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Friday, September 29, 2006

Our first video :-)

Current Mood:

Check out the video on the sidebar: this is our first published video taken with our camcorder. Steve was holding the camera.

Yes, that is a real scorpion, yes it is that big, and yes, it still has its stinger :-).

Labels: Retail

Posted by Unknown | 7:06 PM | 0 Comments |

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Interesting Question

Current Mood:

A BBC article posed an interesting question:

If the video of Steve Irwin's death was made available, would you watch it?

The article (click here to read it) presented two opposing views: one medical ethicist essentially says that Steve died doing what he's always been known for: taking risks. Watching his death serves a purpose: "The footage of Irwin's final film can in itself be regarded as a necessary part of our education: these animals are dangerous, and fooling around with them can be deadly."

Another medical ethicist says that it depends on your motives. If that motive includes "out of curiosity" or "for entertainment," then he says "Is there not something discomforting about these answers? Do they not reflect a morbid desire to witness a fatal tragedy?...It may well harm the watcher, whose humanity and moral sensibility will suffer. Irwin's passion for nature and his exuberance leapt out of the screen. Let that memory remain, and let the footage of his pierced heart disappear with the stingray into the depths of the ocean."

What's your opinion? Mine was no, I wouldn't watch it even if it was available.

Labels: Found on the Internet

Posted by Unknown | 9:46 AM | 0 Comments |

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Monday, September 25, 2006

Coming Through

Current Mood:

Jim Chappell has always been my favorite jazz/New Age artist. Right now I'm listening to his new album, Coming Through.

I love his work--he's awesome :-). All his albums are great, but his Nightsongs and Lullabies will always be my favorite :-).

If you'd like to hear samples of his work, click here :-).

Labels: Arts

Posted by Unknown | 5:22 PM | 0 Comments |

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This year's Halloween costume

Current Mood:

I'm excited about my Halloween costume this year:

Sure, he's a boy, but come on, V is just way too COOL :-). Besides, I've played boy roles in school plays before. I think I can get away with it :-). And the costume we got is a little too big for me, which is perfect because it'll be easier for me to hide the fact that I'm a girl :-).

Labels: Arts

Posted by Unknown | 4:16 PM | 2 Comments |

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Saturday, September 23, 2006

Our first cool camcorder

Current Mood:

With vacation time coming up soon, Steve and I thought it was time to invest in a good camcorder. What I originally wanted was a camcorder that recorded direct to DVD, but I had read too many reviews of people complaining that their memories were gone because the camcorder couldn't read the DVD properly enough to record to it. So I decided it would probably be safer to record on a tape or a memory card and then just transfer it to DVD later.

I did my research (you can ask Steve, I had a spreadsheet on it and everything :-)) and found just the one I want: the Canon Elura 100.

Isn't that just so TINY? The best part is that it's only $379.99 and has all the features I want:

crisp video
image stabilizer (so the recordings aren't all jerky)
can be plugged to a PC
can be plugged to a DVD recorder (Instead of sending pictures to family in Manila, I was thinking of sending DVDs instead :-))

Other cool features that it has:

it can shoot still pictures while you're shooting video
smooth zoom (it comes with 3 preset zoom speeds so when you zoom in, it zooms in steady and all professional-looking :-))
skin detail mode that automatically softens details to reduce skin imperfections when shooting close-ups (and what woman wouldn't want THAT :-))
motor drive mode lets you shoot a series of still images ideal for sports and fast action events
there's an Easy setting that automatically controls the focus and exposure, but you can turn that off and control things manually if you want to
lets you switch to widescreen format

I can go on and on, but you can find out more about it by clicking here. Watch the Flash demo, you'll get to see how cool it is :-).

Another thing that caught me by surprise was that it was cheaper to buy it over here than in Manila. Electronics are usually cheaper in Manila, but this camera is worth about $750 over there.

Labels: Retail, Travel

Posted by Unknown | 7:26 PM | 2 Comments |

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Monday, September 18, 2006

A Delightful Dinner

Current Mood:

Steve and I had a wonderful dinner last night at the Mikasa Japan Restaurant. It's on 6150 Poplar, at the Regalia Center. The pictures on this blog entry are from their website, www.mikasajapan.com.

Let me start by saying we weren't originally planning to go to Mikasa. We've been to Mikasa before and I wanted to try something new, it being our anniversary and all. Unfortunately, the other Japanese restaurant we were looking at didn't have too many positive reviews. I'd rather have a really good meal at a familiar place than a not-so-fantastic meal at a new place, so we ended up at Mikasa.

I love the atmosphere at Mikasa. It's a mix of the old and the new, but Japanese all over :-)

Steve and I ate a LOT of food last night, even by our standards. We don't usually order appetizers, but he had his own set of appetizers and I had mine, THEN we had the real meal. We were SOOO full.

The lady that took care of our table was really nice.

That's her, second from the right. She's married to the sushi chef and she was a big part of what our night so delightful (By the way, the guy second from the left is So Taguchi, St. Louis Cardinals' left fielder :-)).

First of all, she would come by and talk to us and make recommendations if we had any questions. She smiled a lot and you just felt really comfortable around her. Plus when she would give us our food and we'd say "Thank you," she'd bow and cheerfully say, "Hai." It definitely heightens the Japanese experience when you're spoken to in Japanese :-).

Then, after Steve and I finished our dinner, she asked us if we wanted dessert.

"Oh no," we said apologetically. "The food was very good, but we're afraid we have no room for dessert :-)."

She laughed at that, then proceeded to tell us about this study where a professor wanted to see if the phrase "You'll always have room for dessert," or "You've got a second stomach for dessert" was true. Long story short, when several subjects were presented with their favorite desserts even after being scientifically measured as "full," their brain released a hormone that made the stomach digest the food a little faster in order to make room for dessert :-). We said that was a really cool story and she went to get our check :-).

When she came back, she placed a complmentary dish of ice cream in front of us! "This is your reward," she said. "My grandfather told all his grandchildren to do three things: pray well, study well, and eat well, and you will be rewarded. This is *your* reward." It was such a wonderful surprise, especially since she had no idea it was our anniversary!

It was the best scoop of orange swirl ice cream drizzled with chocolate we've ever had :-). And whaddaya know, we DID finish the whole thing :-).

Oh, and I did get to try something new: my appetizer was fried baby octopus :-). If you like calamari you'd love it :-).

Labels: Arts

Posted by Unknown | 2:05 PM | 2 Comments |

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Saturday, September 16, 2006

Known each other 10 years, married for 2

Current Mood:

Tomorrow marks the day I met Steve in a CompuServe chatroom 10 years ago. It also marks our 2nd anniversary as husband and wife.

Anything special planned, you ask? Well, kind of :-). To us, anyway--to the rest of the world it's probably boring :-). We're baking cookies together in the morning and then having dinner out in the evening.

It's kind of funny when you compare the gifts we asked from each other. Steve's gift request reflected the inner kid in him: the new Star Wars DVD set (Episodes 4-6)--the movies as they were before Lucas' digital editing. He also wanted the Lego Star Wars game for his Nintendo DS.

What did *I* ask for? A vegetable chopper, the kind you see on TV. I also got an egg slicer, cookie cutters (hey, it's 100 designs :-)!) and a potato peeler.

I know, funny, right? And this was after thinking about it for a LONG time, too :-). But you know, I guess it's a *good* thing that after 2 years of marriage the only things I want are small-scale kitchen appliances :-).

Labels: Reflections

Posted by Unknown | 7:19 AM | 2 Comments |

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Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Current Mood:

When Steve found out that the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico was doing a show in Memphis, he was excited and said that I would enjoy it very much :-). So we bought tickets for their Sunday presentation :-).

It looks like a great show--I'm looking forward to seeing it :-).

We also bought season tickets to the Memphis Symphony Orchestra's Pops series. They have a great lineup this year:

Misbehavin’ Nightly with Byron Stripling. With a contagious smile and captivating charm, trumpet virtuoso, accomplished actor and singer Byron Stripling has ignited audiences internationally. With guest conductor Matt Catingub and drummer Stephen Moretti, the Symphony and guests will dazzle you with the music of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and the sounds of New Orleans. September 2006.

Star Wars and More. The music of John Williams has added the magic to many of the most memorable films of all time. Journey through some of your favorite movie moments with music from Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Jaws, and – of course – Star Wars. October 2006.

Home for the Holidays. Make this your holiday tradition! Get in the spirit of the season with a blend of classical and popular seasonal favorites, with audience sing-along! Principal Pops Conductor candidate Matt Catingub leads us for this annual holiday event. December 2006.

Dance! Dance! Dance! A salute to the great dancers of the 20th century. Acclaimed tap dancer Fred Strickler, with the Neos Dance Company, perform your favorite dance numbers, including numbers from such popular musicals as West Side Story and A Chorus Line and Copland’s Hoe Down. February 2007.

Hollywood Spectacular. From the silver screen to the Cannon Center stage! Music from Hollywood’s greatest spectacles, including Gone with the Wind, the Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur and more. March 2007.

Three Broadway Divas. Three of Broadway’s best — Debbie Gravitte, Christiane Noll, and Jan Horvath — light up the stage. Hit after show-stopping hit from Sweet Charity, Gypsy, A Chorus Line, Evita, Jekyll and Hyde, My Fair Lady and many more. These divas will dazzle! April 2007.

Labels: Arts

Posted by Unknown | 6:58 AM | 0 Comments |

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Friday, September 15, 2006

In Today's Paper

Current Mood:

This was in today's paper and wanted to share it with my non-Filipino readers :-). I figure it's a good way for them to know more about Filipino cuisine--by reading a review written by a non-Filipino :-).

====================
Taste of the exotic, Filipino style
VGM Foods and Deli dishes up food with a 'melting pot' flair
from The Commercial Appeal, September 15, 2006
2.5 out of 4 stars

It might be a stretch to call VGM Foods and Deli a restaurant. Sure, there are a few tables at this spot in an obscure strip mall off Sycamore View, but it's mostly a to-go venue. Order at the counter, where the rotating selection of food is dished up from a steam table.

What makes this address worth plugging into your GPS is the exotic foods from the Philippines that you're unlikely to find elsewhere in Memphis. (Though Lola's Kitchen in Millington also offers some Filipino dishes.)

As with many island cultures, the cuisine is a real melting pot of flavors and ingredients, with influences from Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese cooking traditions.

Some dishes look comfortingly familiar, yet the unusual seasonings set them a world apart. La-ing -- taro root leaves braised with coconut milk, peppers and shrimp paste -- might pass for greens, but it has an earthy, almost bitter flavor.

Savory skewers of grilled pork or chicken, bearing a slightly caramelized char that adds a wonderful flavor, are the Filipino version of barbecue.

Afritada is mild vegetable stew with pork or beef.

The outstanding lumpia is a cigar-size eggroll, wrapped around seasoned ground pork and veggies. Ask them to make it to order; it's best hot and crispy. (Then again, isn't everything from the fryer?)

Adobo is another stew, one which gets its trademark tangy kick from vinegar, soy sauce and bay leaves.

House noodles such as pancit Canton might remind you of an authentic Chinese chow mein, with soft stir-fried noodles tangled up with chopped meat and vegetables. There's even a Filipino-style spaghetti, with sliced spicy hotdogs giving the dish some bite.

And for dessert, the cassava cake bears a faint resemblance to sweet potato pie.

There are plenty of options more adventurous palates might want to explore. Paksiw is a little sweet, a little sour, with pig's feet as the key ingredient. Dinuguan gets its distinctive flavor and hue from pork and beef blood. (And they had run out of it during a recent lunch rush, so obviously it's a popular dish.)

The menu always includes a fried fish, served whole, from a mild, boned and butterflied milkfish to scrod or tilapia. Fried fish is sometimes sprinkled with seasoned vinegar or dipped into a sweet chili sauce.

Bopis is chock full of the pig's parts most folks think of as throw-aways: liver, heart and ears.

Kare-kare is oxtail simmered with peanuts. The Filipino version of menudo is nothing like its Mexican counterpart, with the key ingredient beef liver.

I'm not typically excited about food from steam tables, preferring cooked-to-order chow. But the several visits I've made to VGM, I was consistently impressed that the food tasted fresh, the vegetables tender-crisp, the meat falling off the bone. The food is vibrantly seasoned, though the afritada might have been even better with a pinch more salt.

Diners can embellish with a host of sauces: sweet chili sauce, vinegar with chopped garlic, Heinz ketchup.

The kitchen also cranks out fried chicken and fries.

Price are incredible: A choice of two dishes with rice is $4.99. That's a whole lot of food too.

The deli is tucked into a corner of the expansive store, that carries everything from canned squid to Sea Crunch "prawn snacks," and some offbeat soda and juices.

At some cafes with strange and wonderful foods, it's easy to feel lost, but the staff at VGM is helpful and accommodating. They'll be happy to suggest dishes, and steer neophytes toward the appropriate condiments.

On weekends, the selection grows larger, with specials such as sinigang -- a soup with pork or fish -- and chicken skewers, maybe even a spit-roasted pig.

With a congenial crowd enjoying lunch, it reminded me of a home-cooking restaurant. Filipino fare could very well be Asia's version of soul food.

-- Leslie Kelly: 529-2594

More info
VGM Foods and Deli
Address: 6195 Macon Road, Suite 1
Service: Friendly, helpful; order at the counter
Reviewer's choice: Adobo, sausages, stir-fried steak with vegetables, fried milkfish, bihon (rice noodles with stir-fried meat and veggies), cassava cake
Telephone: (901) 937-7798; FAX, 937-4146
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Price range: $4.99 for two entrees and rice; lumpia $1.25 per piece. Desserts, $1.25 a slice. VGM also caters.
Payment: Major credit cards, no personal checks.
No-smoking area: Yes
Handicapped access: Yes
Alcoholic beverages: Beer only
Dress: Casual
====================

I make my menudo a little differently, though. I don't use liver at all (Steve doesn't like liver). I just use plain pork stew meat. So imagine slices of pork stewed in a tomato sauce base with cubes of potato and carrots. That's it. Not threatening at all :-). There are even some days when Steve looks at me and says, "Let's have menudo tonight :-)."

Labels: Arts

Posted by Unknown | 8:22 PM | 1 Comments |

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Friday, September 08, 2006

Life Experiences

Current Mood:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sunrise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who had gotten drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (in school programs)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark (more like shark’s fin soup)
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city just to start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Labels: Reflections

Posted by Unknown | 5:51 AM | 2 Comments |

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Well whaddaya know...

Current Mood:

My maiden name, Catanghal, isn't a very common name. Growing up, I was the only Catanghal in all my classes and if I met another Catanghal it would always be a relative.

So imagine my surprise to find not only a Catanghal who *isn't* a relative, but also had the same first name (sans the second "L"). This was from a December 2005 issue of Star Teacher Magazine in Manila. Click on the picture if you'd like to see the full page :-).

Labels: Found on the Internet

Posted by Unknown | 5:38 AM | 0 Comments |

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Monday, September 04, 2006

Farewell, Steve Irwin

Current Mood:

I first read it on Meyan's blog, then I had to find out more about it. Yes, Steve Irwin has died. I was stunned. It seemed difficult to believe that it would happen to him, someone who was so careful around animals.

Then I thought that he died doing something that he loved. It made me feel a little better, but not by much. When I realized that I was never going to hear his trademark "Crikey!" said live again, there was this empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Farewell, Steve Irwin. I'm still terrified of reptiles, but I have a greater respect for them now too because of you and your show.

Labels: Reflections

Posted by Unknown | 6:37 AM | 1 Comments |

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Saturday, September 02, 2006

Got my passport :-)!

Current Mood:

I got my new passport in the mail today, WOO HOO :-)! And it's got my married name on it now too :-).

It feels weird flipping through the pages and seeing them all blank. What feels even weirder (in a good way, though) is knowing that I no longer need a tourist visa in the passport to enter the US; and that Immigration officers won't be stamping "US Immigration, Admitted Until..." anymore :-).

From now on, it's a swipe of the green card and a "Welcome back" greeting :-). Pretty cool :-).

Labels: Immigration

Posted by Unknown | 7:42 PM | 0 Comments |

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If We Could Afford a Second Car...

Current Mood:

Steve and I are beginning to consider getting a second car. We can't afford it yet, of course, but that didn't stop me from looking, and I found just the car I want: the 2007 Nissan Versa.

I'm guessing by the time we're ready to buy another car (we're still paying off Steve's gall bladder surgery right now), I can probably get a cheaper, second hand one :-). Right now a brand new one costs about $15,000.

Labels: Retail

Posted by Unknown | 6:16 PM | 0 Comments |

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