The Defenders

It's been a long time ever since I got hooked on a new TV show (last one was Glee late last year).

I only discovered this series by accident when I saw my husband watching an episode. I got curious when I saw James Belushi and the humorous twist of the stories so I hunkered down to watch as well.

The Defenders is a legal drama-comedy from CBS--it has the same producer as that of CSI--Carol Mendelsohn. The series is set in Las Vegas, Nevada and it involves a pair of defense attorneys who go all out to defend their clients.

So far I've only seen a couple of episodes (it started airing just this Sept. 22) and I like what I've seen. It would make me appreciate legal stuff more as I don't really follow Boston Legal or other courtroom drama series.

I think it's too early for me to recommend this series to people, but I like what I've seen so far.

Picture from the World Correspondents site.

Discovery Channel's Boom de Yada!

It never gets old. I made a post of the first video here (if you want to compare).
My husband was pretty stoked that Optimus Prime has a cameo. Hah!
I'm curious though, is there a meaning behind "Boom de Yada"?
Nevertheless, the World Is Just AWESOME!

If you want to sing along, here are the lyrics:

Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada

I can't get that song out of my head
Totally, I'm going again

I love the mountains, I love the sun so bright
I love crustaceans, I love the stars at night
I love the whole world, so many things to see
Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada

I love to catch fish, I love the lemur eyes
I love the future, I love when humans fly
I love the whole world, no place I'd rather be
Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada

Still dirty, still love it

I love to blast off, I love adrenaline
I love the Big Bang, I love where air is thin
I love the whole world, and being part of it
Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada

Christmas 2010 Wishlist

Yes, it's that time of the year again. As per tradition, I'm posting my wishlist this year (which somehow is similar to my wishlist last year):

1. Wall clock
I love our wall clock now as it has a white face and the arms are black which enables me to see the time without wearing my glasses. However, it has fallen off the wall so many times already and the edge is already cracked. It's calling for a replacement.


2. Notepads/stationery/post-its
I love these stuff. I still write longhand letters and these would come in handy. As for the post-its, it's for the office.



3. Journal Notebook
I found a journal notebook a few months ago at National Bookstore Podium. It was only 99pesos and it already has a hardcover and bookmark. It also can be closed by this elastic thingee that you wrap around the notebook. The pages are also yellowed and smooth--great for my pen. However, I can't find that type of notebook anymore.






4. Fountain Pen/Sign Pen
I use these pens to write out my checks. I currently use the Parker Sign Pen that my CAU Team gave me as my going-away gift last year. However, I've always been fascinated by fountain pens. My earliest memory of it was my grandfather singing his cheques and notes with his green fountain pen. I'm quite happy with a black pen though.


5. Body Wash
I love shower gels or body wash stuff. It does not have to be the picture above but any brand will do. I prefer the milky types. One of the best that I've tried was Marks and Spencer. Almond bath cream, I think.

This is it, for now. Will add more once I remember them.

When Angelu met Bobby

After having lunch at Don Henrico's with my family, we went back to the house for a siesta. As I did not want to take a nap, I staked out the den (where the Destiny cable is installed) and channel-surfed. I paused when I saw the PBO channel and though I wanted to check the other channels, I put aside the remote and watched the movie with Bobby Andrews and Angelu de Leon as leads. I was trying to guess the movie's title and found out later (online) that it was "Laging Naroon Ka". If I'm not mistaken, it's their 3rd movie together showcasing their loveteam.

The Bobby Andrews-Angelu de Leon love team started in their weekly TV series, T.G.I.S. (Thank God It's Sabado). Their pairing was one of the most popular teams in the mid-90's. In fact the Angelu-Bobby team was included in spot.ph's Top 10 Eternal Pinoy Love Teams joining the perennial partnering of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III, Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion and Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz--among others.

I can't recall how I started to heart Bobby Andrews when I did not even watch T.G.I.S. back then. But I do remember my college press friends giving me a photo of him and that I tried to be nonchalant when he shot some of the "Laging Naroon Ka" (LNK) scenes at La Salle but I was actually raring to stake out the library where the scenes were shot.

I really love their movies although I only watched their movies on cable TV but watching them after more than a decade, I'm happy to say that their acting and chemistry together was really good. LNK was about two college friends, Quinito (Bobby) and Tricia (Angelu) who wanted to take their friendship into another level but Quinito was so unbelievably torpe (I don't know if there's still a guy like him nowadays) that Tricia was getting confused and tired of waiting for him. She began dating another guy much to Quinito's chagrin until he was forced to face his feelings for Trish and declare himself to her.

The movie's supporting cast was also wonderful. Mitch Valdez was hilarious as Tricia's mom and Noel Trinidad was funny as the kooky but very patient dad. Gloria Romero was the conservative lola who raised Quinito (her nails and manicure looked really nice there). Unfortunately, I forgot the name of his lolo who was really good.

Their other movie, "Wala Na Bang Pag-ibig" was also good and I can still remember the plot (childhood friends who grew up studied in the city together etc etc). I wonder if I can still find some of their old movies? It will be great to watch them again. They bring back great memories of my college days.

Unfortunately, their love team had to end when Angelu got pregnant with Joko Diaz' child. I was so devastated. I felt the same when I learned that Albert Martinez eloped with Liezl leaving his love team with Snooky Serna. (Wow, I can't believe I remembered that. I was still a kid then!). It was a grim reminder that love teams are just for show and most of them don't really end up together.

The fantasy was great while it lasted though. I wonder if there will be another pairing like them.

Picture courtesy of Shannen's blog

My 2nd White Hair

I was fixing my hair this morning when I saw a strand of white hair near my temple. I freaked out when I saw it.

I could justify my first white hair with the stress that I was going through that time (November 2006). I was barely sleeping nights and I was overworked so I was not overly surprised when I saw that pale strand.

But I could not justify this white hair as I am not stressed--well, unless you consider my pre-diabetic state as a source of stress. Nevertheless, I was shocked when I saw it. Is this a sign that I am really growing old? That my mortality is indeed creeping up on me?

Impaired Glucose Tolerance

I have been diagnosed with Impaired Glucose Tolerance or in more understandable terms, I am Pre-Diabetic. Basically, it means that I'm predisposed to diabetes UNLESS I make a lifestyle change. Not only do I have to change my diet, but I have to exercise more often.

I've know all these things before as early this year, I was already diagnosed as such. I was ordered to have an OGTT done to verify the diagnosis but I postponed having the test done as it was not a pleasant experience as I detailed here. Also, trying not to throw up sorely tested my willpower.

Maybe this is the wake-up call I need (God knows how many calls I already got). I know I managed to lose weight before and really lived a healthy lifestyle. I just need to set my mind that I can do it--again. I just have to think that my future with my son is at stake.

Jude Deveraux is Back!

My passion for books started when my paternal grandfather introduced me to Larry Alcala's weekly cartoon. Every week, he would call me from our house next door and together, we would look for Larry Alcala's head in his magazine.

What does books have to do with Larry Alcala? Well, my grandfather's room is a bookworm's paradise. Wall-to-wall books! If people decorate their walls with artwork or pictures, my grandfather decorates his walls with books. The four walls of his bedroom are all books. Whenever I'm in his room, I would reverently touch the books even if I cannot understand or appreciate the tomes that he collected. All I remember was the smell of paper and someday, I would want to have a room like that as well.

I started speed-reading through the Nancy Drew collection in our school library and was done in less than a year. Somebody introduced me to Sweet Dreams and I was hooked on romance. As I grew older, the romance novels became more...advanced...until my aunt introduced me to Jude Deveraux.

It was love at first word with Jude. Her historical romances on the Montgomery family kept me wanting for more and more and she never seems to run out of stories on this very prolific family. But after more than three dozen books later, she ran out of steam.

Her last good book, for me, was Sweet Liar (about modern-day Montgomerys and Taggerts), after that, her books on modern-day romances were not worth reading anymore. They were absolutely boring and I somehow thought she lost her touch. I didn't bother buying anymore of her books after that.

A few days ago, I saw Days of Gold at National Bookstore and I was curious what kind of story she's telling now. When I saw she went back to her historical romance roots, I bought the book to see if she managed to recapture her magic touch. After finishing the book today, I could cautiously say that she's back. I still have some qualms on the storyline, but reading her book feels like coming home. It's not perfect but it just feels right.