dual*ities

Last week, I finished all my official commitments with my home organizations (i.e. finished and turned over the JVP documents to SecJen ü, submitted my artwork to Pathways). Hence, when this week started, I thought I’d have a lot of time on my hands. But as it turned out, I’ve had my hands full these past few days—full with everything but nothing in particular. I ran errands, hunted for tickets (both for the much-hyped ADMU-DLSU game and my friend George’s play, The Little Mermaid), showed up in some functions here and there, and attended to the concerns of several friends-in-need. Before I realized it, it’s the middle of the week…and I haven’t even had the chance to get back to the book that I have been itching to finish since about 2 weeks ago!

Anyway, in keeping with my “everything and nothing” theme this week, I didn’t really feel like blogging about anything in particular from my experiences these past days. Hence, I thought it’d be a good idea to finally respond to the various surveys that I’ve been tagged to answer weeks—or maybe even months—ago.

Thanks to May8 for the first one, to Solar Eclipse for the second one, and Allkaput for the third one. Sorry for the delayed response, gals. As they say, better late than later.:)

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SEVEN

Seven things that scare me:
Losing my independence. The possibility of going blind. The possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Being misunderstood. Being complacent. Being irrelevant. Not meeting expectations.

Seven things I like the most:
Reading. Planning. Hanging out with the framily. Watching movies. Walking. Traveling alone. Watching UAAP basketball games.

Seven random facts about me:
I used to obsess about political correctness (I still do sometimes). I came back from my first JVP year with stage 1 anemia. I appeared on national tv at least 2x in the last 3 weeks (i.e., ADMU-UP game, Mass for Truth at Gesu). I am not fond of shopping (unless it is shopping for books). My favorite Tagalog word is taglagas. My favorite subjects in college were Theology and Philosophy. I end up with a really clean plate after eating.

Seven important things in my bedroom:
My laptop (which now has DSL connection. Yipee!). My CDs. My books. My photo albums. The map of RP (in which the places I’ve traveled to have been marked) on the wall beside my door. My TV set. My arts and crafts materials under my bed.

Seven things I plan to do before I die:
Volunteer in Africa or Latin America. Go bungee jumping. Back pack through Europe on my own. Meet the Indigo Girls. Write and/or illustrate children’s books. Be a good daughter. Work for grassroots communities in Bicol or Mindanao.

Seven things I can do:
Draw/sketch/paint. Edit and lay-out publications. Conceptualize and implement training programs. Do image manipulation with Photoshop. Do content and process documentation/analysis. Conceptualize and implement surprise parties and similar events (especially involving mazes). Not sleep for days on end.

Seven things I can’t do:
Cook. Stay put at home. Wear a skirt (unless super duper necessary). Watch/sit-through movies with a predictable plot/ending. Leave the house without my wristwatch. Bluff when playing ‘Bluff’ (the card game). Ride the bike.

Seven things that attract me to the opposite sex: (Hmm, this is hard…)
Sense of humor. Height. Hair. Introspective quality. Elusiveness. Artistic talents. Musical talents.

Seven things I say the most:
Ano buzz?! Shucks. Gosh. Hep! Oh my god. Hay naku. Kinda.

Seven celeb crushes (whether local or foreign): (Okay, this is hard because I don’t think I have seven…but I’ll try.) Katherine Moennig. Jerry Codiñera. Angelina Jolie. Johnny Depp. Kate Moennig. Mig Ayesa (of Rockstar INXS). And oh, did I mention Kate Moennig?:)

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THREE

Three names you go by:
1) Pia
2) Pol
3) P

Three screen names you have had:
1) pol
2) offthemap
3) bulan1819

Three physical things you like about yourself:
1) Eyes
2) Hands
3) Shoulders

Three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1) My facial skin is part oily and part dry. Why can’t it be at least part normal? Hehe.
2) Like solar eclipse, I’m balbon.
3) I’ve always been on the heavy side. (Although I don’t actually dislike this about myself anymore. I’ve come to embrace it as part as who I am.)

Three parts of your heritage:
1) I am Pinoy through and through, and proud to be one!
2) My grandfathers from both sides of the family came from Nueva Ecija.
2) Artistic genes run in both sides of the family. (My mom and dad actually met when they were both Fine Arts students in UST.)

Three things that scare you:
1) the possibility of nuclear holocaust
2) the possibility of going blind
3) being reincarnated as a pig or something

Three of your everyday essentials:
1) my wristwatch
2) my laptop
3) my coin purse

Three of your favorite musical artists:
1) Indigo Girls
2) Lighthouse Family
3) Coldplay (although methinks they’re becoming a little too commercial these days)

Three of your favorite songs:
1) Hammer and Nail (by Indigo Girls)
2) One Hundred Years (by Five for Fighting)
3) Trees (my newest fave; an original song by Marty Casey of Rockstar INXS)

Three things you want in a relationship:
1) humor / laughter
2) communication
3) companionship

Three lies and truths in no particular order:
1) I have 20/20 vision.
2) I’m a tattooed gal.
3) I like dressing up for formal occasions.
4) I’m an only child.
5) I looove the color pink.
6) I’m an internet junkie.

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
1) hair
2) sense of humor
3) elusiveness/mysterious quality

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1) reading
2) watching basketball games (whether live or on tv)
3) dvd/vcd marathons

Three things you want to do really badly now:
1) get my thesis oral defense over and done with
2) watch the ADMU-DLSU game (which actually won’t happen for another 15 hours or so)
3) exactly what I am doing right now

Three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1) development work
2) training and formation (especially of youth groups)
3) illustrating children’s books

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1) Scandinavia
2) Greece
3) Istanbul

Three kid's names you like:
Hmm…I’ll have to think about this one first. I’ll pass for now.

Three things you want to do before you die:
1) Volunteer/work in Africa.
2) Go bungee jumping
3) Make a positive contribution to society.

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1) I don’t like sappy movies (and senti songs for that matter). I cringe when predictable, cheesy lines are delivered by the characters, and am usually disappointed by formula endings. I actually like action/conspiracy theory films and “end of the world” flicks better.
2) I rarely cry or get over-emotional.
3) I carry my wallet (only a coin purse actually) on my back pocket.

This list actually could go on and on.:) In fact, every single time I take the Gender Test, the test always proclaims that I am absolutely male. Hehehe.

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1) I have longish hair (although that might soon change).
2) I’m neat and organized (or at least people say I am).
3) I have what my friend Chiqui calls good birthing hips. (And by the way he says it, I don’t think it’s a compliment. Harhar.)

Three celeb crushes:
1) Katherine Moennig
2) Jerry Codiñera
3) Angelina Jolie

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ZILCH* (a.k.a. All About Cooking)
*because this is a subject that I know next to nothing about

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?

When I was about 8 years old, I remember making my own homemade polvoron, which I learned to concoct from my cousin’s nanny. Later on, in my early teens, I progressed to making those no-bake brownies, hotcakes, and cheesecakes. And then, I never went beyond that. Harhar. The thing is, in our house (back in Manila, and now in QC), I am surrounded by great cooks. My grandmother just love to cook! And for the most part of my childhood, we had two cooks who alternated with preparing dishes for the family. So between all of these people, there really was no space for me in the kitchen.:(

Who had the most influence on your cooking?

My paternal grandmother and her daughters (all of whom are U.S.-based) are all culinary experts in their own right. My mom is not as prolific as they are in the kitchen, but she has her own simple specialties that I picked up on over the years. So I guess it could be said that I got my inclination to cook (or the lack of it) from my mom.

Do you have an old photo as “evidence of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?

Hmm, none that I know of.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?

Not really. I don’t engage in any “intense cooking action” anyway, so I really wouldn’t have anything to fear. (If you hadn’t already caught on, that’s how disengaged I am about cooking. Hehe.)

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets?

The microwave, definitely! Mwahaha. Aside from that, I’ve had a fascination with cheese graters ever since I was a child. I love cheese! And thus, I love cheese graters.:)

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like and probably no one else.

I actually can eat anything (except that I don’t eat pork now), no matter how weird they taste. Stuff that I thought to be “normal”/”regular” but that other people think of as weird? Here they are:

• I like eating okra, ampalaya, atay at balunbalunan (chicken liver and gizzard), bagoong on ripe mango or banana, and suman with ripe mango.
• When I was a kid, I used to put sugar and condensed milk (or carabao’s milk, whenever I’d vacation in the province,) on my rice.
• I also liked mixing Milo with powdered milk and putting just enough water to mold it into a sticky, dough-like treat. I also liked eating (as in, “making papak”) Cerelac.
• And last but not the least, ice cream sandwich anyone?

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?

• Banana
• Shrimps
• Mentos (Harhar!)
  

3 quickies:

• Favorite ice cream: Cookies and cream
• You will probably never eat: I agree with Allkaput. Never say never! Especially not if I want to compete in Fear Factor someday. (As if!)
• Signature dish: Taco salad

So yes, cooking is not a subject I’m knowledgeable about. But eating? Now that’s a different story.:)

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