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I'm Claire.

There was no comedy show that could replace Friends I thought.  But then again, here comes  Modern Family.  My favorite character from that TV show is Claire - she goes postal at anything as long as she stays in control. After watching an interview clip of Julie Bowen, the actress who played Claire, I realized - I can so relate to the persona and the actor! 

When asked, what turns her off, she said in one word, "Entitlement."  

When she was telling Ellen De Generes how she stayed up late to watch a TV show, she quipped, "Sleep is for the weak."   

Julie reads my mind. 

Brothers & Sisters

I chanced upon Brothers & Sisters, TV series one Sunday evening and I think I may have to acquire the rest of the episodes of all of its seasons. I cried a bucket of tears, parang relate sya - I was surprised, I thought it's more a depiction of an American family that's why I never had the desire to check it out. Until last night, accidentally. The characters behave in such a universal way, I think. I laughed at some scenes, there is an eccentricity and paranoia in Sally Field's mom character that all our moms probably have. There is the most of the times, annoying familiarity of our family, the embarassing acts of worriness and the futile attempts to take control, but without our families,as Rachel Griffith's character said, "....but we would be lost without them."

The Queendom of Blair and Other Stories

Could 5 be my number for 2009?..

My hometown friends are in Manila, so that means no going out for even a cup of coffee here in the City of Smiles. I'm partying with my parents' friends, yep, fun oldies who laugh like there's no tomorrow. I want to grow old like that. Mom hosted a mahjong party here on her birthday, so I decided to make something for dessert - a recipe stolen from my friend Fe. She shared us this dessert during our christmas party.  It was so promising at the start, i grated the mangoes and I used wheat graham crackers in an attempt to be healthy, and this is probably the point where things started to go wrong: I chose the wrong container.  Mom insisted the box was too big but stubborn that I was, I said, it's perfect! It's rectangle and it has cover, perfection! Perfection my foot, the result was - my mix was too little that I ended up with graham crackers showing up beside my mango toppings. Imagine that, graham crackers showing up at the surface. What's worse, everything was just floating around because I only froze it for one hour (based on instructions) but I think it was on the assumption that you have a fit-right container.

I still served it during the party, but I served it last. Tita asked me, "Anong name ni?" I said, "It's Mango Ice Box Failure, Tita".  Sigh.  I guess more practice?

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I'll be cryptic and say that I love late night phone calls that drag for hours.  Some people said that internet just takes communication to another level - are we sure it did not drag it down?

---oOo---

I'm afraid I will go bored holed up here in the province for two weeks, so I planned out for us family to try out new restos that serve good food for the whole two weeks, based on recommendations from Bacolodnons who love good food (which is basically again my parents and my parents' friends reco).  Bacolod is not known for resorts or whatever touristy places, it just serves the best food, especially desserts, yummy.  With three free passes at Grand Royal Spa (quaint best spa in town), courtesy of my mother as her christmas gift to me (mom knows me best!), I plan to be the freak na tumatambay duon sa spa.

---oOo---

With nothing better to do, expect ridiculous post the coming days. I've been bleeding network traffic by torrenting Gossip Girl Season 2 and I'm so addicted to it, I intend to review it.  First of all, I love Blair. She's the heart of the show (Melissa my teammate might beg to disagree, she's into S) and in Episode 5 when she started railing to Dorota (their help) about how high school girls are so spoiled, stupid and ungrateful yadayada, oh man I would root for this bitch. At its core, although she selfishly puts herself first before anyone, Blair's super insecure, she can find one confidante that she can trust and that's Dorota.  No one's really looking after her except her maid, so I guess that's where the selfishness comes in and her need to be loved.   She's loyal (as said, my favorite ingredient when it comes to friendship) to her friends, and one thing that makes me think she has the best character in this show -- she makes things happen. So fun to watch. Conniving bitch disguised in appropriateness, ah elements of great TV not seen since, um, Melrose Place (haha!) - go Blair! 

Second of all, Blair has the best lines like so: I thought you were just a callow social-climbing former swimsuit model who married above her station and was enslaved by her own insecurities. Said with her upper east side smirk.

Third of all, wala, watch the show, the clothes are so hip it hurts.

Breaking News

For days, I've been watching closely the U.S. Elections (unabashedly due to Obama and his charisma) and one night, Monita Rajpal suddenly reported this 700 billion dollar bailout to "save" the U.S. economy. So I got hooked only to this economic brouhaha news because it disrupted my daily feed of my Papa Obama. At one time during the voting of the bill in Congress, I was so engrossed my eyes started to water as if I'm watching senseless Hollywood blockbuster.  The screen was just actually showing numbers, on how many votes were received in favor or not in favor of the bill real time-- yung parang napunta ka sa CNET channel (most boring channel in the world) and there are running stock numbers on all corners of the screen.

I'm not watching all of this because I'm interested in politics or economics, I'm not particularly fond of both. It's the people involved that interests me, how we collectively behave, it's fascinating. My example observations:

• I love the stock market, it behaves depending on the level of fear floating around. Imagine if fears can be assuaged, do we even need the 700 billion bailout? (My financial advisor said yes we do, but he knows more about money than I do, so his opinion is boring and mine isn't, yes!)
• I love how Obama forms a circle with his forefinger and thumb when making a point in his speech. I love that he sweeps his eyes with confidence across the room when speaking, it pulls you in.  And then, he kind of always whispers something to his wife after every speech when he hugs her. This guy reeks of sincerity and even if he isn't , well that's what charisma is all about isn't it? Sincerity bonanza.
• Anderson Cooper is the common-tao anchor. He was the only CNN employee visible to the viewers who expressed outrage and confusion when Congress rejected the bailout, plunging the US Market to its lowest since the Great Depression and guess what, the Congress decides they will meet again three days later, to see if they can mull over it again if a new revision is passed. Ika nga ni Anderson, "What? So they returned back home and went on vacation, while the economy is on its knees?" One anchor said yes Anderson, that's what it looks like. One viewer said, "What the Congress did is irresponsible. But what's new?"   Anderson has many fans because he asks whatever comes to his mind and parang he doesn't really have expert-analytical-kind observations, masa knowledge talaga and he let the experts do their thing. Knowing his background, obviously it looks like a strategy. 

Listening To: Weather From Around The World in the background, blaring from my TV. Downloading iTunes 8..heard so much rave and rant reviews, I can't wait to find out myself!

The Cultured American Idol

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain. Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell? And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year, Running over the same old ground. What have you found? The same old fears. Wish you were here.

Pink Floyd Classic sung by Marty Casey, Rockstar INXS. Crucify me but it's a better version. Wish you were here.