Sorry for messy beds background

That’s just 1/4 of the family and I’ve got some more tucked away in Narnia waiting to be found. Most of the stuff toys I have now were mostly gifts and this is one of the reasons why stuff toys aren’t really my ideal gifts… O_O where would I place all these without them gathering dust? I am thankful for each of them though and they are darn cute, you gotta admit it! I did find some… weird ones, one was so freaky that our dog kept barking at it.

But he wasn’t scared of his new toy

It creeped me out at first, I mean what is it and why doesn’t it have ears or something? See, having ears makes a difference. A lot of difference.

I’ve been reading a lot of good books lately and I hope you can check them out here. Add me up on Goodreads, am always on the search for another perfect book. I love fantasies such as The Hobbit, Harry Potter and also magical realism books such as One Hundred Years of Solitude, and also books with animals on them (Life of Pi did it for me I think). The last book sale blew a huge hole in my wallet but I died a happy bookworm. Tea Obreht’s The Tiger’s Wife is a gripping read, one of the few books that made me actually want to join a book club and discuss its meaning because there are so many twists and turns and I NEED to know what really happened. It’s also about a Balkan country which I know next to zilch about so it was a very interesting read. Full review of my read books can be found here.

As you can see, this set has all my preferences

I swear you have got to read Habibi if you’re an aspiring artist or designer because of its intricate patterns and designs on the drawings. Just for that I’ve already given this book a WHOPPING 10 but it is for mature audiences. This is the third volume of Y:The Last Man and since the bookstore only had 1 copy left… I couldn’t help but by it T_T And Free Comic Book Day is coming up on May 19 with 20% off on graphic novels… *gets shot more* Somebody help me control my book shopping tendencies. Maybe I should check in a support group.

I’ve also been bitten by the culinary bug. Well it’s actually more like my mom’s doing.

Mom: I don’t want to cook anymore, you’ve got no job yet anyway so you can cook for us.

Me: But but but I do help with the business…

Mom: No, you start today.

Me: Okay… *polishes my rusty cooking skills from 2 years ago*

I haven’t cooked really or had the desire to cook since my student exchange last 2010 but I thought what the heck and since our new helper at home actually knows how to cook, she helped me with my chopping skills and mentored me as we cooked these dishes. I was the mastermind and strategist while I learned the correct basic cooking techniques as I never received any proper training. Searching for recipes is the funnest part and I somehow became immune to the heat even while cooking. I didn’t despise it anymore as long as I can cook good food and see the happy faces of my family. Seeing the joy of somebody relishing good food is really something. Makes you feel happy like Santa. If Santa’s out there…

And now I want to introduce you to one of my inspirations (besides my mother and brother because he does cook good food), THE PIONEER WOMAN (Ree Drummond)! She was the one who saved me during my student exchange because of her step by step VISUAL recipes. I never had the patience for cooking videos because what if I missed a step and I had to rewind it back then I’d be hobbling around the kitchen frantically making a mess out of things. So when I saw her WONDERFUL WONDERFUL SITE, I became a disciple of her good cooking and inspired me to actually take good food photography (and I still fail at it, sorry ). What I love about her blog is not only the mouth-watering delectable pictures and easy to follow recipes (heck I’m even thinking of canning and making cinnamon rolls, what the fudge), but also her style of blogging. It really appeals to me. And maybe because she talks and answers herself a lot.

Oh yes she does.

Like me. Sort of.

See? Am answering myself again. Oh the beauty of solitary soliloquy! Oh where were we? Oh yeah food.

SO YEAH GO VISIT HER BLOG! Here are my “exam results” and I hope you guys… like the virtual food? TATA FOR NOW!

My first dish, Spicy Shrimp Aglio Olio (very unconventional as we decided to put Tomato, this is a no no for aglio olio BUUUUTT it kinda worked, it’s still tasty!)

Spicy Tuna Carbonara (didn’t follow Ree’s exact recipe, has Filipino touch to it)

Pasta Puttanesca (Had to substitute some items, be creative as they say! XD)

Chicken Parmigiana, my first love at her site and this was infinitely better than the one I made in France

Above: Baked Blueberry Cheesecake for Chair’s birthday!
Below: No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake from mom’s recipe
Baked = cheesier, no bake = ice cream-ier

Fresh Strawberry Smoothie.

Lasagna. We didn’t follow the recipe exactly and it came out a bit soggier than usual

After much Italia cuisine, I decided to cook healthier dishes LOLL coz I think we all became fatter afterwards :/ Chicken Couscous with Chick Peas and Harissa Paste. This recipe was from some dude in Foodily. I kinda forgot who…

Roast Herbed Chicken. VERY HERB-Y! This is Jamie Oliver’s recipe (I seriously love his shows. And his family is like the BEST FREAKING CUTEST FAMILY EVER! Check out his instagram) but I used breasts instead of a whole chicken. You need to lessen the oven time coz it cooks faster.

VIDEO BLOG!

And yes my friends, I did it! But before I post that, I gotta talk a bit of what I was planning to do. I actually have 5 drafted posts in line but I have not been able to finish writing them because…. of technical difficulties :/ It really sucks because it kills your mojo and I was ready to blog and review The Avengers but then vimeo didn’t want to upload it after hours of trying, and then I tried Youtube and that failed too and… as you’ve guessed it, I lost the spark. Until today. Because FINALLY US FANS WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH IT!! The Avengers I mean and they even got the SECOND After Credits. Don’t worry Asian and European friends because people will upload this clip on Youtube (and actually I’ve SEEN TI) and you’ll be able to see this HILARIOUS clip too. You can skip the rant in the next part and head over to the vlog if you want

Before I show you guys my hideous face (discouraging you guys to watch it LOL), I just want to apologize if I’ve been complaining a lot about the weather on twitter. It’s already HOT HOT HOT HOT SUMMER and I think Filipinos do not TIRE making comments about the weather. This is one of the countries where talking about the weather is a substantial topic. It’s that hot. I wouldn’t mind if it’s 45 degrees Celsius or 100+ degrees Fahrenheit in the desert where it’s a DRY kind of hot. We’re a tropical country and because of global warming or climate change, temperatures have risen and humidity is UNBEARABLE. Imagine getting out of the shower and immediately sweating. Imagine the country like a SAUNA where even if you’re inside your house, it’s SO DARN HOT. You don’t need sunlight to make it hot, the air is already hot. It’s like walking through an endless vapor and you just keep on sweating. Electricity here is expensive (we’ve got the HIGHEST RATES IN THE WORLD) so people don’t dare turn on their airconditioners for fear of dying from shock when they see their bill. I miss the COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD days I had in France. If I were to choose freezing winter or scorching summer, I’d take freezing winter ANYTIME! Because I could just pile on 100 layers and probably build a fireplace and I’m fine. With heat, unfortunately you can’t run around nude or become a mermaid or peel off your skin and even if you go nude, you’re sweating :/

RANT OVAAAHHHH

So on to The Avengers movie review! The video looks cut because I was actually blabbing a lot of things before concentrating on the review but then the video would be 20 minutes and you’d all be bored to death. In case you don’t want to watch, skip the video and read the written review below.

So here goes… (you can still skip this… Please bear with me, I haven’t vlogged in 2 years and I’ve really gone… rusty… BORING I just couldn’t contain my excitement – THE AVENGERS IS THAT GOOD OF A MOVIE THAT I NEEDED TO VLOG AND SHARE THIS TO EVERYONE! SHARE THIS EXCITEMENT AND TRIUMPH IN THE SUPER HERO/COMIC BOOK MOVIE INDUSTRY! OH AND BTW THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THE VLOG (not in the written review)

If you got sick and tired of me droning, you can watch John Campea (been a fan of his old site for such a long time though I don’t normally always agree to his reviews, but this time, WE’RE SPOT ON!) talk about it on the AMC video!

This is the best superhero comic movie, OF ALL TIME. Yet. Okay maybe yet because there are tons of superhero movies waiting to be filmed but for now, this is the best one in the market. Joss Whedon, a credible and visionary director/comic book writer was just the right man for the job as he was able to enhance the script that Zak Penn previously wrote and move The Avengers towards the right direction. All the characters were given sufficient amount of screen time and every single storyline was able to mesh beautifully together. Want some HawkEye action? You got it. How about Black Widow? Yes we shall delve into her darkest and deepest secrets. Loki being a mad crazy vengeful villain? Tom Hiddleston DELIVERS IT AMAZINGLY (and I am a bit smitten, but really HE DID AN AWESOME JOB). And Nick Fury? He doesn’t just round up the gang, HE COMMANDS AND DIRECTS THEM just as a right Nick Fury would. Chris Evans blew away all my insecurities (I wasn’t really that comfortable with him as Captain America in the beginning) and he BECAME, no IS THE PERFECT Captain America. Robert Downey Jr is Tony Stark. And best of all guys, Joss Whedon is a comic book writer and he knows his stuff and he knows that unnecessary love stories must be wiped out. Of course there’s… subtle romance but he concentrated on what the movie should be all about, and that is the Avengers Assembling. It’s a concoction bubbling with all the right ingredients. Mark Ruffalo delivered an AMAZING job as Bruce Banner/The Hulk and this is definitely the best Hulk that we’ve seen. It has action, right from the first 5 minutes up to the climax at the end. It hits all the funny spots at the right times and has the audience roaring with laughter at every step of the way but this never deviates it from the heart of the story. I am amazed at the special effects, at the technology that Mark Ruffalo was not only performing as Bruce Banner but also The Hulk himself and I am so amazed that I NEED TO WATCH IT AGAIN the next day. And yes, I dare say that THIS IS BETTER THAN THE DARK KNIGHT. You might say that they are different movies because Chris Nolan deviated from the Comic Book route and gave more depth to his characters and of course Heath Ledger (WE LOVE YOU HEATH! R.I.P.) was amazing as the Joker and hands down the Oscar was his but The Dark Knight is all about a Superhero. Wearing A Costume. Who is called Batman. SO IT IS STILL A COMIC BOOK/SUPERHERO MOVIE and in that sense, The Avengers is superior to it. It may NOT BE THE GREATEST MOVIE of 2012, it might NOT GET ANY AWARDS (though really give the scriptwriting a chance!!) but it is HOW A SUPERHERO MOVIE SHOULD BE ABOUT.

I rest my case.

But you can argue of course, I love discussions and debates so comment away.

If you haven’t seen it yet, JUST WATCH IT ALREADY. DOESN’T MATTER WHEN, JUST WATCH IT.

Phew! That was tiring! HAHAHA hope you all have a great time folks and please head to the theatre if you still haven’t watched it. If you don’t care then… this post isn’t for you

a 500-year old well-preserved 15-year old Incan girl.

I saw this news on Facebook and was quite BLOWN AWAY. I was amazed at first because heck, she doesn’t look mummified a day old (well what do I know about mummies anyway?) but then tradition came over me. I was shocked, even appalled at some point because they put her up in a museum. I was also shocked that the Incas used little girls as sacrificial tributes for the gods. Hunger Games? SHEESH these tributes were worshipped and had only the best food and everything and were offered willingly. Nobody knows though how these girls feel, would they have been all “HOLY CRAP THIS IS AN HONOR” or would they have been more “HOLY FUDGE, HELL”? I know that there have been movies and documentaries shown about these and now I have become more curious. We don’t understand why they do these, what made them do these in the first place? The archaeologist in me wants to find out, that’s why I’m so interested in these things. I used to dream of becoming like Indy Jones, climbing mountain to mountain and seeking out treasures and secrets within. For more information about this girl, please watch the video below and also read this news article. What do you say though, should she be kept like that in a museum? Frankly… I think she should be given a proper burial again. But what about the other famous mummies? Mother of problems!

Well now that we have talked about the dead, let’s talk about the living! Sighs, I haven’t been active lately ever since my coupon for 1 month unlimited use at Gold’s Gym expired and I feel like I’m going to need liposuction for weight loss already. And if ever I do keep this up, I might need tummy tucks to remove stretch marks too. But I’m going to change, I’ll probably enroll again and maybe if I do get a job soon, I won’t be that inactive. HOPE SO!

Instagram has recently been bought by Facebook (everyone knows about this already) and I think it’s a good move on their part. Instagram can help a LOT with photo and mobile applications. Mark Zuckerberg saw the potential and seized it. GOOD JOB MARK! I’m very active on Instagram and hope you can follow me! Username’s jynxypanda It’s actually helping me accomplish the Project 365 goal that I’ve been trying to finish for years! YEARS I TELL YOU. YEARS. But thank you really Instagram for helping me! Instagram is now available for Android users too! WEEE!!

It’s summer in the Philippines and it’s freaking hot. Temperature ranges from 33-36 degrees Celsius here (that’s 96.8 degrees F for US people :D) and this cloudless blue sky

may look harmless, but combine that with scorching heat of the sun PLUS FREAKING HUMIDITY (the desert is even better, at least it’s DRY THERE), you’ve got angry people who are tired to do anything. And they say Filipinos are lazy? NO. They’re just recuperating from the heat.

Sighs, I wish I can see snow again…

I’m trying to blog as frequently as I can now. With the free time, I think I’ll be able to keep it up. I’ve got some posts ready to write. Going to try to blog every other day. Thank you for those who commented on the last post, it means a lot to me.

Will leave you guys with a cute picture of Toby before you leave and a Meme-fied me (yes download memefied dear iphone users, it’s free and awesome!)

Updates when I update!

before my finals week in the last year of University. I only had a few weeks left before my student life ends (if ever I do pursue Graduate studies, it’s going to be different and frankly won’t be as “carefree” as a University student) and how I’ll be entering the real world. I don’t want to make a super dramatic post about finding my soul or self or identity as I struggle to find the meaning in all of this (but maybe it will turn out dramatic, I don’t know). And how I struggle with questions such as, “Holy crap what if the life that I really want wasn’t the course I chose?”, “What now? Where do I go? Do I leave or do I stay?”, “After 8pm of March 23, I’m officially not a student, so does this mean I’ll be a working girl now?” and plenty of questions such as that.

I kind of envy those who have already heard their calling early in their lives. Look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg. Do you think they’re successful because of talent? or hard work? No my friends, there has to be luck in this game called life. It’s when you luckily roll the correct number on that dice that you’ll win in Monopoly. Life’s a gamble and only a few can be called winners. A lot of people say that success depends on perspective, I actually agree on that a whole lot. Know the book Secret? The Secret of getting what you want? Well I’ll spoil it to you my friends, it’s actually all about the Secret of the Law of Attraction. Concentrate on positive things, and positive things will go to you. THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BE SPECIFIC. But without luck, I don’t think you’ll be as successful too.

I just finished reading Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs. It’s a GREAT READ especially for those Steve Jobs/Apple/Mac fans and actually those who want to know in the lives of crazy successful people. Or those with a different line of thought. After reading it, you may disagree with me and would want to rip its pages, heck you might even hate Steve for being an Asshole with a capital A. But I think it’s important to learn his mistakes and know his struggle to success. I just learned about one thing though, he was lucky. He found his passion, heck he called up the head of HEWLETT PACKARD back in the day and was hired as an intern. How gutsy can you be? If you want something that much in life, go get it. But first, you MUST WANT SOMETHING. I think that’s the problem with me, and maybe you too? Or a lot of people out there, ask first the question, WHAT DO YOU WANT. The day you can answer that is the day you can become like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.

I wasn’t born with a great talent. I’m an adequate but I think a failing singer (well I’d like to think adequate but coming back from a sore throat, my voice has become a man’s voice with the ability to speak like Minnie Mouse. It’s crap XD). I can’t dance well to save my life but I do try. I’m not artistic enough unlike my cousin so I’m just one of the faceless anonymous in this realm. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. So yeah, I’m still searching for that. I have many wants, many many wants, but passion has to be something more concrete. I believe in a lot of things, but which one should is the icing on top of the cake? Hopefully I’ll be able to ask that soon because I feel like I’m just an empty shell (OKAY NOW I’M BEING DRAMATIC SHOOT, I DIDN’T WANT TO BE XD) handing out job applications, one after the other but with so many goals in my head that I don’t know where to turn to. I have a few set of “ideals” I’d like to follow. I’d want to travel and live in another country. I’d really want that but once I commit myself to a company here, would that restrain me? I am sure though that I’ll never join a company that doesn’t confirm with my beliefs and principles. NO TO SMOKING. NO TO ALCOHOL. It’s not that I’m choosy, I still have to respect myself. If you’re next asking me about my relationships… well that’s a matter I don’t want to talk spill at all. Let’s just say, the time will come when I do.

So after 700 words, I’m now going to actually just list down my playlist. Hope you get the feeling of what I was going through in the last few weeks (and up to now actually). My only problem wasn’t about graduation, it was about life. These songs were chosen because of their lyrics, their meaning and their melody. The guy who commentated on Adele’s performance at the Brit Awards 2011 summarized it PERFECTLY.

“There’s nothing quite like the feeling when you’re listening to a song, written by someone you don’t know, who you’ve never met, yet somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt, a particular moment in your life.”

I’ll be sharing the top 10 songs here. Let these songs speak/sing for themselves and I hope you can choose one below and play it as you finish this post. Or just keep it with you. If you don’t, I hope you like any of them. Will be posting their music videos! Don’t have to play them all, or you don’t have to play them at all (well check out the last 4 songs, they’re really. FREAKIN’ AWESOME.). Thanks for reading up to this point my friend. If you have found your passion, you are one lucky person so STRIVE TOWARDS IT. BE POSITIVE, WORK AT IT.

1. Believe – All American Rejects

I don’t ever want to believe
No I don’t ever want to believe yeah
That when we die
We all leave

2. The Cave – Mumford & Sons

Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it’s meant to be
And I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I’ll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I’ll know my name as it’s called again

3. Change – Taylor Swift

Tonight we stand, get off our knees
Fight for what we’ve worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
But we’ll stand as champions tonight

4. Defying Gravity – Wicked Cast

I’m through accepting limits
Cause someone says the’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know…
Tell them how I am
Defying Gravity
I’m flying high
Defying Gravity

5. No Curtain Call – Maroon 5

I have no time for fear
Or people in my ear
Head down and running so fast
Try not to dwell on the past
I’m fighting through this pain
And things I cannot change
Running right into the flame
Rather than running away

6. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles

Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
Life goes on, bra! – REPEAT LOADS OF TIMES

7. Marchin’ On – One Republic

For those days we felt like a mistake,
Those times when love’s what you hate
Somehow
We keep marchin on

For those nights that I couldn’t be there,
I’ve made it harder to know that you know
That somehow
We’ll keep movin on

There’s so many wars we fought
There’s so many things we’re not
But with what we have
I promise you that
We’re marchin on
We’re marchin on

For all of the plans we’ve made
There isn’t a flag I’d wave
Don’t care where we’ve been
I’d sink us to swim
We’re marchin on
We’re marchin on

For those doubts that swirl all around us
For those lives that tear at the seams
We know
We’re not what we’ve seen

Oh
For this dance we move with each other
There ain’t no other step
Than one foot
Right in front of the other
Oh

We’ll have the days we break
And we’ll have the scars to prove it
We’ll have the bombs that we saved
And we’ll have the heart
Not to lose it

8. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine (DARNNIT THE WHOLE SONG IS FREAKIN’ BEAUTIFUL

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It’s always darkest before the dawn
And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it’s always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaaah….
And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It’s a final mess but it’s left me so empty
It’s always darkest before the dawn…
And I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t
So here’s to drinks in the dark at the end of my road
And I’m ready to suffer and I’m ready to hope
It’s a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Looking for heaven, for the devil in me
Well what the hell I’m gonna let it happen to me

9. The Times They Are A-Changing – Bob Dylan (THE WHOLE SONG. JUST LISTEN.)

ULTIMATE SONG: UNDER PRESSURE – QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE / ANNIE LENNOX & DAVID BOWIE(THE LAST PART OF THE SONG IS ONE OF THE BEST ENDINGS, EVER. IN ANY SONG. EVER. THE FREAKING MELODY. THE LYRICS. BEST. EVER. One video isn’t enough so here’s TWO!)

Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure – that burns a building
down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
It’s the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Pray tomorrow – gets me higher
Pressure on people – people on streets
She been around
Kicked my brains round the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
People on streets
Insanity laughs under pressure we’re
cracking
Can’t we give ourselves one more chance
Why can’t we give love that one more
chance
Why can’t we give love
Give love give love give love give love
Give love give love give love
Love’s such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves

This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure

FREDDIE FREAKIN’ MERCURY, YOU ARE MISSED. SO MUCH!