Angelina's balancing act

I feel a certain ambivalence towards this woman-phenom, Angelina Jolie. I don't call her phenom because I feel the same admiration for her as I do for amazing people like Mohammad Yunus or Nelson Mendela, or maybe even Oprah. She's phenomenal because inspite of her past and her lack of academic qualifications, she's somehow transformed into one of the few legitimate celebrity turned humanitarian/activists of our time. She's almost in the same level as Bono-- who is up there on his own. I am personally not as convinced as her fans from the media or even in the U.N. about how good, sincere or smart she is, but she's arguably become an influential voice in humanitarian causes.

There are a lot about her personal views that I find questionable, or dubious. Her adoption practice seems like an express bus towards downtown--running awfully fast with no bus stops in between. She projects herself through her recent interview (Vogue's January 2007 issue) as a cynic inspite of her altruistic and mother-earth qualities, so it seems ironic that she actually believes that having so many children in a short span of time is healthy for a family or for her growing brood. A cynic would pause, contemplate, and asses the reality of the situation. Yeah, you're filthy rich and can hire an army of help to bring up the kids, but do you really want to do that? And if you don't, do you actually believe you can personally provide these kids (and counting) with enough care and guidance so as not to screw up their developmental years?

I am a professed cynic, and I cannot for the life of me answer the questions I've posted with a confident YES. My family is not big, considering I come from a Catholic country where tradition condemns artificial birth control resulting to 5.1 children in most families, and yet I still think 3 kids with merely 1.5 years in between is too much, too overwhelming, and not smart family planning. Financially, we were fortunate, but I believe that emotionally and psychologically, if a couple is not as prepared, then they should postpone having children. If Angelina and Brad actually believe that having 2 new kids/year is viable because they are emotionally and psychologically able to handle it, then either they have super powers we don't know about (aside from genes and money), or they'll seriously screw their kids' heads in the future. The road to perdition is certainly paved with good intentions.

Angelina's express-adoption just rubs me the wrong way-- a very abrasive and disturbing way. Her wanting to "balance her mixed race" family is also strangely faulty. Would it make a significant difference to Asian Maddox or African Zahara if they have another person of the same race in their home as long as they were brought up with love, support, and confidence by their parents? Who cares if there isn't another kid from some former communist South-east Asian country in the house for Maddox to "relate." If they're brought up aware and emphatic to people regardless of race, then I think Maddox and Zahara will do perfectly ok. This "balancing a mixed race family" is pure crap to me. Love should be color blind anyway. If she's committed to Mad and Zahara having "race balance" so to speak, then they're looking at 2 more kids, one Asian and one African, and then another biological child they plan on having. Nice, we've go 6 kid's ya'all. I love Brad to bits, but he's no longer spring chicken, how's he gonna handle all those rugrats?

That being said, I wish damn hard that I find the kind of romance she has with the most beautiful white man who has worked this earth. Motorcycling across the desert and flying your own plane back home--that's hot. Of course, I need to have the millions to afford my own Cessna plane.

Don't get too comfortable

When you've lived all your life in a third world country, no matter how well-traveled and well-read you may be, so many first world "normalcies" will always hit you as quite alien.
Excess.

The exposure to excess is an out-of-body experience that I always find myself conscious about, no matter how logically I tell myself that I am no longer in the third world where excess is exclusive only to 5% of the population or 100% of the government.

I went to church last Sunday and when the time came for the Holy Communion, the priest announced that "for parishoners who are allergic of wheat products or oats, there is another line for hosts without the wheat ingredients."

My mouth was left gapping even before I had to take the Body of Christ.

I still marvel, and probably always will, about how rich and how the wealth is distributed in First World countries, more so in the United States. Americans are a spoiled lot. They take a lot of things forgrannted because they grew up expecting them, knowing they are entitled to so many things because they are Americans. Is it a wonder why Asian immigrants who came from war-torn, impoverished, or communist countries show their appreciation of becoming Americans by not taking anything forgrannted? They do not feel an entitlement that they have not worked hard for, and it shows in what has become the myth of the "model immigrants," or the Asian brainiacs in America.

My cousin, who is born of FIlipino parents but was conceived and brought up in America, is a perfect example of the American sense of entitlement. He disses the Philippines even though he's only been in the country once-- because "it's third world," (a.k.a. NOT AMERICA). If the country doesn't have smiling service 24/7, doesn't understand how important a thread count is, doesn't have toilet paper in every public restroom, don't serve both diet Coke and diet Pepsi in their menu, doesn't serve food from a pristine kitchen, don't have American giant sized burgers--which is the only real hamburger for these football loving Americans-- then they're getting a crappy deal.

God Bless America, because if HE/SHE doesn't, according to George W. Bush, America will be blasted off by terrorists from the face of the earth--or maybe by some embittered third world guy who can't get an American visa.

a room with a view

outside the apartment window







-2C for days already

Beverly Hills

The best cupcakes are in Beverly Hills

What can I say about Beverly Hills? Rodeo drive specifically....it's damn rich. It's First World rich, like uber rich!
Plus, they've got the best cupcakes I ever tasted in my life...plus, it's so good, Hollywood celebs actually go there...which means you might bump into one...and I did.
I was in line with Queen Latifah. Not bad, even though I didn't recognize her until Randy (my friend's husband) told me.




That's Queen Latifah on your right with the track suit

Me and my girls

I have been in Los Angeles since Nov. 2o, and I've taken some really nice pictures here California. It's certainly different from the east coast, and the weather is really nice.
I'm still not completely sold to Cali though, inspite of the fabulous weather and the beaches, specially after seeing downtown L.A. Dirty and Drab, I'm sorry to say. Really, it's a sad looking downtown area.

Anyway, my girl Ruth, and her friend Kathy went out yesterday to Manhattan Beach, around 30 miles from Glendale, where I'm staying right now, and the weather was absolutely amazing!

Shaken or stirred? This Bond doesn't give a damn

Press and fans say that he's the sexiest and most rugged Bond after Sean Connery.

I have no idea about Connery's James Bond, but they're right about Daniel Craig's being sexy and rugged. Craig owns this James Bond--all muscled, blond, blue-eyed, craggy faced inch of him. Bond never seemed so hot, being so cold.

Watch it. Watch it. Watch it.

You'd be hard pressed not to applaud when he delivers his iconic line at the end of the movie.

Strange behaviors

One of more bizzare things I have to adjust to now that I'm here in the States are the random individuals who will just shout, sing, chatter, and talk to you out of nowhere. Riding the public transportation is always an interesting experience if you want to live like the locals, and you get to see how the average citizens interact.

Here in the States, I think I get to observe the behaviors that are far removed from my expereince back home or in any other country I have visited(Except Russia). There are random men would just introduce themselves to you on the street, black women arguing loudly in the steets, you have people singing in a bus, you have a man who shush other passengers for talking in loud voices and "breaking his concentration," after which he proceeds to jabber loudly about absoultely random things. Don't be suprised if a gay guy with red lipstick taps you on the shoulder in Walgreens and asks for money for his HIV treatment. I was on the way to the bank the other day when a guy sat right infront of me and greeted me in Tagalog. He then proceeds to tell me about living in the Philippines and then asked for my email address. Hookay.

But inspite of these behaviors that I am not used to, I am happy to note that I haven't felt any fear of violence from any individual. In Russia where people seem stoic and expressionless, I experienced my first ever random physical assault. Attacked out of nowhere, or having a glazed man sitting beside you in a bus talking about music then jumping to his least favorite politicians? I'd tolerate the strange loud man whose biggest bother is his voice penetrating your iPod listening, over the quiet one who'd jump on you in broad daylight any day.

S.A.D.

That's Seasonal Affective Disorder.

It's cold like nobody's business right now. Honestly, how do Northeners do it? How do they survive the cold, dreary autumn and winter? I mean, I have no problem with the cold (ok, maybe a little), but the lack of sunlight--when 3pm feels like 6pm, or any time of the day for that matter feels like dusk--that I can't take. While the leaves are falling and trees look like dark skeletons, the human mind and body must slowly be wilting like the trees. Hey, we're all living things that need nourishment from the sun, so what happens when there is no sun for 4-5 months in a row? I can't comprehend it. It's a wonder the Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians aren't depressed. It's no wonder that the Russians seem so frosty-- who wouldn't with their kind of harsh climate!

My tropics mind and body are absolutely thirsty for sun exposure. I'm not talking about cancer level sun bathing; just your normal everyday sunlight .

I took pictures of Lincoln Park at 4:30pm, but I am not typing from my laptop, so I can't upload the photos yet. For those back in the Philippines or just anyone from the Southern Hemisphere, just be glad for your free dose of happy pill when the sun's rays fall on you and don't hide from it like some scared Japanese geisha. I'd do anything for some sunlight right now.

Weather forecasts for significant Cities:

Chicago: Ugh
Thursday 43° F 30° F 6° C -1° C
Friday 44° F 33° F 7° C 1° C
Saturday 43° F 31° F 6° C -1° C
Sunday 40° F 30° F 4° C -1° C
Monday 44° F 29° F 7° C -2° C

Novosibirsk Russia: Glad I'm not there anymore
Friday 32° F 21° F 0° C -6° C
Saturday 24° F 3° F -4° C -16° C
Sunday 15° F 6° F -9° C -14° C
Monday 19° F 10° F -7° C -12° C
Tuesday 19° F 6° F -7° C -14° C

Moscow Russia: Imperially cold

Friday 33° F 24° F 1° C -4° C
Saturday 33° F 26° F 1° C -3° C
Sunday 30° F 24° F -1° C -4° C
Monday 33° F 28° F 1° C -2° C
Tuesday 30° F 26° F -1° C -3° C

Florence Italy: Tolerable

Friday 68° F 57° F 20° C 14° C
Saturday 66° F 53° F 19° C 12° C
Sunday 62° F 46° F 17° C 8° C
Monday 60° F 50° F 16° C 10° C
Tuesday 60° F 53° F 16° C 12° C


Los Angeles: WOW!!!


Thursday 83° F 56° F 28° C 13° C
Friday 77° F 56° F 25° C 13° C
Saturday 78° F 56° F 26° C 13° C
Sunday 77° F 56° F 25° C 13° C
Monday 77° F 52° F 25° C 11° C

Manila: I'm not suprised


Friday 82° F 73° F 28° C 23° C
Saturday 84° F 73° F 29° C 23° C
Sunday 82° F 75° F 28° C 24° C
Monday 84° F 73° F 29° C 23° C
Tuesday 86° F 73° F 30° C 23° C

constant

He is the man I will adore till the day I die.

I loved him since I was sixteen...

I don't care if it sounds like cheesy crap, but everything he does IS magic.

Saturday date

Yesterday I went to work! Yay!

Ok, it wasn't exactly the I.T. consultancy or media communications that I did before, but I did get paid to dress up and look nice. Anyway, the office was snazzy.

Then off to dinner at the popular tapa place, Cafe Iberico, with Craig, Cindy, Jason, David, Anne, Lin Xiu and Audree...

In da club

Nov. 10

It was raining hard and windy to boot, but I braved the elements to go clubbing. I am a club girl. I like to go clubbing and having some drinks with friends and dancing till I drop.
I've clubbed in most places I've visited: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Novosibirsk, Florence, Vienna, and regretfully missed a few: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris, and Milan. And I only missed out on the clubbing because I had no one to club with....but if I did...

anyway...

So I went clubbing last Friday at Jet Vodka Lounge at 1551 N. Sheffield, not exactly an easy location to find. The club looked like an inside of a giant cylinder with white walls. It felt more Star Trek than Airforce One. The place wasn't huge, but the vodka was really good. Russia ruined my taste for vodka because once you've tasted authentic Russian vodka, the rest are just pretenders. Fortunately, the club lived up to its name because the vodka shot tasted like authentic Russian vodka; no smell, no burning sensation as you swallow, no strong after-taste; in short, it was smooth as silk. The music was good because it was hip hop and rap, but there was no obvious dance floor in the club, so we just had to dance where we were standing.

I joined AsianOne.org's events manager extraordinaire, Cindy Lam, and her friends from her other social network organization. We were all Asians from different origins and it was interesting to guess where everyone was from based on how we look.

The group was a bunch of professionals ranging from finance (lots of them!), healthcare, to manufacturing. You gotta hand it to the immigrant parents, they really hammered academic excellence to their kids and the fruits of their labor show. I won't run out of people to go to for tax or investment advice!

Here are pics of the night:

a fashion show of sorts

with a live perfomer
With Joyce