Milk tea

Image from Completely Smitten.

Because it's been so hot, I've been dreaming of drinks with ICE. So yesterday, upon the suggestion of my friend Sheree, I made some milk tea.

Nikko's Milk Tea
1 mug hot water
1 tea bag
milk
sugar
Ice ice ice!

1. Steep tea in hot water and leave till it cools down to room temp. (This makes strong tea but it will be diluted with milk and ice.)
2. Add milk, sugar and ice. Enjoy!

Variations:

• If you don't like milk tea, replace milk with calamansi or lemon juice to make iced tea.
  
• Sago is a good idea, but only if you have sago straw. :-P~
• Iced coffee is good too. Just make sure to dissolve coffee creamer (if you use it) in hot water first.
• Vanilla milk tea? Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence.
  
• Avatar tea? Add 1-2 drops blue food color. (But whyyy? LOL)

Suggestions:

• Drink while reading Moby Dick. (It's written in a roundabout style that'll make you feel the afternoon is longer than it actually is. Plus... white whale is most awesome.)
  
• Drink while watching Singing in the Rain. Try tap dancing after, and then make more tea to cool off. Pray for more men on TV and movies to keep cool by singing and tap dancing in rain instead of taking shirt off.
  

Have a chilly June day!

Movie review: Here comes the bride

Sunnyday told me to be more wary about movies my Ate invites me to see with her because, as the trend has it, I often end up wasting my time sitting through her choice of films. But I miss my Ate; so last Sunday I found myself at the mercy of Here Comes the Bride. I'm gonna make something useful come out of the experience by writing what I think.

First of all, I think this movie should not have been rated GP. Besides the type of humor in it, the attitudes of the different characters towards love, sex and marriage are a bit off. Take Stephanie, the bride-to-be (played by Angelica Panganiban and Eugene Domingo) for instance. She was styled as the "good girl"--she designed her wedding dress conservatively, she seems to have already talked to her boyfriend/fiance about saving sex for marriage, etc. but as you watch the film, you feel that the character is flat--it's as if they created Stephanie by throwing in all the typical goody-goody attributes but filled her head with notions that didn't agree with any of them.

Because somehow it seems that the whole film regards marriage as a license to have sex, and that the whole point of the wedding is the honeymoon that happens after (hence, the supposedly VERY funny scene where the just-married-husband tries to do it with his wife, who happened to be--after some twists and turns involving magnets, car accidents and a solar eclipse--trapped in Eugene Domingo's body). GP GP GP!

I mean, if you're going to write about a good girl, please give her a brain (because she needs one to be able to make good decisions) and spunk (because she needs it to stick to these decisions). None of this "I can't wait for tonight because we can finally do it!"

Marriage is a vocation, a calling to a life dedicated to one's spouse and to God; and a promise to raise a family in a home full of love. I'm not an expert at this to be able to give examples and all, but that's the gist. And this movie doesn't get it.


Images from http://hctbmovie.multiply.com

Fearless modesty

It sounds like an oxymoron, but these days the words "fearless modesty" seem quite apt as a call to action: we're so used to seeing people dressed improperly that modest fashion comes off as going against the grain.

Just look at the swimsuit racks and you'll see what I mean. Have you ever tried asking the saleslady if the store had more one-piece suits? I have, and salesladies, with apologetic smiles, always say no. I concede to the fact that people like to have options and that there are those who prefer triangle tops and bikini bottoms to more functional one-piece suits, but whatever happened to options for people who appreciate real and fashionable suits for swimming? (I'm talking about the regular fashion boutiques that offer summer fashion; sports stores will always have modest options because they know what swimming entails.)

And another thing: when did the word "modest" get equated to "unfashionable"? When you strive to be modest in attire, you're thinking about what will make you look good and presentable--what's so unfashionable about that?

Frankly, there's so much more fashion creativity fostered when you choose your clothing pieces with care. Covering up appropriately takes more brain power! Recently, I bought a very nice crayola-blue short-sleeved cardigan to wear over some tops and dresses I bought way back in 2007, when I didn't think much about appropriate clothing. I'm happy to say I can wear these unwearable pieces more often now that I have a cardigan to put over them. See--creativity and modest fashion just go together.

To anyone who, like me, is getting tired of people insisting short shorts are cool (I concede again that they literally are), and plunging necklines more "womanly," here are some humorous comebacks to use at one's own risk:

"Why don't you want to show your cleavage?"
"Hindi KSP ang cleavage ko."
(Got this from Sunnyday. LOL. I can't think of an English translation with similar punch.)

"Why do you keep wearing a cardigan? I'm feeling so hot here just looking at you!"
"Go wear a swimsuit and stand beside the fan."

"Why are you wearing leggings under that mini dress?"
"I want to keep my sitting rights."

"If you've got it, flaunt it!"
"I think there are enough free shows out there."

If you're a woman and want to be respected, you have to stand up for modesty. Because in the end, it's your dignity--and the way people see you and (in turn) deal with you--at stake! There's a thin line that separates clothing that make you a subject and clothing that make you an object. To help you discern that line, here's a beauty contest question to ponder on: "Would you rather be sexy or beautiful?" which is just another way of saying: "Would you rather people see you as a set of body parts or as a whole person?"

Methinks the answer to that is the same for all women.

Call for scholarship applicants!

Hooray! Our concert was a success! Here's a repost from the Ex Libris Philippines blog. It's about our Scholarship Project!

---

Sometimes, all it takes is a helping hand given at the right moment. One semester can make the difference between a student continuing and eventually finishing his studies at UP, or stopping his schooling in order to work. The trouble with the latter is that they rarely get the chance to complete them.

It is because of this that our NGO, Ex Libris Philippines, organized our "Concert For A Cause" fundraising activity last May 21, 2010. We're now looking for beneficiaries for our scholarship project. We seek undergraduate students who need financial assistance to continue their studies at the University of the Philippines for the first semester of A.Y. '10-'11. (Partial and complete scholarship grants for one semester will be granted based on the applicant's need)

Do you know of any deserving U.P. student of good moral and intellectual standing (preferably no INC's or 5's, with a GWA of 2.00 or higher), who REALLY NEEDS this one semester tuition fee grant? If you do, please send their contact information and any other pertinent info (e.g. references, mini bios) to Gabriela Francisco gabitwin@gmail.com (09209470835) or Tata Francisco teachertata@gmail.com (09209470861) (or any other Ex Libris Philippines member you know).

Thank you so much! Please reply if you know someone---anyone---an orgmate, collegemate, friend, or classmate. A UP student who you think is deserving, and who really needs the financial aid. Just a name (or several names!) and contact number/s will do---and of course, a few sentences (personal recommendation) will be a great help. Please forward this to your teachers/students, family and friends; perhaps they may know of people who need this scholarship. Thank you so much!

For more information about Ex Libris Philippines, please go to http://exlibrisphilippines.multiply.com


For interested applicants, please submit the following:

4 pcs. 1x1 ID picture
Copy of parents' most recent ITR
Copy of TCG (a CRS printout of grades will do)
3-4 names (with complete contact info) for references

Bad news!

My phone got snatched last week. I'm so sorry to everyone in my phonebook. So far, I heard from some friends that the snatchers have nothing better to do than call and text them. Good-bye load.

Globe says they can give me back my number within the week. Why it takes a week, I don't know. >:-(

Here's what happened, in case this experience can help other people avoid getting their stuff snatched in the future. I was in the Cubao-Crossing bus going home.

1. Snatcher Guy sat beside me in the bus. My bag was on my lap and the zipper opening was on the side near him. My phone was right by the zipper opening. (Careless, I know.)
2. Snatcher Guy pretended to twiddle with the aircon. He reached up and was twiddling with the aircon for so long I got irritated and looked up.
3. Turns out he was using his other hand to pick from my bag. Bye-bye phone.
4. He changed seats and made someone with him (let's call him Cahoots Guy) sit beside me. So I wouldn't be able to stand up and stop him. (Not sure if Cahoots Guy had knife.) I told Cahoots Guy that Snatcher Guy stole my phone. Cahoots Guy was bad actor. I hope my split second of sincere trust in stranger pricked his conscience. But maybe not.
   
5. The snatchers got off at Guadalupe before the bridge. There were three of them. I wonder how many victims there were.

Heard from a friend that there are other techniques they use. Some pretend to be barfing and then a Cahoots Guy will say, "Natalsikan ka! (You got some on you!)" and when you inspect your shirt... good-bye iPod Touch.

Some open letters:

Dear Big-Discount-Phone-Buying Public,

Please don't patronize those places where they sell phones/gadgets of dubious origin. It encourages more snatching.

Dear Soon-To-Be-President,

I hope what you stand for really seeps down to the people so that we'll have a more commuter-friendly nation. "Hindi ako magnanakaw" was your, um, campaign slogan, and it seems most people voted you for that. I find it very ironic that my phone got snatched just when all the news headlines are blaring how you're leading in the partial results. Please do something to really eradicate corruption, not just in politics.

Dear friends,

Please pray that Snatcher Guy and Co. find better things to do with their time. And that they get pricked by their conscience. I think they won't get much from selling my phone because it's a relatively cheap model (that happens to be on sale now in Samsung) and is network-locked (i.e. someone has to pay to make it open-line). I got it for free when I signed up for a prepaid plan. I am really annoyed that they've been using my number to bother you guys. And of course, I hate the inconvenience, but on the bright side, I'm lucky to be ok.

Merry month of May

It's our May issue! And who's that little girl in pink? Cutie-pie Kara Judielle Sacrez, of course! She's having a grand time here ordering cupcakes and (very refreshing) iced tea at Cupcakes by Sonja, Serendra. Photo taken by Krissy Alfafara Rodriguez of Little People Lifestyle Photography.

Our theme this month is Be the Best Mom You Can Be! so there are certainly lots of articles that are helpful... including informative pregnancy articles for moms-in-waiting, baby articles for the moms-in-training, and parenting & family articles for all moms-for-life.

I know it's quite late for this but I'll say it anyway: Happy Mother's Day to all wonderful mommies out there! Yehey!

Baby magazine is published by Marathon Publishing Co. and is sold at all National Bookstores, SM baby department stores, Babyland (Robinsons Galleria, Shaw Blvd. near Cherry Foodarama), Baby & Co. (The Podium and Power Plant Mall), Bufini, Procreation Shangri-la mall, Big & Small Co. Shangri-la Mall.

Wanted: Leaders who will uphold life

I'm so frazzled. I don't want all our future leaders to be OK with the RH Bill. That would be a nightmare. And you thought this issue was dead.

I got asked by a friend once what I wanted in our leaders and I said, "I want someone who is pro-life." And she replied, "Is that all the matters to you?"

(Why, yes, because life comes above all causes. What's education if there are no kids to study? What's environmentalism without people to breathe the newly freshened air? What's commerce without workers? or agriculture without farmers? Think about it: people are the benefactors and the assets. Stop insisting on cutting down on people!)

I want pro-life leaders because I want a Philippines that values life, and with it, family, marriage and a prevailing culture that preserves these institutions. We can't have that if we vote a president who, in his first 100 days in office, will sign into law a bill that forces schools to teach sex education to kids as young as 10. They say "age appropriate" as if all kids mature in mind and heart at the same rate.

In defense of sex education, another friend of mine says, "It's better to learn from school than to learn through the Net...because kids are really gonna find it online." Interesting. Did you know that you can learn how to slice off your fingers and sew them back on through the Net? Maybe we should teach that in school too.

What good will knowledge of contraceptive use do for the youth anyway? Oh, let's add to that the free condom stalls they'll put up in every barangay or district (goodbye, taxpayer's money which could've paid for someone's heart transplant). Imagine growing up hearing your teachers say "This is how to use this...'essential medicine'" and then walking home to calls of "Who wants a condom?"

You know what that makes us? Numb.

Let this happen now and, in the future, you won't get shocked if kiddie fastfood meals come with kiddie condoms. Or schools start holding workshops on "self pleasure." Gross? That's what's happening in other parts of the world.

Consider this: before a famous men's magazine made it big, pornography was something only a sleazebag would possess. Now, they're calling it "art." Now, women are vying for a spot on some top 100 list of Women Who Need Men To Drool Over Them So They Can Have Higher Self-Esteem. The very people who should be offended by this kind of material are outdoing each other to be one of the top 100 most objectified women in the country. Ironic? We're just numb.

I don't want our country to become numb. I don't want casual sex to become a norm, marriage merely a contract, and family just a collection of individuals living in the same house.

I sure hope the majority is with me on this.