Sunday, December 31, 2006

Highlights of my 2006
[February] My sister went to Tokyo, Japan for a business trip.

Mount Fuji, Japan


[March] We watched him in concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

Time, Love and Tenderness


[April] We went to Boracay for 5 days and 4 nights of Sand, Sun, Seafood and Snapshots.

White Sand Beach

[May] We found ourselves once again in Araneta Coliseum for another concert.

Beauty and Madness


[June] We got caught in the FIFA (soccer) World Cup fever.

Allez les Blues

[July] We booked a suite at the Philippine Plaza Hotel to watch the final game (France vs Italy) of the FIFA World Cup.

Room 664

[August] We rocked it out with JD Fortune and INXS in an awesome concert!

INXS's Switch Concert

I camped out at the cinemas to watch as many movies as I could during the numerous foreign film festivals (French, Japanese, Australian, German, Spanish, Cine Europa, Cine Manila, Israeli)

Pelicula, 5th Spanish Film Festival

We stayed at the Linden Suites twice this year. June for some R & R. October during typhoon Milenyo's days of darkness!

Linden Suites

[November] We had our loft repainted.

my blue sanctuary

[December] The last few days of this year, I shopped till my feet ached, my muscles atrophied, my wallet emptied and my credit cards maxed out at several malls offering their annual year end SALE. Yeeehaw =)

Power Plant Mall


Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring happy bells, across the snow. The year is going, let him go. Ring out the false, ring in the true. Lord Alfred Tennyson

Friday, December 29, 2006

Let's (Friday) feast!
Appetizer
How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?
Eat (media noche), drink (red wine) and be merry!

Soup
Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.
My sister surprised me with a trip out of town, I totally didn't expect this vacation, at all.

Salad
Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?
Definitely Boracay (April, 2006), the trip I mentioned above. It was my first time there and I totally fell in love with the place.

Main Course
What resolution is your top priority for 2007?
I don't make resolutions :D

Dessert
Using just three words, describe 2006.
Plethora of hues

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

'Tis the day after Christmas
So everything - the last minute shopping, the mall hopping, exploring the night bazaars, the putting up of Christmas decors in the rush to get ready for the big day was one big exercise in futility because a high tension drama on Christmas Eve ruined the festivities. I don't want to talk about it but suffice to say it wasn't pleasant. It had all the elements of a telenovela. So anticlimactic really, I knew it would happen. Arghh! Damn it!

So as I rightfully predicted I spent Christmas day in bed nursing this pesky cough I have been battling for 3 weeks now. I read my book ("In the Walled Gardens" by Anahita Firouz), only getting up for meals, to check my emails and blog hop. In the evening to inject some cheer into my morose soul, I watched a pirated "DVD copy" of "Little Miss Sunshine" , a delightful movie I saw at Greenbelt last week which I totally adore. It worked. It made me laugh and cry at the same time.

This SMS exchange though didn't help boost my low morale:
Me: I wish you a magical festive season filled with loving wishes and beautiful thoughts. Happy Christmas! best regards, Daph =)
Him : Daph? Sorry my phone book got erased. Who is this?
Me: it's me Daphne we met over a year ago.
Him: Hmmm where? Sounds familiar but I can't place the name
(by this point I was already cringing and totally embarrassed that he doesn't know nor remember who I am)
Me: It was only once for drinks at "xxxxxxxx"
He: Hmm ... Daphne Laura? Hi there! Merry Christmas
Me: Oh right I should have added the "Laura" So how have you been?
He doesn't reply back. Ugh! I guess this explains why I never heard from him again after that first 'date'.

Anyways!


I don't want to end this entry on a sour note, so allow me to post some pictures I took of the brightly decorated houses on Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong. We go there annually to catch some much needed Christmas cheers. This year, we squeezed ourselves among the hordes of people on the 23rd of December. People of different shapes, sizes, age and gender and dare I say of different body scents as well. As I walk around being jostled left and right, trying to steady my hands so I can take good pictures, I always wonder how much they pay for their electricity.












Monday, December 25, 2006

Policarpio Street, Mandaluyong City

Merry Christmas!!!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Three Wise Men
Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. "In honor of this holy season," Saint Peter said, "You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven."

The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. "It represents a candle," he said. "You may pass through the pearly gates," Saint Peter said.

The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, "They're bells." Saint Peter said, "You may pass through the pearly gates."

The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's glasses.

St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And just what do those symbolize?"

The man replied, "They're Carol's."

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

A change of heart
I know I said in an earlier post that I was a Scrooge.
I don't get into the whole frenzy of the Yuletide season.
Well, guess what?
I have had a change of heart.
Why?
I was mortified and stricken by this numbing fear when my mother had trouble breathing. So the day after my mother was hospitalized, I realized that life is too precious.
I need to be more positive and make extra effort to be upbeat for the sake of my family especially during this merriest of seasons, a holiday which my mother loves so much.


So I illuminated my loft with bright, colorful decors

Nativity set

Christmas Wreath under the staircase



I spent an entire day at the Mall of Asia for my Christmas shopping


Giant Christmas tree at the Mall of Asia



I placed the gifts beside my tiny Christmas tree

my tiny Christmas tree



I've been making the rounds of the different night bazaars
(Greenhills, Libis, World Trade Center) for some bargain hunting

Christmas show, Greenhills Shopping Center




Happy Holidays everyone! =)

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Ghost of my Wintry Past

A Canadian friend of mine sent me this picture of his frontyard after a severe snowstorm blanketed the city. It brought back pleasant memories of my very distant past. I have always been a winter person. I thrive in cold climates. I love walking in the snow all bundled up like the Michelin man in my thick parka. With itchy thermal wear inside to keep me warm, layered with turtlenecks, sweaters, lamb wool pants / skirts, mufflers/scarves, thick stockings, mittens and a woolen cap to cover my ears. Fully stuffed like a turkey with rosy cheeks and a cold red nose to brave the frosty elements.

I vividly recall our entire class (in elementary) had this 'Classe de Neige' ('Snow Class'). We lived one entire month away from our parents, away from school in this little mountain town high up in the Swiss Alps. We took the train from the Gare du Midi (Central Station in Brussels) and traveled miles through the scenic European countryside, crossed the border to reach this remote Swiss town. The entire class was billeted together in this spacious boarding house with bunk beds. We walked to the large mess hall for our meals. Our lessons were conducted in a heated chalet. Amidst a panoramic setting of white clouds in clear blue skies, powdery flakes of fresh snow with cable cars nestled in a valley of snow capped mountains, we studied the geography of Switzerland, had group science projects, mingled with the pupils from the other schools (also attending their Classe de Neige), learned to ski (I totally failed in this subject, I'm Asian for God's sake :D), went hiking in the mountains - it was total assimilation in a winter wonderland up in the chilly Alps.

I was such a happy trooper. My classe de neige is an experience I would always cherish and remember with such warm fondness. But that was a long time ago, back in the days when I wasn't jaded nor sarcastic when every single thing had this semblance of pure innocence coupled with simple joys. Much like this classic French Christmas Carol I sang with my former classmates, way back when "I was small and Christmas trees were tall".

Petit Papa Noel
C'est la belle nuit de Noël
La neige etend son manteau blanc
Et les yeux leves vers le ciel
A genoux, les petits enfants
Avant de fermer les paupieres
Font une derniere priere.

Petit papa Noël
Quand tu descendras du ciel
Avec des jouets par milliers
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Mais avant de partir
Il faudra bien te couvrir
Dehors tu vas avoir si froid
C'est un peu a cause de moi

Le marchand de sable est passe
Les enfants vont faire dodo
Et tu vas pouvoir commencer
Avec ta hotte sur le dos
Au son des cloches des eglises
Ta distribution de surprises

Il me tarde que le jour se leve
Pour voir si tu m'as apporte
Tous les beaux joujoux que je vois en reve
Et que je t'ai commandes

Et quand tu seras sur ton beau nuage
Viens d'abord sur notre maison
Je n'ai pas ete tous les jours tres sage
Mais j'en demande pardon

Little Santa Claus
It's a beautiful Christmas night
Snow spreads its white coat
And eyes lift toward the sky
On their knees, small children
Before closing their eyes
Say a last prayer.


Little Santa Claus
When you come down from the sky
With thousands of toys
Don't forget my little stocking.
But before you leave
You should dress well
Outside you will be so cold
And it's kind of my fault

The sandman has passed
The children are going to sleep
And you will be able to begin,
With your sack on your back,
To the sound of church bells,
Your distribution of surprises.

I can't wait for sunrise
To see if you brought me
All the lovely toys that I see in my dreams
And that I ordered from you.

And when you are on your beautiful cloud
Come first to our house
I wasn't always very good
But I ask for your forgiveness

Friday, December 08, 2006

Greetings
Hi there, I'm Palmie aka Daphne's blog.
I turn 3 years old today.
My mistress Daphne has developed blogger's block.
She couldn't even come up with an interesting post to proclaim my 3rd birthday.
But I have a plan.
Perhaps, her readers can come up with some requests/ideas for her to write about so she can snap out of this lethargic phase.
I have to warn you though.
Daphne is rather fickle minded so don't expect her to heed all your requests but I'm sure she would appreciate them.

Thanks!

Signing out,
Palmie.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Breaking news!
I was having a late lunch when I switched the TV on to ANC and listened as a heavily accented court clerk read the promulgation of the verdict regarding the Subic Rape case. I lost my appetite when he started reading the graphic details complete with really descriptive private body parts.
Ewww! Then it was time for the final verdict.
Click here for the news article!

So there is justice after all in this lawless society, huh?