The Bear Bitch’s Project

A day for those of us who won’t ever let go of the magic.

Though I spent most of Saturday cleaning the house (Scrubbing Bubbles are fantastic!My bathroom is sparkling.),

I spent my Sunday being an absolute couch potato. I watched the World Cup, The Breakfast Club, CSI Marathon, finished 2 books (The Make Up Girl and Shopaholic & Sister) and started the third (The Family). Woo-hoo!

It’s Saint Anthony’s feast day. Horray!

Here are some words of wisdom from the big guy:

"Nature itself restrains the tongue behind two enclosures so that it will not roam about freely. These two enclosures are the teeth and the lips. This was done to teach us that a word should not leave the mouth except with utmost caution. Be attentive so that you guard your tongue not only with the enclosure of the teeth, but also with the enclosure of the lips. A person can be said to have both enclosures guarded if he avoids both criticism and empty flattery."

-Taken from the Sermons of St. Anthony

Such good advise for someone like myself who tends to talk too much (and sometimes without thinking my words through first).

Saint Anthony ROCKS!!!

<hee hee> I’m such a fan.

Nakasulat sa aking damit: Truly Pinay

Tumutugtog sa aking iPod: Rivermaya

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!

Kung kilala niyo ako, alam niyo na talagang mahina ako sa pagsalita (at pagsulat) ng Pilipino pero bilang parangal sa araw na ito, susubukan kong isulat itong blog sa Pilipino Hindi Taglish, ha, Pilipino. Kaya pansensya na kung balu-baluktot ang balarila ko. Umiisip ako sa Ingles tapos sinasalang ko lamang ito sa Pilipino sa tulong ng Pilipino-English Online Dictionary.

Tingnan niyo, ilang talata panglang ang naisulat ko, pinapawisan na ako! Mukhang magiging maiksi ang blog na ‘to. Nararamdaman ko na na marami ang magiiwan ng komento tungkol dito.

Bagama’t akoy nakatira sa Amerika at Ingles ang wika kung saan ako’y pinakakomportable, mahal na mahal ko ang Pilipinas. Nakita ko na ang Eiffle Tower sa

Paris

at ang Coliseum sa Roma at totoo naman na maraming bansa ay mas maganda at mas mayaman kaysa sa Pilipinas pero para sa akin, walang tatalo sa bansa ko. Oo, maalinsangan ang klima at higit pa sa magulo ang gobiyerno pero hindi iyan ang naiisip ko pag naaalala ko ang Pilipinas. Pag iniisip ko ang aking bansa puro magagandang bagay ang pumapasok sa utak ko. Pag may nagtanong tungkol sa panahon ng tag-araw sa ‘Pinas, ang pumapasok sa utak ko ay hindi ang matinding init na nakakahimatay o ang lagkit ng hangin kundi ang matamis na amoy ng bulaklak ng Mahogany na lumalabas lang pag mainit at ang lasa ng paborito kong Siniguelas na may walang katumbas. Wala nga tayong snow, pero walang tatalo sa Pasko sa atin. Nakakapagtaka na maski parehong-pareho ang mga ilaw (Christmas lights) ditto sa Amerika, sa

China

, sa Europa, at sa atin, iba ang itsura nya sa Pilipinas. Mahirap ipaliwanag pero para sa akin, may ibang klaseng ganda ang mga ilaw sa atin. Totoo ang kasabihan na pag mahal mo ang isang bagay (o sa lagay na ito, isang bansa) ito ay ang pinaka maganda sa iyong mata.

Hihinto na ako dito kasi sumasakit na ang ulo ko sa pag sasalang ng mga iniisip ko sa Pilipino. Siguradong sigurado ako na maski maiksi ang naisulat ko, ‘sangkatutak ang kamalian sa baybay, sa balarila at sa mga salitang ginamit ko. Patawad nalang at sisihin nyo ang Pilipino-English Dictionary!

Inaabangan ko ang inyong mga puna/kommento. Huwag kayong mahiya! Gayahin nyo ako: walang hiya! Ha ha ha! J

My Top 5 Favorite Stores (here):

(In no particular order)

* The store names are hyperlinks so click on them to check the websites out!

1. Hot Topic - I’ve already redeemed 2 frequent buyer cards which means that i’ve spent nearly $300.00 there and i’m still going strong. Yikes!

2. Transit - (2nd Avenue, downtown San Mateo) They’ve got cool clothes and knick-knacks that you can’t find anywhere else.

3. Aeropostale - Their clothes tend to be on the ‘cutesy’ side and they very rarely have anything in black (which frustrates the heck out of me) but their jeans/pants fit me perfectly. I just grab any size 1/2 short and I’m good to go. No need to bother with the fitting room. Aeropostale is great for speed shopping.

4. Bath & Body Works - I’m a self-confessed B&BW addict. I love the CO Bigelow line, I’m addicted to B&BW’s Classic Freesia (and the Sheer Freesia isn’t too bad), Breathe Serenity, and their Anti-Bacterial collection. Its so embarrassing that the staff in 3 different branches know me by name but not embarrassed enough to keep me away.

5. Target - What shopaholic in her right mind wouldn’t love Target? There’s one on every corner and it has anything and everything you could ever want/need and more - at affordable prices.

Honorable mentions: Rasputin, Wal-Mart, The Stanford University Bookstore, Borders, Barnes & Noble

My Top 5 Favorite Stores (at home):

1. National Bookstore - The best store on Earth!

2. SM - Its been called SM for years but it will always be "Shoe Mart" to me. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever called it "SM" in my life.

3. Bench - Home of the best mattifier: Zui Purism Oil Clear Base. I’ve tried many mattifiers (just ask make-up guru, Tatin) but this is the best by far.

4 & 5. Power Books & Fully Booked - Need I expound?

My Top 3 Online Stores:

1. Amazon.com - No longer just for books. I’ve gotten DVDs, clothes, cards, and even jewelry from here. My favorite poison ring came from Amazon. You can see it in the "Look up" picture on my Friendster page.

2. E-Bay - No explanation required.

3. Overstock.com - I’ve never actually purchased from here but I do enjoy "window shopping"

* Plus all the other websites mentioned above

I have a new favorite character: Scary Miss Mary.

Isn’t she just adorable?

Its totally annoying that I can’t find any merchandise here. When I search the web for Scary Miss Mary all the results that come up are from either the UK or somewhere else in Europe. How frustrating is that? I guess I should just stick to Goth Grumpy Bear; at least I can find merchandise at Hot Topic (which is the reason behind the gaping hole in my bank account).

I also like Ruby Gloom. She’s quite cute too and her merchandise is slightly easier to find, but Scary Miss Mary is cuter. <sigh>

I finally got to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show last night. It’s really cool -  in a bizarre way. No wonder the movie has a cult following. It’s a mish-mash of pop culture and catchy rock tunes. I definitely have a deeper respect for Tim Curry. I mean, not only does the guy have great legs, he can dance around in four-inch stilletos - with attitude- too! He can surely give Tina Turner a run for her money. I was a bit wary of this movie at first (a movie about singing, dancing, transvestite Transylvanians from outer space? Who wouldn’t be?) but I really enjoyed it; more than I did The Da Vinci Code, actually!

Okay, if you’re wondering why the previous post, "My Restless Traveling Feet", looks so strange, you’re not alone. I’m just as confused as you are. I have no idea why Friendster Blogs separated the country names like that. I tried to re-edit it twice but it still posts the same way. Sorry about that!

My friend Lizzie just arrived from her trip to

London

,

Paris

& various places in

Italy

. I’m SO jealous. Of the 23 countries I’ve been to,

Italy

is my absolute favorite. Even though we spent over 2 weeks in

Italy

both times that we went there, there’s still so much to see. I expect that even if I spent a month in every city I’d still find it bitin. It’s amazing how you can find breathtaking works of art in the most unexpected places. There are fountains and sculptures and mosaics around every corner: even in dark, tiny alleyways. When asked which Italian city is my favorite, I couldn’t answer. Each place that I visited I loved for different reasons. I love the fountains of

Rome

, and the fact that its home to the

Vatican

and my favorite pizza place (on Via Cavour). I love the art and architecture of Florence (it’s where the famous David of Michelangelo is), the mysterious & romantic feel of Venice (the masquerade masks remind me of Labyrinth and the Phantom of the Opera), the rural beauty of Assisi (and the final resting place of St. Francis), the famous Pisa with its leaning tower, Padua with my beloved Anthony . . . I could go on and on.

Being a DeCastro, I can’t help but enjoy traveling (but don’t get me started on the torture also known as flying) and sincerely relish every foreign place I go to but few countries have captured my heart like

Italy

has.

Sweden

will always be special to me (because of Goose Village, of course) and so will

Vietnam

, but

Italy

still stands as my current favorite.

I’m also really envious that she got to see

London

.

Great Britain

is a country I’ve always wanted to visit ever since I was little. When I was younger, the 6 countries I wanted to visit – other than the ones I’d already been to, of course - were Great Britain (because of the castles, Stonehenge, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and, more recently, Harry Potter), Ireland (more castles, faeries, leprechauns, the Blarney Stone, and . . . Artemis Fowl), Sweden (for the trolls, Vikings, and the food: pickled raw herring (sill) and Swedish caviar. Yum-yum!),

Iceland

(I had a strange fascination with the National Geographic Jokulsa River Challenge when I was a kid. Goodness knows why)

Egypt

(for the pyramids, mummies, and pharaohs), and

Greece

(because of my love of Greek mythology). I’ve already been blessed enough to visit Greece and Sweden so I only have Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Egypt left on my list of countries I HAVE to go to before I die. Plus I’d also love to go back to

Denmark

(and see Titania’s Palace again) and

Japan

(since I barely remember it).

Among all my siblings, I’m the one with the least restless feet for traveling. My siblings, most especially my sisters would go nuts if they didn’t leave the country at least once a year and would resort to scrimping like scrooges just to afford to travel. I have always had terrible motion sickness and flying is always torture, so I was never as desperate to travel as they are. But now that my friends are off to places I’ve always dreamt of going to, it seems that my hereditary fondness for traveling is beginning to emerge. <sigh> With all those countries left on my wish list, I better start saving up like a mad woman.