kris allen wins 2009 AI

I admit. I was nervous after watching yesterday's final performances of the the remaining 2 American Idol 2009 contenders. Adam Lambert is simply an artist to beat especially with his version of Tears For Fears' Mad World. I mean, who could beat that! But Kris Allen gave a different kind of competition.

The 2009 American Idol began with Kris Allen performing with a pitchy voice. Compared with the rest of the Top 12, he was a total underdog with his limited vocal chords. Although every episode of AI showed him giving much effort, there were some performances which were really disappointing. He did give a good fight yesterday except for the last song when you barely could hear him singing as he lost his voice on one line.

Photo courtesy of americanidol.com

So why did Kris Allen win the title of 2009 American Idol? I would say because of three things:

1. Among all the idol contestants, he is the most improved.
2. He showed a never-die spirit.
3. He won the heart of America with his extraordinary charisma.

Was I glad he won? Absolutely! Goodluck on your career Kris! Woot! Woot!

remembering the anawangin experience

Our weekend get-away in Anawangin Cove and Capones Island left marks on my life, figuratively and literally. The experience that transpired on May 1-2 of this year will be remembered for a lifetime and will be passed on to the generations that will come after.

Figuratively speaking, the experience of living the primitive way made me appreciate everything I have back in Manila. The comfort of having electricity through a little socket. The mobile phones and internet connections we curse whenever it slows down. The immediate availability our kitchen stoves offer. The insect-free luxury our bedrooms provide. The bathroom we can run to when nature calls.

All of these comforts are not available in Anawangin Cove and Capones Island so you have to be creative in providing for your group. What would be more exciting than creating your group's bonfire! The mobile phones had to take a break as we had hilarious getting-to-know-you activities. The camping cooksets and the make-do grillers did well in cooking our rice, veggies, sinigang, adobo, corned beef, noodles, sisig and liempo. Our tents gave enough shelter we needed throughout the cold night. And when nature called on us, the makeshift bathrooms gave us adequate relief with its toilet bowls and old-school poso.

The group preparing our dinner.

Now, why has this experience left marks on my life literally as well? First, because of the insect bites on my skin which, fortunately, have lightened up a bit. The dark teeny-weeny insects, whatever they were, kept crawling on my skin despite a generous application of Doc Joey's citronella oil, off-lotion for kids and off-lotion overtime. They were an exotic breed, I suppose, as they only hit on me from 4-6PM. The other mark is obviously what I loved most --- my tan line.

With Audrey and Bels, I'm showing off my tan marks!

We were originally a group of 25 people. But due to the unstable weather condition last week, only 9 of us went ahead. The crowd who was left behind in Manila were showered with envy seeing our photos. There will definitely be a part 2 of our Anawangin Cove and Capones Island experience!

The group having a last minute photo session in Capones Island.

All photos courtesy of our new friend,
Rizza Angeles.

surviving anawangin cove & capones island

Weirded out knowing there were 2 storms in Luzon on a summer season, we thought we wouldn't make it. But because we are an adventurous group of 9 young professionals, armed with a never-die spirit, tents and our heavy backpacks, we headed on to Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales.

A bird's eyeview of Anawangin Cove,
this shot was taken after about 45 minutes
of trekking up the hill.

We couldn't resist striking a post by this rockstone!

So what's my verdict of the mysterious and primitive way of living Anawangin Cove and Capones Island offers? The immense heat and the irritating insect bites during sunset was all worth it. The hilarious laughter we had with new found friends and the experience of living a day without hotel accomodation and electricity was a life-changing adventure. We wouldn't mind going back there!

More photos HERE!

Survivor Anawangin!

subdued and hushed but breathing

It has been 22 days since my blog made its presence felt. Subdued and hushed because of work tasks, I had no choice but to leave the blogosphere for awhile. You see, to be a delinquent blogger for the nth time is the farthest thing from my mind. But yeah, there comes a time in our lives when we have to give up something to make way for something new.

It's the last day of the month and Mr. Sun has been in hiding the past few days. Sometimes it makes me feel this is his way of getting back at me. Cursing him for the immense heat he was creating earlier, I guess he decided to hide from me now when I need him the most.

After months of planning with my friends, we are all set to conquer the mysterious and primitive island of Capones in Zambales from May 1-2. With the unstable weather condition we are now experiencing, we can't help but step back a bit, unsure if we will push through with our plans. If the Low Pressure Area won't turn into a storm, regardless of rainshowers and thunderstorms, with my husband and friends, we shall move ahead to Capones Island.

To my blogmates who never get tired visiting my blog, I know how frustrated you must have felt seeing just old posts here. I won't promise, but I will try to blog more often. For now, let's all have a wonderful long weekend!

home maintenance

Staying at home the past few days made me realize how much dirt a house could collect during summer. With the irritatingly dry season, home maintenance can be such a challenge. As one stares at the filthy bathroom and dust-filled furniture, cleaning one’s house seems like an impossible task. But with various appliances being sold in the market right now, even bathroom painting can be a breeze. So what are these home maintenance tools and what wonders do they do?

As we move around our house, a scratchy throat and a red nose are common things for me and my husband during dry season. A humidifier helps relieve us from this discomfort by adding moisture in our living space. This is something we can just place in any area of the house and it would work on its own. To deal with dust mites that leave ugly and red marks on my skin, I have read of deep carpet cleansers. We haven’t tried one but it claims to deeply penetrate each and every thread of a carpet. Aside from compact canister vacuum cleaners, steam cleaners can also be a cheap way to keep one’s home bacteria-free. Both are light enough to carry.

In general, a regular home maintenance routine is a must-have for every household. It doesn’t matter how much tools you have. What matters is how regular and keen you are in keeping your house dust-free as often as you can.

summer means freedom

Summer can be irritating especially for women like me entertaining a monthly visitor. Yet for some, it can also be the grandest time of their lives. For students, summer means freedom. And that is exactly how my nephew feels since he had his last school day in Don Bosco.

With my sister's permission, Bruce was allowed to stay in my place for 3 days and 2 nights. So what does that mean to him? It means endless playstation and PC games with my husband, bottomless ice cream serving, plateful of chips, late-night movie marathon plus a bonus trip to nearby Pasig Rainforest.


Those were freedom days for Bruce. And as I brought him back to his house, I noticed how quiet he was the whole ride. "You miss Bryan and Ogre?", I asked him, referring to the Tekken characters he used. His reply was a sheepish smile!

dreaming of luxurious mallemort

For the longest time, my husband has been trying to convince me to watch this action-packed movie that would keep you at the edge of your seat. He was referring to Jason Statham’s The Transporter Trilogy. The first of the 3 part movie was shot in France and I must admit, aside from keeping me on the edge of my seat, the movie left me dreaming of visiting France. Who wouldn’t dream about living in luxurious Mallemort in the Provence region of France!

An overnight accommodation in one of the large fairytale villas in Mallemort kept running in my mind. Imagine living the lifestyle of the rich and famous for a week: a quiet sip of wine by your own private pool, your 4-bedroom country-style villa situated at a golf course, a breath-taking view of vineyard strewn garden of your own. And with the blazing hot weather we now have, beach holidays in Provence would be a great alternative to the overcrowded Boracay.

Living the life of luxury in Provence even for just a week is a grand vacation dream overworked individuals wish to enjoy. With all the meetings, reports and deadlines one has to do at work, self-catering holidays in Mallemort en Provence is a much needed respite from stress. And who knows, when you get there, you just might see Jason Statham shooting yet his next adventure-filled film.