ailenne

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I have moved out

I am not sure if this post will appear rightaway (my blog has not been very cooperative lately.. I still could not see my posts from Monday night.. It's already Tuesday night!

)

Anyway, I have moved to a new site. Soulportrait, Book 2

Posted at 10:21 pm by Wander Girl
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Monday, January 21, 2008

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

Not many people know this of me, but a large part of the decisions in life I make, and the actions I take are largely influenced by a set of golden rules I have established for myself. Think of people who are very attached to certain principles or philosophies, I am one of those.

(Yes, I know I may send the impression that I am a confused individual, but in most cases, I don't act in random)

Going back to the golden rules, I received these all from my mom since childhood. As a child, I was simply in faithful obedience to these rules (you can tell my # 1 golden rule then was "Mother knows Best"), but later on in life I have come to realize these nuggets of wisdom, were not just my Mom's fancy, but were in fact key in life to maintain personal happiness, and to lead a righteous path.

Those golden rules remained unchanged, until today, when I finally resolved myself to another golden rule, this time, one that I have found out for myself.

"Silence is Golden"

If you ask, friends and co-workers descriptions of me, likely you will hear from them: talker and whiner. Yes, as a typical only child, I am used to being in the center of the universe. So whatever mood I am in, you will find me blabber(ing) away.

I found "speaking my mind" to be a good thing because the environment I was in seemed to welcome it. In school, I loved recitation days; why not, I got good grades for it. In University, I loved presentation days; my schoolmates appreciated that I took care of it while they dealt with machine codes. In the office, I loved reporting and meetings (as my boss said, my job is to be the "newscaster"); I got to know a lot of people, and even got lucky to know some big guns.

Talking became my currency for success. In fact, I felt my happiness level increase by speaking.. speaking is an activity for me, and by not speaking, I felt like doing nothing.

My entire notion about speaking was completely turned around lately, hence this golden nugget, "Silence is Golden" (sorry for the redundancy).

I learned to appreciate silence (and by that I meant listening more), and have discovered distaste for too much talk (and by that I meant hourrrrrrrrrrrrs of whining and argument).

I learned this the hard way. I had to experience the AGONY and PAIN... of having daily encounters with a person who has taken on whining and blabbering as a profession. I had never imagined how talking and whining can do this much harm to a person.. to me!

I am exhausted daily, not from constant problem-solving and analysis, but just by getting overdosed with WHINE WHINE and WHINE!

I know there is little I could change in this person...and my thinking is this must be my punishment for being whiny all these years.

To all the guys who were victims of my very "whiny" old self, I really feel guilty, and sorry. And now I truly know your feelings.

So today, while I could not change my "whiny friend", I will change my "whiny self"

----
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Posted at 8:51 pm by Wander Girl
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My 1st Filipino dish in Costa Rica

My new blogsite is still not ready for prime time.... so posts go here for now!

During the weekend, I got the chance to practice cooking.

If Italians have the "simple pasta", then I have the "simple sinigang" which is just pork ribs on sour broth. What's in it? Answer.. pork + sinigang mix + water.

Overly simple right?

Well, I don't really have a choice but to make siniganng this way since gabi and kangkong are not available here. Surprisingly, the "simple sinigang" tasted like that of home, so inside, I rejoiced a little bit. :-)

This is my first Filipino dish in this foreign country. Haha.

Posted at 4:25 pm by Wander Girl
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Saturday, January 19, 2008

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning

Ok, I am not usually fond of personality tests, but once a in a while I get interested.

Today, I tried another "blogthing" test from Sinch, which tells you which city you belong in . I wanted my test result to say Sydney, because I really fell in love with that place, but it didn't :(

So I tried to see other "blogthings" and found one, that might be interesting, and sure enought it was. Read on...

What Ailenne Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals

Well most of it at least I can say to be true.. haha ;-). But I felt I still needed some more convincing on how accurate the test is (baka I am just hearing what I want to hear), so I tried to see how it's going to describe my bestfriend, Mark.

What Mark Means

You are confident, self-assured, and capable.
You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have
to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it.
And you'll knock donw anyone who gets in your way!

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality

You are wild, crazy, and a huge reble. You're
always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't
handle you. You are very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get
in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have
learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you
don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you are snobby or aloof, but
you're just too deep in though to pay attention to
them.

Hmmm, medyo accurate haha. Try niyo..

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Posted at 2:48 pm by Wander Girl
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Ito ang panahon natin - Anonymous

I decided today to browse through the Friendster pages of my friends and schoolmates from primary school... (ganyan ako walang magawa

).

Examining the "current" lives of old acquaintances, as depicted in their photos, made me
realize that we are now inhabiting different worlds. But I also realized, there was a time, when we shared one small world, and we had looked at it, pretty much the same way.

[To whoever who wrote this in the Friendster Group Profile for St. Paul Batch '96, "Thank you"]

----------------------------------------------------------

1. Paborito mong panoorin ang Shaider, Bio-man, Maskman, Mask Rider Black, Machine Man at kung ano-anong TV sitcom ng Japan na isinalin sa Tagalog.

2. Alam mo ang jingle ng Nano-Nano. (isang kending lasang champoy)

3. Alam mo ang pa-contest ng Kool 106 na uulit-ulitin mong bigkasin ang "Kool 106, Kool 106" hanggang maubusan ka ng hininga.

4. Naglaro ka ng Shake-Shake Shampoo, Monkey-Monkey-Annabelle, prikidam 123, Langit-Lupa-Impyerno, Syato, Luksong-Tinik, luksong-Baka, 10-20 at kung ano-ano pang larong nakakapagod.

5. Pumunta ang mga taga-MILO sa skul niyo at namigay sila ng samples (at nagtaka ka, bakit hindi ganito ang lasa ng MILO kapag tinitimpla ko sa bahay namin?)

6. May malaking away ang mga METAL at mga HIPHOP. Sikat ang kasabihang "PUNKS NOT DEAD!" pero kung gusto mong mag play safe, pwede mong tawagin ang sarili mong HIPTAL.

7. Alam mo ang universal uwian song na "Uwian na!" na kinakanta sa tono na parang doon sa kinakasal.

8. Nagpauto ka sa Batibot pero hindi sa ATBP.

9. Nakipag-away ka para makapaglaro ng brick game

10. Ang "text" noon ay mga 1"x1.5" na karton na may mga drawing ng pelikulang pinoy. (at may dialog pa!)

11. Dalawa lang ang todong sumikat na wrestler, si Hulk Hogan at si Ultimate Warrior. Naniwala ka rin na namatay si Ultimate Warrior nang buhatin niya si Andre d' Giant dahil pumutok ang mga ugat niya sa muscle.

12. Napaligaya ka ng maraming pinoy bands tulad ng Yano, Rivermaya, Grin Department, Tropical Depression, The Teeth, The Youth, After Image, Orient Pearl, The Dawn, Alamid, Wolfgang, at ang sikat na sikat na Eraserheads. (at aminin mong nakinig ka ng Siakol!) La ka magawa eh, yan ang parating playlist ng drayber ng schoolbus.

13. Swerte ka kapag panghapon ka dahil masusubaybayan mo ang mga kapanapanabik na kaganapan sa mga paborito mong cartoon shows tuwing umaga tulad ng Cedie, Sarah, at Dog of Landers a.k.a. Nelo.

14.Alam mo ang ibig sabihin ng "TIME FIRST!"

Posted at 12:35 am by Wander Girl
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Friday, January 18, 2008

Wii Fit is It!

I love my Wii !!!

And I'm sure I'm going to love it more after I get hold of the "Wii Fit"!

Wii Fit, the new (but unreleased) game of Nintendo allows you to perform several fitness exercises right in front of your TV. I watched their demonstration video earlier, and was totally amazed at how the game developers have made Wii Fit very interactive, especially for exercises such as Yoga, Dance and Football Heading!!

To play Wii Fit, you need to have the Wii Balance Board - a mat that does wonders. Let me tell you a few:
   - measures your motion and balance (so it knows if you are doing the routine right)
   - tracks your fitness level over time by calculating your weight and BMI (tells you if you are overweight)
   - it also allows your Mii to interact with others, so you know your friends' fitness level too

It's targeted for release Q2 of 2008. I guess I can wait -- I figure I still have more skill levels to attain in Wii Tennis.

To learn more about Wii. Check this GameSpot link

Posted at 9:40 pm by Wander Girl
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Monday, January 14, 2008

Boracay I'll see you soon !!!

Posted at 11:28 pm by Wander Girl
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Sunday, January 13, 2008

Hmmm....

A sinchpost got me curious today. Two tests to reveal if you are Left Brained or Right Brained.

Prior to taking the test, I was positive I'd be assessed as Left Brained by a high-score..apparently not. Haha.

I took both tests, and both gave the same results, the variance is only by 1% which is like negligible. Hehe.

First Test:

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports .

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Second Test:

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (46%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.
Left Brain (54%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Posted at 2:12 am by Wander Girl
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Fogo de Sta Ana's Smoked Ribs

My teammates and I decided to have an outdoor Saturday BBQ party

Worthy for feature is the pork smoked ribs !!!

What you need:

Pork Smoked Ribs - marinated and tenderized
A grill
Chispa

How to make it:

Get the fire started using chispa blocks (these are "fuel" chalks that you can get in a supermarket here.. and hopefully there in Manila). Using chispa is better because you can make fire easily, and it doesn't leave a gasoline smell on the smoke...you don't want your meat to smell like gas!

Put the ribs on grill, but don't let it get in contact with a very hot grill. According to my teammates, slow cooked ribs taste best, so you just want the ribs to be "smoked". To achieve this either put the ribs on the top grill (as seen above), or keep the grill in low heat temperature by keeping some distance between the grill and the coals.

Cooking time is about 1-1.5 hours

By the time we finished the ribs, I was so hungry. I skipped my plan to take a photo, and give in to the pleading of my grumbling stomach for Fogo de Sta Ana's Smoked Ribs.

Posted at 1:07 am by Wander Girl
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Saturday, January 12, 2008

Humble Beginning

So what was my first ever palatable creation ?

I know I'd get mocked at by answering this, or mocked (some more) by considering this as cooking. But now is not the time to float others' boats, but for some revelation on my first successful execution of a recipe.

Melt-in-your-mouth bagel with cream cheese

What you need:

bagel (multi-grain is better)
cream cheese with chive & onion flavoring (get the reduced fat pack..same flavor and healthier)

How I make it:

Split the bagel. I like my bagel to retain it's "chewy" texture, so I simply "warm" it in the toaster for a few seconds, if you like it toasted, wait for it to turn into a golden brown color.

Coat the flat surface of the half bagel with two tbsps of cream cheese.

Let the soft cheese melt in the warm bagel.

And the final part of course is to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth experience. (This morning treat goes with another favorite of mine, which the cran-apple juice)

My humble beginning.

Posted at 11:35 pm by Wander Girl
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