Casino Royale

At first I had some reservations about seeing Casino Royale. I wasn't too keen on the new Bond guy (Daniel Craig) because I've grown fond of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Daniel Craig doesn't appear handsome and charming as the past James Bond guys. Instead he has a rugged, tough and somewhat fierce look. I've always thought of James Bond as a cool, handsome dark haired man. Aside from his stern looks, Craig happens to be blond so he doesn't quite fit the part of the typical James Bond.

My husband insisted we watch Casino Royale at the cinema. I'm glad he asked me to because surprisingly, I enjoyed the movie. I learned that the movie explores the early career of 007.

Setting aside my bias for Pierce Brosnan, I think that Daniel Craig has successfully reinvented the James Bond character. Craig has a distinct atmosphere of danger and unpredictability compared to the other men who portrayed the role of Bond.

To date, six actors have portrayed James Bond in the official series. They are:

Sean Connery (1962 to 67; 1971)
George Lazenby (1969),
Roger Moore (1973 to 85),
Timothy Dalton (1987 to 89),
Pierce Brosnan (1995 to 2002),
Daniel Craig (2006 present).

Casino Royale didn't focus much on the hi-tech gadgets but the stunt scenes were spectacular. I heard that Craig has done most of the stunts on his own which scores him several points on my personal score board.

I'll miss seeing Pierce Brosnan's handsome face as James Bond but I'm willing to give Daniel Craig a chance considering the success of his first 007 portrayal.

Cute Critters

I bought these cute animal cellphone accessories in a small shop. When you press each animal, it says I Love You. There are pink and blue hippos, cute dogs, pink elephants and adorable ducks. I bought a couple of them to give to my friends and former colleagues this coming Friday. We're having an early Christmas get-together this Friday at my friend's house. I haven't seen some of them for quite a while so I'm very excited about the whole thing.

Christmas Parol

Filipinos refer to a Christmas lantern as Parol. The traditional parol is a 5-pointed star lantern that is made with bamboo sticks and colored rice paper (Japanese paper). Today, the modern parol comes in various shapes, sizes and designs. I love the Pampanga parols and Capiz parols because of their elaborate designs and spectacular light displays.

Jules bought several small parols and he placed mini light bulbs inside each one. He placed the parols as ornaments on the palm tree outside our house and put several more at the lanai. I love looking at those lighted Christmas parols. It makes me appreciate the coming Christmas holiday more. I love the festive mood created by the lanterns. Christmas is coming very soon and we're all very excited about it.

A-Z Meme

Here's a nice alphabet meme. Thanks Gabrielle for the tag.

A - Available/single? Happily attached.
B - Best Friend? Chary and Lyonnel
C- Cake or pie? Blueberry Cheesecake and Carrot Cake
D - Drink of choice? Frozen Margarita and Coke Light
E - Essential item you use everyday? Cellphone
F - Favorite color? Lavender
G - Gummy Bears or worms? Gummy Bears - preferably the red ones :)
H - Hometown? Manila
I - Indulgence? Bags
J - January or February? January - I love celebrating New Year.
K - Kids & their names? Yohan
L - Life is incomplete without? My family.
M - Marriage date? July 7
N- Number of siblings? 1
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges
P - Phobias/fears? Heights
Q - Favorite quote? Happiness is a matter of attitude.
R - Reason to smile? Being around people I love.
S - Season? Summer
T - Tag 3 people? Nancy, San, and Jo.
U - Unknown fact about me? I'm a stay-at-home wife who doesn't know how to cook and iron clothes. :)
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Labanos. I don't know what you call it in english.
W - Worst habit? Being paranoid. Worrying about small matters.
X - X-rays you’ve had? Legs. I was hit by a jeep when I was younger.
Y - Your Favorite Food? Kare-Kare (a Filipino specialty)
Z - Zodiac sign? Aries

Another Craft Day

Today, Yohan and I made another project. We had fun making a board game. We cut the board game pieces from a Paper Models book and had a great time putting them together. Here are some pictures of Yohan enjoying the Board Game project.



Next year, I will enroll Yohan in the art class at The Little Gym. I noticed that he loves the art segment during Camps at The Little Gym so instead of the usual gym time, I will enroll him in the art class for a change.

Here's a recent photo of Yohan, Teacher Meanne and Teacher Michael at the show day at The Little Gym a few weeks ago. Yohan has been going there since he was a year old. He has grown fond of his teachers and classmates. It's his Christmas break. I'm sure he will miss his friends. Yohan will be back early next year when classes resume.

Monday Madness

This week's Monday Madness is about holidays. It's a great way of learning how others celebrate holidays in other countries.

1. Which of the holidays that you celebrate, do you feel is the most important? I believe Christmas season is very important because it's a time of sharing and rejoicing among family and friends.

2. Which holiday do you most enjoy? I enjoy Christmas the most because everyone seems to be in a festive mood. I love this time of year, because of the colorful lights and beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere I look. I love the spirit of giving and how it touches the lives of many people.

3. Is there one holiday that your family tries to get together every year? If so, which one? Our family tries to be together in most holidays namely: Holy Week, All Soul's Day, Christmas and New Year .

4. Share one special memory from a past holiday. Last Christmas, Yohan was old enough to really enjoy opening his presents by himself (see photo). I loved seeing his expression of happiness as he opened every gift under the Christmas tree. It was a memorable time that I will always cherish.

5. Name one holiday coming up, that you're really looking forward to, and why. I'm looking forward to this year's Christmas and New Year. I'm excited to see my son eagerly unwrap his presents. I'd like to see his face lit up with joy when he sees the great fireworks display this year.

Grotto of Healing and Purification

This is the Via Dolorosa Grotto of Healing and Purification found in Barangay Tinamnan, Lucban Quezon. I took this photo when we went there last September 2006.



The beautiful Via Dolorosa Grotto of Healing and Purification has life-size statues of the 14 Stations of the Cross. It has 292 steps, leading to a 50-foot statue of Christ. It is said to be the third biggest in the world which can be seen miles away.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to climb the top because it started to rain and we got worried that Yohan might get drenched in the rain. We hope we can go there again and have another chance to reach the top of the magnificent grotto.

At the foot of the grotto is the famous Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church. It has become the country's famous center for the sick (physically, spiritually, mentally). I was amazed when I found out that everyday, this church is visited by thousands of people searching for miracles.

Chili Peppers

These siling haba (chili peppers) were recently harvested from our farm. Jules brought some home and made Bicol Express (pork strips and chili peppers cooked in coconut milk). It is best served with rice.

I love spicy food although in reality I have low tolerance for anything spicy. My taste buds can only tolerate mild spicy food. But when I smelled the Bicol Express that Jules made, I just had to taste it. It was bursting in flavor and aroma. It was really good. I just had to drink 1/4 glass of water for every mouthful. :)