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Franklin, TN, USA
Manila, Philippines
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Friday, March 13, 2009
Sake Chazuke
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Precious Memories--Jim Chappell (The Earthsea Series) Steve and I have Japanese neighbors, and we're currently in a "gift war" with them :-). You know how it goes: first someone gives a gift to you, then you give a gift back, and then they give a gift back to you, so forth and so on. It's gotten to the point that when they go to Japan, they often bring us back something, and when I go to Manila, we often give them something :-).
I think part of the coolness of it all is that Steve and I both like a lot of things about Japan. One of our dreams is to one day have enough money to be able to take a leisurely, no-expense-barred two-week vacation in Tokyo :-). That'd be SO awesome.
Anyway, it's kind of fun to be able to practice a few Japanese phrases with them, and to be able to introduce Filipino things to them like barquillos, dried mangoes, barquiron, and a lot of other things that the Philippines is known for. And in turn, we get to experience a lot of new Japanese things too. This latest thing that we got (I got it as part of a "Happy Girl's Day" gift) I've become addicted to. It's called sake chazuke, and it's great.
Each packet has seasoning and dehydrated bits of rice crackers, red salmon, and seaweed. What you do is sprinkle the whole thing over some leftover rice, pour some hot water or green tea on it, and you've got rice soup. I like it so much that I ended up eating them two packets at a time (hey, it's pointless to fight it--I eat one, I know I'm going end up going back for a second one anyway :-)).
Steve likes it too (not that he's ever gotten to have one all to himself :-)). You can probably guess that I've used up all the sake chazuke, but the good news is I'm able to order them online. I'm patiently waiting for my shipment to arrive from San Francisco :-).
{playfully shakes my fist in the air} Curse you, nice Japanese neighbors :-)!
Current Mood: CC is listening to: another online Six Sigma module (only 7 modules left :-D!) When Steve and I were in Manila, my brother Noel introduced us to this Nintendo DS game called Rhythm Tengoku Gold. Steve and I got TOTALLY addicted to it.
The premise is very simple: follow the rhythm, keep the timing.
Simple? You'd think :-). Here's a set of commercials about it :-). It's got all those games and more (lots LOTS more). It's awesome :-).
When I play the game I look like that guy in the end. My entire body has to move to keep with the rhythm :-).
Our own copy arrived in the mail yesterday (yay!). The English version is slated to come out in Q4 2008, but we can't wait that long :-). We'll use the Japanese version until then :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Too Close for Comfort--Michael Buble (We All Love Ella: Celebrating The First Lady Of Song) I should have known I wouldn't stop at just the phone :-). I ended up getting an accessory for it: it's the Motorola T505.
What does it do? It's pretty cool. The easiest way to describe it is through this diagram:
Essentially the T505 takes calls and music from any Bluetooth-enabled cellphone or mp3 player (my phone acts as both), then it finds the next available FM station to broadcast to and then it tells you to tune in to that. Then you'll have your calls and your music playing through the car stereo :-). It'll freeze the music when you have an incoming call, then it'll pick it up again when the call is over.
The best part about this is that it's portable. I could use this in Steve's truck (or in any other car), because it doesn't matter whether or not the car stereo is Bluetooth--the T505 MAKES it Bluetooth :-). Heck last night I was testing it with an ordinary non-Bluetooth CD player that had an AM/FM radio--it works beautifully, and the music comes out in full stereo :-).
Oh and we also bought a 1GB micro memory card to replace the 512MB I had, so I have even more music to play now :-).
I think this "upgrade phone" thing is contagious--when we were at Best Buy yesterday Steve started looking at new phones that HE could upgrade to :-).
Oh and that "Unstable Equilibrium" artwork in the last blog entry? I made it my cellphone wallpaper :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: I Do Remember--Hiroshima (Another Place) I upgraded my phone this week :-). Many wireless companies in the US offer you a free phone upgrade after a certain amount of time if you're willing to extend your post-paid contract with them for an additional two years. That makes it REALLY easy to get a new phone if I feel like changing it, and I would get the phone at a discount (or even free depending on the model).
The one I got cost me an extra $70, but I'm happy with it :-). It's a Nokia 6301.
I'm not a cellphone geek by any stretch of the imagination :-). I don't have to have the latest and greatest out there, and this phone more than addresses what I need :-):
Size: 1.7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches Weight: 1.4 ounces Included battery: 860 mAh Lion Talk time: up to 3.5 hours Standby time: up to 14.5 days Band (frequency): 850 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz
Included Accessories:
Battery
Charging Stand
Stereo Hands-Free Headset
512 mb MicroSD card (inserted in phone)
Top Phone Features Messaging
Instant messaging
Text messaging
Fun
2.0 megapixel camera
Music player
Video capture/playback
MegaTones®, Wallpaper, HiFi Ringers®, & Games
Communication
Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology
Wi-Fi and Mobile Calling
E-mail
Picture messaging
Information
Micro SD memory slot
Photo caller ID
Voice dialing
Assistants
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
T-Mobile Address Book
I love the fact that it comes with a 512MB memory card :-). That makes it really easy to save LOTS of things on it :-). I've already used up half of it by transferring music from my computer :-).
Now here's the biggest factor that made me get the Nokia 6301 over other models: it's a Wi-Fi enabled phone. What does that mean? It's the coolest thing. I have to subscribe to the additional service (an additional $10 a month), but let me tell you what happens: my phone can use open Wi-Fi signals (or Wi-Fi signals I know the network key to) to make phone calls, and any phone calls I make using that Wi-Fi signal will NOT be counted towards my cellphone minutes :-).
So let's say I've got a 500-minute-a-month plan and I've currenly used up 400 minutes, which means I only have 100 minutes left to use for the rest of the month.
I set up my phone to recognize my home Wi-Fi broadband internet connection and make it use THAT connection instead of the T-Mobile connection. Once I do THAT, I can place a phone call to a relative, or join a business conference call that can last 3 hours--heck, let's make it 5 :-). 5 hours, that's 300 minutes. But because I made the call using the home broadband Wi-Fi network, I would STILL have my 100 minutes left to use on to the T-Mobile network :-).
Is that not friggin' sweet :-)? Plus there's more. It automatically connects to the Wi-Fi network at T-Mobile hotspot locations such as Starbucks shops, airports, and bookstores. I walk into a Starbucks, make a call, and don't have to worry about using up my minutes :-).
Of course, that's only applicable to using the Wi-Fi network for making cellphone calls (and not things like accessing the internet on your laptop--that's a different service altogether), but that sure does come in handy :-).
Oh and here's another thing, and I was surprised to learn this: if you want your tri- or quad-phone unlocked so you can use it with a different SIM card overseas, all you have to do is call T-Mobile and they'll have it unlocked for you within 24 hours, free of charge. THAT'S cool :-).
So what I'll do is wait until I get to the point where I'm about to use up my 500 minutes on my T-Mobile plan for the month, then I'll activate the T-Mobile HotSpot@Home service :-). That way I won't end up starting to pay an extra 9.99 a month until I absolutely have to :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Nothing right now When Steve and I saw this T-Shirt we both laughed so much I just HAD to order it :-).
This t-shirt probably wouldn't make sense if you haven't seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, so I put the source of the joke below. The joke starts about a minute after you press play and ends 35 seconds later :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to:Nothing right now When I was in Manila, my brother Noel and I had to go to the grocery store because he needed ingredients for a dish that he wanted to try that night. He needed to buy coriander, so we were in the spices section. We couldn't find the coriander but Noel at one point took a packet from the shelf and showed it to me.
"Zappron?" I asked, puzzled. "I've never heard of Zappron. What kind of spice is zappron?"
Noel shook his head. "Ate, it's saffron."
I near doubled over laughing. The picture's out of focus because I was laughing so hard I couldn't keep my hand steady.
"Zappron--sounds like the name of some outer space bad guy."
"Or a really bad movie."
"Or a video game. ZAP-pron!"
When I got back to the US I told Steve about it and showed him the picture, and HE started laughing. We'll never look at saffron the same way again :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Variations On A Theme By Haydn, Op. 56A "St. Antoni Chorale"--Claudio Arrau (Brahms: Piano Concertos (Complete)/Overtures (Complete)/Haydn Variations) ...a second vehicle :-).
It's a 2007 Suzuki Forenza. 2.0L engine, 4 cylinders, Gets 22 miles to the gallon city driving and 31 miles to the gallon on the highway. That translates to about 9 km/liter in the city and 13 km/liter on the highway. That's not bad :-). It got a 7.9 consumer rating (highest is 10) at Edmunds.com and consistently higher than 3 stars (out of 5) on all categories (value, reliability, quality, performance, styling, and comfort) based on 119 ratings on Kelley Blue Book.
No, it's not new--it's got about 22K miles on it :-). Steve and I are perfectly okay with getting a pre-owned car, so long as it got checked out and we get the extended warranty so that it's protected :-).
It's got front and side air bags, AC/Heater, power locks, power mirrors, power steering, power windows, CD Player-AM/FM Stereo, automatic transmission, rear window defroster, cruise control (which will come in handy for long trips :-)), and a car alarm with keyless remote. We got it for $11,600 (P507,442) at CarMax.
I honestly didn't expect the experience to be as easy as it was. It was like opening a bank account (well it took longer than that, but it was as easy as that).
In case you wanted to see more of what this model looks like, here are some stock photos:
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Tender Ritual--Jim Chappell (Tender Ritual) Grrr--why doesn't Pfizer make Visine Cool anymore?
I haven't been able to find it in Manila, and it doesn't seem to exist in the US. I'll have to see if there's a way I can get it online.
Why do I like Visine Cool? It has this menthol kind of feeling that definitely cools down your eyes, especially if they're all itchy from allergies (darn you, spring :-)). You know those menthol shampoos that cool your scalp when you use it? It's like that, only for your eyes :-). After I tried it, normal eye drops just don't do it for me anymore. It doesn't have actual menthol in it--as a matter of fact it just says "Each mL contains 0.05% tetrahydrozoline HCl in sterile isotonic solution," and I see that in practically all Visine products. I don't know what gives it its menthol-type feel, but it really helps :-).
Not too many people like it though--I told my brother Noel to try it one time when I was in Manila and as soon as one of the drops hit his eyes he quickly shut them, pressed his palms against his face and yelled, "AAaahh!! It BURRNNSS!!"
Steve doesn't like it either. First time HE tried it, he clomped around the apartment, hands to his face, saying, "Oh my GOD what's IN that thing?! Are you out of your MIND putting that on your eyes?!"
And I'm like, "Y'all are sissies, this stuff is great :-)."
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Metal--Feng Shui for Balanced Living (Daniel May) Okay let's pick up that list from where I left off :-).
Second small event: a small home office section in the apartment
Since Steve and I only live in a one-bed, one-bath apartment right now, there really isn't a room that we can turn into a study/den. When we move to Nashville we'll probably do that, but for right now the most that we can do office-space-wise is to just get a work desk so I wouldn't have to work off the dining table :-).
So we went to OfficeMax and got a computer station, a desk lamp, and a task chair :-). We also got an extra bookshelf because we had run out of storage space :-). I also wanted to get a wooden chair mat so the chair will roll easily on carpet, but those things were like, almost two hundred dollars for just a small one.
I said to Steve, "Heck for that price I bet we can go to Lowe's or Home Depot, get some laminate wooden planks and build our own for MUCH cheaper."
So we went to Lowe's, and we were right :-). A box of 9 interlocking wooden flooring panels was $40, and it works just as well :-). There's some final trimming that needs to be done on it, but it's definitely a better alternative to shelling out $200 :-).
So here's a shot of the little section of the apartment that has become my home office :-)...
I prefer an L-shaped workstation, so that extra length running down the side is actually a rolling laptop cart that I've had for a while. It worked out really well that they had the same color wood grain, they look like they go together :-).
{points to the dining room table} See? I'm meeting one of my New Year's resolutions. No mess on the dining room table :-).
Current Mood: CC is listening to: Everything--Michael Buble (Everything) I love after-holiday sales--it's when you get a chance to indulge and buy stuff that you normally wouldn't because the original prices were too expensive :-). I had four boxes outside my front door this morning with all the stuff I'd ordered after Christmas...
From Disney.com:
Mickey Thermal Shirt for Her - Was: $26.50, Now $11.39 Tinker Bell Silhouette Tailored Shirt for Her - Was $29.50, Now $12.00 Alice in Wonderland Long Sleeve Tee For Her - Was: $16.50, Now $7.79 Tinker Bell Long Sleeve Tee For Her - Was: $16.50, Now $7.79 Sleeping Beauty Long Sleeve Tee For Her - Was: $16.50, Now $7.79 Grumpy Rugby Sweater for Him - Was: $34.50, now $15.00. Steve's already fallen in love with this sweater, it's so SOFT.
Total was supposed to be $102.94, but I saved $41.18 and only needed to pay $61.76 :-).
The other boxes were from Barnes and Noble.com:
Holidays on Ice (Audiobook) by David Sedaris. Read by David Sedaris, Ann Magnuson, and Amy Sedaris - Was $17.00, Now $6.98. This has the "Santaland Diaries" audio essay that I'd written about a few blog entries ago, plus a few more :-). A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack - Was $11.99, Now $9.99 The Skilled Negotiator: Mastering the Language of Engagement by Kathleen Kelley Reardon - Was $27.95, Now $1.99 (Yes you read that right, $1.99. They have SO many books that are on sale for $2.00) Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim: Essays (Audiobook) by David Sedaris - Was $26.98, now $5.99 Classical Cartoons CD - $2.98 (This wasn't on sale, but it was so cheap I'd figure I'd get it anyway :-))
The best part about the Barnes & Noble purchases was that I'd gotten a $25 B & N gift card for Christmas, and the shipping is free if you order over $25 worth of stuff. My total bill? $5.51. Sweet :-).
I'd also bought a couple of other books at regular price when Steve and I went to the bookstore on New Year's Day...
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Conversational Sign Language Illustrated (Complete Idiot's Guide Series) - This isn't ASL (ASL has a more specific structure), this is PSL (Pidgin Sign Lanuage), and it teaches you the important signs that would allow you to communicate with deaf people. So instead of signing something like, "My-name-is-Cecille," you'd sign "Me-Cecille." I think this will be a great start to increasing sign language proficiency--I get all the important words first, then work on structure later :-). Learn American Sign Language by Arlene Rice (Paperback - Booklet and 86 Flashcards) - I figured using flashcards would be a great way for me to review :-).
Yeah, I'm going to be busy the next couple of months catching up on my personal reading :-)
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