All About Eve PhotoShoot

I woke up excited to the All About Eve photo shoot today. It's fabulous me, friends and some flowers after all... When I got home, didn't have the energy to cook anymore so I decided to just upload the pics me and Mina took before, during and after the shoot between takes. Here are some of the pics taken at the shoot using my camera, Pinky... (Dixie will for sure take better pictures soon) The official pictures will be posted by the Bleach and Stain team once they finish the editing. I hope my pictures come out good...

What Should I Have For Dinner Tonight?

Well, after the photoshoot today, I plan to make myself some dinner and I have not decided what to make yet. I have a few recipes in mind and I have about at least six hours until dinner time. If you were me what would you prepare for some gastronomic satisfaction and eye candy?

Would it be Couscous Salad with Avocado and Prawns?

A fresh, easy dish to make and ready to eat within 30 minutes! Couscous is a grain product made by drizzling salted water onto coarsely ground hard durum wheat to form tiny balls of dough. The balls are rubbed until uniform in size and then dried. Its texture is nuttier than long-grain rice and the instant variety cooks in far less time than most rice or pasta. Couscous is a popular dish from Morocco and North Africa which is now appreciated worldwide. It is served with meat, fish, vegetables and spices.

Or would it be Fettuccini Primavera?

Primavera means 'spring' in Italian. Use your favorite spring vegetables such as asparagus, peas, broccoli, cauliflower etc. Another recipe adapted from 'Living the G. I. Diet'. For those who are lactose intolerant, this is a nice dish as there's no milk in the sauce with the exception of the Parmesan cheese.

Or will it be Blue Cheese Polenta with Balsamic Mushrooms?

Polenta (cornmeal) is a traditional staple food throughout much of northern Italy and started out as peasant food. Today it is much sought after and can command high prices when ordering in a restaurant. The blue cheese in this dish adds a bit of bite to an otherwise bland dish. This recipe is adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine. Mushrooms are an excellent source of B vitamins (B2, B5, B3) and in the past it was the specialty mushrooms such as Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi that were heralded as natural ways for cancer research. However, the common button mushrooms (including crimini) have been shown to have anticancer properties as well.

Vote Earth

Tomorrow, Saturday at 8:30PM, I will be proudly supporting Earth Hour 2009. This I'll do for myself, my family, my real friends, and my future family,most especially for the future of my little ones. I want them to still get a chance to see the beauty of the Earth that I am living in right now.

I have been an earth advocate since I was in high school. Being the President of Save Mother Earth Movement (SMEM) has led me to understand and appreciate caring for the place I live in. Being aware of the environmental changes that are happening all over the planet should be enough to jolt us and take us back to reality, that nothing is permanent and the Earth's resources can be depleted and we will all be left with nothing if we don't do our own little share.

So, tomorrow at 8:30PM, I will turn my lights off, turn my laptop off, turn my cellphones off and for an hour I will be in he darkness...a darkness filled with hope.

Make YOU Feel My L-O-V-E

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I would offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go blind for you
I'd go crawling down the aisle for you
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on a rolling sea
Down the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
But you ain't seen nothing like me yet

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy, make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love

Flowers Come In Baskets Too

Yes, flowers do come in baskets too and I got mine generously arranged in a basket made of wick. I saw the flowers perched on top of the receptionist's table from outside the glass window as soon as I got to work. As usual, if the flowers were meant to make me smile, yes, they did what they were supposed to...yet again.

Let's have a little flower lesson today:



Lilies are one of the most beautiful, and graceful of all summer-blooming flowers. Lilies belong to the Lilium genus consisting of less than 100 known species, occurring in all parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Lilies are believed to have been under cultivation longer than any other ornamental flower, having existed in gardens 3,000 years ago. Floral designs, particularly of Lilies, made their appearance and became very popular in the 18th dynasty of Egypt. Known for the stunning appearance of their star-shaped blooms and their distinctly sweet fragrance, stargazer lilies are a majestic masterpiece. The flower meanings traditionally associated with Stargazer Lilies are innocence and purity, but the more modern connotations are honor and aspiration.

Hydrangeas are one of very few plants that accumulate aluminium. Aluminium is released from acidic soils, and forms complexes in the hydrangea flower giving them their blue color. The Japanese refer to these Hydrangea plants as Mountain Hydrangeas because they originate in the mountainous areas on the islands of Japan. These hydrangeas are smaller in stature and have smaller leaves and delicate lacecap flowers. Although most Hydrangeas bloom in summer and fall, a few Hydrangeas have developed the ability to set new bloom buds in the spring after the old ones have been pruned off or damaged.

Chrysanthemums belong to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family, which is one of the largest families of flowering plants with over 1,000 genera and about 20,000 species.

With an exotic appearance, orchids have come to represent rare and delicate beauty. Those seeking to make a lasting impression with a unique flower have found the orchid to be a perfect choice. As both potted plants and cut flower arrangements, these tropical flowers have an undeniable appeal.

Meaning of the Flowers in the Bunch:

1. yellow chrysanthemums - secret admirer
2. stargazer lilies - ambition
3. Statices - success
4. Orchids - delicate beauty
5. Hydrangeas - perseverance
6. Snapdragons - presumptous

Thank you "Mr. Flowers"...

Tropical Lunch

I have been planning to try out a dish since last week and finally after work today, me and Uncle Don dropped by SM Hypermarket to buy the avocados and cantaloupe I needed to complete the dish. I initially planned to blanch some asparagus but I did not see any fresh produce so I opted to change it to brocolli.

Here's my own version of avocado salsa:

And here's the brocolli being simmered in the pan with the coconut milk:


Herbs and spices used: rosemary, thyme, curry, garlic, white pepper

And here's the main dish:


And for dessert: cantaloupe melon

Roses Are Pink

After a weekend under the sun, I had to prematurely cut my first summer adventure and go back to work and face another week of new challenges. What better way to welcome me back than a vase teeming with deep pink roses and delicate lil flowers of babies breath?


People at work are already more excited than me I suppose awaiting what would be next under Mr. Flowers' sleeve. Hehe!



The flowers just don't disappoint...

Butterfly Salmon

Well, I went to the grocery today to buy some fridge fillers and went home with a hungry tummy so I whipped up the easiest meal I could make, and I am going to call it "Butterfly Salmon".

It's like the one I made last week, only this one is a better fillet and I was able to cook it perfectly on both sides. I coated the fillet with extra virgin olive oil and rubbed a mix of garlic powder, salt, pepper and dried herb (next time I'll try to see if paprika will make the taste better). I let the mix get absorbed by the salmon for a good 15 minutes.

TIP 1: Always make sure that your pan is waiting on you and not you waiting on the pan to heat up. This way you maximize your time to prepare any dish you are cooking.



I seared the fillet for a good a minute and a half each side.While moving the fillet to the other side, I accidentally pry the center open. I immediately thought of a way on how to plate it well. And so the butterfly wings came to mind with the help of the romaine greens.


TIP 2: To make the fancy hearts, drop sauce on the sides of the plate and run a knife across the center.

Ccccccccchanges!!!

March 20, 2009 - the date that confirmed the hush hush all around and the heads up given by a friend from a contact center in Quezon City sometime around January. Back then I thought it was just a big fat joke but as the CEO of the new company was speaking in front of the intense crowd in the cafeteria, it suddenly hit me. It was not a big fat joke after all. It is reality slapping me left and right, telling me to wake up from the coma I have been suddenly induced in to.

I am for the most part still positive about the change, changes in fact. But I know very well that any decision I make now would work both ways but the best one would be to stay and test the waters and wade in it deeper until I make a life-changing one. I have so much faith in Dell, I have been loyal to the company. I have rejected offers from at least three companies (one in 2006, one in 2007 and another last year) because I strongly believed in the culture of Dell, I wanted to win with integrity, I wanted to grow the Dell way in a Dell-badged site. Dell has been a great place to work to say the least. I have been given all the benefits I could ever want. I get a hefty life insurance, phone coverage, meal allowance, transportation allowance, medical insurance for me and my family, budgets for team motivation and outings, a scholarship, accommodations in hotels, discounts in known establishments, strategic planning out of town sessions, trainings, everything I could ever want. My mom used to tell me that Dell is a very extravagant company, I always tell her that's why I am proud to work for Dell, the company would do everything to make its employees the most motivated ones. And sure is, the new company has hit a goldmine in Dell.

But I guess everyone can't have so much of a good thing and all good things don't last.

Effective April 20, another contact center headquartered in Utah will be assuming the management of the site. Yes, I get to keep my job. Yes, I might receive the same pay. Yes, I lost my scholarship. Yes, benefits will be downgraded. Yes, I still and will support and manage the same direct reports. Yes, I will still be talking to Dell customers. Yes, I am still in a state of denial. A lot is still afloat as we transition. Yes, I am giving this change a try.

This time when change remains inevitable, the best thing to do is to pick yourself up and go with the flow. After all, only losers quit. And up to this day, I am still damn mighty proud I belong to the first batch of Dell New Hires (November 7, 2005).

P.S. Can you spot me in the picture? This was taken sometime around November 2005 at the RCBC Bank, Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

PBA09p21p053

The Fifth Vase

Pink tulips, pink delphiniums, sunflower, yellow orange stargazer lilies...this will be the fifth bunch of flowers that I have received from "Mr. Flowers" and as always the flowers are so pretty they catch everybody's attention at work...

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat. ~Beverly Nichols

Indulging the Craving

I have been craving for chocolates for the past few days already and finally today before I went home, I dropped by Leonidas to pick some pick-me-uppers.

Now I am eating so just enjoy the pictures.






Leonidas is at the 2nd Floor of the Mall of Asia beside La Bagagerrie and near Lacoste Shoes. Feel free to stop by and indulge your cravings too. They sell the chocolates by the box or by grams. The box cost about Php2500 and the assorted ones costs Php 498/100 grams. Yum!

Sunshine In A Vase

Well, I am super close to being really really spoiled...

See, I already have my own garden at work gathered in pretty crystal vases. I have my own spring arranged to make me smile and instigate curiosity among people at work.

See, how the orange lilies stand tall in my desk...

A close-up view...


What can I say? Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now, I only need a bee to make the garden more realistic. Hehe!

I'll Name Her DIXIE

Nikon's Smallest Digital SLR Ever! Beautifully styled, the D60 makes high performance digital SLR photography easier and more convenient than ever. You'll be amazed at the power packed into a camera that weighs just over 16 ounces.

Well, I have been jonesing on buying a new camera to replace "Pinky" (my pink Sony camera) for about a couple of weeks already. And so, after making up my mind, I will be buying her on one condition: Pass both my INFOTE and ETHLAW MBA classes (well, not just pass but get a grade that I have been used to getting: 4.0) or just simply be a good girl. ;-)

What is there not to love about a Nikon D60?

*The compact 10.2-MP D60 delivers breathtaking picture quality and the versatile handling of a D-SLR, yet is incredibly compact, easy and fun to use.

*Extraordinary 10.2-Megapixel DX-format Nikon Picture Quality: Nikon's high-performance, 10.2-megapixel DX-format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive EXPEED image processing concept provide added cropping freedom and the ability to make larger prints.

*Includes AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization Lens: NIKKOR lenses are famous for breathtaking sharpness and faithful color. With Nikon's fast, accurate autofocus and Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization technology built in, pictures are even sharper, free from blur caused by camera shake when shooting hand-held.

*Fast Startup and Split-Second Shutter Response: With fast startup and split-second shutter response, the D60 eliminates the frustration of shutter delay, capturing moments that other cameras miss.

*Shoot Continuously at up to 3 Frames per Second: Capture sports action, precious moments and fleeting expressions at up to 3 frames per second, for as many as 100 consecutive JPEG images.

*Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control: Nikon's Active Dust Reduction System activates automatically, along with Airflow Control technology to reduce the amount of dust that reaches the sensor.

*Easy Operation with Intuitive Controls: Intuitive controls and an onboard HELP Menu System with Assist Images make the D60 truly easy to use, enabling everyone to capture beautiful memories perfectly.

*Nikon's EXPEED Image Processing Concept: Nikon's original digital image processing concept, EXPEED, comprehensively optimizes pictures, shot after shot.

*8 Digital-Vari Program Automatic Shooting Modes: Eight Digital Vari-Program Modes include: Auto, Auto Flash-OFF, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up and Night Portrait; each of which adjusts automatically for optimal results for everyday shooting situations. Each mode considers lighting conditions and possibilities, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, hue, tone, sharpening and more to make creative photography as simple as rotating the mode dial.

*Nikon's Smallest Digital SLR Ever! Beautifully styled, the D60 makes high-performance digital SLR photography easier and more convenient than ever. You'll be amazed at the power packed into a camera that weighs just over 16 ounces.

*2.5-Inch, 230,000-Dot Color LCD Monitor with 170-Degree Wide-Angle Viewing: Playback images are easy to see and function menus are easier to use with a larger and brighter color LCD monitor. The large 2.5-inch LCD monitor enables image preview at up to 19 times magnification and has large type fonts with easy-to-view menus. Auto rotating LCD display provides automatic horizontal and vertical graphic display orientation.

*Advanced HELP Menu System with Assist Images: The D60's Assist Images help you select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting, as well as an advanced HELP Menu for the current item selected. The D60's Question Mark icon (?) indicates that help is available for the currently selected item; just press the HELP button beside the LCD monitor to see a context-sensitive HELP page.

*Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II: The D60's 3D Color Matrix Metering II evaluates each scene for brightness, color, contrast, size and position of shadows and highlights, selected focus area and camera-to-subject distance, comparing that information against an onboard database of more than 30,000 actual photographic scenes. The result delivers instantly and precisely determined exposures for each scene, even in challenging lighting conditions.

*Image Optimization Options: The D60's Optimize Image setting lets photographers adjust color, contrast and sharpening, as well as other image settings, according to the type of scene or output desired. Settings include: Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, Custom and Black and White, each of which are automatically adjusted based on sophisticated Nikon algorithms or user-selected settings for optimum results.

*Built-in Speedlight with i-TTL Automatic Flash Control: Nikon's innovative i-TTL flash control evaluates flash exposure with incredible precision to achieve better automatic flash balance and deliver outstanding results. The built-in Speedlight is always ready to bring beautiful exposures to darkened conditions, as well as add sparkle for fill flash in outdoor situations for enhanced twilight shots or an added impact to daylight images. In low-light or back-light situations, added illumination from the built-in Speedlight can make the difference between an average snapshot and a dazzling picture.

*Fast, Accurate 3-Area Autofocus: The D60's advanced 3-Area AF system and the refined algorithms inherited from more advanced Nikon digital SLR cameras deliver fast, efficient and precise Autofocus. AF refinements deliver greater precision with fast, more consistent subject acquisition and improved focus tracking for consistently sharper pictures.

*In-Camera Image Editing and Enhanced Retouch Menu: Highly versatile in-camera editing features through the Retouch Menu include Nikon D-Lighting, Red-Eye Correction, Image Trim, Image Overlay, Monochrome (Black and White, Sepia and Cyanotype) along with Skylight, Warm Tone and Color Balance filter effects. New effects and controls include Quick Retouch, NEF (RAW) Processing, Cross Star and Color Intensifier filters. This provides greater creative freedom without the need for a computer for those who prefer to send pictures directly to a printer.

*Stop motion video: Creates a stop-motion animation from a sequence of images for added creative fun to your pictures.

*Up to 500 Images per Battery Charge: The supplied EN-EL9 rechargeable battery will allow for shooting up to 500 images per charge based on CIPA battery testing standards.

*Price: ESP $649.95*

Making ME Some Dinner

Eversince I changed my schedule to 2AM-11AM (Sunday/Monday off) and enrolling two subjects in my MBA, I hardly had any time to cook for myself anymore. And so if I have time, I make sure I treat myself real well.

I initially planned to have grilled salmon, grilled zucchini and buttered halved baby potatoes garnished with thyme and rosemary but ended up having pan-seared salmon on a bed of mixed greens with stir fried bean sprouts and carrots and corn. I also made blanched baby potatoes with honey mustard dressing and dried marjoram.

Potatoes as appetizer...



And the main dish...

I had a good dinner and some blackberry merlot on the side. Now, I only have the local news to watch and I'm set to go to bed until it's time to wake up and prep for work.

Flowers on a Sunday

I love Sundays because I get the license to be lazy. But when you wake up with flowers staring at you, then I think I want the other days to be Sunday too...

I was in church when I got an SMS from the flowershop that I have another bunch of flowers for me. Good thing since I plan to stop by Starbucks after church and continue reading my Business Ethics book and understand the Theory of Utilitarianism better so I can drop by the office and receive the delivery and approve payroll at the same time. I love Sundays, I can do anything at a whim.


So, these flowers are in memory of the purple tulip I accidentally "killed" while rearranging the flowers in the vase. I was smiling from ear to ear after reading the note. And I still smile everytime I remember it.

Deathbed of a Memory

Morbid hums distinguished by a lonely lullaby

Whispering sunken dreams

To a heart full of ecstatic hope

Nobody ever cares to lend a hand

A memory bathed in a stained catastrophe.

Dare to unwind but to such misfortune

Confined in utmost scrutiny

There's still much to do

Can't even move for life has paralyzed

The whole being of this sunken soul.

The deathbed awaits a victim

Sadomized by life's unfair judgment

It's too hard to handle

It's too much to bear the scars

The agonies a painful screech in the flesh.

Yesterday made a mark

A glimpse of reality has been done

But today the missing being is lying alone

Helpless in such a deathbed

Morbid hums reigning, such a lonely lullaby.

My Playlist

Running out of ideas what to write in my blog can be so frustrating sometimes and this time is one of those. I feel so inspired but I could not seem to put it into writing (maybe I am just reserving them for my Business Ethics papers that I am yet to write). Anyway, lemme share my Playlist to y'all. Hope this will inspire you come up with your own playlist to use in the gym and keep yourselves motivated to keep on and never give up.

NOTE: Make sure to hydrate and try to do speed intervals so feel free to arrange your playlist in the order that you are most comfortable. No excuse is good enough for you not to take care of your health. Start taking a “no-ifs,-ands,-or-buts-about-it” attitude toward fitness.

1. Erotic (Keyshia Cole) - 4:11 - for warming up/stretching

2. Circus (Britney Spears) - 3:12 - for brisk walking and a 4-incline/4-speed walk on treadmill

3. Womanizer (Britney Spears) - 3:43 - start increasing the heart rate 6-incline/6-speed walk on treadmill

4. Ecstasy (Darude) - 3:57 - increase incline to 8/6-speed; at 2:22 stay at 8-incline and increase speed to 8 (sweat should be breaking off by now)

5. Enter The Rave (Darude and Rob Zombie) - 7:00 - at this stage, you should have your heart pumping already, this is where speed intervals kicks in. Do 2 minutes at 6-incline/6-speed, 1 minute 8-incline/8-speed, 1 minute 4-incline/4-speed, 2 minutes 6-incline/6-speed, 1 minute 4-incline/4-speed. Feel free to customize, keep you body guessing...

6. American Boy (Estelle) - 4:05 - comfortable walking mode 6-incline/5-speed

7. Poker Face (Lady Gaga) - 3:59 - increase incline to 8/maintain speed at 5

8. Bodies (Drowning Pool) - 3:25- Do 1:00 at 6-incline/6-speed, 1 minute 8-incline/8-speed, 1 minute 4-incline/6-speed, 25 seconds 4-incline/4-speed to recover. Remember to pump your arms, do not hold on to the rail, and tighten your tummy

9. I Like It Rough (Lady Gaga) - 3:23 - brisk walk at your own pace

10. Booty Music (Deepside) - 3:12 - walk slow as you cool down

STRETCH to Flashing Lights (Lil Wayne)

An interval workout, which alternates between moderate and fast speeds, not only blasts fat, it also keeps the burn going. You'll knock off 9 percent more calories for up to 14 hours after 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise (Florida State University study).

Flowers and Smiles

Never knew blue/purple flowers can melt my worries away. Again, thank you for the thoughtfulness. Help me find words that mean more than "your effort is appreciated".

TRIVIA Tulip: This amazing flower got its origin in Persia; tulips were at one time as expensive as a house because of their rarity. Express your love lavishly with tulips.

A Colorful Surprise

I got some flowers delivered to my office today and it was quite a surprise...a wonderful and lovely and very pretty surprise... The thoughtfulness is certainly appreciated.



The blooms are just a site to behold. I was told by the flowershop when they called to confirm the address that another vase will be delivered today. To quote the caller: "He must be inlove with you so much to send you all these". Hmmmmm!

I'll let the pictures speak for itself...

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. -Martha Washington(1732-1802)