Too Many Links

"....wearing metaphorical friendship bracelets on the earnest Facebook, the punky MySpace, the careerist LinkedIn and the suddenly very Asian Friendster...As if that wasn't enough friendship for you, some of you have also asked me to be friends on the nerdy Twitter, the dorky-élitist Doostang and the Eurotrashy hi5."

I just read a rather amusing Time magazine essay by Joel Stein that I so relate to called "You are Not My Friend". It's about this outcrop of several networking sites online and having friends you would consider more acquaintances than friends.

All I can say is: I get similar invites too.. but I've opted not to sign on those additional ones. Maintaining one, two or three is a bit of a headache already and I don't see why I should add any more if it means more time online basically putting on the same information about me. Ack! hehe!

Blogging here is an exercise in itself already. And as I've stated in a previous blog entry, time, sadly has become a real luxury for 'lil 'ol office worker (read: me). Some things/activities are more important than having to maintain several sites with essentially the same info or set of friends.. ;-)

Now where's that DVD I need to finish watching? Time to go..

Some Nice to Haves...

1. this digital SLR camera with image stabiliser that's also light and small enough for travel

2. a CD of Christophe Maé's Mon Paradis album

3. stereo system in my room that's linked to and will play my archive of mp3s - need to research on this.. is there such a one by Bang and Olufsen? haha! Or will I end up with an ipod (noooo!! I hope not)?

4. three different pieces of furniture - one for my room, 2 outside my room

5. a new Macbook - but then again maybe not... as long as my current one still works fine.

6. a new mobile phone
- something as cute as the Sony Ericsson Z610i but with higher camera
resolution for those times when it's just easier and faster all around to whip it
(instead of a comparatively bulkier DSLR) out of my bag for shots/opportunities
needing faster response times

7. a new bigger bag
- but I just bought a leather messenger one that costs about as much as a Lacoste
shirt but which I can't bring to the office 'cause it's not that bulky enough for
all the stuff I bring to work; especially once I get the DSLR cam. :( *sigh*. It
looks great though, and I guess best suited for when going shopping. hehe!

- again I have to research on this one... am picky with bags but I prefer to spend
more on bags than on clothes. I usually end up looking for and buying a decent
bag/s more than for clothing when overseas (and so far, Italy wins for design and
functionality. haha!).

So Many Things to Do, So Little Time

So many things to do, so little time.

I think that's my motto right now. By this time of the year, I'd typically avoid commitments which can be postponed to next year. i.e., signing up for 3-month weekend classes for whatever subject.

Why? It's just a rather busy time with all those Christmas activities and traffc and events around the city. And me not being a mall or clothes-shopping enthusiast, I only go shopping when I absolutely have to, so when I do go, I end up making an errand out of it and ticking things off a checklist and end up with a lot of purchases 'cause I know it'd be a while yet before I'll be going back. hehe!

Lately, time for myself has become a luxury to me but I may have to restart thinking about staying home on Sundays if I need to get more things done.. arrghh! So I've signed up for driving lessons (on weekend mornings) out of necessity, to get that out of the way, and be a licensed one by next year. More about it on another blog entry maybe.

This month alone, I have two sets of relatives visiting from overseas (Hong Kong, and the U.S.). Then I think next month, I'll have two friends doing the same (from the U.S., and Australia). So I've been dining out more in the past few weekends. But enjoying it. :)

Maybe next year or the year after that, I should be the one doing the same - visiting friends/family overseas! haha! :P Which would mean I'd have to work myself to the bone and get my leaves in one go for that break. Hmmm!

Then I have some more stuff I need to buy for the house, my room, home entertainment, the kitchen, my pets, the list goes on...

Le Roi Soleil

Currently listening to some songs off the soundtrack of this French musical called Le Roi Soleil. Seems like a musical romantic/comedy of sorts re Louis XIV of France..
It's quite good methinks... especially Ça Marche with Christophe Mae (can't believe his voice.. hehe!). Sounds fun... La Vie Passe sounds good too. That was the first song I heard while I was listening to French radio over the Internet, not knowing it's from a musical until I downloaded its mp3 and saw 2 videos of their performances over youtube. Check it out..

Should get a CD of this musical.. Hmmm! Better yet, I should have gone see it when I was in Paris since the musical has ended its run last July. Dang! There went that chance.. hehe!

So now its soundtrack is on my playlist.. as well as some other French pop music (MC Solaar, Blankass, Koxie, Laurent Voulzy).. I have a cd of Pascal Obispo from long ago, bought in Canada... like that one too..

Hallow's Eve Break

Currently on a one week break from work, inadvertently. Was supposed to be at work for 2 days out of the 5 (the other 3 being public holidays). But stomach started acting up. That's what happens when you've got friends/relatives over from overseas (Hong Kong to be more precise) and you go out to dinner and drinks with them and family... and it's not even a hangover! grrr! It was a nice evening at the Fort Strip though...

But attended a Hallow's eve dinner hosted by a very good old friend at a small hotel restaurant near Casa Armas in Malate... The restaurant evoked scenes of an old Parisian bistro.. with the red leather chair against the dark wood-panelled walls, art nouveau motif on the walls, lighting, and ceilings, and black and white diamond floor tiles in a small setting with more hush (though we certainly made all the noise and laughter with both interesting and irreverent wit and conversation) and intimacy to hold a private dinner party with friends... unlike the usual places you find in the central commercial/business district... none of the loud bits you hear in restaurants in the commercial area.

Sometimes you need to take a break from those. I guess you can't really top Malate for genuine character. Strange how I remembered Malate when I was out with friends in Madrid, and in Princengracht in Amsterdam, and in Montmartre in Paris... made the the time spent in those places even more memorable if I may say so. Manila girl 'to! hehe!

I missed this place. Despite the hurly burly of Manila.. that's old Manila for you mixing with the new. hehe! The 12 of us exchanged stories and laughter over wine, great food, tarot card reading with a tarot card reader, candle fortunes, and some halloween lollipops of orange and violet color.

Hallow's eve is supposed to be new year's eve in the pagan calendar.. Learned that from them last night. Interesting.. Hence my friend hosted the dinner-cum-birthday party to welcome the new year and leave old baggage behind. Capped the night over at Cafe Adriatico a block away.. another old haunt, revisited. :)

Am glad I made it a point not to miss it. After some 1-2 months of having to beg off at the last minute from several invites (to 3 despedidas for two workmates leaving/resigning, and another for a German colleague who was our guide in Germany who was going back to Germany, + a beach trip over one weekend with the same German colleague, etc.) 'cause of work, am feeling a bit deprived, and this is indeed welcome and opportune. You can't just skip a an old friend's invite to celebrate her birthday and enjoy new and old company. And you can't come without a gift either.. hehe! Both are just not done. Old friend + new ones over an interesting dinner = great evening and experience. Should do this more often. :P