So I survived the trip, event and back home in my mary janes. I got a little lost when I got to New Jersey but eventually found the country club where the event was held. And OMG, can you say rich-ass-mansion?!? I felt like I was in a film. When I got inside, it was obvious I didn't belong there. The place was filled with old rich people in fancy suit jackets and expensive jewelry sipping martinis and glasses of wine. Vested waiters walked around offering guests hors d'œuvres in silver trays. There were tables set up on separate corners, each table offering different menu items. There was a sushi table, pasta table, chinese food table, etc. Me? Well I went straight for and attacked the cheese table. All I had this morning were the pancakes so I was hungry when I got there. Big mistake though, because Mica failed to inform me that dinner would be served during the show. I sat in front of the bar snacking on shrimp tempura, mini sweet potato and spinach turnovers, crab cakes among other things. I was right by the piano where a guy was playing the usual elevator music people play at these things. I look over at the pianist and who do I see? If you've been watching Late Night with Conan O'brien or his short-lived stint with The Tonight Show, you'd recognize him too. It was La Bamba from the The Max Weinberg 7. Mica says they have him and his other band every year. Last year was supposedly the last time since they were moving to California for The Tonight Show but since that gig fizzled and died, he's apparently back in the east coast.

When it was time to enter the main ballroom, I was the first one in since I wanted to get a good seat at my assigned table. The room was made up that it felt like I was in a mini version of the Golden Globes. When everyone was seated, waiters moved around asking everyone for their choice of entree. I had the filet mignon since it felt like the safe choice. The chicken, I thought might be too dry and the fish, I felt were simply thawed out frozen filets. The mignon was tastier than I expected but too dry for my taste. I couldn't finish my meal no matter how much I forced it. I had too much food from the appetizer tables already. There was a bit of dancing and Mica and the rest of the company performed two excerpts from their shows. Desserts soon followed and I was ready to skip it until I saw what it was, apple pie a la mode with chocolate dipped strawberries. I dug in immediately. I honestly couldn't breathe through my dress at this point and I was glad to be informed that we needed to leave soon to catch our train back to New York.

I don't have (decent) photos from tonight, just random snapshots from my phonecam. I sneaked a few shots while David, one of the company members, were teaching some of the guests to do a chinese ribbon dance, hence the ribbons of color.





Tomorrow is laundry day once again. I was hoping to do it much later since I now have an abundant supply of underwear and socks (I no longer run out of them as fast). Although now my problem is my laundry bag is now stuffed full with dirty clothes. One thing I hate about winter is how much layers you have to wear everyday, you end up using twice the normal amount of clothing.

Boring stuff:
Laundry, I was out of socks and underwear
Cleaned my room, dusted and swept every nook and cranny

Less boring stuff:
Went to target, bought socks and underwear so I don't run out of it so fast. Hahaha!
Headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for the scalp massager I saw in Ana's house,
then Barnes and Noble (again) where I scored myself this...

and this...

I bought Arkham Asylum mainly because of Dave Mckean's awesome art. He produced the most horrifying image of The Joker that I've ever seen.
Plus I just re-watched Batman Begins last night and am still in a Batman high. I hope Christopher Nolan won't let Heath Ledger's death hinder him from continuing his work on the Batman franchise. Mr. Nolan is a supremely awesome filmmaker. Has anyone seen the trailer of his latest film Inception?

Ellen Page is in it! YEY!

Not too boring stuff:

Having read enough about Scott Bryan from Anthony Bourdain's books, an entire chapter was dedicated to Bryan alone in Kitchen Confidential, I decided to seek out the chef that New York culinarians have been raving about. I know nothing about him except for what Bourdain mentions in his books. One episode I saw of No Reservations had him working at Veritas but a quick web search told me he no longer works there. He apparently left Veritas two years ago and wandered around who knows where until he eventually found his way back to NYC, in Apiary in the East Village. Reviews for Apiary were a little on the blah side when it opened until Scott Bryan was hired to replace the existing executive chef. The website could use a little work and the place might be able to use a bit more press so I was a little apprehensive about my trip there tonight. I was hoping against hope that Bourdain's description of him then would still hold true today.

I went there with No Reservations (hehe) and was sat at the bar, which I didn't mind at all. I came prepared with reading material since I was going to be dining solo. They extended their restaurant week menu until the end of the month so I was able to score a 3-course dinner at a fraction of what it might have cost if I ordered a la carte.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP black kale, tomato parmesan, extra virgin olive oil
I was annoyed after I swallowed a spoonful of this. Why? Because THIS is what I wanted to make when I made this. Although I did end up with good soup, theirs was PERFECT. The waiter said the soup was too thick to be served with bread but if I wanted some, they would give me anyway. I was glad I said yes because I used the bread to wipe every ounce of liquid off that bowl.

ROASTED ORGANIC CHICKEN celery root puree, glazed carrots wild mushroom jus
When ordering off restaurant week menus, I am more inclined to order the boldest looking item on the menu because I want to see what the chef can do with not-your-usual ingredients. I was planning to get the duck leg confit but changed my mind to the chicken due to a recommendation from a New York Magazine article I read prior to my visit. I was also curious as to what he could make out of such a boring ingredient. I remember reading somewhere that "chicken is for people who don't know what they want to eat."

After visiting Bar Boulud with Mica a few weeks ago, I was expecting miniature portions. I was given more that I prepared myself for. I actually walked out of there pregnant, barely able to breathe through my layers of clothing and skinny jeans. The server set my entree down and immediately I knew I was going to enjoy it. The aroma of the roasted chicken made my eyes flutter and I had to smile. Not bothering with my usual taking-pictures-of-what-I-eat and I immediately dug in. After my first bite, I put my utensils down and grabbed my phone.

"MICA, PUTANGINA KAILAN ANG DAY OFF MO? KAILANGAN KITANG DALHIN DITO."

The mashed potatoes that came with the dish tasted like it was supposed to, only it had the consistency of a mousse. It was light and creamy, fluffy without being too starchy and went perfectly with the chicken. It was a very simple and ingeniously prepared meal. Chicken here, is no longer for the boring foodies.

VANILLA PANNA COTTA raspberry coulis
I've never had panna cotta ever and I loved this one. I'm a fan of leche flan, creme caramel and creme brulee so this was right up my alley without being too sweet. I ate it slow, letting each spoonful linger in my mouth.

I am so going to be back this week. Mica has to try it. Heck, YOU ALL HAVE TO COME AND TRY IT.

Oh, and funny little thing was halfway through my meal, a group of people came and sat by me at the bar. They were speaking tagalog so I looked beside me and saw...Rajo Laurel. He must have been here for NY Fashion Week.

I was supposed to watch Shutter Island after dinner but tickets were sold out so I headed on home where I soaked my feet and gave myself a mani/pedi while watching dvds.

I finally got around to handling the pile of laundry that's been collecting the past two weeks. My days off last week which would normally have been dedicated to cleaning and laundry, were spent in Queens or out with my parents. I cleaned the bathroom and headed out to the Waldorf-Astoria to meet Tito Mo to pick up the blow dryer that mama left in Queens. I'll have to go back on Friday since Tito Mo forgot to bring it. I walked around midtown trying to look for a place to eat. It was already close to 5pm at this time and all I had to eat for the day was a tub of Dibs and a can of club soda. After a while I realized I did't really know my way around this part of town and decided to hop on a train to 32nd street and had korean fast food at Woorijip. $5.50 for a hefty serving of beef bulgogi over rice and kimchi.

I was almost done with my current read (Haruki Murakami's Sputnik Sweetheart) which meant I was due to another trip to Barnes and Noble. I skipped down to Union Square and picked up Breaking Dawn, Fragile Things and American Gods. I'm becoming a prolific reader now and can flip through 3-4 books in a week. I've decided to give the Twilight series another chance since I've already read one and will start reading Breaking Dawn (the last in the 4 part series) as soon as I'm done with my current one. Fragile Things was recommended by Jammi and I've also decided to give American Gods another go. I tried reading it in 2006 but found the book too long and the plot too complicated that I eventually stopped reading it. The bookcases in the living room are starting to look real cramped with all the books I've acquired on top of the ones Mama brought with her from Manila. My copy of Absolute Sandman Volume 1 arrived about a week ago and its so pretty I don't even want to take it out of its box. I have so much to read it's so exciting!

I bought myself a fan today since it's gotten real humid now and I didn't want to keep hogging Andy's fan. I got home and ate leftover corned beef and sorted out the laundry. I had a bit of time to kill so I decided to break in the CHI ceramic flat iron mama bought me. I've always wanted to get myself one but found it too expensive ($130!!! mama got me the mini version for $90). Mama also gave me a stuffed dog that, just a few minutes ago, I've decided to call Oscar. This is Oscar and me with my straight hair.

I'm getting into plants too. I got another small plant from Ikea and will try to see what's the easiest way to grow herbs by my kitchen window. They were selling potted herbs in Union Square earlier and I thought it might be a great idea to grow a few of them at home. I keep wasting the parsley, cilantro and basil I buy in the grocery. They only sell them in bunches and I only use a little in my cooking. The rest end up rotting in the fridge. If I'm really up to it, I might set up a little garden on the roof. My only fear is squirrels might come and mess them up.

I just finishing ironing just a few of my clothes and my arms hurt. Ang arte ko shet. I don't know how our maid back home can iron everyone's clothes in the house. BOW.

I saw The Day the Earth Stood Still last night before bed and when the movie ended, all I could think of was "WTF was THAT?!!?" The movie was ridiculous but the one good thing I got from it was the line Keanu Reeves said to Jaden Smith's character in the cemetery,

"Nothing ever truly dies. The universe does not waste anything. It is simply transformed."

Amen. este, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo!
hehe...
That single line saved the movie for me.

I overslept today and woke up at 12:30pm. I did laundry, shopped a few groceries, washed dishes and made daing na bangus with tomatoes and onions for a very late lunch. I ironed my clothes after that and am currently infront of my mac for the first time today. It's already quarter to 6pm. That's SOMETHING believe me.

Oh btw, I forgot to mention that I bought myself an all in one printer yesterday! Yahew! Joyce dropped by the restaurant again for lunch and Lily gave me a two hour break so I can go out with her. We went to SoHo (omg, how come I never bothered coming to this side of the city? It's a SHOPPER'S HAVEN). I went with her to the Apple Store since she was getting herself a Macbook. One of the genius guys told her she gets a free printer with her Macbook purchase but since she said she didn't need one, I decided to take the offer instead. I added $30 to be able to get the model with wireless capability. I installed my sexy new printer last night. Mica bought photo paper today and I am on my way to change my framed vanity photos into my real photographs! YAHEW! NMRK!!!

Mica and I are taking Undrea to the center for the Introductory meeting at the center later at 7pm. Undrea (in case you didn't know, she's subletting Andy's room) has been exposed to our chanting since she moved in and she left this on our whiteboard on the fridge.

This house truly is the Filipino Buddhist Center in Brooklyn :)

Hahaha...

Ganda ng title ko. Pero totoo yun.

Anyway, I was early for work since Paul needed to go on early break. I was sitting quietly browsing through a magazine when Lily suddenly says, "Kari! Marc Jacobs is having a sale on rainboots! Only $28!" I jump up right away. Even with Paul gone and she'll be on her own, she sends me off to go boot shopping. I hurriedly walk a few blocks to Marc by Marc Jacobs and scored myself a pair plus a solid metal cuff for $5 and a monocle necklace for $11. Chea! On my way back I passed by the Magnolia Bakery which is FAMOUS for cupcakes. I buy me and Lily 2 each (red velvet + chocolate) and scarf one down as I walked back. I wasn't impressed. I can HONESTLY make better red velvet. Seriously! I can prove it! Come! Come! The chocolate was a little dry and the icing was too sweet. I had to scrape them off just so I can finish it.

I'm off for the next two days and I will need to tackle first and foremost, my laundry. Then maybe work on a couple of studies for a flier/invite I've been assigned to do. There's a Cambodia-Laos-Philippines Culture Exchange Event at the New York Culture Center on May 31st and I just found out yesterday that I've been assigned to design an invite and banner. I will be dancing the Tinikling alongside Mica for this event. On top of that, I am also the event's official photographer. It will be exhausting but it will be so much fun!

I'm kinda sad...

Louiie took off earlier and is on her way to Manila. She was the only one I can call and who relentlessly calls me during wee hours of the morning and night just to chitchat about the most mundane things. Who will call me now?! Louiie, you better bring me pasalubong or I will kick you. And you! YES YOU! If you are in Manila and and you're reading this, send me something! Give it to Grace (or Jammi) and she will hand it over to Louiie. Yes Ging, I just assigned you. It can be as small as a photo or a card, I don't care. It would be great to get something from home. Louiie will be in Manila for three weeks from the 8th of April so prepare you care packets soon! Yehey!

My baby boy turned 8 years old today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMEE!!!I kept kissing him all night and pinching his belly.

Treated Ana, Poy, Tita Chon and family at Sri Pra Phai. Awesome awesome thai food. I ate so much I'm going to burst. Omee was so cute when we left the restaurant asking me if I was going home with them. Tita Chon also had a moment when she told us to not forget about them now that we all live in Brooklyn. Ana and Poy once stayed with Tita Chon before they eventually relocated to Brooklyn.

Got the day off today and went to Target to buy some stuff I needed (laundry detergent, hangers, etc.), shopped for a few groceries and did laundry before I headed out to Queens for dinner. I was so kalat today and kept running back and forth from the laundromat to the apartment because I kept forgetting stuff. I almost fell down the stairs running to the subway station in my haste to make it to dinner.

I got home to the smell of dinner cooking. Benny and Matt made dinner for them and Mica and Andy and we all sat down together. It felt wonderful having a home of my own that I can share with great people. Mica and I bought stuff online at Urban Outfitters that were on sale. Man, I spent so much today. I will need to tighten my belt the next few weeks since I will need to go on that Ikea shopping trip in two weeks.

Mmmmm...cheerios...

Will have to go grocery shopping for food first thing Monday morning to stock the new kitchen. I'm moving tomorrow!!!

Kari: "tangina lilipat na ko bukas. nauutot ako sa excitement."
Niki: "hahahaha! Sama ako!"

Good thing I don't own a lot of stuff and will simply have to worry about my clothes. Tita Chon has generously donated the mattress I'm currently sleeping on so that's one thing I can cross off my list of stuff to buy.

In typical Kari fashion, I lost my metrocard (yet again) this morning on my way to work. Good thing it's expiring tomorrow anyway so I didn't lose much. The bad thing was that I realized I didn't have it on me when I was already on the bus. I was searching through my bag and all my pockets trying to figure out where it was. When I realized I had lost it, I started to rummage through my purse for quarters to pay for the bus fare when a kind man handed me his metrocard to use. I graciously thanked him for the free ride. Good samaritans are all around!

I'm shamefully addicted to Facebook now. I attribute my always running late for repeatedly refreshing my browser to see new status updates and comments. Kari is a big dork.

Did I mention I scored good, cheap bed linens the other day? On my way home from chanting at the center during my one hour break, I passed by a store on 14th st that was closing out and selling all their stuff for half off. I got decent egyptian cotton sheets, mattress pad, curtain, towel for a very good deal. Score!

I have to do my last batch of laundry here before moving day. I won't have time to do laundry anymore until next week since I'll be busy sorting out my shizzle in the new place. Andy says the laundromat is just around the corner from the building so at least I won't have to carry stuff too far unlike when I used to be in SF and had to walk 7 blocks for laundry. Ugh.

Ok, bed time.

By the way, until we get our own internet connection set up in the new place, I will be incommunicado (unless I can steal free wifi from the neighbors).

I had work at 4pm today but they sent me home by 9pm since we had no customers. It was a good thing too since I was finally going back to Queens today since the camp group (known as tito ans, joey, james and nana) have left earlier in the day and I had two very heavy bags of clothes. I have about two weeks worth of laundry that needed to get done tonight since I won't have another off day until Sunday. When I took batch one out of the dryer, I saw the lipbalm that I thought I had lost again. It was an $8 body shop lipbalm that I loved. I lost the first one in the theatre when I saw Twilight. This second one melted in the dryer since I left it in my pants pocket. Batch 1 of laundry smelled like cocobutter. Nice.

I wish I had better kwento. I was supposed to go to the Apple store before work for my broken charger but I got, uhm, distracted and I ended up not going. I lugged my baggage home and did laundry and chanted to my gohonzon for the first time! I don't want to photograph my altar yet. I need to complete it before I show you. I have a few more items to buy to complete it.

Long day tomorrow. It's already very late but I again got, uhm, distracted and ended up staying later than intended.

Word of the day: MALANDI.

Was doing laundry when I decided to toss her in the basket.
She didn't seem to mind. A few more of her here.

I wish I had something to blog about but all I did today was laundry and watch TV. Hooray for me! I did do about 4 loads of laundry though so that left me pooped for the day. I offered to do Kate's load too since she was busy with Joann.

I did give my first ever baby bath today! I helped give Joann a night wash before bed. The bb loves bath time and looks so cute too!

Went to the DMV to apply for a license today. I didn't have time to review the driver's handbook and took the test right away as I didn't want to keep Kate and Jose waiting for me in the parking lot. I barely passed the exam (maximum of 6 incorrect answers and I got 6 wrong :p). I need to brush up on my driving and will take the actual drive test in a couple of weeks.

Passed by Walmart again on the way home since Kate and I wanted to do a bit of browsing. When we got home I offered to make dinner. Made breaded fish fillets and guinataang kalabasa then baked a batch of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate brownies.

Kate and I have not been fulfilling our promise of hitting the gym since we've been out doing stuff. Tomorrow, Jose promised to come home early from work to watch Joann so Kate and I can hit the treadmills. My lovehandles are starting to show again and I refuse to blow up again like I did before. I also plan to take advantage of the pool and California sun since New York isn't exactly famous for beaches and sunbathing. I have been daydreaming of New York for days and the more I think about it, the more psyched I get. There's so much I want to see and doing it all alone sounds daunting and exciting at the same time. Central Park at autumn should be a wonderful subject for photos. But before I hit New York, Louiie has promised to take me around Nevada. She mentioned places like Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon and a couple of other spots that she herself hasn't seen. I'll also have the opportunity to re-visit the strip since I'll be tagging long with her to work (The Wynn) and from there, I plan on walking the strip until she gets off work. Hopefully, Bea and Paul have moved to Vegas by then so I'll have someone to roam the streets with.

My days have gotten better and my nights have been a bit easier. Jose and Kate have kept me busy that I'm too tired to think of anything but lie down and sleep when I get back to the apartment. My over-all mood seems lighter as evidenced by Louiie's comment on the phone yesterday, "Nice to finally speak to a sane woman, burd!" Louiie has been great, regularly calling to check up on me. She doesn't have to do it but she does it anyway. It's nice to speak to someone every so often since all I keep chatting with is Joann and she does nothing but coos and whines when she wants to be carried.

I don't know what else we're going to do tomorrow but I think I may have to do laundry already. I've been piling up my clothes since last week so I can gather a reasonable load so I won't waste detergent and water. I'm slowly running out of underwear anyway so it really has to be done. I don't mind staying in tomorrow since I keep spending more unearned money every time I'm out.