Out of the Country

Darkened but still proud facade of San Agustin Church in Manila.

Only silence from this spot lately. It is because I am currently in the Philippines desperately seeking spots of beauty and awesomeness. Soon, when I finally find a wifi that works seamlessly, I will write about the"eternal sunshine of my spotty mind."

Feels Like Rain

When only pictures would do. Wordlessly sad.

Feels like crap while the rest of the world is pretty.

Dreaming of Palawan and Old Buildings

I am getting ready for my upcoming trip to the Philippines. This time I am going without the "husband." This can get really interesting. Last time I did this was in 1999. This time however, I am going for our business so it is a lot more complicated -the buying trips to strange places, the packing, the lifting, etc - it can get ugly real fast. I am completely at the mercy of my friends over there whose generosity and patience I will impose upon shamelessly.

Officially, I only have 4 days to pack and come up with an itinerary. Proscrastinating on the latter item is very unlike me because I usually approach the idea of itinerary as if I am strategizing for a war or plotting an invasion. I am hee-hawing this one out for some reason. But I really have to get going on this or risk mindless walkings at those super malls.

Places I have to go? Well, there is Palawan. I need to see the place before the foreigners and conniving developers turn it into another bastardized environment that is Boracay.

Can't wait to dip into this fantastic Palawan body of water.

I am also planning to look up sites in Manila that made it to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Want to see what the buzz is all about.

Off to packing I go.

Words

Words that made me stop and think today:

I'd be happier if I don't give a crap!

And if only one can be so damn lucky to be someone's Delilah. Here is the enviably romantic lyrics to Plain White T's Hey There Delilah:

"Hey There Delilah"
Hey there Delilah
What's it like in New York City?
I'm a thousand miles away
But girl tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
I swear it's true

Hey there Delilah
Don't you worry about the distance
I'm right there if you get lonely
Give this song another listen
Close your eyes
Listen to my voice
it's my disguise
I'm by your side

Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
What you do to me

Hey there Delilah
I know times are getting hard
But just believe me girl
Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar
We'll have it good
We'll have the life we knew we would
My word is good

Hey there Delilah
I've got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath awayI'd write it all
Even more in love with me you'd fall
We'd have it all

Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me

A thousand miles seems pretty far
But they've got planes and trains and cars
I'd walk to you if I had no other way
Our friends would all make fun of usand we'll just laugh along because we know
That none of them have felt this way (My most favorite lines of the song!)

Delilah I can promise you
That by the time we get through
The world will never ever be the same
And you're to blame

Hey there Delilah
You be good and don't you miss me
Two more years and you'll be done with school
And I'll be making history like I do
You'll know it's all because of you
We can do whatever we want to

Hey there Delilah here's to you
This ones for you
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
Oh it's what you do to me
What you do to me.

Hung Wins!!!!

It was suspenseful. Really. I was so nervous for Hung. I thought Dale was going to steal the win from him. Casey was really inconsenquential from her cinammon-scented scallop all the way to her burnt-out pork belly. I think she wants us to blame the altitude at the Aspen. Dale had moments of blinding brilliance. The judges showered praises on those damn Colorado lamb chops, but he also dished out spectacular mess like the curried lobster that Chef Tom called "inedible." Hung on the other hand, was in Chef Rocco's words, "the man with the plan." The judges nitpicked his dishes for want of acid here and there but that was all they could come up with. His finale dishes were worthy of the win - poetic, elegant, screaming of natural talent, finesse, and confident. And he cooked them all with his usual ease, speed, and sagacity. The boy was out to win. And he did.

His first course: Raw Hamachi - looks so yummy. Second course: prawns with tamarind sauce, vietnamese salad, coconut foam and whatever else was nitpicked by the judges but could not be complained about.

His duck was the perfection of the night. Todd English called it a 3-star Michelin meal - Hung nearly passed out when he was told that. His molten chocolate cake was derided as not imaginative or daring enough for a last course. But I thought, this guy got the balls. He believed that his 3 other courses were perfect that all he needed to do was sweeten up the judges with a desert they clearly needed and with a technique that even the judges could not find fault with. Love his mojo! In the end, superiority, consistency, and talent won. Congratulations HUNG!

On a side note: Chef Rocco di Spirito was Hung's sous chef for the finale prep. His blog is really worth reading if only to experience Hung's handiwork first hand. Chef Rocco: my eye candy for the night.

Best words came from Hung: "They tell my that my food has no soul. That feels like being run over by a truck. I have so much love, so much soul in my food." We believe you Hung.

Top Cook

I cannot wait for the Top Chef Finale tonight. I have been scouring Google to see if anyone spilled the beans on the results tonight -- the suspense is killing me. I am rooting for Hung. The dude is so arrogant and conceited, but he is so damn good. I hope he wins. Because although he is full of himself, he is still the underdog - an alpha underdog that is. Man got some mad knife skills and can cook French. He dresses nice too.

As appetizer, I got hooked into watching Aiport 77 with my mom. It was very low-tech but I was mesmerized anyway. John Lemmon was still alive in it, skinny, and has a leading lady! James Stewart was in it too - but I did not hear him speak a single word - at least in the last hour of the movie. Anyhoo, 20 minutes till Top Chef finale, and counting....

I Do It with 50 Million Other People!

I started today with a to-do list, but the day got away with me at

work. Before I knew it, 5pm came and nothing in my list was done. I did manage to start last Sunday's crosswords amidst the chaos at work. I work on crossword to calm my mind, or refocus it, or simply to stop thinking about anything too general. I hope to tackle the New York Times puzzle next which kick my ass each time - can only manage few three-letter words - despicable really! Anyway, I feel like I am the only person in the world who watched Will Shortz "Word Play" but I don't care. In it, I found that Clinton and John Stewart do the crosswords with PEN! Such sagacity! I am impressed. Apparently, there is an actual crossword competition in New York every winter and people in fact go to these things and winners have their own following! It is so geeky, but not anymore than chess, I don't think. I am thinking, if being a triathlete is quite a reach for me, considering my inability to bike or swim, then maybe crosswords competion is my niche. Hmmmm.