#102 Watching a hilarious moment caught on camera

Twitter and Facebook were abuzzed by this video. Atty. Midas Marquez, which is the Supreme Court's spokesperson, is having a press conference regarding the latest brouhaha on the CGMA, Supreme Court and Department of Justice entanglement and other serious issues. Serious issues, I repeat. When... At around 14 seconds into the video, his left hand accidentally trips over one of the microphones and fell. Watch his reaction..

#101 Stumble upon great internet finds 1

Philippines now has a version of the famous TED Talks, TEDxDiliman. I was looking for videos of Lourd de Veyra when i come across their videos. Wow!  Riveting talks from remarkable and passionate Pinoys.

View other videos here.

#100 Happy Thanksgiving!

United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day November 24 (which is celebrated during the fourth Thursday of November). Unlike here in the Philippines, it’s considered there to be one of the most special holidays, even better than Christmas. Historically, it’s rooted in the early post-harvest celebrations between the indigenous inhabitants of North America and the Europeans that first landed in America, who took time from their hard work to give thanks for what they had accomplished together. Thanksgiving almost always includes bountiful feasts (often with a big turkey), but mostly, it’s about spending time with friends and family to celebrate that for which they are most thankful.

And since this blog takes its cue on being grateful which is almost synonymous to being thankful, this is a special day. Even though we don't commemorate it here in the country, maybe you can find some time today to take note of things you are grateful of.

What are you thankful for?

#99 Free gravy refill

Need to say more. The billboard above says it all, I myself am sometimes guilty of this using the gravy as sauce in the rice. Filipinos love fastfood, we love gravy and most of all when its free! =)

#98 Listening to an LP record

Even though how sophisticated our sound system nowadays with all the digital music, MP3s, etc. listening to an LP record over a phonograph or turn table is an experience. The sound of the needle hitting the record, and then the music with some noise due to some scratches on the LP. Wow! It was like a personal experience, it was like Paul, John, Ringo and George were in the room and you're in an alter dimension and sent to the 70's. =)

A sibling just bought a second hand turn table at a novelty shop. Good buy! I remember back then growing up seeing all those plaka from my lola's house. I remember songs such as May Pulis sa Ilalim ng Tulay, Lawiswis Kawayan, Di na Natuto and artists like Celeste Legaspi, Basil Valdez, Three Sullivan's, etc.

#97 When you are welcomed by your dog and really excited!

You're just putting the key in the keyhole of the doorlock, and you could already hear the dog pouncing on the door, and its wagging tail striking on the wood on the other side. And when you open, she comes jumping up and down, and the wagging tail and then running over there, then coming back and runs around and licks you. Being welcomed like you haven't seen each other for several years, really excited and glad you are back. One of the joys of having a dog. =)

#96 Eating junk foods you enjoyed as a child

1. Mik-Mik sweetened milk powder, I'd like to take the description of a friend of mine, "masasamid ka sa sarap, pasok pa sa ilong!" =)

2. Pompoms Flavored Cheese Curls, ang meryendang nagpabagsak sa mga cheese curls, kaagapay  habang nanonood ng Voltes V, Shaider, Bioman, Cedie, at Sarah ang munting Prinsesa.

3. Tootsie Roll, the chewy sticky chocolate candy

4. Iced Gem Biscuits, the biscuits with the icing, sarap!

5. Nips chocolate candy, the M&M's for the masa. I eat almost a pack a day. My mom gave me this as a  gift when I placed third honor during Grade 3 if I remember correctly, 12 sachets =)

6. Chocnut, the ever famous and delicious chocolate that can match Hershey's and Cadbury =)

7. Chocolate Adong, unfortunately I can't find any pictures in the net. This is my all-time favorite chocolate candy. During those times, with one peso I could buy a bag.

#95 Being engrossed in a good book

You know its a good book when the laundry dishes and laundry pile up, or when time stops literally or when its interfering with your sleep. Am not much of a book reader, i just read once in a while. I have one sister who is and would be able to finish an entire novel in one sitting. Wow! Its from her i get suggestions for books to read as she may have read thousands of books already. Just joking.

Books that have blown my mind are novels from Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, tragic stories which happened in Afghanistan, the former made to a movie. The God of Small things by Arundhati Roy, this one set in India, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, this one a metaphysical philosophical novel.  The popular Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, which cleared a lot of things on the Catholic religion, Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist and Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull are also a favorite among others.

How about you, what have you read lately that have blown your mind? =)

#94 Finding a good book on booksale

The prices of paperback novels and books are staggering now. A Neil Gaiman book would cost around 1000 pesos in National Bookstore, Lord of the Rings set atleast 1,200 bucks, The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle at 549 pesos. For a person who is into books, and loves reading one, and barely getting by it would be hard to purchase new paperbacks. That is why second hand book shops and book sales are a treat! One of this is a specialty shop Book Sale  located in some malls and sells secondhand books. I just grab Power of Now hardbound by Tolle at only 200 pesos, and the Kite Runner novel for only 150 pesos! Awesome...

#93 Location, location, location

It's the real estate agent's mantra. But its so true, be it choosing a good business location, your house location, you need to select one that is perfect for you. This is the main advantage of condominiums, you could see them mushrooming in the metro. The price is really staggering  for a small space, get one with the same price in the provinces and you have a mansion. But at the end of the day, you'll  appreciate their proximity to a lot of basic services and establishments. 

It's a 5 minute jeepney ride and am off to the nearest mall and commercial area and my church. Beside our building is a wet market, Chowking, Jollibee, etc. A mere 10 minute taxi ride and am off to my office. =) less the hassle and stress of daily commute. 

#92 Spotting your house from above the airplane

Having taken residence in Taguig, our building is on the plane path. I could always hear airplane passing by and taking off. So during my last travel, during the descent I make it a point to look for our building cause I know it is there somewhere. Got an aerial view and spotted our building. Awesome!

#91 Having those cute and hot stewardess serve you

Need to say more? One of the perks of travelling maybe is being served by this awesomely beautiful and hot flight attendants.

Boring airplane safety spiels becomes interesting. Glued into it like a favorite show or movie. Coffee, tea or juice? No Miss, i want to be the one to serve you. =)

#90 The view above the clouds

I love riding the airplane. Ever since my first taste during my second job (which requires me to travel), I love sitting in the airplane tube, flipping magazines, eating airplane food, watching movies, listening to music, and feeling like a mayaman, and cared and pampered by those stewardess. But one of the cool things up there is going thru the clouds and seeing a breath taking view of the land.

When I was young I really thought that clouds are like cotton, having seen all that Carebears cartoons hehe. I thought that you could hold it in your hands and mold it much like a clay, or sit or lie down on it like a soft fluffy pillow =)

It turns out that clouds are like gas formation or air that just disintegrates or give way when airplane passes into it. But they do still looks like fluffy and delicious cotton candy. =) But the feeling up there above the clouds, majestic!

#89 The feeling after a good run or workout

After almost more than a year of not running, I muster enough willpower and cleared my schedule, and went out for a run today. Why? I got lots of messages and tweets that I am such a positive person. The last two weeks were so stressful that I wanted to curl up in bed and stay there, and there were moments when a tear is about to fall due to some financial concerns, coping up with lots or work and errands, and some uncontrollable personal problems. Well, I woke up feeling a little down today but instead of wallowing and simmering  in negativity and worrying about what-nots, I go out for a run. I walked/jog about 20 minutes to a park, and run/walk for about an hour. Wow, i haven't felt that feeling in a while. I used to jog everyday but the work schedule has prevented me and I have just transferred to a new home.

The runner's high. The feeling when you can go on anymore, and breathing is so heavy, and sweat is pouring out heavily but you still go on some more. I haven't perspired in a long time. Really. And the feeling afterwards felt great. Its like a dose of feel-good high drug been dosed into me. Tomorrow I'm gonna go for a run again.

Did you know that a exercise can decrease cortisol in the body and increases endorphins, which is the body's feel good chemicals. And also increases oxygen intake in the body. Awesome!

#88 Reading an actual newspaper

Did you know there was once called a  newspaper?.. Of course it was just an exaggeration to get my point across. But the reality is, it is becoming obsolete with the internet and with all the online content available. Well, I grew up with one in the house. My sisters (they were eight of them!) loves reading and buying them. Aside from the classified ads of the Manila Bulletin, when one sibling is looking for work,  newspaper is a regular in the house, most especially the Sunday paper. Well obviously, Philippine Daily Inquirer is favorite of the house. Content and quality nothing beats the Inquirer, maybe during that time. I got introduced to columnists Conrado de Quiros,  Ambeth Ocampo, and Recah Trinidad and followed their columns. The Youngblood column also became my favorite which features twenty something individuals and whatever that concerns them and sometimes an eye opener for me. But my favorite section obviously is sports, reading that standing in the NBA and PBA being a Ginebra fanatic that I am (and maybe eventually my influence why I became sports editor in college) And after the sports is the comics section, where we got entertained by Pol Medina's Pugad Baboy and A. Lipin by Jess Abrera.

Today I got a free newspaper by buying a breakfast meal from Jollibee. It still feels good to read from an actual paper. But there's no slowing  the free information in the internet. The rest should learn to evolve. =)