2009...oh what a year

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

before the end of 2009 comes, let's try to recall things that happened this year:

1. i heart the philippines.....

for the fifth year in a row,i made my way back to what i call "annual" pilgrimage to my home country. what made this year different though is that i went back twice in one year. first one was in january with my mom for two weeks. as usual, just visited the family, stay at home, and some party here and there. the second one was in may (my first time to go back during their summer season). originally a one week trip that turned to a month (my longest vacation ever). did my usual thing but a lot of partying. it was also the first time that i made a trip to visayas (one of the three principal geographical divisions that made up the philippines). i went to boracay for a few days to relax.

2. what old is new.....

i started the year in a new company (i was there for only about 2 months) and by the middle of the year, i was back at my old company. it was daring move on my part to hop from one job to another especially when the crash of 2008 economy was still in every ones mind. unemployment is still high and here i am so confident that i will have a secure job. i am just glad that my old company too me back with open arms (i think).

3. hi fb (fb = facebook, you silly).....

while i was on vacation in the philippines, i was introduced to the world of facebook. i am not new to fb. i received an invite before from a friend but i was too hesitant of starting a new social networking site. i was using friendster at that time. but then i realized that everyone (and i mean everyone) was actually using facebook. so if you can't beat them, join them. now i am an fb "addict".

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

oh what a very busy weekend it has been. yesterday (saturday), i had to wake up early so that i can go to do my black "saturday" shopping - i know, i know...the term is "black friday", not saturday. what can i do, i had to work. so anyway, i went to toys r us to look for christmas gifts for all of you. took me about an hour to get all the gifts. not sure if i got what you expect as your christmas gift but as longs as i get something that i think you'll like, i am happy.

this morning, i had to wake up early again. this time i have to get the christmas tree. a yearly tradition that i normally do during the weekend after thanksgiving. i should have done it yesterday but shopping was more important.

the tree that i got this year is smaller than what i normally get (as per grandma, it's the right size). i guess it reflects on what is going on with the economy right now...everyone is trying to save. :)

i concentrated my whole morning on fixing the christmas tree (putting the lights on and the christmas decoration). this year, the motif is butterfly. enjoy!

thanxgiving parade........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

for the first time ever, i went to a parade here in nyc. not really a big fan of crowded space but since the weather was nice, we decided to go.....with hope, em, mei, dylan, and nicky.

just go with the flow....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

for the past couple of weeks now, i've seen a few of the magazine talk shows discuss about foods bought on the corner street. i have no problem eating such foods (or what i normally called dirty food)....although there are instances when you think, what is exactly in that or are they really clean?

anyway, i tried a new one this afternoon for lunch - rickshaw dumpling. the cart according to their tweet schedule (always on wednesdays), they are going to be located on 57th and 8th. luckily for me, it was a block away from work.


i ordered the chicken with thai basil dumpling. it cost me about $6 for 6 pieces.

my comments........taste good but i had better. i just want to try it.

oh yeah, 6 dumplings does not suffice my lunch....i had to get a small soup somewhere else. i am such a pig.

uncle allan.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

one wonders why all of you call me by my name....you have uncle melvin, tita hope, tita mei, tito rommel, and so forth......but when it comes to me, i go by just being allan. why is that??? hmmm...........


nicky

what now........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's been over a month since i last post here. what happened to me? well i don't really have an excuse. i just got bored and too lazy to post anything here. i'm also too busy with facebook. too sad..... as much as i want to promise that i will try to post here, it's highly unlikely that i will keep that promise. i do want to keep this up and running...and the best i can say is that i will try.

ouch.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

rough playing.....i get this small scratches/scars at least once a week. most of the time from niko.

yum yum.......bon appetit supper club

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

yesterday around 11 am, melinda (a co-worker) and i decided to drop by the bon appetit supper club on the corner of 57th st. and 6th ave. since it was only a few doors down from our work....and it was the last day (they were only open for one week), why not go. there was a line already when we get there but it wasn't that bad....it wasn't lunch time anyway (by the way, they are only open from 11 am to 3 pm).


i got the Bon Appétit's Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Gulf Shrimp ($7), Baked's Chocolate Cloud Cookie ($3) and Brewer's Bar ($3). it was a big pricey for a small soup and dessert but hey, it's not too often to eat something created by master chefs like Cat Cora and Mario Batali.


i heard the next pop up supper club will be sometime in october....and still on 57th street area. oh how lucky i am.

does this make me look fat???

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

every single morning before heading to work, i usually check the news or whatever is on tv. most of the time, i see infomercials...and lately, it's the ab circle pro:


i have no problem being bombarded with all these ads. i think they're fun to watch and very entertaining. can you imagine loosing 10 pounds in 10 days?? is that even healthy?

anyway, speaking of healthy, i can say that i'm officially in my target weight. i was trying to get to 165 lbs and for the past month or so, i'm between 160 and 163. i've been getting good compliments for me losing weight...which great. but thinking about it, is our society really that into "being skinny or fit"?? i remember back in 2004/2005 when i almost reach 200 lbs. i didn't realized that i was really that heavy. but every time i go to see my doctor, he would always say "oh yeah mike, you need to lose a few pounds". what does he mean by a few pounds??? according to a story i once read in the national geographic, my BMI (body-mass index) should be between 20-25. i was in my 30-35. scary. i was considered morbidly obese. eeewww. funny.

jump to 2009, my height and weight is proportionate......but how come i feel more relaxed when i gained those weight??

Summer of 2009..............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

as the summer of 2009 comes to an end, i just want to share with you all the fun that we did this year. i can't wait for next year.....

7/31/09 - splish splash


8/12/09 - bronx zoo



8/18/09 - american museum of natural history and central park



8/26/09 - ny botanical garden

back to the old michael....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

for the first in weeks, i got home feeling like i just want to eat and then hit the sack. i started doing my summer hours again this morning which meant my work day started at 7 am. today was a humid day as well...which is one of my biggest enemy. anyway, it's been a long long day.

i want to sleep.

no man is an island.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i drag today my sister hope to go with me to visit governor's island. ever since they open it to the public in 2008, i've been wanting to go there. finally today was the day. the weather was nice....no complains here.

we took the first trip to the island that leaves manhattan at 10 am. walked around for an hour and a half (the whole island) and took the ferry back to manhattan. we went straight to Soho (again dragging hope with me) and had a nice lunch....my treat of course. before heading back home, i asked hope to buy at least a dessert which she did oblige by buying a chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate at a Mr. Softee truck near the subway.

anyway, i told hope that next time, we should come back here with all of you and rent a bike. have a picnic as well in one of their numerous picnic grounds.

** governor's island is located in the heart of new york harbor, just 800 yards from lower manhattan and even closer to brooklyn. the entire 92-acre national hsitoric district is open to the public for picnics, tours, car-free biking and more. (info from the brochure)



i like the tree lined street...reminds me of our old neighborhood in brooklyn


hope wants to have her picture taken with the castle williams as her background


a little bit of a history of castle williams


weired entrance for a castle...


view of lower manhattan from governor's island


need i say more what this is all about??


this house looks dilapidated but i like the old style


after walking for an hour, we decided to take a break.....they have this red chair scattered all over the place....me like it


another section of the island where most residents stayed


we finally found a house that was open to the public


like the colonial color and setting of the fireplace


just love the classic staircase....

let the summer season begin................

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

this weekend i feel like it was the official start of summer. yesterday (saturday) and today, i can literally feel the humidity. as soon as i get out of the house, i can sense that i'll be sweating anytime soon. not my cup of tea but what can i do, it's summer time.

anyway, just some random thoughts here. yesterday i was asked by someone (and a few colleagues) who hasn't seen me for a few months if i was on a diet because i look like i lost some weight. i said i was not on a diet but yes, i lost a few pounds. i guess going to the gym religiously is "working out" after all....now if i will just do the same thing of going to church.

anyway, i am not a gym freak if that's what your thinking. i only limit myself to the elliptical machine and treadmill. maybe someday i'll venture on the free weights but for now, i'm sticking to the machines. in regards to eating, i try to eat very healthy. less junk foods. it's working so far so hopefully i'll manage to do it for the whole year.


view from the kitchen window...granda gie's mini-garden

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

was feeling lousy today. my cell phone alarm which i keep next to my bed woke me up. as most of you know, i am a morning person so i started the day not in a good mood. left the house early to make sure i get to work before 7 am. train was late and crowded. no seats available. trying to calm myself not to be frustrated.

travel time wasn't that bad. got to my train stop with 15 minutes spare. stopped by starbucks to get my regular frappucino to cheer me up (well more of a sugar rush). just my luck, they didn't have the mixture ready. waited for about 5 minutes. got to work 7:10 am. what a way to start my day.

anyway, the whole day was just weired. luckily, my lunch was good...which makes up for the whole day.


all from au bon pain: large broccoli chowder soup, asiago cheese breadstick, and mini corn loaf

what happened to summer???

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:


one of grandma gie's garden flower
i shouldn't be complaining but everyone is asking where is the typical summer weather? humidity? i am not a summer person (and everyone knows that) but the temperature lately feels like it's spring/fall. global warming changes i assume?

i am in pain.........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i am having a terrible toothache. i am in very very very deep pain. ouch moment every single minute. i only got 3.5 hours of sleep last night. i need to see a dentist. soon.........

it's summer alright......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

although it rained (with thunderstorm) last night, this weekend was just beautiful.


Rose Garden, NY Botanical Garden

the week that was.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

been a week since i last posted a blog. been tired this past couple of days. started doing the summer schedule...which means i work only for 4 days instead of 5. typically my shift is 9 to 5, but with the new schedule, i do 7 to 5 completing the 35 hours requirement in 4 days. it's great that my boss allowed me to participate even though i've been there for only a month.

anyway, after work, i go straight to the gym for an hour. from there, i head home and play (or should i say another workout) the wii ea active for half an hour. by the time i'm done, it's about 8:30/9 pm. i know it sound still early but i am so tired that i just want to sleep.

before i forget, i want to say that i am getting addicted to facebook. it's just one of those things that i cannot live without. seems like everyone is doing it so why not join.


took a snap shot of #9 west 57th st. on the way to work one morning

independence day???.....................

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:


everybody is barbecuing outside and here i am typing this blog. i've never been a big fan of barbecuing nor celebrating independence day. don't get me wrong, i like taking a day of at work but i don't fuss around the whole celebration thing. the family usually go to the beach (most of the time at the finishing ground of jones beach) and wait for the firework. but now a days, it's more of staying at home and just watch the macy's fireworks on tv. does it mean that this is a reflection of tough economy that we are just taking everything slow on the spending?? who knows.

anyway, i am reminiscing my vacation last may. oh how i wish i am just somewhere quiet. hmmmm.

if the shoe fits......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i have a big dilemma here. for the past two months now, i have been searching for a pair of work shoes...the typical black casual shoes. when i was on vacation in the philippines, i went to almost all the stores when i go to a mall. no such luck. as soon as i got back here in nyc, i did the same. i tried even looking at brand name such as prada, gucci, and kenneth cole to name a few. i found one or two a few weeks ago but guess what...they don't have my size. i tried even looking at websites but nothing.

what is wrong with me? why can't i find the right shoes. i just want the shoes to "sing" to me and say buy me. am i asking too much?

just amazing......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

one word: AMAZING.

i was surfing the net when i saw the pix of johnny depp in his new role as the mad hatter in disney's "alice in wonderland". the pix alone makes me want to go to my bed and cover myself with my blanket. so haunting.......


Photograph by: Disney

to my dad......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

happy father's day to everyone...


picture circa 1960's??

oh summer......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

while i wait for my friend for dinner last night, i decided to take a snapshot of what summer should look like. it's the first day in weeks that the sun came out.

washington square park