Adventures in TV Land

Moving House

2009-11-03T04:31:00.002+08:00

As part of my bid to go minimalist, I've decided to move house. From now on, I'll be posting everything on my http://yvettetan.com blog.

It seems easier that way.

Thank you very much for reading my random stuff here.

Hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Yvette

Antonio's

2009-10-29T20:33:00.001+08:00

Antonio's in Tagaytay is one of the country's most popular restaurants. It is certainly the most prominent having been the only one from the Philippines to get into the top 10 of the newly-launched Miele Guide last year.

Chef Tony Boy Escalante is a jolly fellow who loves nothing more than giving a good party, and this can be felt in every aspect of the restaurant, from the staff's crisp uniforms, the restaurant's festive old house feel, and of course, the food itself.

The Scallop Tasting (P250), giant scallops sealed in puff pastry are soft and fresh, pliable with a fork, like a seafood marshmallow, a savory contrast to the salad that comes with it – fresh Tagaytay greens like lettuce, radish, and arugula, probably picked earlier that day.

Another savory starter is the Baked Brie & Cranberry in a Puff Pastry (P300) with Pan Seared Foie Gras (P550), melt-in-your-mouth brie enveloped in soft puff pastry served with foie gras, the liver light, evenly textured, its caramel-like flavor sliding beautifully of the tongue.

It comes with greens drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette, some sweetness to cut through the subtle yet intense flavors.

I particularly liked the Steak Taretare (P700).

Served chilled, it was quite a refreshing dish, the grated radish cutting down the beef's saltiness while onions gave the dish crunch and zing.

Despite the vegetables, the dish was still too salty for my taste, so I recommend pairing it with bread.

The Tomato Broth with Coriander Dumpling is served hot.

The broth is light and slightly tart, the dumpling akin to ones found in chicken dumpling noodle soups.

The effect is stomach-warming and palate cleansing. Scooping up the melted cheese at the bottom of the bowl is a treat.

The Grilled Pink Peppered Chilean Sea Bass on Tomato Risotto, Saffron-Kaffir Sauce (P1,600) is lovely, the fish soft, grilled just right on the outside so that it has a crisp exterior while its inside stays moist.

Paired with the tomato risotto, it is a dish you will not want to share with anyone else.

The Beef Fillet on Plancha with Black Pepper Sauce, Pappardelle, Tossed Baby Arugula with Honey and Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette (P1750) was also good, the beef tender, and tendon-free.

If you want to try the sea bass and the beef, plus Honey Glazed Lambloin with Goat Cheese, you should get Antonio's Trio (P1,900).

Even people not fond of lamb will take to the latter, as it doesn't have a gamey flavor.

Eating at Antonio's may not be cheap, but each bite is worth every penny spent.

And if you like food as much as I suspect you do, you know that there is no price too high for good quality and great cooking.

Southern Deli Halal Restaurant

2009-10-22T17:27:00.003+08:00

Posted this in my GMA blog. Though this post is strictly about food, and I never claim to know anything about Islamic cuisine, a lot of the comments veered towards religion, most of them borderline offensive. Thankfully, there were folks who kept to the spirit of the post, and that's the enjoyment of good food. I say, can't we all just get along at the dinner table?

Hidden behind the building fronting V Mall in the Greenhills shopping center is Southern Deli, a modest cafeteria frequented by the area's Muslim community.

Small and clean, the restaurant specializes in Maranao cuisine. The restaurant may look humble, ut the dishes – all Maranao home cooking – are anything but.

Diners get a free bowl of soup. Made from carabao (water buffalo) ribs, this translucent broth is warm, its beefy base enhanced by a coconutty taste. It warms the stomach and prepares it for the dishes yet to come.

Dining is no frills, no nonsense. You pick your dishes from a cafeteria lineup, sit at one of the plastic tables and eat. All the dishes cost Php50 for a small saucerfull, the rice, Php15 a bowl.

The Rendang Beef tastes like a cross between adobo and beef stew. It's pretty tasty, but has a slightly overpowering saltiness that is masked once it is paired with rice. This saltiness occurs in a lot of the canteen's dishes, and when asked about it, the owners explained that it is actually a hallmark of good Maranao cooking.

My favorite dish was the Fresh Tuna Kinilaw (what they call kilawin in the South), which was very, very spicy. Since my companion and I had gotten there early, the tuna had not yet “cooked” in its vinegar marinade. What makes this cerviche-like dish stand out is the addition of coconut milk, which lends the dish a sweet edge. The kinilaw also contains chopped cucumber, onion, chili and ginger. This, I have to say, is one of the best I've had in the city.

We also had Bakas, which, unlike its name implies, is not a beef dish but is actually tuna grilled with tumeric and grated coconut. It was dry and a bit tough but with a mild taste, quite the opposite of the Beef Rendang!

The Chicken Curry was more salty than curry-shy, but also very very spicy. Another dish that has to be eaten with rice.

Another favorite of mine was the Badak, a vegetable dish made from leaves not found in Manila. The dish also contains langka (Jackfruit) and daing (smoked fish) and tasted like laing with the texture of labong. Could a dish be even more perfect?

I wouldn't mind going back there again, especially if I'm in the mood for kinilaw. I have to wonder about what the mainly Muslim clientele will think of a non-believer being there though, as we got a few strange looks during out trip there. Still, I'm glad we got to try it.

Southern Deli

Greenhills Shopping Center

Carpark Mosque

San Juan

0902-5755559

10.30am – 9pm daily except holidays

"Seek Ye Whore" an Honorable Mention in Ellen Datlow's "Best Horror of..."

2009-10-09T00:37:00.004+08:00

Art by MM Yu
Published in Rogue magazine, July 2008

"Seek Ye Whore," which was published in the July 2008 issue of Rogue magazine (the one with the just-got-out-of-bed Anne Curtis), is an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow's new horror anthology "Best Horror of..."

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

"Seek Ye Whore," by the way, is the story that made Gilda Cordero Fernando say to me: "You're such a pretty girl and you write such bloody stories!"

She said I was pretty, hehehe.

Shameless Self-Promotion October 2009 Edition

2009-10-08T23:08:00.004+08:00

It's an exciting October!

Not only am I Uno magazine's guest editor (the issue with the lovely, bloody, mostly naked Ornusa Cadness on the cover), my book is also featured in this month's issue of Garage magazine and on the FHM website.

Hmm... all of them seem to be men's magazines...

But wait, there's more!

My dream of my clothes being commended on a fashion blog has come true! Check out What KT Did (I'm not linking to the post I'm in but check out the blog, which is awesome) for a look into the fun, exciting life of fashion designer Kate Torralba.

Good Mood is Good Taste: Thai Cooking at The Mandarin

2009-08-31T10:00:00.001+08:00

The Mandarin Oriental is known for its wonderful accommodations and even more wonderful cuisine. A couple of months ago, I got to witness the creation of this cuisine firsthand when I attended the hotel's Thai Kitchen 2009, an interactive cooking class with Chef Anchalee Luadkham of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

We were a class of about fifteen people, all huddled around the makeshift kitchen set up in the middle of the Tivoli Grill. Chef Anchalee taught us three Thai dishes. An appetizer - Yam Nue Yang A-Ngun, spicy beef salad with grapes and mint dressing; a main course – Panang Goong, red prawn curry; and a dessert – Tub Tim Krob, chilled water chestnuts rubies in sweet coconut milk.

It was fun watching Chef Anchalee, who, at 26, is also a faculty member at the Mandarin culinary school (as well as being a sous chef in the hotel's Thai restaurant) in Chiang Mai, demonstrate her skill. She worked fast and with a smile, her Thai staff skillfully assisting her, without her having to tell them to do so.

What was more fun was learning some secrets of Thai cooking. “You have to get all ingredients ready before cook,” Chef Anchalee suggests.

One secret I learned was how to get really good curry. What Chef Anchalee did was heat (stirring constantly) a ladle-ful of coconut milk (gata) in a wok until it reduced and was mostly oil. It was this oil she used to fry the curry paste. The technique may be slow and time-consuming, but it made a big difference. The resulting curry was more flavorful and had more depth to it. It was also somehow more filling.

Another secret that I discovered (one that I had been wondering about ever since I was a child) was what the glutinous exterior of the Tub Tim Krob was prepared. I have always been fond of dessert, and it was wonderful to finally find out how to make it (I'm too lazy to surf for it – besides, having a Thai Chef prepare it in front of me is proof that the recipe is authentic).

“I think that Filipino and Thai cooking are similar, in that they can have a lot of ingredients, but take a short time to cook, like curry,” Chef Anchalee says.

When asked what her tip for cooking Thai well was, she answered, “My tip is smiling. Good mood is good taste.”

TUB TIM KROB
chilled water chestnuts rubies in sweet coconut milk
(serves one - why share?)

TAPIOCA WATER CHESTNUT

7 – 10 pcs water chestnut (fresh or canned)
2 tbsp red food color
3 tbsp tapoica flour (magic powder)

COCONUT SAUCE

½ cup coconut milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 pc pandan leaf
1 pinch salt

GARNISH
½ cup crushed ice

1. Heat coconut milk in a saucepan. Add sugar, salt and pandan leaves. Mix well and set aside.
2.Dice water chestnuts. Place in a bowl, add red food color and leave for 1-2 minutes. Drain excess food color.
3.Mix chestnuts with the tapoica flour. Make sure that chestnuts are evenly coated.
4.Shake off excess flour and drop water chestnuts in hot water until the flour coating solidifies into a red gel covering, then place in cold water.
5.Place water chestnuts in a serving bowl. Top with crushed ice and milk (remove pandan leaf first). Garnish with jackfruit and coconut meat if desired.

Waking the Dead online buying info

2009-08-25T00:55:00.002+08:00

Unfortunately, Waking the Dead isn't available on Amazon.

You can, however, purchase it directly from the publisher, or through National Bookstore (or any Philippine bookstore that offers a delivery service).

Anvil Publishing
order here

National Bookstore
order here

Philippines Free Press 101st Anniversary Issue out this week!

2009-08-24T00:09:00.001+08:00

The issue is of course a special tribute to Cory Aquino featuring new writing by Teodoro Locsin Jr., Fr. Catalino Arevalo, Oliver X.A. Reyes.

As it is their 101 Year Anniversary, this special collectors issue also has articles from the Free Press archives (edited and curated by Ricky S. Torre). Featuring articles by Gregorio Brillantes, Wilfrido Nolledo, Kerima Polotan, Jose Quirino, Jose Lacaba and Quijano de Manila.

So please come and support The Philippines Free Press—after all, they did invent the term "Juan dela Cruz".

**Full disclosure: I hear it'll also have coverage of the Waking the Dead book launch! :D

Waking the Dead Book Launch This Saturday!

2009-08-10T20:33:00.002+08:00

Everyone is invited to drop by the launch of Waking the Dead, my first collection of short stories.

It will be held this Saturday, 4pm at Powerbooks Megamall.

Here's a review of the book from today's Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Hope to see you there!

Route 196

2009-08-05T10:00:00.000+08:00

If I'm going to a gig, more often than not, it will be in Route 196. Aside from great production nights, this bar and restaurant has great food as well. And cheap beer! Did I mention the cheap beer?

Their Fish and Chips (P165) is served hot. The sutchi fish is soft, the batter enclosing it light and crispy. It goes well with the lemon mayo it is served with, though I would have preferred asabe mayo. But that's just me, because to me, wasabe is its own food group. The fact that it is served wit potato chips instead of french fries makes it more Pinoy, and more 'bar' than 'restaurant.'

The Deviled Chicken (P165) is Route's version of buffalo wings. The boneless chicken pieces are coated in a dark, spicy-sweet glaze whose heat can easily be tempered by the accompanying dip.

A personal favorite is the Pepper-Seared Tuna (P145). Served with wasabe mayo (yay, wasabe!), the tuna has a black pepper crust and is seared so that it is cooked on the outside and pink and raw on the inside. My two complaints about this dish is that the serving isn't big enough and that the mayo isn't spicy enough. But this is still the dish I always order.

Route 196 is also known for their pizzas, perhaps the most famous of which is their Noypi (P195). Topped with tinapa and kesong puti, this salty pie is almost like eating unsweetened bibinka, but with smoked fish instead of slated egg. The crust is thin and uneven, giving the pizza a rustic feel.

They have a happy hour from 6-9pm, where the beer is even cheaper than its usual P40. Band usually start playing at 10pm.

Route 196
196-A Katipunan Ave.
Blue Ridge A, QC
4391972
coolestbar.multiply.com

This week in Y Style

2009-07-26T21:03:00.002+08:00

Has a couple of articles come out in this week's Y Style, the lifestyle section of the Philippine Star.

There was on on jackets and another one on Svenson's new hair treatment.

Read Take Cover and It's Hair to Stay.

Excerpt from Waking the Dead in the Uno July 2009 issue!

2009-07-26T17:54:00.003+08:00

Grab a copy of this months Uno magazine with Cindy Kurleto on the cover. It's their sports issue but they named it "No Fun" after the Stooges song.

There's an excerpt of "The Bridge," one of my stories from Waking the Dead, my first collection of short fiction, which will be launched in August.

Read the excerpt on the Uno website here.

My Ang Pinaka Street Food Experience

2009-07-15T10:00:00.004+08:00

If you tuned in to Ang Pinaka last Sunday evening, you'll notice that I was one of the three panelists, along with food critics Ige Ramos and Ivan Henares, in their feature on street food. We were all asked to rank our top 10 street food (we were given a long list to choose from). The results, along with some from surveys and the staff, were collated and the results were the ones featured on the show.

Here's my Top 10, based on availability (by me, at least), what I actually eat and what most of the folks I know eat. Like Ige, I also factored in nutrition and value for money.

1. Taho
My favorite street food. Warm, nutritious and cheap. Good for breakfast when you're on the run.

2. Balut/ meats on a stick
I don't like balut or innards on a stick but everyone else does! They're the poster child for Filipino street food.

3. Fishballs
Cheap, easy to find and yummy. The dubious sanitation of the vendors just adds to the taste.

4. Dirty Ice cream
Nothing evokes summer more than a cone of dirty ice cream. They ave flavors that are simple, yet cannot be copied by commercial ice cream companies.

5. Quek-quek
Cholesterol in a bucket, yes, but also a good source of protein. Plus, it's really tasty.

6. Mais
Cheap, flavorful and nutritious.

7. Mani
Nothing like some peanuts to fortify you during a long bus ride.

8. Banana Cue/ Camote cue
Cheap, sweet and filling - everything a good Pinoy snack should be

9. Puto/ Kutsinta/ Biko
My three favorite kakanins. I couldn't choose!

10. Scrambol
Nothing but syrup and ice but a good way to keep cool on a hot day in the province.

Thinking of Adarna's Mango Shake

2009-07-14T15:00:00.000+08:00

I love the food at Adarna Food and Culture, along Kalayaan. Thee are lots of things that I like to eat there, but right now, it's their mago shake that I'm thinking of. It's not too sweet, and looks really pretty piled high in their glasses.

Thinking of Tasty Dumplings

2009-07-09T15:00:00.002+08:00

In the mood for dumplings from Tasty Dumplings, which has a branch near the Binondo church. They used to have a branch in Greenhills but it closed down fast. I blame the location.

Anyway, the grownups used to take us here a lot when we were kids. We'd have the dumplings (they have two variants: pork and kuchay - vegetable based), which come with the greatest dumpling suace ever - something in between vinegar and fish sauce.

We'd also have the porkchop noodles, which are noodles served with a side of weird-tasting but strangely addictive pork chop. You can ask for some kuchay (pickled vegetables) that you can eat your noodles with. And to ash it all down, a glass of warm soy milk. They have great soy milk, though (and I'm not sure if this is fact or nostalgia) it seemed to taste better when I was a child.

Here's a photo of their dumplings from my last trip.

Me in the July 2009 issue of Uno

2009-07-08T20:57:00.003+08:00

Here are scanned pages of me (and Tessie Ang See, whoohoo! ) from the pages of the relaunched Uno. Thanks to Charles N. for the images.

Arnold Arre's Chapter One

2009-07-08T20:08:00.006+08:00

First of all, I would like to apologize for posting this so late. I had meant to post it before the screening, but didn't get to go online until, well, now.

This, my friends, is the poster of the first short film of one of our country's most talented artist-writers, Arnold Arre, which screened yesterday, July 6, 2009 at the basement of Fully Booked High Street.

The event was very well-attended, and there was even a chance to ask the filmmaker questions after. Most people wondered why the film, which was suspense, deviated from Arnold's usual fantasy/ romance fare. Arnold said that he didn't plan for it to happen.

Anyways, it was a great first film, and I'm not saying it because me, Luis, Erwin, Gang, et al are in it. Arnold's visual style is arresting, and he makes very effective use of sound. People were screaming in the theatre, which is always a good thing.

On a personal (and admittedly shallow) note, this is the first time I've had my name and picture on a movie poster. And yes, I am thrilled. And yes, I wore my Intolerant shirt on purpose. Get yours here.

The one thing I took away from that screening is that life is no reason for you to stop creating. Arnold and Cynthia inspired me because they created this while going through everyday stuff. They didn't angst, they just did, which is something I have to learn. So every time I have the urge to feel sorry for myself, to push my creative work aside for "real life" concerns, all I have to do is watch the Chapte One trailer and remind myself that great people don't wallow in the detials, they just plow ahead and do it.

Congrats Arnold!

Here's the link to the trailer.

Top Meals Food Haus

2009-07-08T10:00:00.005+08:00

Look for the definition of “hole in the wall” in the dictionary and chances are, a picture of Top Meals Food Haus will appear beside it.

Located in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the depths of non-commercial Makati, sort of near Rockwell, this humble food spot was first discovered by intrepid food explorer Anton Diaz. He is, Top Food owner Wilson Tan says, the reason that Top Meals has appeared on the foodie map.

The restaurant serves authentic Bicolano food. This means hot, oily and filling. The fare here is as unpretentious as its décor and surroundings. Food is cheap, served in plastic plates in an unairconditioned eating area right next to the street. Presentation-wise, what you get is a warm saucy mess, much like what you get at home. The dining area is tight, the staff casual and friendly, and of course, the food is lutong-bahay good.

The Chicken a la Mado (P68) is a secret recipe Wilson inherited from his grandfather Amado. The recipe is secret, and Wilson won't tell you what goes in it. The chicken has a slightly smokey flavor and comes with a creamy, oily sauce that you'll want to skip and eat up at the same time. My advice, in the words of Weird Al Yankovic, just eat it.

The Pork Binagoongan (P65) is very salty. As I am not a fan of binagoongan, which is basically posk with bagoong (shrimp paste) and some vegetables, I don't think I am qualified to judge this dish. My companions thought it was good though. The Bicol Express (P66), though loaded with chili peppers, was a bit of a disappointment as it wasn't tongue-searingly hot, as it is reputed to be. We think Mr. Tan has been toning it down for his Manila clientèle. He did say that he could make it hotter upon request.

The Bicol Humba (P65) comes with a thin, light-colored sauce, making it seem more like watered down adobo, though its trademark sweetness is still there.

I rather like the Tuna Sisig ({P68), which is hot, crunchy, and served with egg, the latter of which gives it a certain X factor. Probably still unhealthy, but not as much as the other dishes. But then, why eat out if your watching your figure?

I also liked the Laing (P68), stewed gabi leaves (normally poisonous. Did you know that Filipinos are one of only two races in the entire world that eat yam leaves?) pumped up with gata (coconut milk). Tastes exactly like the way our yaya makes it, which means its authentic.

The Leche Flan (P65) is firm and not too sweet. I take my leche flan very seriously, and while this is not the best I've had, its good enough that I didn't want to share it with others.

The servings at Top Meals are small – each order serves one – but eaten with rice (and you have to eat rice with what you orderotherwise you're missing out on the whole experience), it's enough to fill you up.

The restaurant also offers relatively cheap fruit shakes. The cream-based Strawberry Shake (P49) is perfect for rainy days while the other fruit variants (more smoothies than shakes – P39) are great during hot days and summer nights.

Top Meals Food Haus
5994 J.D. Villena St. cor. Mabini St. Poblacion, Makati.
The place is beside Estelle Salon.
(Villena St. is the street in the middle of Museo ng Makati and Rockwell, along J.P. Rizal)
Telephone: +632 895 1249

Pamana's Three Way Adobo

2009-07-07T10:00:00.000+08:00

Wrote an article in the July 2009 issue of Appetite about Happy Ongpauco's heirloom adobos (there are three of them), which she serves side by side in her newest restaurant, Pamana, in Tagaytay (it's near the rotonda, beside Boutique Bed and Breakfast).

The three kinds of adobo are served side by side, and all of them are delicious, but in different ways.

Pick up a copy of Appetite magazine to get all three recipes.

Angel's Kitchen

2009-07-06T10:00:00.007+08:00

Another restaurant within my immediate vicinity is Angel's Kitchen, which serves the kind of home cooking you wished happened in real life. All the dishes served here are from the owners' family recipes, which only serves to make people jealous and strive to be adopted by said families from which such savory recipes originate.

Angel's Kitchen is run by five mothers who decided to get together and give others the chance to sample their family heirloom recipes. My Angel's Kitchen is crisp and clean, a place where you feel you have to keep your elbows off the table be on your best behavior. The restaurant is quiet, a big change from establishments whose loud music is masked by its even louder clientèle.

I have to confess that I wasn't always so keen to come here, as I always thought that the prices were a bit too high for the kind of food they served. But all it takes is just one excellent thing to change a mind, and in my case, it was the soup.

The Gambas with Chorizo Bits (P298) is composed of fresh-tasting shrimp cooked in olive oil with bits of chorizo and big cloves of garlic. The spicy Spanish sausage adds a sweet-savory edge to the spicy dish.

Perhaps my favorite soup in the city is the Seafood Chowder (P198). It is thick, chunky and creamy, each spoonful yielding a treasure trove of seafood and vegetable bits. A great soup to warm you on a rainy afternoon.

The Tuyo Puttanesca (P288) is surprisingly sweet instead of salty. Sweet in a savory way, not in a dessert way. It's a light pasta dish that goes down just right, leaving just enough room for dessert, which I suggest should be the Strawberry Trifle (P158) – layers of cream, sponge cake, berries and (just when you think you might go into a sugar coma from all the sweetness) what I think is lemon curd that combine like a giant robot to make one supremely awesome dessert. Its go a soft texture and a taste that melds the sweet with the tart. It's qute addictive, and because it's not heavy, this only means that you'll have room to order another one...

I still think that some of its dishes are a bit expensive for what they are, but the soup, I shall return for. And maybe a Trifle or two as well.

Angel's Kitchen
# 57 Connecticut Street,
Northeast Greenhills, San Juan
7441018

Cookbook Kitchen

2009-07-03T10:00:00.000+08:00

One of the things I am grateful to Ang Pinaka for is for finally directing me to Cookbook Kitchen. The location of this immensely popular restaurant has eluded this directionally challenged eater – until now. The most surprising thing about it – it's really near where I live!

Much has been written about this little restaurant, to how it was conceived to how it got its name, so I'm not going to go int that here. What I will go into, however, is the food.

I liked their Wasabi Soy Fish (P250), soft yet firm fish, pan-fried ad topped with a sweetish (not hot) wasabi emulsion; but what I really liked was their Parmesan-crusted White Fish (P260), which is fish and cheese baked until it has a nice golden crust. It's what the restaurant is famous for, and with good reason. Its warmth and creaminess is what I think embodies the true essence of comfort food. This is the kind of dish you want to take home to curl up and watch TV with. A little red wine (yes, yes, seafood, I know) and you're good to go.

The Pasta al Adobo (P200) is a nice, oil-based pasta topped with adobo flakes. It's the garliky-est (I just invented a new word!) dish that I've ever had that does not have that garlicky sting.

My second favorite dish is dessert. Kittin's Scarlet Cake (P130) is a blood-red grownup cake with a butter and cream cheese icing from childhood. It's not terribly sweet and it's incredibly moist. I wanted to hoard the whole thing for myself but... I... must... share.

If someone were to ask me what I wanted for my last meal, the Parmesan-crusted White Fish and Kittin's Scarlet Cake would definitely be on top of my list.

Cookbook Kitchen
8 Socorro Fernandez St., corner Luna Mencias St. (near Shaw Blvd),
Mandaluyong City
Tel. +632 724 3595

Chinatown Snacks

2009-07-02T10:00:00.001+08:00

While in 168 in Manila, I came across a store that sold colorful vacuum-packed Chinese delicacies. Some of them were cookies, others quail eggs and tiny chicken feet. They were interesting, but needless to say, I did not but any of them. Instead, I headed up to Chariya, the incredibly tasty Thai place in the food court.

Little Store on the Hill

2009-07-01T10:00:00.000+08:00

I love Little Store on the Hill, though I am not here as often as I would like. It's a small Chinese restaurant grocery store with a serving (you order your food canteen-style) and eating area on one side while the rest of the shop is devoted to fresh vegetables and all sorts of Chinese delicacies.

People say that they serve the best Chinese lumpia in the city and I'm inclined to believe them. Other thing to try include the Crab Fried Rice, flavorful dry fried rice that tasteof crab and egg. My use of “dry” as an adjective is not derogatory. It is to distinguish the rice's texture from that of the Kim Peng, which in turn is sticky. The later is sweet and savory and is a meal in itself, the rice turbo-boosted by being cooked with peanuts, pork and chicken sausages, which account for its rounded meaty taste.

One of my favorite dishes is the Tofu with Terriyaki Sauce. Fresh tofu, soft on the inside and firm on the outside, is served with sweet terriyaki sauce. Goes well with the crab fried rice.

And then there is the Chinese lumpia. Chinese lumpia is characterized by minced vegetables, crushed peanuts, seaweed strips and Chinese lettuce, all rolled in a thin wrapper and served fresh, sometimes with a sauce that resembles that of the lumping ubod's. Little Store's lumpia is light on the tastebuds but heavy on the stomach.

An interesting dish is the stewed catfish – tough, dried catfish served with a sweet sauce. It comes with a crab claw cake over rice.

The Little Store is also home to different dishes that only a Chinese person would love, but that others are beginning to appreciate. One of them is the Balut Misua, which marries the Filipino balut with the Chinese misua (a type of noodle soup). Flavored with Chinese herbs, the soup has a medical tinge to it, and is recommended for folks who are trying to regain their strength.

Another Chinese delicacy that people come from far and wide to sample is the Black Chicken Soup. It's made from Chinese chicken, a type of fowl with downy white feathers and black skin. This medicinal soup (it is said to impart body heat) is light and clear and surprisingly does not taste of herbs. It's a soup that, as they say, adds hair to your chest.

If you're in the mood for authentic home-cooked Chinese food but don't want to go all the way to Binondo, head to the Little Store on the Hill. It's the Chinese equivalent of home away from home.

Little Store on the Hill
2 Jose Abad Santos st.
Little Baguio, San Juan
7219174, 7212359

Fake Team Manila

2009-06-30T10:00:00.000+08:00

You know you're famous when fake versions of your products start to crop up around the metro, like these fake Team Manila shirts I saw in 168. I don't know whether to say 'too bad' or 'congratulations.'

Taumbayan

2009-06-29T10:00:00.000+08:00

Evoking a college tambayan (hang out) but with a really god sound system is Taumbayan, whose name is a play on both tambayan and taong bayan (citizen). The restaurant was put up by a group of theater majors who wanted a place to hang out in.

The inside is sparse and white, with pictures of the proprietors and friends on one wall, a couple of corkboards filled with community announcements, and whatever exhibit is going on at the moment. The restaurant is a couple of class announcements away from being an actual college tambayan, though sometimes, it is exactly that too, as the upper floor can be rented out for seminars, classes and exhibits.

But I digress. The reason we are here is because of the food, and the food does not disappoint. It's all Filipino comfort food, stuff that you can find at home but better, and with more flair.

The Inihaw na Adobo (grilled adobo – P160) is liempo that's been stewed adobo style before being grilled. The result is soft, fatty barbecued pork infused with sweet adobo goodness. It needs nothing except simple salt and pepper to bring out its flavor.

My favorite dish is the Pssst (P160). Described as “pusit na may dahong sumisilip” (squid with leaves peeking out of it), the dish is basically a whole cephalopod stuffed with aromatic leaves. Admittedly, part of the reason I like thi dish so much is because it looks like a cousin of Cthulhu. You get one whole big*** squid that's juicy, but in a savory way, and so soft you can cut it apart with a spoon. Now, I am very skeptical when it comes to grilled squid, as its texture makes me feel like I'm eating part of an old tire and I usually have o hide the seafood taste under copious amount of rice, then again in sauce. But this squid I can eat by itself,and without sauce. It's soft and easy to chew, and doesn;t taste like its related to Cthulhu, not that I would know what the relative of an ancient sea god would taste like mind you.

Another favorite of mine is the ridiculously simple Ensalada Platter (120). Steamed string beans, okra and eggplant served with bagoong balayan. I eat this at home and can't get enough of it. Stands to reason that I'd enjoy it outside as well, especially since the vegetables aren't soggy from overboiling.

If you're in the mood for soup, I suggest you try Monggo in D Chiti (P120) – mung bean soup loaded with pork, flavored with smokey tinapa and topped with whole chicharon. The monggo has a distinctly meaty flavor and is slightly spicy. The tinapa takes the soup from special to extra special. The chicharon tends to get soggy fast so I suggest you eat that first.

If you're going to eat here, it would be best to arrive early, as the place tends to fill up fast. Oh, the restaurant has free WiFi, so you can play Farm Town on Facebook and eat your vegetables too.

Bad metaphor, I know, but I couldn't help it.

Taumbayan Restaurant
40 T. Gener cor. K-1 Streets (near Kamuning Road), Quezon City

Thinking of Shabu-Shabu

2009-06-28T20:38:00.004+08:00

In the mood for hot soup. I miss Gloria Maris' shabu-shabu. I love how you get tons of hot soup, get to choose what goes in it, and can come up with different flavors depending on what type of sauce you use. Gloria Mari's sauce selection includes sate, garlic and chili. Am salivating just thinking about it.

Unfortunately, it's not the sort of meal that you can't eat alone.

Nomnomnomnomnomnomnom

2009-06-26T10:00:00.002+08:00

One of my favorite restaurants nowadays is Nomnomnom. It's easy to find, right at the intersection of E. Rodriguez and Tomas Morato, but you have to remember to go around back (there's ample pay parking) where the entrance is. No photos for this post. We dug in before I remembered to take some!

The food here can be characterized as heavy, rich and creamy – food that's a comfort during the darkest of days, the sourest of moods.

The T.L.S. (P180) is a hearty tomato soup that fills the stomach and the heart. Not too creamy, not too sour.

The Happy Hemp Pesto (P140) is your basic pesto pasta with, well, hemp. Don't worry, nothing illegal here. Nothing that'll get you high, certainly, but maybe a nice herby tone to the basil and pine nut base that'll certainly make you happy. I'm not too keen on pesto myself but I did appreciate the merits of this dish.

My first introduction to this restaurant was through the Spinach and Cheese Enchilada (P140), which is good as is, but in my opinion tastes even better when taken home and reheated the next day. It's a cross between an enchilada and lasagna, though it's really more of a ginormous ravioli. Filled with cheese and spinach and smothered in tomato sauce and more cheese, it's a really neat treat. The amount of sauce in this dish was a bit overwhelming for me, but this excess of liquid is what adds to th next day's reheating perfection.

My current favorite dish in this joint is the Clam Pasta (P140). Lots of tiny clams cooked in a buttery white wine sauce and served with a lemon wedge, this dish is filling without being heavy. I would have preferred that it be served with spaghettini instead of the offered penne or fettuccine (I chose the latter), as the clams' sweetish sauce-broth would have gone better with a thinner noodle.

The Mushroom Burger (P120) is also good. The sandwich is pretty big, and though you know by taste that you aren't eating beef, you somehow don't care anyway.

I am a big fan of their pizza, and I would recommend their Malinomnom (P180), crusty dough topped with tinapa, kesong puti, salted egg and onion. The cheese and onion make a nice base, punctuated by the saltiness of the fish and egg. The crispy tinapa adds another dimension of texture which rounds out the dish. Their Pizza Margherita (P180) is also good, but the its hard to mess up mozzarella, basil and tomatoes.

My friend Denise (who helped taste-test the dishes) suggests that first-timers try the Snookum Bookum (P40), a frozen chocolate pudding with almonds, hemp seeds and a dark chocolate and mint center but my favorite dessert is Peach Drunk Love (P90), flambéed peach in rhum sauce served with vanilla ice cream and butter cake drowned in rhum. I cannot get enough of this sweet treat.

The interior of Nomnomnom has a light, summery feel. It's a great place for get-togethers with friends. And since most of the food is vegetarian, you won't feel too guilty about eating out. One complaint would be that the service is less than perfect, as the restaurant sports some of the most forgetful waiters on the planet.

The resto has movie nights every Friday and some Saturdays where select films are projected onto the wall of a nearby building for outdoor viewing.

Nomnomnom is a great way to enjoy the beauty of summer, anytime of the year.

Nomnomnom
Tomas Morato cor E. Rodriguez streets
Tues – Sun 12nn – 12am
nomnomnomhappyfood.multiply.com

Mom and Tina's

2009-06-24T10:00:00.002+08:00

One of the restaurants we visited for the Ang Pinaka episode on food that I was a panelist on was Mom and Tina's. I had already tried the restaurant's Makati branch but had never dined at the original branch in Pasig.

Everyone knows Mom and Tina's as the go-to comfort food place. How can it not be? Between its cozy cottage-inspired decor and ample servings of food that's sure to fill the stomach, it;s hard not to come to this restaurant and think "home."

My favorite was the Chuck Steak (probably because it was steak to begin with). Even though this is traditionally the cheapest cut, this steak tasted like a winner. Chewy, easy to cut and infused with a smokey flavor, this beef goes down well with mashed potatoes. The ones it was served with tasted instant, but for some reason, the reconstituted taste only served to highlight the down home feel. I'm weird like that.

I also liked the Salmon Pasta, a complex-tasting cream-based pasta punctuated with salty salmon bits, dill and capers.

Those looking for something closer to home can try the US Beef Tapa. Served with garlic rice and egg, the beef is sliced so thinly we first mistook it for bacon. It's got the sweet, beefy taste associated with tapa though, so you know you weren't served something else by mistake.

For dessert, opt for the Mango Torte, a frozen dessert cup made with cream. What I liked about this is that I could taste the cream cheese in the mix. For me, cheese is always a good thing. I also liked their lemon cupcake, which was a light butter cupcake with lemon-flavored icing.

Forgive my badly-lit pictures. The don't do the food justice.

Mom & Tina's Bakery Café
FRDZ Bdlg.
106 E. Rodriguez Jr, Avenue Ugong, Pasig City
(Front of SM Hypermart-Pasig)
Telephone: (63 2) 571-1540 to 41

Little Notebooks

2009-06-23T10:00:00.000+08:00

I made little notebooks by hand. Lookit! These are the revised prototypes I gave my friend, who also took the picture. Hope to have them up for sale soon. Wonder if there's a market for it.

Dezato!

2009-06-22T10:00:00.000+08:00

Tucked in the quiet of New Manila is Dezato Cafe, a quaint little place that's conducive to eating and relaxing.

Dezato, by the way, is Japanese for dessert. What started as a small home business quickly expanded into a restaurant that's worth going out of the way for.

Now, this restaurant has a lot of great things going for it such as simple yet comfy decor, a secluded location, good coffee (served hot in big white mugs) and yummy eats such as the Shrimp and Garlic Angel Hair Pasta, an oil-based pasta dish served with shrimp and flavored with garlic and herbs, Beer Battered Fish Fillet, soft dory (I forget which kind) encased in a crunchy covering served with mayo and Peach Pomegranate Iced Tea, a refreshing cooler made with the sweetly melding flavors of peach iced tea and pomegranate syrup.

But the thing that put a smile on my and my companions' faces was the mochi. Their version is homemade and filled with ice cream of different flavors.

The Chocolate Mochi is chewy and sweet. Made with Belgian chocolate, it's got a sweetness that's overpowering, but in a good way, the chcolate just about tempered by the glutinous outer shell.

The White Chocolate with Green Tea Mochi is a subtly tart mixture of refreshing green tea with a white chocolate aftertaste, while the Peanut Butter Mochi is not too sweet, as is the Coffee Ice Cream one. I can;t decide whether I like the chocolate or the green tea one more. This calls for more sampling. You know, for scientific purposes.

Regular Mochi is P35, P385 for a dozen while the bite sized ones are P65 for 4 pcs.

Dezato Food Restaurant
100 Hemady Street, New Manila
Quezon City
Tel: 727-1229, 3879484
http://dezato.multiply.com

2008 Bram Stoker Award Winners

2009-06-15T10:00:00.002+08:00

This year's Bram Stoker Award Winners are:

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL
DUMA KEY by Stephen King (Scribner)

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL
THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION
MIRANDA by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION
“The Lost” by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance chapbook)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY
UNSPEAKABLE HORROR edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION
JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King (Scribner)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION
A HALLOWE’EN ANTHOLOGY by Lisa Morton (McFarland)

Superior Achievement in POETRY
THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)

AAAAAAnd... for Lifetime Achievement, F. Paul Wilson and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Congratulations, everyone! :D

Heavenly Chocolate Workshops for June and July

2009-06-15T10:00:00.001+08:00

Looking to expand your chocolate knowledge beyond dark, milk and white? Take a one hour crash course on the history of chocolate at Heavenly Chocolates, located at 127 Roces Ave, QC, just off Tomas Morato.

There are two shcedules - 4 & 7 pm on June 27 and July 25, 2009.

This free workshop will introduce you to the kinds of chocolates available, and includes free tastes of some of them, so come with a somewhat empty stomach.

I've tried the chocolate workshop, which was fin and eye-opening. I have yet to go back to try the bakeshop's yummy-looking concoctions, which include all sorts of hot cocoa and *gasp* chocolate pasta!

Carlo's Chicken House Express

2009-06-14T16:56:00.011+08:00

I worked in the Pasong Tamo area for a quarter of last year when I was doing Project Runway Philippines and I did not know that such inasal chicken goodness was within walking distance of my workplace. It sure would have made my work more tolerable.

Carlo's Chicken House Express is reportedly one of the two(the other is JT's Inasal) really authentic inasal restaurants in Manila. Carlo's recipe is a family heirloom from Bacolod.

I ate here with food critic Ige Ramos, who told me that chicken inasal gets its flavor from being slow cooked high above the coals instead of on top of them, and from the secret ingredient: Star Margarine. Of course, there are other secret herbs and spices added to the mix as well.

I had the Paa (chicken thigh - P88), which was so good I forgot to take notes about how good it was. So you'll have to forgive my lack of adjectives and take my word for it. It was good. The chicken was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was good.

I also had the Grilled Liempo (P65), which was sweet and soft and smokey and went by so fast I wasn't able to get a picture of it. So this is what I took instead:

Mmmm... sauce...

lain rice costs 12 bucks, garlic rice, 20. Other chicken parts are Pecho (I have no idea what this is. Breast? P88) and Pakpak (wing - P60). Pork BBQ costs P30. All ingredients for a tasty and filling meal. The restaurant doesn't offer dessert but if you have a hankering for the sweet stuff, the staff fill cheerfully direct you to the ensaymada place next door.

Carlo’s Chicken House Express
112 K Savana Market, Metropolitan Avenue
Cor. Pasong Tamo, Makati City, Philippines
Telephone Number: (63 2) 897 8432

Me in the relaunched Uno

2009-06-11T20:39:00.000+08:00

Pick up the relaunced Uno magazine this June, the one with Celine Lopez on the cover. Not only is it choc-fullof interesting articles, wittily-named segments (can you guess their unifying factor?) and pages upon pages of Maggie "legs" Wilson in various pinup poses, it's also got a feature on Women to Watch, which includes cool chicks such as my idol and contrabida extraordinaire Cherie Gil, actress turned politician Vilma Santos, super talented graphic artist Cynthia Bauzon Arre, MyreneAcademia, who continues to shape whole generations with her music and extreme activist Gang Badoy. Also included in the list is yours truly (for my horror work). I am very honored to be part of this list and would like to thank everyone in the magazine for deeming me worthy to be included in such an impressive array of women.

It's also pressure for me to get my book out and start working on my next one.

By the way, I think it's time to insert a not-so-subtle plug: Waking the Dead will be out in the market soon. Promise.

Politics and the apocalypse

2009-06-10T10:00:00.003+08:00

Hooray for people who send me interesting links. Today's links are courtesy of Luis Katigbak and Erwin Romulo, two swell guys, if I do say so myself.

First, Luis points us to an article in the LA Times about the link between horror and politics. Sure, we know that horror movies draw from whatever fears society is feeling at that time but did you know that that model persists until today?

Next, Erwin sends us to an article on the best post-apocalyptic movies of all time. If you think you've got problems, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Villa Estrella out July 1, 2009

2009-06-09T10:00:00.000+08:00

Here's the full trailer for Villa Estrella, Rico Maria Ilarde's latest, which takes on the classic Pinoy plot of teens trapped in a mysterious resort. Under Star Cinema, the movie stars Maja Salvador, Shaina Magdayao, Jake Cuenca, Geoff Eigenman, John Estrada and Liza Lorena.

It also has cinematography by Louie Quirino,production design by Firtz Silorio and musical scoring by the great Malek Lopez. Opens in theaters July 1. I can't wait!

Shameless Self-Promotion May and June 2009

2009-06-08T08:00:00.000+08:00

Here's what I've been up to last May:

Preview
Did the cover story on Ruffa Gutierrez. I absolutely love this magazine. It's been my favorite for years and the every time they ask me to write for it, I go into raptures and have to stop myself from doing a little dance around my phone. This issue, by the way, also contains my first ever fan mail.

Appetite Magazine
Restaurant 6 - I reviewed 6 places that serve ice cream. Working for Appetite is always fun because part of my job always involves eating.

Uno Magazine
Did a writeup for model Denise Montecillo, who is both fun and fabulous. By the way, Uno's big revamp happens this month, so watch out for it on the stands!

Homestyle Magazine
Did book, film and music reviews for the going green issue.

wmn.ph
Wrote an article on Bohemia Cakes. Read it here.

And here's where I'm at this June:

A feature on me in Go! Magazine

Preview
Reviewed some fashion blogs, including my favorite http://jakandjill.com

wmn.ph
Wrote an article on my favorite skincare line, Leyende. Read it here.

That's it so far. I hope to post more stuff soon.

Altar wins best picture in the Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival

2009-06-07T21:03:00.001+08:00

The Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival is the only event in Uruguay specialized in horror, sci-fi, fantastic and bizarre films. Its objective is to divulge once a year independent and generally low budget productions that are frequently considered as part of a "minor genre" and who almost never have access to commercial and even cultural circuits.

The Festival was born in 2005 with the mission of finding a space for local and international works that usually didn´t have the opportunity of being known in their own country festivals. In later editions the repercussions in media and public increased, together with the days of exhibition and extending thematically the programming.

The Montevideo Fantastic Film Festival has been declared of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Education and Culture and of Municipal Interest by the Municipal Intendency of Montevideo

Waking the Dead out soon!

2009-06-06T10:00:00.002+08:00

Waking the Dead, my first collection of short horror (well, mostly) fiction will be out soon! Possibly by the end of the month! Watch for it at your nearest bookstore. I'm also planning an awesome launch, which everybody is invited to!

Goodbye, May 2009

2009-05-30T11:32:00.002+08:00

I cannot believe that I haven't touched my blog for the whole month of May, especially since so much has been going on. Ah well. Will try to update more this time.

Hot and frozen hot chocolate

2009-04-22T10:00:00.001+08:00

Anson treated me to Cafe Xocolat after a shoot, where I had the Aztec, hot cocoa liberally spiced with chili peppers, just the way the Aztecs drank it. We also had the Frozen Hot Chocolate, hot chocolate frozen into balls and served in a martini glass.

The Aztec (above) was thick, rich and incredibly spicy. I couldn't finish my cup but made a mental note to come back for more.

The frozen hot chocolate tasted like dark chocolate, and is best enjoyed with friends.

Thanks Anson!

Red Mango Green Tea Latte

2009-04-21T10:00:00.004+08:00

Finally tried something in Red Mango that wasn't yogurt -- the green tea latte. Not as good as others out there (I particularly like the Starbucks one, their coffee is another matter altogether) but good enough when you're trying to pass time. Also, it looks cute in its square ceramic cup!

Ode to Rocky Road

2009-04-20T10:00:00.000+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what an empty bowl of rocky road ice cream looks like.

You may envy me now.

Nomnomnomnomnomnomnom

2009-04-19T10:00:00.000+08:00

Luis and I met up with Cynthia and Denise the other night at Nomnomnom, where we had awesome food!

I forget the actual names of what we had, so you'll just have to go there and figure it out for yourselves.

I had the spinach enchilada, which was too creamy for its own good, but tasted excellent once I moved half the sauce away. Luis had the mushroom burger, which I wanted to snatch from his hands while he wasn't looking (he must have known my evil plan because he kept a close watch on his sandwich the whole time). Cynthia had the hemp pesto pasta (sorry, no magic properties here) and Denise had the Bechamel Mucho, whose name I remembered (how can I forget?) but whose dish specifics I forgot.

For dessert, Denise suggested that we have the Snookum Bookum, a frozen chocolate pie (although ours experienced a temperature malfunction) filled with nuts and a dark chocolate medal. The whole thing was topped with confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder, equalling a diabetes-inducing chocolatey treat. I wasn't too fond of the nuts, but everything was just divine.

With the exception of Denise, who had helped with the food tasting (and thus has sampled everything on the menu), we agreed to come back as much as we could to try the rest of Nomnomnom's offerings.

Nomnomnom is located in the building on the corner of E. Rodriguez and T. Morato.

Xiao Long Pao, my pretties!

2009-04-18T10:00:00.001+08:00

This is all Kelvin Y's fault. His posts have gotten me hankering for xiao long pao, a Chinese pork dumpling that also contains a tasty broth. I like to dip my xiao long pao in the ginger and black vinegar sauce it comes with, before taking a bite (and sipping the broth) that takes out half the dumpling.

Thankfully, Kelvin also pointed me towards Su Zhou, a place I knew existed but keep forgetting about, where the other day I had xiao long paos and fish congee for lunch.

I can has tea!

2009-04-17T20:19:00.002+08:00

Found some Stash Pumpkin Spice tea while grocery shopping. I know it's summer, but I like the stuff warm with milk and sugar before bedtime.

Making sunkit for mangoes

2009-04-16T20:17:00.000+08:00

Summer means mangoes. Our maid spotted some growing on the tree outside out window (I didn't even know there *was* a mango tree outside our window!) and decided to pick some the way they do in the province - illegally, and with a stick.

I don't know how to translate "sungkit" to English. It's not illegal, but you don't ask the owners for permission either. I guess it's an unwritten rule that whatever fruit isn't in your yard is free game for others.

The maid laid out a net (her blanket) in between two clothesline poles to catch the falling fruit, but most hit the ground anyway.

The mangoes came just in time. The maid had just finished making a batch of her to-die-for bagoong (shrimp paste), and we all know what goes well with green Indian mangoes...

Needless to say, the person enjoying the mangoes the most is... the maid! After all, they are the fruits of her labor.

Masuki, my love

2009-04-15T20:24:00.005+08:00

I love Masuki. We've been going to the resto ever since I was a child. We'd head over to the original spot in Binondo, where the open air restaurant was infused with that distinct Chinatown smell. I remember it had a different name then.

Masuki is one of those restaurants that serves only one thing. In this case, noodles, but with different toppings, plus siomai and siopao. They have a special sauce that you use to flavor the noodle broth. It's the type of resto you either love or hate (I have a cousin that says that the soup smells like trapo).

And then they opened a branch in Greenhills, just a short distance away from our house. What joy! Now they also have a satellite store under the name Siopao Boy in the Greenhills Shopping Center. Double yay!

Ate there a while back You can tell that a restaurant is going places when its presentation starts to change. Yup, now you've got individual bowls of sauce, just a spoonful of onion leaves (for presentation, I guess, since you can ask for more), and the most telling sign of all -- saucy looking condiment containers.

As Erwin would say, clahhhz!

168 D'oh!

2009-04-14T23:31:00.001+08:00

Was in 168 the other day, lured by the temptation of the delights to be held in their foodcourt. The pad thai from Chariya, the vegetarian dishes from Kuwan Yin, the bucket (yes bucket) of qwekqwek (batter-fried pre-boiled quail eggs) from the quail egg place. I hate going down to Binondo because of the crowds, but I will brave the biggest of riots for the food.

So my mom went to shop and I went to eat. But when I found the food court I saw McDonalds, Jollibee, Chow King. Where were the Ethnic restaurants?!

To console my breaking heart, I bought a bottle of green milk tea and a fluorescent pink strawberry mousse from a Chinese bakery whose name escapes me at the moment. The cake part was dry, the mousse, springy. And it tasted pink, which is what I expected. The green milk tea was cold, thank goodness, and though it was good, it wasn't enough to wash away the pain I felt at being denied the food I wanted.

I met my mom after. We dropped by the food court.

"Isn't it lovely?" she asked, "They just renovated it."

"I liked the old one better," I said, the one with all the Chinese food."

"Oh that," she said, "That's on the other side of the mall."

I think Homer Simpson expressed it best when he said "D'oh!"

I didn't get to eat at the Chinese food court that day, but I least I know that I can go back to it in the future.

Beacon

2009-04-13T23:20:00.003+08:00

The comforting glow of the SM Mall of Asia (what Bobby Chinn says is the 3rd largest Mall in the world) guards against the dark of night.

Twilight over Binondo

2009-04-13T23:08:00.003+08:00

This is what the sky over Chinatown looks like. Still blue.

Yogurt!

2009-04-13T23:05:00.000+08:00

There's been a yogurt boom lately (It's about time!) so I've been trying every brand I come across. My favorite so far: Red Mango. Its got the right balance of texture (not too soft, though it melts rather quickly) and tanginess (other brands tend to be too sweet). I like the natural flavored one more than the green tea flavor, but the latter one rocks as well.

Yes, this is what I do instead of writing.

Coffee shop

2009-04-02T11:35:00.002+08:00

Didn't get any work done, but I felt really writerly!

Sheep disguised as bush (not the ex President)

2009-04-02T11:33:00.001+08:00

I had a lot of green. So sue me.

Space Sheep

2009-04-02T11:27:00.001+08:00

I think this is self-explanatory.

There is flavor in Misery

2009-04-02T10:29:00.001+08:00

Didn't feel like writing last night so I did that picture above instead. Do you think I can have a second career as an emo stationery designer?

The way home

2009-03-30T18:25:00.001+08:00

I pass this road on the way home from the gym. It's nice in the twilight. Weird how I want to draw and paint more than I want to write nowadays. And I haven't drawn or painted since high school! Going to post some calligraphy too, as soon as I figure out what to write.

Have phone, will travel

2009-03-30T11:03:00.001+08:00

I've been bonding with my phone a lot recently. Aside from using it to record interviews (which I've been doing since day 1), I've recently started using it to take photos more. The quality isn't as good as a real camera of course, but when the light is right, it's good enough.

A recurring interest of mine is corners. The rims of round containers and the edges of buildings against the sky. I don't know why.

A Time for Dragons Launch

2009-03-30T10:40:00.001+08:00

One of my favorite blogs is Elisabeth Perry's Woolgathering, where she posts one watercolor painting a day then writes a short entry about it.

Here's my homage to that, in connection with yesterday's A Time for Dragons book launch.

I also drew something like this for one of the authors in the anthology, so this is one of only two dragons disguised as sheep in the whole world!

Once again, congratulations to Vinnie and to everyone in the book. Dean plugged my upcoming book during the program so I'm now more pressured than ever. We hope to have Waking the Dead out by May.

The 5 Most Unintentionally Gay Horror Movies

2009-03-30T10:04:00.001+08:00

Luis sent this to me. I've only seen "The Lost Boys" and "The Covenant," and yes, the thought of how homoerotic everything was did cross my mind. Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought so. Needless to say, I shall be searching for the other films soon.

Read the list here.

Final Stoker Ballot 2009

2009-03-25T19:58:00.001+08:00

Congratulations and good luck to everyone!

Here are the nominees for this year's Stoker:

Superior Achievement in a Novel

COFFIN COUNTY by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure Books)
THE REACH by Nate Kenyon (Leisure Books)
DUMA KEY by Stephen King (Scribner)
JOHNNY GRUESOME by Gregory Lamberson (Bad Moon Books/Medallion Press)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

MIDNIGHT ON MOURN STREET by Christopher Conlon (Earthling Publications)
THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)
MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin (Delirium Books)
THE SUICIDE COLLECTORS by David Oppegaard (St. Martin's Press)
FROZEN BLOOD by Joel A. Sutherland (Lachesis Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock Press)
MIRANDA by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
REDEMPTION ROADSHOW by Weston Ochse (Burning Effigy Press)
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. ZACH by Gene O'Neill (Bad Moon Books)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

PETRIFIED by Scott Edelman (Desolate Souls)
THE LOST by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance Publications)
THE DUDE WHO COLLECTED LOVECRAFT by Nick Mamatas, and Tim Pratt (Chizine)
EVIDENCE OF LOVE IN A CASE OF ABANDONMENT by M. Rickert (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
TURTLE by Lee Thomas (Doorways)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

LIKE A CHINESE TATTOO edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
HORROR LIBRARY, VOL. 3 edited by R. J. Cavender (Cutting Block Press)
BENEATH THE SURFACE edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
UNSPEAKABLE HORROR edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection

THE NUMBER 121 TO PENNSYLVANIA by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
MAMA’S BOY and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications)
JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King (Scribner)
MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS by John Langan (Prime Books)
GLEEFULLY MACABRE TALES by Jeff Strand (Delirium Books)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

CHEAP SCARES by Gregory Lamberson (McFarland)
ZOMBIE CSU by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel Press)
A HALLOWE'EN ANTHOLOGY by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
THE BOOK OF LISTS: HORROR by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (HarperCollins)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)
THE PHANTOM WORLD by Gary William Crawford (Sam's Dot Publishing)
VIRGIN OF THE APOCALYPSE by Corrine De Winter (Sam's Dot Publishing)
ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED POETRY MONSTER by Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty (Skullvines Press)

Maricel Soriano + Chito Rono = T2

2009-03-18T19:22:00.001+08:00

No, it's not a Filipinization of the 2nd Terminator movie.T2 stands for Tenement 2, the block where this horror movie is set.

The film is direced by Chito Rono under Star Cinema. It stars Maricel Soriano and Mika dela Cruz(Anjelika dela Cruz's younger sister). The movie is inspired by the director's vision of Biringan, a fabled Enkanto city in Samar that he saw from the plane as a young boy.

It's about time Maricel did another horror movie. Her last horror movie was Peque Gallaga's Sa Piling ng mga Aswang in 1999. I fondly remember Maricel from before she used to do drama. She was the final girl for the fantasy/ comedy genre that was prevalent in the 80's, though the title of "final girl" of that era should still go to Manilyn Reynes, since Maricel's movies were more comedies with horror elements than than the straight out horror (sometimes with comedic elements) that Manilyn became known for.

T2 will be out this April, probably in time for Holy Week. Nothing like spending your Good Friday, the day that our Lord died, watching a horror movie.

Read about the movie here and here, and watch the trailer here.

Uno Magazie Party

2009-03-17T10:53:00.001+08:00

Come join the fun! Hot chicks abound. If I go, that is. *ducks to avoid flying furniture*

The Only Song on My Playlist

2009-03-17T10:28:00.000+08:00

I've always liked The Clash but for some reason, I had never heard "Police on My Back" until Erwin played it in his car. He sent me a file of it, and its original version the next day.

To put it in teenaged girl speak, it is the best song evar. This one song is responsible for making my training more immediate and more fun. It's made me want to get outdoors. It made me want to run. It's the only song on my playlist and I have it on loop.

There's just something about the tune and the lyrics that makes you want to run. I guess it comes from being a song about being chased by the police.

It got to the point where I started running out of places to run to so I had to join the gym just so I could get access to a treadmill. Sad, I know.

I never thought it would come to this. I've contented myself with eating and getting fat and then losing it all in one go through liposuction. It was a beautiful dream. But then one day my legs started aching. Not hurting, more like itching to go do something. I am not an active person, so I don't know where they got the idea. All I know is now my legs blackmail my brain into training, so that each session becomes a test of brain vs. legs. I still get bored working out but I find that if I tire my legs sufficiently enough, they leave my brain alone so that it can pursue other things.

But when I play "Police on My Back," everyone is happy.

A Time for Dragons

2009-03-17T10:26:00.001+08:00

From Dean's blog (Sorry for copy/pasting, Dean. You said it best):

Join the book launch of A Time for Dragons (Anvil Publishing), edited by Vincent Simbulan, March 29, 2009 (Sunday), 3:00 pm, Shangri-la Mall Grand Atrium. And yes, there will be a parade of dragons.

Accodring to Vin, this book is a collection of new dragon stories by Filipino authors to present the dragon in new and inventive ways, and renew and refresh the dragon for a more sophisticated and mature audience. The kickass cover and all interior art is by Andrew Drilon - and his original book art will be available for purchase at the launch.

Table of Contents:

"Glass" by Nikki Alfar

"Dragon Brother" by Cyan Abad-Jugo

"The Annotated Account of Tholomew Mestich" by Elyss Punsalan

"The Clockwork Dragon's Heart" by Vincent Michael Simbulan

"Moondown and Fugue" by Alexander Drilon

"Gunsaddled" by Alexander Marcos Osias

"Lex Talionis" by Paolo Chikiamco

"The Final Tale of Zhang Bai Long" by Elbert Or

"A Fishy Tale" by Apol Lejano-Massebieau

"Johnny Tatô and the Dragon of Pasig" by Joseph Nacino

"Capture" by Gabriela Lee

"3:30pm with Sir Galahad" by Kate Aton-Osias

"A Change of Guards" by Oscar Alvarez

"The Fossil" by Angelo R. Lacuesta

"A Little Knowledge" by Dominique Cimafranca

"The Bridge" by Yvette Natalie U. Tan

"Fallow's Flight" by Dean Francis Alfar

"Dragons Among Us (Essay)" by Charles Tan

Let the Right One In

2009-03-16T16:46:00.001+08:00

Finally saw Let the Right One In, arguably one of the best vampire films made (sorry Twilight fans). The film, directed by Tomas Alfredson, is based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (he also write the screenplay).

It's about Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a 12 year-old loner who is bullied in school and who befriends his neighbor, a girl of "about 12" named Eli (Lina Leandersson), who turns out to be a vampire. That's the short version. There's much more to it, like Oskar's penchant for collecting newspaper clippings of gristly crimes, and his imagined encounters with his bullies, where instead of getting beat up, he stabs them with his pocket knife instead.

From the start, he senses that Eli's strange, though he does not know why. For starters, he smells funny and does not seem to need winter clothes.

The way their relationship develops is explored without giving away too much detail or falling into eroticism to provoke a reaction. The direction, like the movie's landscape, is sparse, but each shot is lovingly constructed as if it were a photograph.

There's a lot of white in this film, a lot of emptiness. It's set in winter, and the dreary landscape only serves to underscore the strange relationship that the two children forge. Eli tells Oskar to hit back at the bullies. Oskar asks what wil happen if Eli walks into a house uninvited.

The movie contains almost no special effects. Eli does not change form when she feeds. She doesn't grow fangs or change into a monster. She is simply a little girl who lives on human blood. And she is hands down the vampire with the most beautiful blood spatter ever. Her face is awakened wenever she has blood on it. She blooms.

I think that the film could have ended twice before it finally did. While I liked the last scene, I thought that it should have ended at the scene before that. Without giving anything away, I thought that the last scene made it too much a horror movie whereas if it had ended beforehand, it would have straddled the thin divide between horror and coming of age.

Let the Right One in is a lovely movie. You sit through it, numbed by the cold flashed onscreen, and only after the movie ends do you realize how affected by it you are after all.

I hear an American remake is in the works. It remains to be seem whether it will stand up against the original. Somehow, I doubt it.

Turn into a jet (Like a Boss)

2009-03-15T15:17:00.001+08:00

Luis did an awful thing yesterday.

He made me listen to The Lonely Island's "Like a Boss" from their new album Incredibad. I couldn't get it out of my mind after that.

These are the same people who couldn't make me stop adding "jizzed in my pants" (even though I'm not biologically built for it) to every statement that I made about myself last Christmas (I went to church and I...) and counting off steps two Christmases before that (Step one, cut a hole in the box).

"Like a Boss" has different situations, all of them followed by "like a bawss," that progressively get more and more bizarre.

I haven't heard the whole album yet but Luis' stories of Norah Jones belting out "You look like a bag of trash" intrigue me.

Oh Luis, why did you do this to me? Now I must go eat a bagel. Like a boss.

Help name NASA'a Space Station Node 3 Eraserheads!

2009-03-13T21:22:00.000+08:00

Got this from Marie, who is out on a crusade:

From the NASA website:

NASA wants your opinion in naming the International Space Station’s Node 3 – a connecting module and its cupola – before the two segments travel to space and are installed on the orbiting laboratory. The name should reflect the spirit of exploration and cooperation embodied by the space station, and follow in the tradition set by Node 1- Unity- and Node 2- Harmony.

You know what you have to do. Go to the site and suggest Eraserheads! You know you have to.

Morenas, Calvin and Hobbes, Rock Ed and Mang Larry

2009-03-13T20:08:00.001+08:00

Things people have pointed me to today:

From Indira, a post on Calvin and Hobbes, all grown up. The strips are kind of cute but also kind of sad, especially the last one. I found myself tearing up after reading them.

From Luis, a post of Stephanie Dychiu's informative article on the rise of the morena, as featured in Marie Claire.

From Ramon, finance and then some, courtesy of Todd Diamond. 2.38 minutes of fun!

Again from Indira, an online compilation of Larry Alcala's Slice of Life series. Classic!

Aaaand... if you happen to be in The Fort area tomorrow afternoon, drop by Fully Booked for Rock Ed Radio Live. The discussion will be about the country's game show culture. Panelists include me, Mich Dulce and Erwin Romulo. No annying dance numbers, promise!

Aaaand lastly, Vin Simbulan's much awaited dragon anthology will be launced on March 29, 3pm at the Shangri-La mall atrium. I'm in it and I'm going to be there. Yay!

Jansport, The North Face, Samsonite et al SALE!

2009-02-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

Seek Ye Whore Online

2009-02-23T15:26:00.000+08:00

My Story, "Seek Ye Whore," which was published in Rogue magazine last July 2008, can now be read online.

An exerpt:

Week 0

Foster remembered, exactly, when it was he got it into his head to get married.

It was the time he leaned over his cubicle to see Donovan taking a bite out of a dripping, overstuffed roast beef on rye too big, too thick, and too appetizing to have come from the cafeteria.

“New restaurant?” he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. He had a weakness for roast beef on rye. Heck, he had a weakness for food in general, especially when they looked like they had come straight out of Bon Appetit, the bread just the right shade of brown, the beef sliced in equal thinness.

“Nope,” Donovan said. “My wife made it.”

Donovan took a big, sloppy bite, getting a bit of gravy on his cheek. Foster found himself in the act of wiping his own cheek but catching drool on the back of his hand instead. He wasn’t distracted enough though to remember what Donovan had just said. That was news to him.

“Since when have you been married?” Foster asked.

“Officially? Two weeks ago,” he said, mouth half full.

Foster was surprised. Donovan had always struck him as the perpetual bachelor type. Receding hairline, puppy-dog eyes, cheeks that were slowly turning into jowls, and the carefree manner of a frat boy, he was forever sending the receptionists into giggling fits over one thing or another. As a cubicle neighbor, he was okay, never bothering Foster except for the occasional paper clip or a little of the small talk that was essential to corporate survival.

“Congratulations,” Foster said. He would have shook one of Donovan’s hands, but they were currently busy with the sandwich.

“Thanks,” he said.

“So what’s it like?” Foster asked, “Being married?”

“It’s great! Donovan exclaimed, spewing out pieces of roast beef. “It’s like a vacation. I wake up, the wife’s made breakfast and packed my lunch. I eat, she kisses me off, I go to work. I get home, the house is sparkling, the wife’s made dinner, and has a Bud chilling in the fridge for me. Some nights, we chill and watch TV, but most of the time—” he paused, then said, with eyes closed as if remembering, “We fuck like rabbits. It’s a really sweet deal.”

Foster stared at him. “Did you just step out of the 50s?” he asked incredulously. Either he was making it up, or he had found the most perfect, most gullible woman in the world.

“Wanna see her picture?” Donovan asked, popping the last of the sandwich in his mouth and licking his fingers.

This was the longest conversation Foster had ever had with his neighbor, and now he knew why: the man was a self-centered misogynist. But he had piqued his curiosity, him and his goddamned sandwich. Foster didn’t even realize that lunch hour was almost over, and he hadn’t gone out to eat, focused as he was on Donovan.

“No, found. She’s a mail order bride from the Philippines. You know how hot those third-world chicks are to marry white guys. I picked her out, paid for her to come over, married her, and now I live like a king.”

Donovan wiped his fingers on the napkin (that his wife, no doubt, had packed for him) then, out of habit, on his pants before fishing out his wallet from his back pocket. He flipped it open, and Foster found himself staring at a photograph of Donovan with his arms around the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was either Filipino or Thai, with long black hair, big expressive eyes, milk chocolatey brown skin, and lips you could lose yourself in. She was wearing a satin spaghetti-strapped blouse and no bra, her nipples hard through the fabric. Foster could imagine Donovan’s swarthy hands groping her even as she smiled devotedly at him, and he could tell that it would be very easy indeed to “fuck like rabbits” with her. That she could also cook almost blew his mind.

“She’s hot,” he exclaimed before he could stop himself.

“Isn’t she?” Donovan agreed. “She’s perfect.”

“How did you get her to marry you?” Foster asked. “No offense, Don, but she seems way out of your league.”

“Found her on the Internet,” Donovan said.

“You mean you met her on the Internet.”

“No, found. She’s a mail order bride from the Philippines. You know how hot those third-world chicks are to marry white guys. I picked her out, paid for her to come over, married her, and now I live like a king.”

His statement didn’t sit well with Foster. How pathetic did you have to be to buy a bride online? Yet as one side condemned the practice as subhuman, another part of him was thinking about what a good deal it was.

“What’s the URL?” Foster asked.

“Siquijorbrides.com.”

Read the rest here.

This is the same story that Gilda Cordero Fernando mentioned as one of her rainy day reads. And just so you know I'm not making it up, here's a link.

Please vote for this!

2009-02-23T15:16:00.000+08:00

This is a portrait of a cinematographer. It was designed by the very sweet and super talented designer Yvonne Quisumbing. Please vote for it here.

Lessons from a Bus Driver

2009-02-23T15:13:00.001+08:00

I should have posted this earlier.

From my column on gmanews.tv:

While I was in Chicago last week, I attended the 40th day prayer service of my aunt's friend's mom. It was held on a cold winter night in the suburbs of Illinois. The house where it was held, however, was warm and cozy and filled with people. Conversations in English and Tagalog wafted from different rooms, while children ran up and down the house's two floors.

Dinner consisted of rich, flavorful Chinese food, and adobo. I don't remember what Chinese food was served, only that there were fortune cookies. During dinner, I sat across an American named Lisa Moore, the woman who watches the family's dogs when they go on vacation. Lisa calls herself a "professional gypsy." She spends more time in her car than at home, and has been moving around for as long as she can remember. She has worked in different fields, one of them as co-owner of a production company. In her present incarnation, she paints murals and drives a bus for the local elementary school.

Read the whole thing here.

Ramon de Veyra on The Comics Reporter!

2009-02-23T15:06:00.000+08:00

Whoo hoo! Comics guru Ramon de Veyra makes his debut on The Comics Reporter. Scroll down. He's right under Douglas Wolk.

Not only does Ramon possess an unholy stack of comics trivia in his head, he has wonderful hair, too. As in people go up to him and ask him about it. He says it's because he uses Leyende, so you know you gotta try it as well.

Hahaha. No, I don't get paid to advertise. I just really, really, really like the brand.

You go, Ramon!

Arnold Arre Book Signing

2009-02-20T15:23:00.000+08:00

You must go to this.

Mermaids in Dumaguete?

2009-02-15T19:19:00.000+08:00

Got this piece of news from Dom (Thanks, Dom!) :D

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer:

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines—Scientists at the Silliman University Marine Laboratory here have reported a deluge of visitors since Wednesday as a result of rumors that they are holding mermaids (locally called serena), in the premises.

Read the rest here.

Vampire Graveyard Found

2009-02-03T07:30:00.000+08:00

Got this from Charles (thanks! :D ):

At a Bronze Age dig site in Eastern Europe, archaeologists recently discovered what they think might be a 4,000 year old vampire graveyard in the Czech Republic.

I don't think the bodies were vampires. I think they were politicians.

Tiny Doll Made from Living Cells

2009-01-30T18:11:00.000+08:00

Some scientists in Japan have mananged to make a teeny tiny doll out of living cells.

Could his be the world's first golem?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-01-30T06:25:00.000+08:00

Spent the morning at my aunt's house today. We caught up, she tried out a successful recipe for bottled sardines (the kind in oil) and we watched Pride and Prejudice. My favorite romantic movies are The Bachelor and Fight Club, so I didn't know if I would like the Jane Austen classic. But lo and behold, I found myself engrossed in the Bennet family's quest to wed. It helped that I was totally smitten by Mr. Darcy (Matthew Mcfayden) from the first minute he stepped into the scene. He's like a younger Snape, and I do like my Alan Rickman.

I thought that would be the last of my brush with the dour but dashing Mr. Darcy, and that Pride and Prejudice couldn't get any better. Then Erwin sent me this. How can you go wrong? It's already a novel about differences in social stations; isn't zombeism a form of class?

I already heart Mr. Darcy, but I think I'd heart him more if he were a zombie.

Quote for the day: January 28, 2009

2009-01-29T03:05:00.000+08:00

"The last sound you hear on your way to hell is your guts slapping like a bullwhip."
Jesse (Lance Henriksen) from Near Dark

Zombie Muni-Muni

2009-01-29T00:42:00.000+08:00

What is horror to you?

The thought came to me in the shower today. One man's horror could be another man's fantasy. You can tell a lot about a person by what scares them. Are their spooks real or imagined? Could they exist in someone else's real life? Is it something eventual? Is it alive, dying or back from the dead?

My interest in zombies started after I lost my dad. Not that I find then scary, but I've suddenly become interested in the imaginary problem of how to deal with the formerly dead, and what to do if the said formerly dead was someone you knew when he was alive. I haven't written a zombie story about my dad yet. I think the phone call from nowhere story (its called "Lao Peh," came out in the Free Press and is included in Waking the Dead, my upcoming book -- yes, I'm plugging) is enough for now.

But judging from the movies, zombies are relatively easy to battle -- all you need is brains (yours, as long as you keep them in your head) and a chainsaw (not necessarily yours). Even smart zombies can be taken down if you have enough firepower.

The Philippines doesn't have a zombie tradition, but what little can be found are more tragic or comedic (this one, not always intentionally) than scary.

Would the walking dead be sacry to Filipinos or would it be something welcomed? Whe the dead rose in Zsa Zsa Zaturnah, Zsa Zsa's encounter with his dead father was tear-jerking while the whole encounter was more funny than scary (which was Carlo Vergara's hilarious point). I don't know if Pinoys can be scared of the walking dead, perhaps because of close family ties. And should the dead turn rabid, well, I don't think Pinoys would have any qualms about offing them either, no matter who they were in their past life.

I still have to think about what scares me. I would have said that it would be my dad dying, but that's happened already and I'm still here. I don't know if I'd be scared if he came back to life. I don't know if I could shoot the zombie him in the head if he tried to eat me, or if I would want to shoot him in the head at all. My options are open at this point.

Year's Best Fantasy and Science Fiction is No More

2009-01-20T17:57:00.000+08:00

Yes, I know I'm the last to hear about this but I'm posting it anyway.

Sadly, the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror will be ending on its 22nd issue. This anthology has been part of my life for so long I don't know what it's going to be like without it.

*sadness*

White lady caught on video

2009-01-20T17:50:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Dom for the heads up:

The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a story about a cop who caught a white lady on his phone cam. Read the story here.

Thanks for the Support

2009-01-19T21:48:00.000+08:00

Sorry if this comes across as very That's Entertainment but...

I'd like to thank everyone for all the support I've been getting. I have the best friends and family in the world. I love you all.

I'm in the Sunday Inquirer (Jan 18, 2009)

2009-01-18T09:50:00.000+08:00

Here's a link to the feature on my in today's Sunday Inquirer. Yay!

Shameless Self Promotion January 2009

2009-01-18T09:29:00.000+08:00

It;s that time of the month again! No, not *that* time. It's the time when I tell my three readers (Hi, mom!) what I'm up to this month:

Preview Magazine
I wrote the cover story on Kris Aquino for the January 2009 issue of Preview magazine. We shot on the yacht where the Rogue party was held. It was also my first time to work with photographer Mark Nicdao, who also attended the same party but was on some other part of the boat. Yes, boat. Isn't a yacht a glorified boat?

Sunday Inquirer
Ruey de Vera's feature on me came out in today's Sunday Inquirer. I haven't seen it yet but I've been getting messages about it, which is why I know it's there. Thanks, Ruey!

Anvil sent me the proofs of my book early this week. Yay! I'm getting closer and closer to geting my book out. Andrew's illustrations are lovely. Luis and I love them. Understated, yet evocative. So exciting!

Douglas Fairbanks did Parkour

2009-01-18T09:23:00.000+08:00

Ramon sent me a link of this accompanied by just one word: Parkour. He was right!

When it pays to stay dead

2009-01-14T09:57:00.000+08:00

If you're going to fake your death, you have to make sure that you stay dead. Life isn't a trashy novel, where you can pretend to die then come back in the end with a new face, laughing maniacally as a fire engulfs the building you used to work in. No. I real life, if you fake your death and come back or are caught, you go to jail, like this guy here.

I am NOT Connected to Metro Post

2009-01-13T16:43:00.000+08:00

I should have done this earlier. Just in case anyone approaches you and uses my name in connection with the free magazine Metro Post, you should know that I'm not connected with that publication anymore.

I haven't worked with the publisher since the first issue. Just making it clear.

Article out on Fearzone

2009-01-12T20:51:00.000+08:00

My article, the first of three, on Philippine horror cinema is out on Fearzone! Yay! :D

Oh, I'm not sure if I've posted this yet, but here's an advanced review of the Digest of Philippine Genre Stories horror issue, which should be out sometime soon...

And my feature in the Sunday Inquirer apparently didn't come out yesterday. Thanks to the people who told me. Maybe next week?

Wow, I feel so weird writing about stuff I've been doing. I'd rather interview someone and write about them! Not that I'm complaining about the stuff that's been happening, mind you. :)

Hokkien was the Imperial Language of Ancient China

2009-01-12T20:33:00.000+08:00

I got this in an e-mail forward and thought I should post it. I knew I was royalty! Why, if the Han Dynasty had survived, we'd *all* be speaking Hokkien, bwahahaha!

Forgive the long list of words. I considered taking them out but left them in because they were interesting. Who knew that our ancient ancestors had insurance?

Ancient Imperial Language of China - 2,000 Years Ago

What did it sound like? (*Mind you, it's no way similar to Mandarin*)
Has this ancient language survived?
Who speaks it today?

You'll be Surprised. You have heard it. You, your parents, or grandparents
may still be speaking this ancient, archaic language!

Yes, it's HOKKIEN (Fujian/Minnan Hua)

Hokkien is:

1. The surviving language of the *Tang dynasty*<http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Tang_dynasty>(618-907AD), China's Golden Age of Culture.
Note: *The Hokkien we hear today may have "evolved" from its original form 2,000 years ago, but it still retains the main elements of the Tang Dynasty Language.*

2. Hokkiens are the surviving descendants of the Tang Dynasty -- When the Tang Dynasty collapsed, the people of the Tang Dynasty fled South and sought refuge in the Hokkien ( Fujian ) province. Hence, Hokkien called themselves Tng-lang (*Tang Ren or People of the Tang Dynasty*) instead of Hua Lang (*Hua Ren*).

3. Hokkien has 8 tones instead of Mandarin's 4. Linguists claim that ancient languages tend to have more complex tones.

4. Hokkien retains the ancient Chinese pronunciation of "K-sounding " endings (for instance, Ha*k* Seng (student), Tua O*k* (university) , Tha*k* Che*k* (read a book/study) -- the "k" sounding ending is not found in Mandarin.

5. The collection of the famous "Three Hundred Tang Dynasty Poems" sound better when recited in Hokkien/Teochew if compared to Mandarin.

6. Consider this for a moment: Today, the Hokkien Nam Yim ochestral performance still has its roots in ancient Tang dynasty music. Here's the proof: The formation of today Nam Yim ensemble is typically seen in ancient Tang dynasty paintings of musicians.

More Astonishingly:

Although not genetically- related, Hokkiens, Koreans and Japanese share many similar words (which are different from Mandarin).

That's because Hokkien was the official language of the powerful Tang Dynasty whose influence and language spread to Japan and Korea (just like Latin - where many words were borrowed by the English, French, Italian, etc). Here are just a few words in Hokkien, Japanese & Korean for your comparison:

Hokkien Korean Japanese
Sin Boon (news) Sin Mun Shinbun - newspaper
Cheng Hu (government) Chong Bu

Pang (room) Pang

Chhia (car/vehicle) Ch'a

Mui/M'ng (door) Mun

P'hio (ticket) P'yo

Eng Wan (eternal) Yong Won

Chaek (book) Ch'ae

Ki (flag) Ki Ki

Kang (river) Gang/kang

Poh Hiam (insurance) Poh Ham

Sio Sim (caution) Cho sim

Mo Kui (demon) Ma gui

Cham (attend/join/ mix) Ch'am sok

Kantan (simple) Gan Dan

Sin Sei Kai (new world) Shin Sae Gae

Kok Ka (nation) Kuk Kka

Hya (elder brother) Hyaeng

Choon Pi (prepare) Jun Bi

Si Kan (time) Si Kan

Kam tong (emotion, feeling) Kam Jong Kanjoo

Kamsia (gratitude, thanks) Kam Sa Kansha

Keat Hoon (marriage) Kyol Hon Kekkon

Oon Tong (exercise) Un Dong Undoo

Tua Ok (university) Tae Hak Daigaku

Aun Chuan (safety) An Jon An Zen

Mua Chiok(satisfaction) Man Jok Manzoku

Ai Lang (lover) Ae In Aijin

Seng Kong (success) Song Kong Seikoo

Chhiu Sat (suicide) Cha sal Jisatsu

Pu Do (grapes) P'o d'o Budoo

Chin Por (progress) Chin bo Shinpo

To all 49 Million Hokkien Speakers:

Be Proud of Your Ancient Hokkien Heritage & Language! Speak it Loud and Clear. Teach Your Future Generation this Imperial Language, Less it Fades Away. * Be Proud Children of the Tang Emperors.*

To all Mandarin-speaking friends out there -- do not look down on your other Chinese friends who do not speak Mandarin - whom you guys fondly refer to as "Bananas". In fact, they are speaking a language which is much more ancient & linguistically complicated than Mandarin.

Keep in mind that Mandarin is just:

1. A Northern Chinese dialect (heavily influenced by non Han Chinese) that was elevated to the status of National Language by Sun Yat Sen for the sake of China's national unity.

2. Mandarin was never spoken by your proud, imperial Tang Dynasty ancestors. It was probably spoken by the Northern (Non-Han) Jurchen, Mongols and Manchu minority. *Start speaking the language of your ancestors today.*

Other interesting links: *
http://www.famousch inese.com/ virtual/Penang_ Hokkien*<http://www.famousch inese.com/ virtual/Penang_ Hokkien>

Feeling Mowdel

2009-01-05T17:26:00.000+08:00

Was the subject of a photo shoot today, my second one in my entire life, but the first one where I was the lone subject. Syempre, feeling mowdel ako. Did my own make-up and channeled the undead Gina Alajar in Shake Rattle and Roll 3, except in black, and without all the dirt.

The shoot was for Ruey de Vera's feature on me, which will be out this Sunday (I think) in the Sunday Inquirer. Soooo... I encourage all my friends, family and all the nice souls out there to pick up a copy. Sayang naman ang pagmomowdel ko kung walang titingin, di ba? Charing!

First Post of 2009

2009-01-05T16:54:00.001+08:00

I have to admit that the last two weeks were spent in a haze of blankets and cheese. Since everybody shut down for the Christmas season, I was forced to go on vacation. Not to say that I didn't enjoy it. I spent the last 14 days making my way through two quezo de bolas, and just finished the last wedge today *sheds tear.* Oh round ball of Edam cheese, you will be missed.

Starting the year off with... a photo shoot

2009-01-05T16:54:00.000+08:00

Sir Terry Pratchett

2009-01-02T01:47:00.000+08:00

Terry Pratchett just got Knighted! Finally!

So now we must all call him Sir and bow and scrape when he passes by, murmuring how we are not worthy to be so near such genius.

I dances around like happy hamster.

Thanks to Luis for telling me.

Bruce Wayne Vs. Tony Stark

2009-01-02T00:39:00.000+08:00

Apparently, Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark's similarities go beyond their being superheroes. For one thing, they're both billionaire playboys (though we sometimes have reason to doubt if its really girls that Bruce is after).

Also, they're head of their own corporations, which they both inherited from their fathers. But as business leaders, they have very different styles. Wayne believes in diversification, while Stark makes his billions off one industry.

Becasue of this, debates have sprung up over who is the better leader, or which enterprise would survive in the real world. Here's one from Business Opportunities and another from Entrepreneur.

My bet? It's a tough call. What struck me was that while Wayne Enterprises like to spread itself over different industries, Wayne doesn't seem so interested in leading his corporate empire. Stark, on the other hand, is involved in the risky business of weapons manufacturing which, I guess, in today's environment, might make sense. So while I would normally be predisopsed to following Team Bruce, I find myself rooting for Team Tony instead. I think it's the mustache that sealed the deal.

Bah Humbug!

2008-12-24T13:54:00.000+08:00

Hamster Reanimator

2008-12-22T13:04:00.000+08:00

We can has a hammie zombies?

We can has a hammie zombies!

Herbert West, eat your heart out.

Thanks to Luis for pointing this out.

Guesting on Rock Ed Radio Tonight!

2008-12-21T11:20:00.000+08:00

If you're near a radio tonight, tune in to NU107 at 8pm for Rock Ed Radio. The topic is Nightmare Before Christmas and I'm guesting along with Rhyan Carlos, horror movie director. My guess is that we're going to talk about all things to be sacred of this holiday season. Like that commie Santa Claus and his brainwashed worker elves for example.

In other news, here's an early review of the Philippine Genre Stories horror issue on the ABS News website. Yay! As for the actual issue itself, it'll be out soon, giving us ample time to build it up for you so that once ithits the shelves, you absolutely, positively must buy one for each member of your barangay and their dentists. A better Christmas gift you cannot find elsewhere, di ba, KYu? :)

Too much coffee me

2008-12-13T15:38:00.000+08:00

I have officially had too much caffeine today.

I never really believed that Coke contained caffeine (at least the kind that bothered me) until today, after having drank two big glasses of ice cold Coke washed down with some French pressed Benguet coffee. Now I'm all jittery. And watching the complete third series of Black Books doesn't help either. Now my thoughts have an Irish accent I have the urge to open a bookshop just so I can chase customers out.

Oh look, a dead badger!