixteen is the event of the season. No one at Rosewood Prep throws a bash as extravagant, exclusive, or over-the-top expensive as Teagan. No one is as obnoxious, either. On the big night she falls stilettos-over-tiara into the country club wine cellar and blacks out. When she comes to, there is a strange woman standing at the foot of the stairs.

No, Teagan, this mystery woman is not one of "the help." She is here to take you on a ride, to bring you back through time and show you some very unpretty realities. And if you're lucky, she just might put the sweet back in sixteen.... 4 1/2 stars

july

32. christie ridgway - crush on you

The Baci sisters are on a mission to save the winery that's been in their family for generations-by transforming it into the perfect wedding destination. If only Alessandra Baci-affectionately known as the "Nun of Napa"-didn't need the help of tempting neighbor and business rival Penn Bennett.

33. wendelin van draanen - flipped
Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees? 4 stars


34. heather hepler - cupcake queen
When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny's life isn't what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn't talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there's Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog's Hollow - like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life's unexpected turns. 4 1/2 stars


35. jessica bird - an irresistible bachelor
For struggling art conservationist Callie Burke, the chance to restore a world-famous painting is the opportunity of a lifetime—one that no one in her right mind would turn down. Call her crazy, but Callie has serious reservations about working with the painting’s owner. Warm and sexy, Jack Walker makes no attempt to hide the strong attraction he feels for Callie—even as she tries to keep their relationship professional. Now, cocooned in his studio in Boston, she will either have to learn to ignore the man and concentrate on the masterpiece, or give in to the kind of passion that can never be captured on canvas.
Jack Walker is a practical man who runs his life, his empire, and his fortune effortlessly. Yet from the moment he met Callie Burke, he wanted her with all the intensity of a first crush. As he gets to know her, the desire blossoms into something more—and Jack finds that for the first time in his life he is leading with his heart instead of his head. . . . 4 1/2 stars

36. tina ferrarro - top ten uses for an unworn prom dress
Sophomore year, Nicolette Antonovich was dumped two days before prom by the hottest guy at school. As a result, she became the proud owner of one unworn, perfectly magical pink vintage dress. But Nic is determined to put that night behind her for good. She's a junior now— older, wiser, and completely overwhelmed by a new set of problems: (1) The bank's ready to foreclose on her childhood home. (2) Her father's too busy with his "replacement" daughter to care. (3) Her best friend's brother is an eternal thorn in her side. (4) Her best friend isn't exactly the rose attached to that thorn. (5) Rumors are flying around school that could get her kicked off the volleyball team, which would (6) ruin all chances of a college scholarship. (7) She still likes the boy who dumped her in the first place. (8) And what in the world do you do with an unworn prom dress, anyway? Strangely, it's getting to the bottom of this last dilemma that just might hold the answer to all Nic's problems. 4 1/2 stars

LSS: summer songs

3 songs that i absolutely cannot get out of my head for the past couple of weeks!! Nothing special about these songs the chorus are just damn catchy!

Miss A - Goodbye Baby
Ive never liked 2ne1 bcoz i think their stage personalities are fake and trying hard to be fierce and all gangsta. Instead i love the natural fierceness and charisma of Miss A. Jia, fei, min and suzy are way cooler and their songs are not drowning in too much autotune.


F(x) - Hot Summer
This song is a remake of a euro group but i like the fun and electro feel of the song. This song sounds better after u have seen the music video. Love krystal's outfits but i dont get why sulli have to always look juvenile with the high school skirt and childish bow.


Hyuna - Bubble Pop
Im a girl but i find hyuna to be a very hot young girl. But her outfits and her dance are so sexy its bordering on slutty and inappropriate for her age. I couldnt finish watching the mv bcoz it was painful watching her force herself to look and dance sexy. She aint no hyori.but the song is still addicting.

Busy as a bee

Super super busy!!!
Back to back audits
Traveling again
Moving houses on going
Fixing my pc
Downloading all night
Wahhhhhh!!!

I need time to meet my friends
To brush up on my mandarin
To attend my pilates class
To go furnishing hunting

himono-onna

http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/2009/11/himono-onna-dried-fish-woman.html

at the rate i'm going..im already 1/3 away from the description.. i feel like i'm going to be single for a looonnng time...

need to jumpstart my social life. STAT!

....

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now if i only know where to begin...

goodbye 106.7

dream fm 106.7 has been my nightly companion when im driving back home so a few days ago, i was surprised when i tuned in to 106.7 and heard energy fm instead!!! WTF!! i thought i made a mistake but then i have saved the station in both jazz and city and everytime i changed the station, i keep hearing 'pangga' and all those cheesy and crappy bus and jeepney talk shows!

i finally had the chance to surf the net.. and whoa! turns out tonyboy cojuangco who owns dream fm, made a partnership with energy fm to expand his fm radio market from A and B to D and E (which makes up 65%) argh!!! so now i'm listening to crossover again..

i read somewhere that another similar-sounding radio station started airing on 105.9.. gotta check it out! hope it has great jazz/world music coz this is my only source for jazz music!

jay chou designs for Asus laptop

whoa!! i so want one!! but it costs SGD1,289!! Wtf!!!

Asus, together with Jay Chou has launched the N43SL laptop in W Hotel, Taipei today. The N43SL, which is a special edition is endorsed by Jay comes with four of his albums and 3 MTV videos albums bundled in this N43SL special edition notebook.

The ASUS N43SL Jay Chou Edition features a special boot-up music, a unique Baroque “J” key and pre-loaded songs. Measuring 35.0cm x 24.0cm x 3.30cm and weighing 2.40 Kg, the laptop also has an Intel Core i7 2630QM processor, a 14.0-inch 16:9 HD (1366×768) LED backlight display, a 2GB nVidia GeForce GT 540M graphics (DDR3 VRAM) and a 6-cell battery.

.

ps. i dont like jay when he looks like a beggar/hoodlum with the beanie and the beard :(

it's NOVAK time!

congrats to Novak Djokovic for winning Wimbledon 2011! it was a great match between two great players. for some reason, Nadal wasn't in his best shape today while Novak was still feeling high from becoming the new no. 1 in the ATP rankings. Novak just overplayed Nadal in every single point, except for the third set when Novak had a lot of unforced errors.

loved Novak's genuine expressions of happiness, shock, triumph when he realized he won!

i thought i was the only one who noticed that he took out some blades of grass and ate them!! haha! he later said that he felt like an animal and wanted to know what it taste like.

on a side note, since i was watching the game alone in my room, i thought i was the only one who noticed how nadal kept fixing his wedgie the whole time! turns out, everyone noticed it! it was soo distracting!! maybe his discomfort was the cause for his defeat??

dont bring me down

i hate negativity...

so why am i living with the most negative person in the world?

you make me feel bad about myself...
and you dont even know it.

you're so high and mighty.
you hate it when you lose control...
when things dont go your way.

you will never change. you told me that.
i have to accept you. but that doesnt mean im not going to challenge you.
or bend down to you. coz i wont.

may booklist

a few of my fave authors released new novels and i quickly grabbed a copy to read this month:


21. erin mccarthy - mouth to mouth
It was supposed to be your average stakeout. My partner and I would scope out both the coffee shop and Laurel Wilkins, the latest target of con man Trevor Dean's scheme to meet women online and bilk them of their money - and everything else. So I went inside to get a better look. So she happened to be gorgeous with a body that made me temporarily forget how to order coffee. So she knew my name - Russ Evans - and hugged me like we were more than friends. So what the $ No. @ is going on?At least she's willing to offer herself up as bait. All I have to do is keep her safe - and keep my hands off. Anything else would be against the rules. And oh so tempting... 4 1/2 stars - fun, sexy, a bit suspenseful read.


22. kristan higgins - my one and only
Divorce attorney Harper James can't catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister's destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she's being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic.

Harper can't help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick's eyes, Harper's always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting—just around the bend.

4 1/2 stars - i love both harper and nick. this felt real. they both made mistakes and it's good that they finally were able to talk about it and admit their shortcomings- though i didn't like that nick expected harper to always be the one to drop her things and follow him, harper was also wrong for filing for divorce immediately - nick was shocked of course and he wanted to think things through. the ending was kinda grand gesture-y cute. and as always, kristan creates the second male lead as someone who's nice and likeable.

23. becca fitzpatrick - hush hush
High school sophomore Nora Grey, a dedicated student striving for a college scholarship, lives with her widowed mother in a country farmhouse outside Portland, ME. When Patch, her new biology partner, is suddenly thrust into her life, Nora is both attracted to his charm and put off by his inexplicable awareness of her thoughts. Eventually, she learns that he is a fallen angel who wants to become human. She is susceptible to his control, but other forces are at work as well, and Nora finds herself caught in the middle of dangerous situations and unexplainable events.
3 stars - a lot of hype about this book but this was disappointing. the mystery surrounding patch just dragged for most of the story and lots of fake scares went overboard, all without explaining much -- at some time i almost gave up but i managed to finish the story. another problem i have here is patch's character - he's supposed to be the hot arrogant sexy fallen angel but he mostly came off as annoying and suspicious. i dont understand why nora would like this guy at all. the only saving factor for this book is the villain (though even the villain was still unreal). im not bothering to read the entire series.


24. jill shalvis - simply irresistible
Maddie Moore meets the man of her dreams, but must fight her inner demons to make it work. Maddie, straight out of an abusive relationship and unemployed, is trying to change "from mouse to tough girl." When she arrives at Lucky Harbor, Wash., to reunite with her two half-sisters and inspect the dilapidated inn inherited from their mother, Maddie nearly runs a handsome stranger off the road. Jax Cullen is the town's mayor, a master carpenter, and a passionate lover. He's willing to give Maddie everything if she can overcome her fear of men and vulnerability.
4 stars - the first book in the lucky harbor series, maddie's the boring sister, and so's the story. i mean the plot is okay, the romance is sweet but there weren't a lot of tension or emotions in this book -- very generic romance story. but i like the two other sisters so im willing to read the 2nd and 3rd book.


25. rachel gibson - any man of mine

What happens in Vegas . . . doesn't always stay there.

Autumn Haven's Las Vegas "to-do" list said to catch a show and play the slots—not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did—right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality, and before she could say "pass the coffee," Sam was gone.

Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn't clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years . . . until she organizes his teammate's "Special Day," where Sam makes a big play to pick up where he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?

4 stars - not sure why amazon readers rated this book as 3 1/2 stars, but i liked this more than her earlier release. i liked how sam continues to support and love his son despite the divorce. i love how their relationship evolved and matured -something they needed to do since knowing each other for only 5 days has not enough foundation for a lasting relationship. im happy they had a second chance and they were able to resolve the major issues.

blue bloods

i waited until season 1 was renewed before i started watching the show. the first two episodes were so-so but by the third episode, i was hooked!

what i love: all the characters and their personalities. the loving family camaraderie. the sunday family dinner. how they always catch the killer. the moral and traditional family values they bring to the show every episode. the cases that they solve are simple yet they present it in a different way.

things they can change/improve on: that it's too black and white. the reagans are the good guys and they always catch the bad guys. that they always solve the case. that they always find the killer on time. feels like danny reagan's one superhuman cop and there's nothing he can't do. that the police commissioner rarely smiles. that erin doesn't have a sexy boyfriend (the boss looks arrogant). that jamie is not given enough story. the mysterious blue templar is getting annoying.

john and karl.. and magic

i just read a yahoo article ranking the top 5 great nba players that never won a title and no. 1 goes to john stockton and karl malone *claps* i used to love john stockton so bad i have almost all of his trading cards and i always use john stockton whenever i play the nba game in the pc. i did however read that john's a bit aggressive (hardnosed and physical) but well respected by his peers.

but of course, magic johnson is still my favorite player of all time!!!

collectible

i always wanted to have a collection. my friend R collects toys, L collects M&M items, C loves anything hello kitty. others collect starbuck mugs, shoe figurines, kimmy dolls and magnets, but i couldn't find anything i like enough to collect.

i do have some bookmarks that i bought from different countries, but im not obsessed with it and it sounds nerdy to be collecting bookmark (borrinng!!). last year, i wanted to start collecting pullip dolls, especially the audrey hepburn dolls, but they're all so expensive and the nearest store is in sg. i still want them though.

aside from the audrey hepburn dolls, i also wanted to collect anything audrey hepburn related (i especially want to buy an audrey hepburn poster or popart to hang on the walls of my condo -- i'll save up by next year) like pins, necklaces, earrings but i think practically every fashionista lady in manila loves audrey hepburn so it sounds too cliche.

so yesterday, i was walking around gh when i stopped by a small accessories store and saw these adorable snowflake earrings! 3 earrings in a set.. all 3 in different designs. i guess it's because "no snowflake is the same". and then i realised something.... i can collect SNOWFLAKES!! i currently have a giant pair of snowflake earrings that i bought in sg and a double snowflake necklace that i bought in manila. Okay. so having 3 snowflake accessories does not make a collection but it's a start right?? so now i just have to look for and think of other snowflake items to collect!! hopefully i'll find more and my collection will grow!

ps, i would also like to collect vintage posters but i dont know where to put them!! might be a waste of space if i can't post them up my walls.

the mentalist season 3 finale

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!!

another explosive 2-hour finale!! first, the list of the 4 suspects. for the whole series, i already suspected of them: the hot fbi agent craig o'loughlin (because he came out of nowhere and kept putting his nose in even when's he's freaking fbi, and how fast his r'ship with grace went, i felt there was something wrong) and director gale bertram, when he quoted a poem from william blake. the other 2 suspects were just blah -- the publicist has been there the whole season and there was no reason for her to be the mole. the DA only came out the previous season when agent cho helped the kid who stole his car. and then we find out later that it is really craig o'loughlin who is red john's mole.

as for red john himself, im glad that they chose a stranger to portray him instead of someone we've already met. a big letdown for me, though was the conversation between him and jane. i was hoping for a big confrontation but all we got was some weird monologue from red john wanting to retire, etc. that was a bit anti-climactic for me. one of the best scenes in the finale was when red john started describing jane's wife and daughter's scents and you can see jane's cool facade  totally crumble with anguish and pain.. and the best part was him killing red john just as he always promised he would.. and jane and only jane would ever sit down to finish his coffee and get his check like nothing happened. REALLY AWESOME!

it will be really interesting what the writers are planning to do for season 4. definitely jane cannot go unscathed here since he killed a guy so i'm very curious how this would affect the entire show. plus even though red john is dead, there are still so many unanswered questions.. like who is red john? how can he be so powerful that he has so many people working for him? so i hope that they will be able to slowly tackle these issues while continuing to churn out more and better crime cases to solve.

maroon 5 concert at the smx

at last! i've been waiting for this day to arrive ever since i bought tickets last feb! i even filed 2 days leave just for this day and it was soo worth it!!

my best mate N and i got gold b tickets with free seats and we sat on the right side of the place. a strategic place since adam spent most of his time running around on the right side than the left.

it was a great concert as the band just kept on playing hit after hit after hit. the energy was so amazing and everyone was singing and going crazy for the next 1 1/2 hours!

                                    perfect timing to take a great pic of adam on the giant screen

N and i spent the first hour standing on our seats -- we did see adam quite a lot but he kept on moving around the stage that i was getting dizzy (in a good way) trying to follow him around the stage. there was this tall girl a few seats ahead of us that blocked our view -- she just so happened to stand right in front of our view whenever adam stays in the middle!! so that was a bit of a bummer so we had to strain our necks or watch the tv whenever he's in that area. unfortunately my hands were shaking were clapping too much so pics are a bit blurry.

when he started singing sweetest goodbye, N and i sat down for a bit to rest and wondered if the middle area (no seats, it was where the giant post with the giant tv was placed) had a better view since a lot of people who went there didn't go back to their seats and i also noticed that adam stayed in that area near the post so N and i went to the center to see if the view is clearer... and YES!! it was!! adam was right in the middle -- unrestricted view!! there were a few people in front of us but we could still see him well! we even moved closer to the front! i took a few pics of the stage -- of course i hit zoom on my camera but this is more or less what we saw in our new place so still a bit far but near enough to go spazzing at adam's hotness! i also recorded their last song "Sunday Morning" - il try to upload it here when i can.

overall it was a great concert! everyone had a good time and i hope maroon 5 also enjoyed and appreciated the crowd's wild screams and applause. i mean adam seemed really happy and smiling a lot during the entire performance. he even tweeted about it and i hope the band comes back after a few years!