itacho sushi: taikoo shing

yummy sashimi: salmon, yellow tail, tuna

i'm sooo loving japanese right now. had sashimi, sushi, miso soup, cold noodels, etc.. from itacho sushi for dinner the other night. what's even better is that it's FREE! hahaha (i guess, that's why) i've been here twice already... given the accessibility being a few minutes walk from my place. japanese restaurants abound in the area to cater to japanese expats residing there. we sat in the bar area so we would eagerly await if the next dish being prepared is ours already. we're a tad hungry so we can't wait for our food to arrive. we started with miso soup, then came one by one the sashimi, hand roll and sushi arrive. love them all! LOL. one 'different' dish we ordered is the the warship style sushi, as they call it. rice wrapped in nori, topped with lobster salad, or fish roe, or sweet shrimp, were handed down to us by the chef. i couldn't finish it in 1 bite, though. still, all is well. haha love love love their grilled salmon, which arrived last. it was complemented with a sorta mayo that removes the 'suya' taste.. thus keeps you yearning for more. hmm, maybe that's why...

what does it take for a long-distance relationship to work? i've learned the hard way. i gave up too easily and made drastic decisions. and so i thought, distance will not be an issue anymore. i will try to make things work and keep things going like in any normal relationship. don't misunderstand because i'm still wary of the 'absence' but i know i should look beyond that. there are more ways to keep in touch with people, more accessible media. i just have to make time and effort to reach out and communicate. besides, it will give me an excuse to travel to another part of the world. haha

kdrama overload 4: my girl

cast:

lee da hae - joo yoo rin

lee dong wook - seol gong chan

lee jun ki - seo jung woo

park shi yeon - kim sae hyun

When Gong-chan (Lee Dong-wook) meets the lively and beautiful Yu-rin (Lee Da-hae), he finds out that she has connections to his missing cousin, who his grandfather has been searching for a long time. He asks Yu-rin to lie about being his long missing cousin until he can find his real cousin. She says yes, but soon their feelings for each other get in the way of their plans. Gong-chan's friend Jung-woo (Lee Joon Ki) falls for Yu-rin while Gong-chan's ex girlfriend, Seo-hyun (Park Si Yeon), who is a pro tennis player, tries to win him back. Will the two ever tell each other how they feel? Will Gong-chan ever find his real sister?

the premise of the story is interesting - hiring a 'talented' girl to play as the long-lost cousin/granddaughter of a rich family to grant the 'dying' wishes of the grandfather. what's more twisted is that 1) the grandfather is not dying anymore coz he regained strength and will to live upon seeing his grandchild 2) the 'cousin' falling in love with her cousin 3) the cousin's friend falling for the 'cousin' and 4) the ex wanting the cousin back. the cool facade of gong chan makes it hard to read him. it's given that he'll fall for yoo rin but when??? yoo rin is aight.. but most of the time, she annoys me. she's too jolly.. then she would be emo one time.. hard to get the next.. i dont get it. she would say that they should remain as "cousins" but her actions give her away.. well, is it really a girl thing? i commend the character of lee jun ki. such a martyr eh! he's there to absorb whatever pain his love for yoo ri brings. awwww, he's too pretty to be sad.

ipod revolution

have you seen the new wave of ipods already? kept me salivating.. a bit. ipod nano is the same thin version, now with video cam and FM radio! ipod touch is now cheaper with more storage space... if ever im thinking of an upgrade, i would like to get either one. but im leaning towards ipod touch just wishing it has video and fm radio too hahaha hmm, iphone? just out of my league yet. coz i have to upgrade my mobile plan as well. in these times, i should be cost cutting. it's just tempting to add these gadgets to my wish list since most shops in hk allow installment, no interest. how about apple tv? or wdtv that still does the job? nah, gotta get my tv updated first. sigh.. so many things, so little money.

hongkong observatory storm signal advisory

"The Observatory will consider the need of issuing the Gale or Storm Signal No. 8 around sunset."

i wish HKO would just announce this type of warning earlier. like, during office hours, right? or maybe in the next day morning, so we don't have to go to work? hahaha typhoon signals in hongkong are classified by wind speed. there are 3 levels: 1, 3, 8; while 9 and 10 are still possible, they are seldom hoisted. rainstorm warnings are identified by amount of rainfall and are issued based on colors: amber, red, black. more often than not, hko weather forecasts are almost accurate. that's why i always check on the site, www.hko.gov.hk/contente.htm, for the latest update. may it be on the latest outside temperature or the 7-days forecast, i rely on the site for such information.

i was talking to mama one time. she said she was on the phone with this girl who's begging to take her daughter and give her a good life. mama simply said, "anong klaseng nanay ka? ako, mawala na saken lahat wag lang mga anak ko." suddenly, i felt my eyes just welling up with unshed tears. (i was in my desk so i had to keep it in haha) i felt so loved with those words. we're not very demonstrative in our family so however indirect it may seem, it just cut right through me. i know that inspite of her strong facade, she's hurt inside. i wish i could just be with her and share her pain.

kdrama overload 3: coffee prince

cast: other princes:

gong yoo - choi han kyul kim chang wan - mr hong

yoon eun hye - go eun chan kim jae wook - no sun ki

lee sun gyun - choi han sung kim dong wook - jin ha rim

chae jung ahn - han yoo joo lee un - hwang min yeop

1st shop of coffee prince, to be exact, revolves around the life of go eun chan (yoon run hye). she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. choi han kyul (gong yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. after eun chan bumped into han kyul and was mistaken for a boy, han kyul decided to hire eun chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. desperately in need of money, eun chan had no choice but to accept. han kyul's grandmother also made han kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. eun chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would han kyul accept his "homosexuality"?

yoon eun hye can really pass as a guy. pretty boy, even. her ways are manly, able to lift heavy things and eat like a man. hahaha eun-chan and han-kyul's interaction in many scenes are adorable. they're like brothers teasing each other. who would think that this will lead to their attraction to each other? enough to make han-kyul doubt his sexuality - even consulting a psychiatrist? hahaha reminds me of a similar premise in hana kimi (jdrama). however, it just shows that when love strikes, you just can't stop it. regardless of gender, it will just leave you vulnerable. and when you think the world is against you, you fight coz for what it's worth, you know you took the risk, not wondering what might have been. next to boys over flowers, i enjoyed this series. it shows love in a 'complicated' form... yes, still with its emo moments but still light and funny sequences. the individual stories of the princes also united the story, making it not too self-absorbed.

kdrama overload 2: autumn in my heart

cast:

song seung hun - yun joon-suh

song hye kyo - yun/choi eun-suh

won bin - han tae-suhk

ha na na - shin yu mi

han chae young - choi/yun shin ae

choi woo hyuk - teen joon-suh

moon geun young - teen eun-suh

lee ae jung - teen shin-ae

Yoon Joon-suh (Song Seung Heon) and Yoon Eun-suh (Song Hye Gyo) are siblings. Eun-suh is in fact from a different family as she was accidentally exchanged with another baby, but no one knows about this fact until one day, when Eun-suh has an accident, her blood is tested only to discover that her blood type is completely different from her brother's. After this discovery, their parents move to the US, and leave Eun-suh behind with her biological mother. Ten years later, Joon-suh returns to Korea and he begins to search for Eun-suh. Their reunion after being apart for ten years raise their childhood memories and soon they fall in love. However, their pure love will not be so easy because Joon-suh already has a fiancee who loves him very much. And Eun-suh has a partner, Han Tae-suk (Won Bin) who has loved her for his whole life.

this is a melodrama who touched the hearts of many. what left a big impact on me is that of the unconditional, unfailing love of a mother to a daughter she thought was her own, that of a man's unrequited love and letting go of someone who taught him how to love, that of a love so great(ly insane) enough to 'welcome' death.. sounds familiar?? romeo and juliet, the korean way. hehe i loved the first 3 episodes where the story of the young characters were shown. the acting was really good, very effective that it reaches out to you. special mention to moon geun young (young eun-suh) man, those tears can just flow out naturally! her portrayal of a loving daughter and sister is passionate yet not overboard; humble yet strong. overall, the plot shies away from the typical rom-com but i just can't stand that song hye-kyo's character had to cry or shed a tear, at least, in most of the scenes. still, a pretty face, nonetheless.

recurring scene

the mom doesn't want to cry or when she does, she quickly wipes them away, saying that she can't see clearly when there are tears in her eyes. tama nga naman.

kdrama overload 1: full house

cast:
song hye-kyo - han ji-eun

rain - lee yeong-jae

han eun-jong - kim hye-won
kim sung-soo - yoo min-hyeok

full house tells the story of a married couple (ji-eun and yeong-jae) who were forced to marry each other due to certain circumstances. theirs is a contract marriage. they each have their own affairs but somehow, they found their way to be their own affair. their like-hate bickerings lead them to realize how much they cared for one another, enough to set each other free.

i looove the girl, song hye-kyo. really pretty, especially with bangs. her character sometimes just annoy me for being too emo, leaving the house when she thinks she's had enough. then going back home again after she's simmered down. with rain, uhm, just ok. i didnt like his outfits the first few episodes. yeah, he's got THE body. but wearing a green, v-neck hanging sweater?!?! NOT. i can't erase the thought of him singing "three bears". a korean nursery rhyme, i think. i quiver just imagining it. NOT cute, for me. i like the outfits han eun-jong wore on the series. cool. she's supposedly the biatch here, but not enough to hate her wits. it's still realistic. i looove kim sung-soo. he's cute. just too bad the girl here has her eyes set on another.. sana akin ka na lang. haha

ost, in my ipod

i think i love you

geu deh ji geum

the korean chopsticks

one dinner time at a friend's house, i noticed that instead of the usual wooden chopsticks, he used a steel, flat, tapered pair with ornate design at the top. it was my first time to see this kind so i commented on it... it turned out.. it was korean chopsticks!

now, what do you know?!?! i tried using it, and found it a bit harder to use. the flat surface somewhat restrains the fingers (especially, if you don't know how to use at all, i think). but they say the purpose is to easily handle food, even by just sticking through it or even deboning a fish effortlessly. whatever reason it is, i told myself that i should buy one. as i read, this is the primary reason for the flat, tapered end compared with the rounded, ivory ones of the chinese chopsticks.

as part of food etiquette, rice and soup are normally eaten with the spoon while the rest are eaten with the chopsticks. each utensil is also used one at a time unlike a normal spoon and fork where one is held on the left and right. i havent bought my own chinese chopsticks maybe it's because they abound everywhere hahaha but with this korean ones, i guess i'll have to scour some specialty shops to get my hands on them.

photo courtesy of komart.com

lea salonga.. your songs

lea salonga will be having a concert in PICC this december 11,12. it will be something different coz all the songs from her repertoire are all requests. they've set up a site to get the requests. you can even send in video requests! haha or just post your pictures with lea so she can keep in her album. looking back, i regret not taking any when they showed Cinderella here. i would have loved to see her on stage again. this time, singing all requested songs. i just wonder what kind of songs she'll give in to. imagine.. lea singing lady gaga's poker face or nobody by wondergirls! that's something different. hehe i will send in my request soon (via www.leayoursongs.com) --> some Kpop, Jpop too.. and land of the loving. i just love her version of this song. latest i've heard, she'll include "bayan ko" which she sang after cory's requiem mass

birthday greets

happy birthday mamuy! aka rosario (RIP)

happy birthday aya! (aka rio rossa)

that's where aya got her name, rio rossa... from rosario. even though mamuy is not here with us anymore, her memories will always live in our hearts.. at times when i really miss her, i talk to her before going to bed. im the eldest grandchild and so i have the most moments with her.

i recall there are mornings in obrero where mamuy would prepare coffee for me coz i wouldnt drink hot choco. the coffee is too hot though so she had to cool it down by pouring it in a large bowl, stir it and blowing on it, and finally transfer it again to the cup. it was just perfect. smooth, creamy, rich taste of coffee with milk. hehehe when our family moved out, we would regularly visit obrero and have lunch/dinner there. on some nights, i would persuade mamuy to cook sinigang sa santol. i didnt know anyone else who cooks sinigang this way. it still has the sour taste and a bit of sweetness to balance the soup. just plain comfort food. =) everytime i would go back to hongkong, she would have this pabaon for me. i had to refuse though to maintain some pride. hahaha but now, mamuy, if you can hear me.. i won't be shy, embarassed anymore.. anything left for me? hahaha

if mamuy was here, i would've gone home and celebrated her birthday with her, with or without a party. every year, coz of mama's nagging, i see to it that im home. now, im thankful she got me to do that. i guess the only regret was not being able to talk to her in her final days. i thought then, that she would come out of whatever she's feeling, like she always does.

~~~ REST IN PEACE, TITA CORY ~~~

BBQ @ shek O

we took time out one night to go for BBQ in shek O. from the office, it's around 30ish minutes travel as we have to go to shau kei wan first then board the bus from there. too bad for me; i had to go to chai wan mtr and realized that there's no bus to shek o in that area. it was a hot summer night so we prepared to be mausukan from the grilling food.

BBQ in honor of our guests.. mara and mheann (ooppss, not in this picture yet.)

meat, meat all meat bbq selection. ohh, didnt know there was cuttlefish ball (i got there late na kase)

migs just couldn't stand the heat... obviously! hehehehe

us, enjoying BBQ.. for a change.. (from the usual steamed, pan/fried, soupy chinese lunch)

playtime with migs... if his folks were not there, i would've made him sakal hehehe

migs likes to take pictures with his gurls... he even called us to pose around him. hahaha

maraaaa, we'll see you again. soon! and mheann, hang in there! hehehe

how to go to shek O beach:

1. take the mtr and alight at shau kei wan station.
2. proceed to exit A2, if i'm not mistaken.
3. take the mini bus to shek 0.

this will cost you 9hkd.

i compared myself with mama at around my age. hmm.. she's already married, has her own family with one kid (yep, that's me), own house, stable job which she sees herself growing old in. Fast forward ... as for me, I'm the complete opposite. it's just reasonable to panic, right?! hahaha i'm mostly worried actually, about the "own house" thing. mama would always inject that topic every time. a job.. well i think i can work on that.. married, own family.. yeah i can work on it too. i guess. hahaha it just seems that however much i try to save, it still wont be enough to live comfortably in pinas - meaning, i can still live even by bumming around for a few months. great plan, eh? i need to engage in some business. if only, our kada's five-year plan is still feasible, i would've pursued it with them.

dinner @ crystal jade la mian xiao long bao

we ate at crystal jade, a shanghainese restaurant in world trade center causeway bay. it was a packed night so we had to wait in line for a party of 8. some pictures to remember the night. too bad, no food pictures coz i was too engrossed eating. hahaha

here are the early birds... hehehe

the kids are playing.. not too keen on eating this kind of food.. well, they liked it eventually hahaha

here are the yayas... day off so we just had to treat ourselves..

enjoying mamma mia gelato in the upper floor of the building. good ice cream la!

good food, good company.. twas a good night.

the day after yesterday

i ended yesterday on a not-so-good note. i overate, or lack thereof, i think. i had to go straight to the toilet to do my thing. that wasn't enough though. 3am, i was awaken by a stabbing pain in my stomach. and continued on till 6am. i remember thinking to myself, and praying that it will only last for that time. i was a bit cold though the aircon is not on. the menial air from the fan doesnt really give me any comfort either. lots of things immediately entered my mind. i didnt want to be THAT sick to rush myself to the hospital. i even thought that if i would be discharged, then i have to take care of EVERYTHING, from fixing my things, to the payment. hahaha overacting, la! but that is what will happen. i thought that those times, i called in sick at work finally bounced back on me. tsk tsk tsk! my thoughts are really wayyy overboard.. i know. when im not well, i think of a LOT of things. i even think, that i might die already.

that morning at work, i felt a little better but easy on the food intake. i still have pains but praying it to go away so i dont have to take any meds. i went home and didnt really ate much. the next day, i felt the pain growing more frequent. i decided to go to the doctor during lunch hour. i took the meds he gave (but not all of them haha). i was told to avoid oily foods and rice. fineee. the next day, i felt lighter. still no rice. i was missing my meds , not taking them on time. it wasn't on purpose. i would've taken sick leave, but opted not to. the pain is still there, and the involuntary churning sound in my stomach. i was given this meds for gas. lolz. im still trying to make pakiramdam my body.. so no alcohol for me. haha

harry potter and the half blood prince

9:50am. i watched the first showing of harry potter 6. it was a 15-minute walk, so i was kinda confident of getting up late.. but of course.. i didnt took notice of the time.. and then, my friends were already calling me up, and i was still at home! yaiksss! i didnt wanna miss out on any scene, especially the beginning.. also, i wanted to watch the trailers.. hehehe anyways, i just did a brisk walk knowing, still i would be late. i saw a bus, and i just boarded it and alighted at the next stop. thankfully, that saved me from being really late for the movie. hehe we proceeded to our seats.. row C, 3 rows from the screen.. uhm, too near eh? right.. that's what we get from buying tickets the night before.

the movie

hmm, i really don't know what to say.. i havent read the book. so some scenes, story flow, i wasn't able to understand. i didnt get why professor snape is the half blood prince and the movie merely mentioned it once. reading the book will suffice my queries, i believe. the characters really have grown.. outgrowing harry even! hermoine is simply beautiful. ron's bigger built earned him a rightful spot in quidditch. malfoy appears more brusque than before. and harry.. i still see him as the little kid with that mark on his forehead from book 1. hehehe even so, i am biased, i am a still a fan. i can't wait for the next movie to come out! hopefully, by that time, i have read all the books. hahaha

after movie chillax

the movie lasted more than 2 hours so we had lunch in cityplaza, and i ate the cheesy tonkatsu. yum yum! we headed to pacific coffee to (finally) hold our "coffee cum wifi" experience. for the longest time.. we've been planning on doing this. go to a coffee shop, bring our notebooks and hangout. good thing, we have coupons so it's a buy 1 take 1 cold treats for us! yehey! too bad, i had to purchase my wi-fi. but all good, 20hkd for 1 whole day. hehehe we we're doing our own thing, while the kids, play around the wide area. it was a chillax moment. gotta do it next time, before the coupon expires hahaha

facebook: message of the day

Ria got a message that on this day, God wants her to know...

... that every little part of you is magical.

Yes, even the parts that hurt, even the ones that are feeling disease right now. It's alright to love what is in pain. More than alright, that's exactly where your love is needed the most. So why not touch that part that hurts and smile at it, at yourself through it, and whisper: ''I love you.''

i got this message from facebook.. just coincidental with my previous post. i haven't actually said "i love you" to myself. i show my love in different ways - by giving myself gifts. hahaha in this way, though, my wallet is hurting.

magic - here, there, everywhere

harry potter and the half blood prince is now showing! though i haven't completed the book, i am a fan of the movie and the story. i just love it. i love magic. (but i can't really say i'm fond of watching magicians) it brings me to a different world where endless possibilities can happen. as a kid, i enjoyed watching "okay ka, fairy ko". don't you just love ina magenta whenever she criticized the "tagalupa"?

it's happening

i AM gaining weight. i feel it. no thanks to the rice i eat in the evening, the sweets i indulge in for dessert, the in-between snacks i thought were harmless. actually, i don't mind gaining a bit. i don't want to get overboard with adding a few pounds so i SHOULD slow down. else, i wouldn't fit in my clothes, again. hahaha i recalled before, after a few months of staying here in hk, i got really bloated. as in! hahaha i gained 20lbs! whatda?!?! i know.. right?!?! my friends were surprised, i should say. mama, however, said it looks good on me. mothers! haha seriously, it came to a point that i get tired easily and my feet couldn't carry me for long walks. but most of all, my clothes just won't fit right. hahaha

what worked for me

when i finally realized how big i got, i decided to cut down my carbo intake. i ate banana and a cup of oatmeal for dinner. i jogged around Victoria park a few times. i even enrolled in fitness first. it wan't a drastic weight loss. i went through phases. i would receive comments from friends and family that 'Oh, that's already enough', or 'lose a bit more', etc. but ultimately, i know that the satisfaction of how i look, feel should come from me. what matters is being happy with oneself inspite of what others think.

if only the 'harry potter' magic can do wonders for this kind of dilemma.