Sunday Foodie

...because it's about time.

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by PAM

Crisp outside, light and airy inside... and many more... that is all good!

A very long introduction...

Living alone has its benefits, the most important of which - at least, for me - is the opportunity to savor solitude.  

I like solitude, I enjoy it. These days, I realized that the one company I never get bored of is my own. No, that is not being self-important, self-centered nor being selfish. It's just my love for the quiet. I'd much rather listen to the sound of my own silent thoughts, and of others' whose quiet thoughts are in harmony with mine, than to be confused in the dizzying chaos of a many multitude of opinions and 'great ideas' from so many, many (many, many... many) 'brilliant individuals'.  Today's basis of 'brilliance' has eluded me hopelessly... and I do not believe I have the energy, nor the time, to embark on a greatly futile journey and the great hopelessness of ever finding it.  So, I decided to just take the opposite route... the route of quietness - the beautiful moments of stillness of an unhurried living... with ample time to walk silently as one pays attention to one's surroundings... and be filled with wonder.  That is not to say that I don't enjoy being in the company of people with whom I share the appreciation of meaningful conversations... and fun endeavors that touch the soul and make the spirit soar!

I like reflection, quiet reflection... and I enjoy discernment. I like long walks... and prayers while I walk. These days, as I walk around my new neighborhood, I like admiring those green canopies above me that those marvelous trees make as they reach out to join their long and graceful branches from each side of the road. I like sipping coffee quietly as I read a good book at the front porch, and once in a while looking up to marvel at the clouds and the incredible beauty of the blue skies behind them. Yes, I do have time to contemplate these days... or, rather, I can afford to make time for contemplation these days... and I am, indeed, very grateful.  But that is a story for another time.  Today, I am just being the foodie me.

Finally, the 'foodie' part...

As I mentioned in another post on this blog, I now have a 'second home', which is very close to a new 'second work location'.  I usually live alone in the second home.  I was dreading it before... but now, I am beginning to appreciate it.

These days, I am discovering that another benefit of living alone is being able to choose to eat what one craves without having to feel guilty that others may not appreciate one's cravings.  The other day, I was suddenly reminded of Italy, and the unforgettable trip that I took over there some years back.

Spaghetti - Filipino style

 And that made me crave Italian food... specifically, my favorite Italian bread: ciabatta. So, I dropped by one of my favorite specialty stores, Santis Delicatessen, to pick up a loaf of ciabatta and a box of spaghetti pasta.  Ah, ciabatta is so good, especially when dipped in olive oil with a dash of balsamic vinegar.  While I love this very Italian bread for its light and airy texture inside and its crisp thin crust, I decided to make my spaghetti 'Filipino style', which is with red sweet sauce.  I tried re-living my childhood days, enjoying sweet meaty spaghetti complete with slices of hotdog.  I 'cheated' a little... and bought a ready-to-use spaghetti sauce... just to save time.  Again, this is one of the perks of living alone, you can decide whichever way you want to prepare your food without making anyone roll their eyes. Uhm, wait... are you rolling your eyes right now?  If you are, well... aren't you glad you're not living with me? 

Ah, the mind meanders and stopped at the 'Bridgerton station'...

All and all, I had a splendid time eating my Mediterranean-meets-Southeast-Asian meal while I watch "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" (QC) on Netflix for the nth time... which is a story for another time.  Ah, dear reader, you didn't think I'd stay quiet about Bridgerton - the version so 'mangled' by Netflix, huh?  No way!  I am a fan - of the original and authentic Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn (JQ)... but not so much of the 'mangled' version by Netflix.  But I do like QC, which is not a part of JQ's Bridgerton series.  I think that the reason why QC was so good is because it stole, er, 'borrowed' many of the good things in the original Bridgerton series by JQ... which were omitted in the Netflix (mangled) version. Especially noticeable for me was how QC borrowed many beautiful moments from "The Viscount Who Loved Me" (TVWLM) - the second of the Bridgerton series by JQ.  The reason why I know... well, it's because I so loved  TVWLM in the JQ series. I read it at least five times!  And the feeling I got while reading the tenderly special moments were the very same feeling that I had while watching the special moments in QC... and which I never felt in the Netflix 'mangled' version of TVWLM.  And, the young King George III (KG3) in QC, uhm, on his sane moments, that is, is almost the exact same image of Colin Bridgerton in my head, except that KG3 did not have green eyes and his hair was not longish and curly.  But the beautiful smile, the wit, and all that charisma... ah, they're all so Colin.  

I hope that Netflix does not mangle "An Offer from a  Gentleman" - Benedict's story - as much as they did the previous books in the upcoming Season 4 of Bridgerton.  In case I have not been clear previously... let me be clear this time.  This is a 'warning' from us, avid and loyal Bridgerton fans, Netflix!  Leave the beautiful story alone!

But I digress... I did enjoy my spaghetti with my ciabatta. I think that is all the point I am making here, which took me forever to say. Hahaha... sorry, 'gentle reader'.

***

Image credit:  I own all the photos in this post as I took all of them.

***  

My first...

...reads for 2022.

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by PAM

Yes, it looks like we are back on track this first few days of 2022 in terms of giving due attention to special interests, which are reading and writing in my case.  All my new five books arrived last week, two of which arrived yesterday.  The books are:  (1) The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (c.1987), (2) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (c.1952), (3) Servant Leadership by Liam Taylor (c.2020), (4) Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell (c.2019), and (5) Ikigai: the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Frances Miralles (c. 2016).

Book #2 is just a re-read since this was a required reading back in my High School days in the Philippines, which was almost four decades ago now.  So far, I've read one short story in Book #1, "My old man", and it was awesome!  It was about a jockey who was very good but became part of the corruption ring in the world of horse racing.  He reached a point where he wished to walk away from the callousness of  game fixing, and wanted to 

Five books to start the year 2022 with a  mix of creativity,
 practicality and guidance in putting things to perspective. 

make amends for himself and his son as he neared retirement age.  However, he was in-too-deep in that muddy world, and there was no way out.  He tried nevertheless.  He thought he had a chance, and he took it.  In the end, all were taken from him, including his very life.  

The story was told from the perspective of the jockey's son, Joe, who adored him, wondered about his father's 'secret life' at times but brushed off whatever possible ugliness there was because he loved and believed in his father.  In the end, when his father was stripped of every shred of honor that he might have had left or trying to restore, and in the base brutality of his father's death, Joe accepted what he vaguely knew all along.  He said, "...when they get started, they don't leave a guy nothing."  And it was a powerful realization.  The seemingly simple story was told with that vintage Hemingway sparklingly clear writing, not in an academic sense but rather in drawing a picture and getting the reader to become a part of the vividly painted scenes through the powerful strokes of his words.  My heart was pounding, and I can almost hear the horses galloping down the race track as Joe described what he was seeing through his telescopes as he watched his father compete.  As the tragedy approached, and collided with his father and his horse, I sat there shocked and speechless as if I was a live witness of the horrible 'accident'.  I believe that no one can write with such clarity and precision that engage the reader intellectually and emotionally if the writer was not a true witness of similar or the same incidents in real life... hence, the importance of varied experiences with deep involvement in such experiences in any brilliant writer's life.  Ah... someday!

 As far as the other books, I've read about a quarter of Book #3.  So far, so good... the writing is fine - not stellar, just fine, but the content is very useful.  I am excited to begin reading books #4 and #5!  I wonder when that could be, given the bulk of work that awaits me in the coming spring semester.  Oh, well... as Captain Sulu of Star Trek said, "when something is important enough, you make the time."  So, there.

***

Photo credit:  The photo used in this post is mine, and was taken for the sole purpose of this post.

QOTD

QOTD #24: 'bop til you drop'
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by PAM

"...because peace and quiet was the last thing he needed.  This had to be like everything else in his life.  If you wanted to excel, you worked hard, you trained, you practiced. 

You didn't lie in bed, hoping for peace and quiet."

         - From "The Girl with the Make-believe Husband"
           by Julia Quinn


Yep, it's that time of year... my birth month just rounded the corner, and it's here!  Hello, July! So good to see ya!

And what did my favorite month dragged in?  Well, it's something for the heart, the wit

A not-so-subtle title...
Fast forward to the banter, please!

and those funny bones: a Julia Quinn! 😍 It's out!  The second installment in JQ's Rokesby Series, "The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband".  And the excerpts are totally promising... Chapters 1 and 2, and I was already laughing out loud in the dark as I read them after taking flu medicine. Of course, I perused them already, 'cause I'm guessing, it probably hasn't reached the shelves of Manila bookstores yet. How do I know this?  Well, it has just been released last May 30, and it isn't available for download yet in the Philippines. I know, what kind of a fan would let a good month pass before finding out that the book is already out, right?  Well, you know my 'usual excuse': work!  Oh, well....

Anyway, I'm quite excited about the book. After all, it has been more than a year now since I got a hold of a copy of the first book in the series, "Because of Miss Bridgerton" (BoMB).  As I said after reading BoMB, I was curious about many things, among them was Edward's plight in the Americas.  Now, here we are, the focus is on the second Rokesby sibling.  It's time for Edward's story!  Wish granted!  He might have lost some of his memory due to head injury but, boy, the wit and the humor, it's pure Rokesby!  Or, should I say, 'bloody hell', it's pure JQ?!

As our QOTD indicates, our hero is all about working hard and deserving one's place in the world through hard work.  It's a very good principle, especially for someone of noble lineage, molded in aristocratic breeding, and never had to work hard and still guaranteed a place in the high society.  I think I'm going to like our heroine, Cecilia Harcourt, too.  She seems daring but takes well-calculated risks, intelligent but kind of sweet, feisty but doesn't seem to see the need to keep proving her worth because she seems worthy of admiration without even trying. Most of all, she is all about love of family and loyalty to family. It's a good trait.

***

"My head", Edward gasped. He must have shaken it too quickly.  It felt as if his brain is slamming into his skull.

"Are you remembering something?" Colonel Stubbs asked.

"No, you bloody--" Edward cut himself off before he called him something unforgivable. "It just hurts."

"That's enough," Cecilia declared. "I will not permit you to question him any further."

"You will not permit me?" Colonel Stubbs countered. "I am his commanding officer."

It was really a pity that Edward could not bring himself to open his eyes, because he would really have liked to have seen the colonel's face when Cecilia said, "You are not my commanding officer."

***

Uhm-hmm... she's something, right?  She is!  

I might just adore the Rokesbys like I adore 'my good friends', the Bridgertons.  Looking forward to a good read soon!  

Hmmm... I'm still stuck with the flu... but I'm writing about reading a book on the first day of my favorite month.  Sounds promising! 😊

*** 
Image credit:  This is a screenshot of the book's cover from Julian Quinn's website, thank you.

Reference: The Excerpt from the novel (Chapter 2) above was borrowed from Julia Quinn's website, thank you.

***  

Teased...

...by buona vecchia Italia, la bella.
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by PAM

Come to think of it, "good old" sounds just about right to describe Italia. It's good, it's old - ancient even, and it's unbelievably beautiful!  La bella, indeed!  Naturally, just the thought of it inspires musings and everything else that feels good, soulful and beautiful.

The New York Times on-line article, "The Hidden Treasures in Italian Libraries", has got me gasping for dear life itself.  My heart felt thoroughly 'teased', it was beating double time.  No, it wasn't a fatal experience. It was a blissful one, actually.  It took me, with vividness of imagination, to another place... Italy, naturally.  I felt like something around

A little memento, a world of memory. 

me broke into a powerful operatic singing and those melodic murmurs in Italian from love-struck men and women, admiring the opera.  It was February in Italy all over again for me... and it teases the imagination.  Oy!  

As if the whole 'teasing conspiracy' was not enough, I found a little memento from the warm and beautiful Firenze, lying around my bedroom. It was a little souvenir mug that I have unwittingly forgotten about. I was deciding where to put it.  Obviously, I was unable to make the hard decision and left the little memento in a temporary location, still all wrapped up in a white "souvenir shoppy" paper.  Just when I was sighing, closing my eyes, imagining how the Italian libraries described in the article looked like, I opened my eyes to the little memento... and it simply took my breath away!

These things... these little things, surprising things, seemingly insignificant things, but the ones that make you smile a heartfelt smile... they make life so beautiful, so worth living for.  See?  God is not fair!  Just when you're about the glare at Him for all the curve ball He throws your way, He surprises you with these little gifts... that teases the imagination, reminding you how lucky you are to have been experiencing so many wonderful things.  And, the mere realization brings you to your 'happy place'.  Then you're faith is renewed once again... God is good.  And, yes, life is, indeed, beautiful!  Che bello! 😊 

***
About the photo:  A miniature mug, a memento from from Florence, Italy.     

***

Saturday photo

Getting to know the aunt... of my "friends".

Aaah, I finally found it in the bookstore!  And, just before the national elections in the Philippines, too.  

I thought I'd need something to get my mind off the 'craziness' after the elections, so I thought of re-reading "The Viscount Who Loved Me" from the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn.  I thought I could use some quick wit and a good laugh to distract me away from the TV screen with a bunch of local "journalists" and their "opinion cronies" whose views are blatantly and shamelessly biased anyway.  Anthony and Kate's banter might prove more useful, and far more entertaining.  But I needed to visit the bookstore to pick up a few things and some magazines... and then something pulled me towards the "fiction" shelves, and true enough, Anthony's aunt 'smiled' at me!  JQ's promise of bringing back some Bridgerton coolness was fulfilled right before my very eyes: "Because of Miss Bridgerton".  

The much awaited book came out in the shelves and on-line last March... but, for some reason, it wasn't available in the Philippines. The whole month of April saw me getting frustrated as I can't download it on my iPad nor can I find it in the local bookstore either.  I 'busied' myself with JQ's The Bevelstoke Series to assuage some of my frustration.  Uhm, yeah, these things are this important to me! Haha...  The Bevelstokes books were okay, but I absolutely loved "What happens in London"!  The main characters, Olivia Bevelstoke and Sir Harry Valentine, were great; and so was Sebastian Grey, Harry's cousin.  I should love to write about it at some point.  

But I digress... anyway, just when I've finally given up and just resigned to reading "Because of Miss Bridgerton" (BoMB) during the break from the University in June-July, there it was dominating the historical romance section.  There were only four left... I was tempted to buy all four copies, but I looked back to my 'miserable existence' in my search of the coveted book, and I took pity on those who were also in search.  I took one copy and raced to the cashier to pay and read it pronto... in case the world ends in a few hours, at least, I've already read the book! 😂

***
Anthony's aunt is fiery

Sybilla Bridgerton, or 'Billie', was one fiery tomboy.  She was the eldest in the Bridgerton brood, with eight years between her and the heir to the Viscountcy, her brother Edmund, Anthony's father.  In the book, Billie was a 23-year-old ball of live-wire energy.  Edmund was still in Eton for his schooling, and Billie was home in (the now famous) Aubrey Hall in Kent with her 14-year-old sister, Georgiana or 'Georgie'.  Billie was one practical young lady with deep interest in running his father's estate, and she's adept at it, too.  She was intelligent and dependable.  For all the awkwardness of her unladylike ways, she was respected by everyone in the estate for her knowledge of agriculture, which she worked hard for by reading relentlessly, and her wisdom in deciding the best possible solution when a problem occurred in the estate.  She just knew how to fix things.    

Three miles away from Aubrey Hall was Crake House where their nearest neighbors, the Rokesby family, with the Earl of Manston as head of the family, lived.  The two families were of such strong alliance in friendship for centuries that they were almost a single family.  The Bridgerton and Rokesby parents were wishing that such alliance be formalized in a marriage between their children.  

Billie grew up as best of friends with Mary Rokesby, the only girl and the 4th child in a brood of five.  Billie was such a spirited girl that she ran around wildly with the older Rokesby boys, Andrew and Edward - in breeches - in their beautiful surroundings in Kent.  It was easy to imagine where all that love of the country among the older Bridgerton boys in the next generation, Anthony and Benedict, came from... well, aside from the long walks and horseback rides they took with their father, Edmund, of course.  Billie was such a true-to-heart country girl... and Andrew and Edward shared this passion of hers. But she was always at odds with the very proper and stiff heir to the Earldom of Manston, George Rokesby.  As Billie was reckless, daring and frank, George's behavior was often calculated and guarded - too formal for Billie.  On the outside, one of them couldn't be anymore the opposite of the other, and they judged each other harshly.  But the turn of events threw them together.  And, when they had a closer look at each other, it brought to focus the things that they appreciate in each other.  And, love bloomed naturally... and reading about how it did was, indeed, very delightful.

I love how they found so much in common with each other while they played Pall Mall, ganging up against a person they both unexpectedly found 'evil' and, therefore, became their common 'enemy'. Although it was nothing compared with the Pall Mall game in "The Viscount Who Loved Me", it was one of the coolest moments in the book... aside from the opening scene, of course, on top of the roof.

***
The banter is great but the story is pale

As usual, JQ showed how good she is in writing those witty banters - she's just brilliant!  There were a number of unforgettable scenes as Billie and George outdo each other in conversation to undo the tension between them.  As they tried resisting the urge to insult each other, they found out that the cerebral tension turned the corner to emotional tension, and then to an intense attraction that they didn't recognize as they never associated this with one another - given their history.  Needless to say, it was sweet to see the two main characters turning different corners in the plot, surprising themselves each time, and then ultimately finding their 'happy ever after' at the end of the road.

If it was just the characters and the minor characters that mattered in a book, BoMB was great... although I would've loved to learn more about the easy-going Andrew and his uncomplicated view of life.  He reminded me of Seb Grey in "What Happens in London", who lighted up the scene whenever he appeared, and of course, Colin Bridgerton in all the previous Bridgerton books. 😍  But, in my very humble opinion, and recalling the first eight Bridgerton books, the characters had to revolve around a story that challenges the reader's reasoning and imagination - for the book to be a legitimate cerebral entertainment.  I am sad to say that the story was not as compelling as the other works of JQ.  She started many things that roused curiosity as the story proceeded to unfold, and then all just fizzled to nothingness as the story closed 'abruptly'.

I really think that George's 'undercover' activities in London did not necessarily enhance the story as they just made it convoluted.  I wish there were more details on Billie and Mary's friendship, and a little something on Edmund, too.  I guess, JQ was giving his Bridgerton fans something to keep tuned in to the series.  Very clever... because now, I am curious about Edward and his plight in 'the Americas', and what will happen to Andrew as he recuperates in Kent.   It's interesting how Georgie would bloom into a Bridgerton beauty, and if Nicholas, the youngest Rokesby, would notice the way George noticed Billie.  And, I know that JQ said she wouldn't want to write a book on Edmund and Violet... I would love to see if she'd change her mind at all.

So, was all the 'obsessing' on BoMB worth it?  I guess, for a fan of the Bridgertons, it was.  It was an easy read that one can finish in one sitting for a few hours... although, in my case, the great anticipation did not match the overall experience.  Anyway, I am willing to let this issue on a 'pale story' go... but I expect that the second book in the series will be a lot better. 

***

Escape...

...a much needed one!
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by PAM


Uhm-hmm, yeah... the going gets tougher and tougher everyday!  There is too much 'excitement'.  As a natural consequence, work is relentless, and my brain seems to bleed from exhaustion.  You can just  imagine how the whole body might be screaming, "break, break, break... I need a break!"

More than any part of my body, my brain needs some time outside the 'pressure cooker' - to be refreshed, re-calibrated, and renewed.  And, what can be more refreshing than a trip back to "teenage days" when all we had in the beautiful world we lived in then were science fiction, fantasy and the 'middle earth', James Bond, silly romance books, and lots of '80s music?  And so, I put on my 'teenage slippers'... and took a walk down my beautiful teenage road.

There were a few interesting 'crossroads' down the path... and I bravely took one of the 'rosy' ones leading back to the future. Guess who I met as I did?  It's the Harvard-educated Regency Romance phenom, Julia Quinn!  And guess who were present in my first 'meeting' with this #1 NY Times best selling author?  Well, it's none other than the adorable Bridgerton family, of course! :)  Ha, trust JQ to bring her biggest guns to shoot you straight in the heart... as she did to me!  And, guess what... I didn't mind, not at all!

The adorable Bridgerton siblings, circa 1813 ("The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn)

(Image credit: bechedor79.  Thanks for the loan of the image.)

It's funny that I've not been one for Regency romance, even when I was past my teenage days, and yet, here I am, writing about a whole regency romance series!  Yes, I of all people, I know! :)  Oh, OK... so I confess to owning a few historical romance by Barbara Cartland when I was in my late teens... but those were 'inherited' from a relative who was a romance freak, and did not know what to do with her horde of books.  So, I took pity and helped alleviate her burden by accepting her old books.  What else can I do?  And yet, BC's stuff, at least those I read, can hardly be considered "regency romance" just the same.

For one who is trying to find a breather from the extreme pressure at work, Quinn's Bridgerton series is worth investing time on - for the witty banters that usually get extremely funny, described in a scene that puts the imagination on full throttle.  They simply lift the clouds over one's head, and allow the cheerful sun to do wonders on one's disposition.  I'd often find myself convulsing with laughter in the dark at night with my iPad... and wake up with a smile on my face the next day... the exhaustion from the previous day almost forgotten, all because of the Bridgertons.  There are wonderfully crafted characters in the series as well that lights up a 'scene' each time they appear.  One example is the extremely adorable Colin Bridgerton.  Ah, how I wish he did exist in the 'real world'!  Escapism to the max, indeed!  

The series is about the eight Bridgerton siblings: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth... yep, from eldest to youngest - named alphabetically. :) It's all about how they found the love of their lives... and how they made it work, 'cause there were challenges along the way, of course.  There were minor characters

A little sample of what goes on in Anthony's head.
(Source:  Julia Quinn's website.  Many thanks, JQ!)

who are equally adorable and funny that I liked very much: the dowager Viscountess, Lady Violet Bridgerton - the awesome mother of the Bridgertons, and their family friend, the indomitable Lady Danbury.  Both ladies were predictable as their characters are so defined... and yet, they end up surprising you each time they make an appearance in a scene that often proved to be the turning point of the story.  They did make their presence felt in the whole series.

I like all the eight books in the series, including the ninth, "The Bridgertons: Happily Ever after" (the collection of 2nd Epilogues for the first 8 books).  I read and re-read them all in six weeks as a much-needed 'escape' from daily excruciating work.  My favorite book is the first in the series, "The Duke and I", just because the Bridgerton banters were at their best, and JQ did a very good job in introducing and defining the characters, which were to bloom in the next seven books... well, eight, including "Happily Ever After".  But, I did like very much Anthony and Kate's story in "The Viscount who Loved Me".  Their story developed and ended in the most unexpected way, with many laugh-out-loud hilarious scenes, therefore, very interesting... and, in the end, compelling... even when both did not agree on anything in the beginning.  There were so many extremely funny scenes where the two sparred in wits and humor that made it impossible not to believe that Anthony and Kate were a perfect match.  And there were many, oh, so touching moments, too, that did melt the heart.  Anthony was very romantic, and it was wonderful that he did not have a clue that he was; and Kate imagined herself to be cold and too practical to be attractive, but she was adorable.  That Pall Mall game was a 'readers-only' sort of Bridgerton 'memorabilia' stuff.  Having read it made one feels like a part of a 'lofty' exclusive club. Really swell!  Ha! :)  

As for the eight Bridgertons, while I really adored Colin, I liked Anthony's character best. As the head of the mighty and hugely popular Bridgerton family, who inherited the Viscountcy at the age of 18 after the untimely death of their father, yes, he can be quite arrogant, and close to being imperious at times - especially inside his own head... but he was unselfish, responsible, and truly loved his family... not to

It's all about having powerful brothers... trust the
Bridgerton brothers to take matters into their own
hands when the reputation of any one of their sisters
might be in peril.
(Source:  Julia Quinn's website.  Many thanks, JQ!)

mention well-educated and very intelligent, and funny without even trying, especially when he lets his heart out in the open.  As for the sisters, Daphne seemed the wisest and the closest match to his older brothers in terms of strength and the ability to make sound decisions.  However, I love the sense of adventure of Eloise in "To Sir Phillip, with Love"... and her usual tenacity whenever she decided to pursue something.  She might have started with many insecurities... what with seven very charming siblings, but she rose above her own insecurities and took charge of her life.  It was hard not to applaud her in the end.  It did help that Anthony and she had "that talk" to help her navigate the complex workings of her own mind, of course.  I really enjoyed "that talk"... I loved Anthony even more after that.  It's almost as heart-warming as the scene when he and Daphne had a brother-sister bonding in "The Duke and I" as they drank cold milk in the middle of the night while Daphne tried to figure out how he felt for Simon... and that "talk" Anthony's had with Simon ("the Duke") himself when he was helping to patch things up between the Duke and Daphne when the two met a sticky situation in their marriage. Come to think of it, there were many heart-warming Bridgerton moments in the eight books where Anthony was at the center of it all.  It just went to show how he really cared about his family, and how he took the happiness of each of them to heart even when he outwardly tried to be severe and 'preachy'.  As Simon himself thought, 'Anthony had responsibilities Simon had never even dreamed of.  He had brothers to guide, sisters to protect.  Simon had a dukedom, but Anthony had a family'.    

While Hyacinth's character was "overdeveloped", I think, throughout the first six books - and she just completely "growled" fiercely in "It's in His Kiss" (her book) - it's a pity that Benedict's was not as developed in the first two books.  He was not even a participant in the Pall Mall game in the second book.  Therefore, I read (and re-read, I must confess) "An Offer from a Gentleman" (Benedict and Sophie's story) with such ferocity and voracity to discover more about Benedict.  As it turned out, he's the silent type but with a depth of character that simply takes one's breath away.  He was passionate of his convictions and

A little bit of mystery, some enchantment and fun...
...a lot of love - the kind that lasts a lifetime.
(Source:  Julia Quinn's website.  Many thanks, JQ!)

devotion to the people he loved, albeit silly at times, and shallow when left unchecked; he was dependable and kind... and I loved it that his mother thought him to resemble their late father (Viscount Edmund Bridgerton) the closest, and that he, too, will make a very good father in her opinion.  And Sophie, the wonderful woman who stole his heart in their "Cinderella story", brought out the best in him... aided some by his own mother... and, at times, by his own sisters.  It makes one realize how unselfish Benedict was, just leaving the rein of leading their huge family to Anthony rather than competing with him for attention and leadership.  He tried to find his place in the world silently and unassumingly instead.  As it turned out, he was a talented artist.  In the end, he lived the life of a quite withdrawn but renowned artist, content and happy with his wife and family in the peace and quiet life in the country... while still maintaining the air of a mighty Bridgerton about him.

There were so many good things about the Bridgerton series, but the very best is the love and familial loyalty that bind the Bridgertons together.  They were a TEAM... and a formidable one at that!  It was always heartwarming when they all come together to rescue one of the family members in times of peril... even imagined ones. And this is probably the attraction of the Bridgertons to me... it's all about family... and love, of course... and lots and lots of laughter!  Indeed, reading the series is one unforgettable experience.

Alright... work 'calls', I'm going to have to end here.  Make no mistake though, I should like to talk about the Bridgertons again - sooner than later.  Yes, that's how extremely stressed out I am these days.  Thanks, Julian Quinn, for the respite - you're my hero! :)

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day to all, by the way! :)

***

Hi, July...

...you're back.  And, I see that you're better than ever - good!
==========================================================================
by PAM


Yep, July is my favorite month... and for a very good reason, too: it's my birth month! :)  As many of my close friends would know, I dislike 'celebrating' my birthday with all that

They call me by a different name these days, so weird.

stressful fun fare, me being a 'mild anti-social' who prefer a quiet gathering with family and very close friends... just being ourselves, enjoying a quiet meal, laughing at our really shallow jokes.  This year, I spent the day... uhm, working - from home!  Nevertheless, a few people insisted on making sure that I felt how special the day was... they sent very nice text messages, e-mails... and some left little mementos on my desk in the Office.  But I had a tough mission on my birthday, that I had to work very hard not to be distracted (translation: emotional) by all the very warm greetings, and go all sappy and sentimental about the whole birthday 'celebration' thing, and how my current circumstance was not allowing me to have a celebration... and I wasn't fighting to have one either!  

Nah, I'm not training to be a heartless hermit or something.  I just feel like I am in that situation where I feel there is so much blessings coming my way that I honestly feel I don't

Now, that's a nice wish that I appreciate.

deserve... just because I didn't pray for any of them!  Therefore, while I try very hard to make the most of all the blessings, turning them to an offering to God, I can't help but feel all paranoid, and asking, "dear Lord, what's the catch?" :)  And then, I remember, it's God... there's no catch.  There never is a catch when He is concerned.  And so, I decided to spend some hours on my birthday... just enjoying the beauty of never having to worry about 'the catch' in quiet contemplation. And, as always, it feels indescribably great... I won't trade it for fancy gifts - ever!

Anyway, on my birthday, in my quiet contemplation, I can't help but think about "Too much Happiness", a compilation of short stories by the great Alice Munro - the latest recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.  There was a passage in one of the short stories there that would usually fill my head when I close my eyes to contemplate on something these days:

"Be quiet, be quiet, she wanted to tell them.  It seemed to her that silence was necessary, that everything in  the world outside the boy's body had to concentrate, help it not to lose of its duty to breathe.
"Shy but steady whiffs now, a sweet obedience in the chest.  Keep on, keep on."

It was one of those short stories, where the protagonist, Doree, while on her way to perform a 'routine self-imposed obligation' that effectively rendering her life on unfair stand-still, saw a vehicular accident.  She tried to help the boy in the accident to survive by administering first-aid while they waited for the ambulance.  She didn't realize that

Now, that's a shape and color I prefer. Soon....

the 'distraction' actually took her away from the acceptance of an empty existence - her routine... suddenly realizing the precious gift of life she had all the right to enjoy rather than throw away in favor of an empty routine. 

Sometimes, I feel that way... that I am taking care of "someone" who met an "accident", while we wait for the "real" help, and get the victim regain his health, be back on his feet... and run again.  The only difference is that, in my case, the victim, the accident and the help is one and the same.  The happy thing is it's breathing now, it's helping itself, and it looks as though it will progress steadily to get on its feet soon... and then, I'd be free to disentangle myself from my 'distraction'... and run a 'different race'.  It's only a matter of time now.  :)

***
   

Reflections

A blessed week with family, and an excellent book.
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by PAM


My siblings and I grew up with the observance of the Holy Week as an integral part of our summer vacation 'equation'.  As children, we would participate in the yearly procession in our old neighborhood, attending the Maundy Thursday/Last Supper mass, listening to the Last Seven Words reflection on TV with our parents, and then joining the Easter Sunday procession at dawn.  After our mother passed away, we moved houses in the City a few times, and we lost touch with our old friends in our old neighborhood.

These days, our family observe Holy Week with one of our 'favorite' activities: Visita Iglesia.  We enjoy our 'bonding time', especially with the young ones in our family.  We would

Visita Iglesia... a spiritual journey.

usually pick an area in Metro-Manila, and visit seven churches, praying the Way of the Cross, with the youngest among us leading and saying the reflection per Station.  This year, we decided to expand our pilgrimage out of Metro-Manila.  We started from our Parish church, then visited another church in the Metro, and then drove towards the South - in Tagaytay City and other places in the Province of Cavite - with the Chapel and Convent of the Pink Sisters as our last stop.  In the process, we were able to visit two churches that we have not visited before: the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette and the Divine Mercy Church in Silang, Cavite. And because we were on pilgrimage, we refrained from taking 'selfie' shots, or any photograph at all... and concentrated on our spiritual journey.

As this is the first time in two years that the newly renovated/reinforced Manila Cathedral has been re-opened to the public, we decided to pay it a visit before finally going home.  As always, the spiritual fortification and joy from our Visita Iglesia is refreshing.  It made our souls sing happy tunes of praise and thanksgiving to our Lord, who is our refuge - through thick and thin.  The warmth of familial togetherness felt good, too... beautiful and sweet.

As we drove from Quezon City to the Cavite area, and Tagaytay City, specifically - and back - all day on Maundy Thursday, we were amazed by how big the crowd was in every church we visited, and every church we passed by. We thought big crowd gather in the churches we traditionally visit every year. We were wrong.  We saw young and not-so-young people alike praying quietly, or following the Way of the Cross with their families and friends.  Of course, we see many of them snapping photos with their DSLRs or their smart phones, and yet, there was an unmistakable sincerity in the way they show reverence to this beautiful tradition of faith.  While Social networking sites seemed to have cultivated a 'modern culture of shallowness' among us, creating a 'picture-perfect life', and 'picture-perfect us', for the benefit of our thousands of friends... it seems that somewhere, in the deepest recesses of the Filipino soul, God resides.  We would like to think that this is an indication of the Filipinos' deep spirituality... an indication of our reverence for and strong faith in God.  It's beautiful to watch... and it makes us feel great.  

***
'The Road' that is worth taking

I finally read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, and whew, what an experience it was!  

Yeah, I bought a paperback edition almost two years ago now.  However, after reading the first five or six pages, I decided to stop, and continue reading when I had enough 'leisure reading time'.  Why?  It didn't sound like the type of book that one reads just to pass the time while stuck in traffic or something... then again, it's Cormac McCarthy, and "The Road" won him a Pulitzer Prize in 2007, so what did I expect? 

I chose to read "The Road" this Holy Week because I feel the need to reload my "moral artillery", which is growing thin, like the proverbial cartilage on my knees, as I bear the heavy weight of responsibilities in my work place every single day.  There are questions on the feasibility of nuclear energy in the Philippines as an alternative to conventional energy sources of high-carbon dioxide emission.  The point is to save the earth from being suffocated by the load of carbon dioxide emitted by thermal power plants that use fossil fuels.  And, nuclear power plant, being low-carbon emission power plant, is suggested as a

Compelling, moving... unforgettable!

sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-fed power plants.  While the technology has been proven to be robust, safety issues in operating nuclear power plants remain to be a stumbling block that prevent nuclear energy from becoming a 'mainstream' energy source, what with the Chernobyl and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasters.  And, how many times did unscrupulous leaders use power generation as a camouflage in building nuclear weapons?  In the end, it's not just about developing a robust technology... in fact, that is the easy part.  The more difficult part is using the technology well - for the common good, and for a truly sustainable future.  Unfortunately, the work of scientists and engineers, like myself, usually starts in technology development and ends in making the technology work on large scale.  We don't usually call the shots in the Board Rooms where crucial decisions are made regarding the utilization of the technology, where moral questions are answered... or ignored - if they are asked at all, that is.  

In the middle of sorting things out, technology-wise, "The Road" brings the focus back to humanity, to morality... to what is right and wrong.  The story revolves around a father ("man") and son ("boy") tandem - survivors of an apocalyptic event that turned the richness of earth to ashes.  McCarthy carved a compelling plot with the sharpness of his artistry on a tender block of nagging moral issues.  Before the reader knows it, McCarthy has left the sharp knife in the reader's hand, to continue carving... and the tender block turned out to be the reader's own heart! Very clever, indeed.  

The story proceeds to show how the loving relationship between the man and the boy evolved into an entwining of their souls - so beautiful.  And this beauty shines in the face of all the endless adversaries along the road... the road that is lined with the terror of darkness and the ugliness of starvation and death.  It is more than amazing how McCarthy could conjure a feeling of hope and goodness, and draw a picture of optimism using heartbreaking hopelessness and the crushing agony of nothingness as background. 

"He was beginning to think that death was finally upon them and that they should find some place to hide where they would not be found.  There were times when he sat watching the boy sleep that he would begin to sob uncontrollably but it wasnt about death.  He wasnt sure what it was but he thought it was about beauty or about goodness.  Things that he'd no longer any way to think about at all."

I finished reading the book around midnight of Good Friday, a way of personal Holy Week reflection... and it was too good, it wrenched my heart.  I only wish that McCarthy's sketch of the future is just that - a sketch, imagined, fiction.  But for us who see science, technology and innovation as a way of life, may this serve as a warning... a limit to our tendency to satisfy our curiosity to our heart's desire without distinguishing right from wrong, a limit to our big appetite in exploring the 'unknown'.  May we be brave enough to heed the warning and, like the boy in McCarthy's fictional future, may we learn to listen - to God's breath - with our hearts.    

*** 

Entertainment...

...by number.
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by PAM


This is what I love about holidays, y'see.  You could actually entertain the mind with the 'good stuff': reading books!  If you have the courage to mute your phone and switch-off your laptop to enjoy the holiday, that is.  I'm trying to do that now... listening to the Beatles, and re-reading....

Four, six, nine... and then you lose five, and 'the files'.  Good stuff!

...Science fiction, of course!  What else??  

I have to admit though that it was the 'beautiful' boy Alex Pettyfer, the ultra-cool Timothy Olyphant and the kick-butt Aussie chick, Teresa Palmer, who got me into "reading by number" last year.  The trio played the role of aliens from the planet Lorien who, along with 16 others, escaped the destruction of their planet by the evil Mogadorians. Unknown to them, a couple more from their planet escaped the Mogadorian invasion.  They came to Earth to re-group and train in order to regain rule of their planet when the right time comes.  By 'right time', they mean that time when the nine 'chosen' gifted children (or Garde) from Lorien (Numbers one to nine) would have developed their 'Legacies' (or superpowers) to full strength with the aid of their respective Guardians (or Cepans), and become strong enough to fight the Mogadorians to victory.  Not yet ready for full battle as their Legacies have not been fully developed, Numbers One to Three, and their guardians, were already murdered by the Mogadorians who pursued them to Earth.  With the protective Loric charm cast upon them by the leader of their Lorien Elders before their escape from the Mogadorians, the Garde could only be killed consecutively according to their numbers... therefore, Number Four was next.

In the film version, Pettyfer played the role of Number Four, Olyphant his guardian, and Palmer as the awesome Number Six - the fierce one.  While the film was "average" in quality... it was interesting enough to spark interest in the book, and in the Lorien Legacies series.  And, it kinda thrilled me, too, that "I am Number Four", the first in the Lorien Legacies series, spent seven consecutive weeks as New York Times' #1 Bestseller in the ...uhm, ahem, Children's books category! :)  Well, it only means one thing:  I'm still a child at heart... and that I haven't outgrown my childlike fascination for the awesomeness of science... entwined with a bit of imagination and love for fantasy.  Who knows, I might just be able to retain that, in spite of the heavy grown-up stuff I have to deal with every single day, and pursue writing science fiction when the right time comes? By 'right time', I mean when my time in the "busy office" comes to a close?  Not such a bad idea, eh?  Ya bet!  We'll see....  :)  

But, nah, I don't have the print version of "The Fall of Five", the fourth book in the series... I have the soft version on my iPad.  And, it's great, because I thought I won't have the patience to resist ripping the pages from the book as I fume in anger over Five's stupidity!  Yep, I am that "engaged". :) 

Alright, I'm gonna have to stop here.  I am supposed to be enjoying the holiday before going back to work... tomorrow.  Yep, on a Saturday.  I do work seven days a week... at least, 70 hours a week!  Yep, I work the hours and the job of a high-flying Engineering firm consultant... and earn like an average Consulting firm staff.  Tragedy?   Nah, I'm quite happy... and very proud of it!  :)  Oh, but, ahh... ask me again next year!   Haha....

Happy Chinese New Year, folks!

***

Holidays = rest days...

...it's all I want for Christmas!
========================================================================
by PAM


I thought I'd never outgrow the child-like feeling of anticipation and excitement, looking forward to unwrapping gifts in this season of gift-giving and merry-making... but I did!  Now, I wish for nothing else but some "me-time" during the holidays... gifts are good, but I prefer quality time for much-needed rest.  

It's been a really, really exhausting year!  I cannot even begin to look back to the past 11 months without cringing over that challenging roller coaster ride of 2013!  I don't think there is a word to describe the exhaustion that I feel right now.  No matter how profound the inspiration to offer one's time and self to meet the challenges, it is unfortunate that the body is not immune to 'wear and tear'.  Since last week, I basically am just languishing through the days, just wishing for the year to be over soon, with the thoughts of the coming holiday and the cheers it brings as my inspiration to keep going.  

Yep, dude, I'm so looking forward to the holidays when I could just sleep in... think of nothing but give my tired bones and 'battered' body and mind some rest.  I'm so looking forward to a few 'slow days' when I could just wake up at 8:00 in the morning and drink my coffee lazily as I watch our furry bundle of cute antics does his thing. I am so looking forward to spending hours in a rocking chair under our mango tree, just

"Me-time" is leisurely reading time.  Oy, what a great time!

reading leisurely as my mind and body recuperate from all the incredible challenges that 2013 so mercilessly hurled in front of me.

***
Two months ago, I celebrated Alice Munro's win of the Nobel Prize in Literature.  I've always been a big fan of hers. I love her works - the simple words, crocheted into an alluringly beautiful story that unknowingly draws one into a maze that is the intricacies of human nature, engages one to relate his/her own understanding of himself/herself with Ms. Munro's views as if the story she was telling was the reader's own story, and coming out of it with much amazement.  

Early this year, I bought a 2009 Alice Munro paperback, "Too much happiness", that I meant to read during summer.   It is a compilation of 10 short stories.  Yep, I could get as sentimental as buying paperback even when I maintain a 'relationship' with my iPad. :) Anyway,  summer 2013 passed, and I only managed to read one short story!  Not even Ms. Munro could weave a web of great imagination that could hold me in a momentary blissful trance that only reading literary works could do... that's how extremely busy 2013 had been. :(  Nevertheless, I'm still

Holiday theme:  making quality time
to appreciate this 'borrowed time' more.

thankful.  I feel blessed with so much opportunities to make this borrowed time useful and meaningful.

This holiday season, I have the 'perfect' gift to myself - read the Munro book in its entirety! :)   Of course, I intend to finally 'devour' my Thor comics as well - even get "The Dark world" DVD if it's already available - and, spend time reading those articles on The Economist that I missed during the last three months or so, and feast on a few 'camera tricks' with my photography stuff, too, if I could get some more "bonus" time. :)  Hopefully, the body could recuperate enough to enable the mind and heart to find ways to give more in 2014.

Yep, I am so looking forward to have some much deserved (man, I hope so!) "me-time" during the holidays. Uh-huh, it's feeling a lot like Christmas already! :)

***

Playtime...

...with "The Hobbit"!
====================================================================
by PAM


My name is Philip, it's been 28 hours since I last 'set foot on the ground' - like 'normal' human beings do.  Of course, there was that four-hour sleep... but that doesn't count as an interruption in my current state of being, just because I dreamt about 'backpulsing' bacteria, retained by 0.45 micron-pore size microfilter from some tropical beverage under refrigerated temperature and about a hundred kPa of transmembrane pressure in a cross-flow membrane module, using either carbon dioxide or compressed air.  Geez, don't I know it! Sleep should be 'off-limits' - anything work-related not allowed. But, yeah, I've been floating, stuck on this Membrane Technology 'cloud', trying very hard to prevent my energy level and my capacity for logic from going 'flat line'... especially that a menacing 'deadline' is staring me down like a true bad, bad, BAAAD one-eye bandit! And there's a huge que of intimidating deadlines behind it, too.  Therefore, I'm holding my breath as I try to work, work... and work some more!  

But... I cannot take this anymore!  I need a break!  Therefore, playtime!  ;)

And what better way to spend a break from this mind-numbing work - on a weekend, mind you - than with some "Middle-Earth delight"?  Some awesomeness from the genius mind of J.R.R. Tolkien + some lushness of creativity from the richly imaginative mind of Peter Jackson + stratospheric budget that I'd duel a mean Uruk-hai for (a la Aragorn) to get for my research project (o, ya! ha!)... and look at what we've got here...   

For over the misty mountains cold/ To dungeons deep and caverns old/

We must away, ere break of day,/ To find our long-forgotten gold.

..."The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"!  Oy, epic!  And, it's snickering its way to us in hurried little steps with no signs of stopping.    Then again, imagine if it stopped!  It's rolling, rolling now in thunderous promise of adventure... and we can't hide our excitement!  Our precious... "long-forgotten gold".  Oy, December, why can't you come any sooner??

"O! Tra-la-la-lally/ here down the valley! O! Tril-lil-lil-lolly/the valley is jolly!"  Oh, yah, Bilbo Baggins is young again... and so is Gandalf, our fave wizard!  Therefore, y'all, Middle-Earthlings... unite!  Bring out your worn-out paperbacks and review.  Prepare for our next "World Convention"... coming soon in theaters worldwide!  Boy, I can't wait!

Riiiing....  Alright, that's all the time I have... back to "the cloud"!  Ugh!  Oh, well....

***

Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.