born on a bloomsday

I was born on a Bloomsday.

If you don’t know what Bloomsday means, I don’t either.

Just kidding.  

Bloomsday is what fans of James Joyce’ novel, Ulysses have been calling this day, June 16, naming it after the story’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom.  The whole story takes place on that one day (1904 to be exact) in Dublin, Ireland–wherein Joyce made mention of  actual streets, bars, and shops. So every Bloomsday, Dubliners and Joyce fans celebrate the day by reliving the story, tracing Bloom’s steps as mentioned in the book and participating in Ulysses readings… and oh, yeah, by hitting the pubs and doing what they do best. 🙂

I admit I haven’t finished the book yet (I bookmarked one copy from gutenberg.org).  I managed to read a few pages so far… and you can’t blame me. Ulysses is described as one of the most difficult books to read;  and that reading it ‘would take a lifetime.’  If you’re interested about Bloomsday and how to read and appreciate the book, click on this interesting article.

Well, then… what about MY Bloomsday? I celebrated my birthday two days ahead.  We were all craving for seafood so we went to Dampa, Parañaque City.

The wet market in the Original Dampa (left).

Aah… bday cravings: Fresh crabs, yeah!–expensive but worth it (right)

The place in Sucat is the original dampa— a place where you buy fresh seafood in the nearby wet market, choose an eatery, hand over the food you just bought to the cook or waiting staff and tell them your instructions on how to prepare it, wait for them to cook it, and if it’s done–eat! I’ve tried the other dampas that sprouted all over Manila and QC but the original is still the best– and probably still the cheapest.

Kay Susan Tayo!: We chose Zanvinz Grill Hauz (left). Aling Susan, the proprietress is the one who accommodated us.  We bought some liempo (pork spareribs) which she herself grilled for us.  And she even did some fortune telling while she was at it, too!

Bday feast 2009: We also had calamares, shrimps in butter and garlic, spicy crabs. We had them placed in styropor containers and took them home. Yum! (above pix)

At work, I received gifts- a book, (Coraline!) and a gift card from Powerbooks (left).  Thanks, AGirls! I truly appreciated it!

Then,  I also visited Mom on my birthday (Right)… June 16 maybe a truly fateful day for Leopold Bloom.  I guess it was for me, too. My mom (as well as her brother) passed away on a bloomsday, too.  I hoped she likes the white roses…

“Hold to the now, the here. Through which all future plunges to the past.” -Stephen Dedalus from Ulysses

What’s my birthday wish?… I do dream of traveling, and if I ever do get the chance to globe-trot in the future,  I will celebrate one fine bloomsday in Dublin — perhaps to partake of a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of Burgundy at Davy Byrnes’ pub or maybe liver slices fried with crustcrumbs downed with a cold mug of Irish beer — before I kick the bucket. (=^.^)

Uh… yeah, ok.  And finish the book, too…

Here’s to more Bloomsdays ahead! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸\(✿^○^)/=3┌iiii┐ ¸.•*¨*•♫♪

 

Thank You, Thank You!

Finally…

I got what I wished for this Christmas: dvd copies of the complete seasons of my all-time favorite shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sex and the City! Now I don’t have to scour all the markets and tiangges looking for these… I finally have them (I once bought dvd copies of SATC but they didn’t work–grrr!–while Buffy dvds can’t be found anywhere here)!  And I don’t have to wait up at nights to see the shows (Buffy is on AXN Beyond and SATC is on Velvet); and best of all–I can get to see them uncut and uncensored for the first time…

ZJ in Cambodia: Thank you, thank you, my friend! I owe you, mare–that is, I owe you a UP Centennial tshirt and a Belle Du Jour 2009 planner.  As of this writing, they’re on their way to your hometown, hopefully to be received by your bro who will give them to you when he goes back to Cambodia… Oh, I do hope you get them! And thanks for the Angkor Wat keychains, too!

Now, for my next wish in my list…

1. Buffy DVDs ♥

2. Sex and the City DVDs ♥

3. Panasonic Lumix LX3

woo-hoo!

 

it’s the holidays…

…and food seems to be everywhere.

This post is all about the holiday food I took pictures of–food served for the Christmas and birthdays parties (apparently, a lot of people were or are celebrating their birthdays in Dec.).  It’s ironic how your waist grows thicker while your wallet gets thinner during the holidays, huh?

As you can see by now, I like taking pictures of food.  I just want to document the glorious sight of food and give respect to people who take time, money and effort to cook and feed us by posting the fruits of their labors for posterity’s sake…and before they get gobbled up and flushed down into the sewers of oblivion…

Here are some of them…

My company’s QC Christmas Party Dec. 19, 2008: The program was short and just right… and the food was superb, especially the hot salsa for the nachos–kudos to the Manang who solely conjured these up with her magic wand!

Gone in 5 minutes: The Before and After shots of Mister Dan’s Christmas gift for us at work– home-cooked pancit bihon sa bilao which the A Girls and I literally devoured in minutes… sarap! The picture on the right is what we Pinoys call ‘sus-nagkahiyaan-pa!’ leftovers.

The A Girls’ Christmas Eat-Out at TGI Friday’s, Dec. 18, 2008: The place was packed, tears were shed as we surprised each other with gifts, and the identities of our secret Monito-Monitas were revealed. But where’s the food? Funny how we forgot to take pictures of the food we ordered…we gobbled them all up as soon as the waiters set them on the table…

Egg custards from Hong Kong courtesy of our jet-stter friend, bpc! Thanks… they were delish!

Dec. 13 Birthday feast prepared by Sis for Levic… Busog! Burp!

So… time to shed those pounds gained, I guess… starting um, tomorrow… or the next day after that…or next year…hehe.

 

BFF Gold Card Award

Thank you ZJ (sreisaat) for giving me this award last week.

Sorry it took time for me to blog about it!  It is because… I don’t know how to react! Hahaha!

Of course, ZJ, you’re my BFF (and blog mentor)! And I really appreciate the award! Actually it is my first award or tag…

The reason for the delay is…I don’t have enough blogger friends (yet) to give it to– being a relatively new blogger who pretty much keeps to herself and has no time to go around the blogosphere (para magpakilala)…

So after some thought, I am giving this award to two of my (other) blogger friends (utang na lang muna yung isa pa):

Dusk Fading: Hers is one of the blogs I often visit and one of the nicest bloggers around (Kasi she replies or visits back– di tulad ng mga iba kong binisita in the past.  Bitter much? Hehe!) She’s also a teacher and a gifted writer. She’s soon to be a mom so i wish her (and her baby) good health and many wonderful blessings!!

Buhay Pinoy: I love history, that’s why I support BP’s photoblogs that show pictures about our culture–noon at ngayon.  I also love these ‘visual’ blogs for the fact that they don’t have words much (minsan nakakapagod din magbasa ng mga sinusulat ng mga sangkatutak na bloggers) but instead show beautiful and interesting pictures that the blogger took time to research and collect from others (so that you don’t have to). As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Buhay Pinoy is one of my blogging mentors, too, when it comes to putting up a photoblog (I have one… still in the works but it’s coming soon!). Thanks, BP!

And back to my friend ZJ whom i would like to thank for the kind words about me! A friend since college days, ZJ’s one of the earliest Pinoy bloggers around (since 2002?) that I know of and have encouraged me to blog for the longest time…  An adventurous traveler and talented photographer with a huge heart. And a true PINAY–strong, independent, and free-spirited! Cambodia (and Rob) is lucky to have her. PS… mare, ym ym na lang ha? hehe.