LSS

I had the most severe bout of last song syndrome or LSS. After seeing Howie Dorough perform with Sarah on ASAP last Sunday, their song has stayed with me for the last two days. It's kind of weird because I think I can still hear their duet even when I'm asleep. Because the song is so catchy, it has been ingrained deeply in my brain. This made me wonder why people experience LSS at certain points in their lives. Is there a scientific explanation to it?

Meanwhile, I'm posting Sarah's and Howie's duet here.

Ateneo wins

I was not really into the UAAP fever until Krispy Kreme came into the picture. Their UAAP-themed doughnuts look yummy in this:



Yesterday, Araneta Coliseum was jampacked with die-hard fans of the ADMU and the DLSU teams for the UAAP Men's Basketball finals. After a somewhat predictable game, Ateneo emerged as the champion.

I was not particularly rooting for any of the two teams to win. But I thought it would have been an exciting game had the La Salle players truly gave their all. There was one time in the game in which they only have 4 points to score in order to catch up with Ateneo's. They were even given more than two opportunities for free throws. But nada. La Salle players just can't make decent shoots. They really should brush up more on their shooting skills. On the other hand, the guys must be in a lot of pressure. To perform for a stadiumful of overly zealous audience must just be nerve-wracking. And it was already game 2. It was their last opportunity to bag this year's UAAP crown. So, I somehow got a fair understanding of why their performance was such yesterday.

Notes from My Travels by Angelina Jolie

I used to read heavy books when I was a lot younger. When I say heavy, I refer to those books with lots of drama in it and the works. But these past years, I have avoided books that taxes too much on the emotions. I just can't let a book overwhelm me anymore and fill my thoughts for days after reading it. For so long, Gabby has been urging me to read Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. But after having read the reviews and knowing that many people have been deeply moved by them, I said no. I just can't read those.



However, I am truly interested about reading Angelina Jolie's Notes from My Travels. This book chronicles some of Angelina's experiences and observations during her travels to countries as an Ambassador of Goodwill for the UNHCR. Some reviews said that it is not for the faint of heart but it will open everyone's eyes to the terrible plights of people in other parts of the world. I don't have a copy yet but if I'll do have in the future, I will surely risk being depressed for days just to read what Angelina had witnessed and observed.

A worry-free travel

The farthest place I've been to is Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. But if I'll be given chance to travel, there are three places I'd like to visit abroad before I die. It's Greece, Paris, and of course the United States of America. Why these three? Well, we all know that these places have beautiful infrastructures and natural sights to offer. Let me explain. I'd like to visit Greece because it is a beautiful country and it offers one of the best cuisines in the world. Moussaka, a traditional Greek eggplant-based dish, is perhaps one of the most tastiest dish ever created.

Paris is the most romantic place on earth. Who wouldn't fall in love with this city? Eiffel Tower, Louvre, a bicycle-friendly place, and the fashion hub of the world. It's just the place for artists to thrive.

The land of milk and honey is still one of my top itinerary. There are just too many places in America to visit. A half of a lifetime is perhaps not enough to practically cover all the places that America has. And it's just the place for book-lovers like me. You can practically find all the books available in this planet in America. You can also find the biggest bookstores in Uncle Sam's place.

Thanks to the Internet, I have gained a lot of information about the places I love to visit in the future. So, it's quite terribly hard to imagine that once upon a time, when the Internet was still unheard of, travelers had to rely on travel agencies and sheer luck to be able to experience a hassle-free trip. There are a lot of online tools now where a person can compare the prices of hotels. Hotelscombined.com is one such tool. Searching for airline schedules has never been as easy as a click of a mouse. Planning for transportation in your itineraries can be arranged at the comfort of your home. Just imagine the money you can save on your travels. For a would-be traveler like me who is on a budget, traveling will be a lot less scary. The money a traveler can save for hotel accommodations and other transport expenses can be used for other activities that will make traveling more worthwhile.

A day at Tubod

The team went to Tubod Flowing Waters Resort in Minglanilla yesterday. And it was a day filled with laughter. Whenever I'm with my colleagues (most of whom are way younger than me), laughing is the order of the day. As a result, I went home with a stomachache caused by too much laughing like there was no tomorrow.

We agreed to a 7 am assembly time. But in Pinoy perspective, it is okay to come even if you are an hour late. So the planned travel start time actually happened at 9 am when everyone who confirmed they were coming were (un)safely tucked in the vehicles. The travel to Tubod was a breeze as there was no traffic. It took us just an hour later to find the place. Upon arrival, I saw that the pools at Tubod are not that spectacular. But the amenities such as the broiling area and the toilets are okay. I am partial to seawater so I might have some biases there.

It was our first time to go out as a team with AR as our manager. CM, who was our manager before AR and is now connected with another company, actually went on an emergency leave just to be with us. She wouldn't miss it for the world. It's a good thing she came because nobody in the team has a good camera like hers.

I initially planned on not swimming as I had a cold. But my colleagues were prodding me to take a dip relentlessly and so finally took the plunge. Because I do not know how to swim, I just stayed at the lowest part of the pool. The rest of my colleagues were happily swimming at the other side, which is the deeper part. Oh, did I mention that the pool was just 5.2 feet deep? And I have a height of 5.4 feet?

I didn't know until yesterday that AR is a water addict. He was the first to take a plunge and the last one to get out from the pool. Miss S suddenly got an idea. She threw her coins, all of which were her "tong-its" winnings, to the pool. AR, inspired by the Badjaos swimming at piers, attempted to retrieve the coins. AR took took the task as a personal challenge and didn't stop until all of the coins have been retrieved. I never laughed so hard in my life.

The whole day was a blast. It reminded me of the fact that no fancy food or fancy places can truly take the place of a good company.

Fried Green Tomatoes

I am currently reading Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I've finished the first quarter and I must say this is a very enjoyable book. I will not review the book yet as I haven't finished it. But it is a book that will make any reader long for the provincial life. I've scanned the book until its last part and I saw several recipes mentioned in the story. A recipe for fried green tomatoes is included of course. It's a terribly simple dish to make. Only it requires a cornmeal ingredient which I doubt I'll find in groceries here in Cebu. Anyway, just want to share Flagg's recipe here. If I find a cornmeal soon, I will try making this at home.

Fried Green Tomatoes

1 medium green tomato (per person)
Salt
Pepper
Cornmeal
Bacon drippings (this ingredient is not readily available at most homes so any oil will just do)

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large pan, heat enough oil and fry the tomatoes until brown on both sides.

Three Daddies and One Mommy

A photo from the Korean drama Three Daddies and One Mommy. The story is kind of absurd but that's how Korean dramas are. I'm a sucker for them anyway. I am excited that this series will be shown on ABS-CBN on September 8 because it stars two of the most beautiful Korean actors--Eugene and Cho Hyeon Jae. It's been awhile since heartthrob Cho Hyeon Jae last set Philippine primetime on fire due to his angelic features.

The story goes like this: Eugene and her husband desperately wanted to have a baby but her husband can't get her pregnant. The husband turned to his three friends and asked them to become sperm donors for Eugene. Eugene eventually became pregnant. Later, she loses her husband in an accident without actually knowing which of his friends was the father of her child. Each of the three friends helped Eugene in raising her child after her husband's death. Eugene will eventually fell in love with one of the three friends. Sheryn Regis' "Starting Over Again" was chosen as the theme song for the drama. ABS-CBN has this knack of choosing the most appropriate songs as themes for television series. The songs just grow on you as the story progresses.