My Project 365 - Cycle Two

225/365 - Red Orange

2010-08-14T15:51:00.002+08:00

13 August 2010

I was taking pictures of these purplish flowers in the neighbors' garden, when my cat Oreo went out and rubbed his body on my lower leg and feet. He was always like that when I go out of the house, he wanted to be a part of what I am doing, so after taking pictures, I just played with him the street. I was testing him if he would walk with me, and he did! Well, I didn't want us to go that far, and I was thankful that one of the houses' front yard had this flower.

I don't know what it's called, certainly looked like an orchid, but it was planted in a pot of soil, so I guess it's not. I took this from the top, just so everything could be seen. :)

*** Jenn ***

224/365 - Blurry

2010-08-13T15:38:00.002+08:00

12 August 2010

My cat Oreo is certainly the sweetest cat we have, and in the morning of Day 224, he woke me up by walking near me. It was a pleasant surprise, and because he was there already, I just took my cellphone and took a picture of us. The flash was making him uncomfortable, and sadly, of all the pictures I took, this blurry one turned out the best looking. :)

*** Jenn ***

223/365 - Mother and Son

2010-08-12T15:29:00.003+08:00

11 August 2010

We were eating dinner when my sister pointed out how cute the cats were, with the mother cat on the top shelf, and Orange-y on the shelf below. They surely looked like stuffed toys, so I took a picture of them. I love my cats dearly.

*** Jenn ***

222/365 - Lotsa Eyes

2010-08-11T15:16:00.003+08:00

10 August 2010

I was preparing my lunch when I saw this spider near the garbage bin. I have taken a good liking into taking pictures of spiders, so I went to get my camera. Seeing this picture made me realize that it had a lot of eyes! Creepy.

*** Jenn ***

221/365 - My Lunch

2010-08-10T14:55:00.001+08:00

09 August 2010

I bought tofu last week because I wanted to try this recipe from Yummy Magazine. However, I forgot to list down all the other ingredients, and me not having chili bean sauce, the tofu was just resting in the fridge. It's expiration date was nearing, so I decided to fry some of it for my lunch today. I also reheated some of the veggie/pork dish brother cooked, just to balance off the meal.

*** Jenn ***

220/365 - Pinakbet

2010-08-09T14:46:00.002+08:00

08 August 2010

When I was thinking of what food to eat for lunch, I realized that mom didn't cook all the veggies when she cooked Pinakbet for her potluck dish, I decided that I would cook pinakbet, so that we could eat the rest of the veggies in the fridge. It was my first time to cook pinakbet, and I was so glad that it turned out good.

*** Jenn ***

219/365 - My Messy Room

2010-08-08T14:31:00.004+08:00

07 August 2010

Ever since I decided to sleep in the living room floor, my room became a storage room for my many clutters. Realizing that my sister has used up 75% of the closet and it had clothes that she hasn't worn for a long time, I decided to start the cleaning process by taking out all her clothes, and transfer them to my side of the closet because my space was this tiny space in the end part. I decided to use the big space for my own clothes, because I am planning to go back in my own room.

I unrolled a thin foam mattress in the floor and dumped all of the clothes in my bed so I could fold them one by one. I took this picture when I got up to get a drink and seeing how messy it was when I came back, I opened my cell phone's camera for a shot.

Well, my room will never look like this anymore after I cleaned up. :)

*** Jenn ***

218/365 - Vine Flower

2010-08-07T12:17:00.002+08:00

06 August 2010

On Day 218, I found myself having a camera with dead batteries, and a cell phone with battery about to die. Still, I took my cell phone with me as I went to the plaza for my morning jog, and in one of the open land in the old school, I saw this flower. Seems like a flower of a vegetable, but I wasn't sure what it was. I am sure just before the day ends the flower will wilt, so I took the chance to take a picture of it.

Glad I went for a morning jog today!

*** Jenn ***

217/365 - Sisterette

2010-08-06T12:10:00.001+08:00

05 August 2010

Since my sister's shift at the restaurant no longer requires her to leave the house very early,
I asked if she would want to jog with me. She didn't want to, but when I got back home after a making a few steps, I kind of forced her to come with me because there was a stray dog in the street. She had no choice but to walk with me to the plaza, but she just sat there while I jog around the basketball court.

It's been a long time since I last took a picture of my sister. Hopefully in the days to come I could take more pictures of her.

*** Jenn ***

216/365 - I Gave In

2010-08-05T10:54:00.002+08:00

04 August 2010

Day 216 was sister's day off and she decided to stay at home. It's rare for the family to be complete, so mom said we will all eat out. I was worried about my food intake, but sadly, I was still a weakling. I gave in to temptation, and not only did I eat quite a lot for dinner, I also had a Cappuchoco crepe at Crepes and Cream. It was delicious, but there was a hint of guilt.

My sister said I should forget my diet for today because the family dinner should be something good. Well, setting aside my guilt, I did have a great time with my family - sharing stories, sharing views about the foods we ate, sharing hearty laughs, sharing time together. I think nothing could top that feeling - the great feeling that I am with my family, and that we are united.

*** Jenn ***

215/365 - Whities

2010-08-04T10:44:00.000+08:00

03 August 2010

I was struggling a bit with my walk/jog regimen so I wasn't able to take much pictures. On my way home, this plant caught my attention, and I liked how small the flower buds were. They were like fields of cotton. I wonder how they looked once they bloomed.

*** Jenn ***

214/365 - In Flip Flops

2010-08-03T10:29:00.002+08:00

02 August 2010

Doing what came to mind the night before, I walked from the house to the market just to add more into what I am doing every morning. Of course, documenting my road to fitness was a bit difficult picture wise, because I am doing this alone and there's no one taking my pictures, so I can only take pictures like this. :)

Walking to the market, I turned on my camera to take pictures of my environment and as I put my camera down I just liked how my feet looked in the road, so I took a snap.

*** Jenn ***

213/365 - Putakte

2010-08-02T10:22:00.000+08:00

01 August 2010

I was washing the dishes after eating dinner when this insect flew and stopped by the chopping board. I quickly washed off the suds in my hands and went inside to get the camera. The insect didn't flew even if I accidentally hit the board with my hand, so I knew he wanted to become a model.

It was a good thing that I was able to take this picture. I don't know what's it called; maybe a wasp? If it is, then I guess it's putakte in Filipino language. :)

*** Jenn ***

212/365 - Fiber and Herb

2010-08-01T16:53:00.002+08:00

31 July 2010

Mom initially bought this for herself, but after a week of taking the tablets and just drinking the Herbalife shake for breakfast and dinner, she decided to stop because she prefers to eat real meals. I am currently on my weight loss program, and although these tablets weren't really for weight loss, I decided to take it instead to up my takings of fiber and herb, since lunch is my only full meal for the day.

*** Jenn ***

211/365 - Dilaw

2010-07-31T11:49:00.003+08:00

30 July 2010

One of the plants in our garden started blooming, so I went over to take a picture. However, I took the picture quite late in the afternoon (at dusk), and the flower seemed to be already sleeping. During daytime, this flower looks really great with all the petals open. Still, I took a picture of it - seeing a flower in a different aspect is cool, too! :)

*** Jenn ***

210/365 - Steamed and Roasted

2010-07-30T11:44:00.000+08:00

29 July 2010

In my efforts to lose weight, I decided to make lunch my only full meal for the entire day. I separated the drumstick and thigh parts of the roasted chicken mom brought home from last night, and I steamed it for my lunch for Day 210. Although my lunch is my only full meal, I also decided to eat just one cup of rice (i use a measuring cup as my base) so I would get the full potential of my plans.

Chicken is a good source of protein, but I wanted to up my intake on fibrous foods, so I also steamed some green beans to complete my meal. I love green beans! :)

*** Jenn ***

209/365 - Stretching

2010-07-29T20:50:00.002+08:00

28 July 2010

I am now on my way to the new me, and aside from changing my diet and doing the morning walk/jog... I decided to do some exercises in the house as well. Currently, I am using some exercise poses I saw at an old Redbook magazine, followed by a 30-minute cardio dance routine. This was a picture of me doing the cooling down stretches, a good way of gradually slowing down the heart rate.

I only pray to be able to keep up with this program. I just have to - take a look, I really am very, very big already.

*** Jenn ***

208/365 - My Dinner

2010-07-28T20:46:00.002+08:00

27 July 2010

Aside from taking the morning walk/jog, I have also decided to change the way I eat. Since Monday, lunch has been my only full meal, and for breakfast and dinner, I eat oatmeal. Every breakfast, I mix my oatmeal with the cereal drink, and dinner, I mix a small tub of yogurt in my oat meal. This one's the Berry Mix - a combination of blueberries and strawberries. It looks disgusting, but it's actually very tasty. I am loving the mix of the oatmeal and yogurt.

*** Jenn ***

207/365 - Morning Dew

2010-07-27T20:41:00.003+08:00

26 July 2010

On Day 207, I decided to go back to the morning walking/jogging. I have been witness to the nature's beauty in the early morning, so I took my camera with me. Nothing much to take pictures of, but seeing this orchid in one of the gardens gave me the urge to take a picture of it, especially seeing some morning dew on the flower. Lucky me, one was about to drop... good thing I was able to take a picture of it.

*** Jenn ***

206/365 - Crepes and Cream Delight

2010-07-26T20:22:00.001+08:00

25 July 2010

Mom, brother, and I went to the mall to hear the Sunday mass, eat lunch, and do groceries. We decided to eat "real" lunch (read: rice meals), then went to Crepes and Cream to have some dessert crepes. My crepe didn't look presentable, so I just decided to use brother's crepe as my photo for the day. This is the Crepes and Cream Delight, with cookies and cream ice cream, whipped cream, a piece of Oreo cookie, chocolate syrup, chocolate powder and toasted almond slivers. I gave it a taste and it was good.

*** Jenn ***

205/365 - The House on the Corner

2010-07-25T14:39:00.002+08:00

24 July 2010

I went with brother to the big store a few streets away from our house, and on our way back, I saw this house and thought I'd take a picture of it. I only had my cell phone with me, but I still went away and took the picture. This house is one of those big ones I know in the neighborhood. How I wish our house is as big as this, but then again, thinking of how to clean the entire house makes me thankful our house only had one story. :)

*** Jenn ***

204/365 - Santan Buds

2010-07-24T13:30:00.003+08:00

23 July 2010

Our neighbor's santan flowers are starting to bloom, so I went over to take pictures. They were all just buds so I don't know how to frame them, I just pointed my camera and shoot. It has been raining here every afternoon, making people feeling gloomy... seeing yellow flowers really makes me happy, and these little flowers certainly chased the gloomy wearies away. :)

*** Jenn ***

203/365 - An Adult Fly

2010-07-23T13:14:00.001+08:00

22 July 2010

I went to the garden to go check if there are new flowers blooming, but the one flower that bloomed didn't look that good. Probably it was the rain that caused the flower not to bloom good... hopefully next time it would bloom good so I could take a picture of it, too.

What I did see was an adult housefly relaxing a leaf of hibiscus. It was a bit big so I aimed my camera on him, but of course I still couldn't get that much detail into the bug because I can't get any closer or I'd lose him. This is one of the reasons why I am hoping to own a DSLR... so I can get myself a macro lens and get details into little bugs that normal cameras cannot capture.

*** Jenn ***

202/365 - What Could it Be?

2010-07-22T11:43:00.003+08:00

21 July 2010

With me okay now, I can go back to my Internet "duties." Hehehe. Late afternoon on Day 202, I heard of a photography contest, and with winners getting adventures in either Davao, Puerto Princesa (Palawan) or Cebu, it really made me eager to join. I wanted to try my luck on this contest because I still haven't set foot in Davao and Puerto Princesa... and although I already had nearly a week stay in Cebu last year, it's also one of the places I want to visit again.

I spend my night browsing my files for a picture I wanted to submit as an entry. I have about 5 pictures to choose from... and with maximum of 3 pictures to be submitted, I was having difficulty choosing which 3 pictures I will submit.

Regardless of what I end up choosing, I do hope it could be a passport to have a free out of town trip. I so wanted to fly again.

*** Jenn ***

201/365 - Water Crystals

2010-07-21T11:28:00.002+08:00

20 July 2010

I know it was just a few days ago that I took pictures of this flower and put it as my photo for the day, but me being sick really hindered me to take pictures. It was late in the afternoon when I heard a baby kitten cry, and I was a bit surprised why I could hear it loud and clear when all of our baby kittens have already passed on (transition to eating solid foods took a toll on them). When I went to the terrace, I saw a baby kitten, but how it got there was a mystery to me because our gate was closed. Brother thought maybe the mother carried the kitten in our place because it was raining and they needed shelter, and as cute as it looked, we couldn't really keep it because although the kitten was quite big and it has already opened its eyes, it still didn't have any teeth on, and it needed the mother to get some nourishment.

I heard another baby kitten's cry from a distance, and thought maybe it was a sibling. I decided to bring the kitten (the one in our house) over to the other sibling so they could be together. I realized that the mother cat might've given birth in our neighbor's garden, and it could be that the rain caused the mother to find another shelter.

After I dropped off the kitten, I noticed the flower with lots of raindrops, and since I was holding my camera (I was hoping to take a picture of the kittens), I decided to take picture of the flower instead.

*** Jenn ***

200/365 - Oreo Portrait

2010-07-20T11:12:00.003+08:00

19 July 2010

While getting the clothes that I aired out to dry, I saw a dragonfly. I went back inside the house to get my camera, but the dragonfly was a bit elusive. My cat Oreo didn't want to be left out of what I am doing, also tried to chase the dragonfly. Both of us failed. :)

However, just before I put down my camera, seeing my Oreo looking like he wanted to model for me in a way of consoling me by not having able to chase the dragonfly surely melted my heart. I love this cat so much! He has got to be the sweetest cat I ever had.

*** Jenn ***

199/365 - Pop Rice

2010-07-19T11:03:00.002+08:00

18 July 2010

When I went to the market the day before, I saw a vendor selling some pop rice. It brought back memories of yester-years, as my parents would always buy me these as their "pasalubong" from a long day at work. I gave it a taste and yes, it was sweet... but the person in me right now just didn't really really like it. At some point it made me question why I liked that food then, but I guess as a kid they all wanted to eat something sweet.

It was nice to get in touch with the old person in you though.

*** Jenn ***

198/365 - Itty Bitty Flyer

2010-07-18T09:52:00.002+08:00

17 July 2010

I needed to go out on Day 198 because my sister needed her school papers photocopied, and since she leaves the house very early in the morning and goes home very late at night, she just asked me if I can have the papers photocopied for her.

While walking out of the neighborhood, I notice this super tiny insect (I don't know if it's a moth or a butterfly). I actually passed by it already and just took a few steps back to check if my eyes really did see the right thing (even if my eyes weren't clear, I am very proud that I can spot things). Unfortunately, even if I did see the right thing, what I had on hand was just my cell phone. Still, turning on the macro function of my cell phone's camera, I took pictures of it. Not really a good shot, but I didn't take any other picture anymore, as it is not everyday that I got to go out, so having this picture made me smile.

Happy Sunday!

*** Jenn ***

197/365 - Pinky

2010-07-17T10:33:00.002+08:00

16 July 2010

Day 197 wasn't a good day for me as I was having dry cough, headache... and I am getting hiccups every now and then. Come afternoon, my muscles started aching and I think I might be having flu, so as a first aid, I started drinking water. Water therapy works for me all the time.

Anyway, not really in the mood to roam around the neighborhood, I just went to our neighbor's garden and took a picture of this flower. I am not sure what's it called, but I like how it looked, especially those plants with so many flowers and less leaves. It was a bit tricky to take pictures of it, but whenever I take pictures of it, I can't help but smile.

*** Jenn ***

196/365 - Patrick Star

2010-07-16T10:27:00.002+08:00

15 July 2010

I, once again, struggled with what to take pictures of. I saw this figurine of Patrick Star in our computer table and thought I will just take pictures of him. My brother had this as his prize for winning in a parlor game during Jamy's 1st birthday celebration, and he wasn't supposed to get this, but he asked the Jollibee staff if he could have this instead.

Patrick's not my favorite character in Spongebob Squarepants, but I gotta admit, he is indeed funny.

*** Jenn ***

195/365 - Angus Maximus Overload

2010-07-15T00:49:00.002+08:00

14 July 2010

We slept with no electricity the night before, and we woke up still with no electricity. It was sister's day off so we just chit-chatted in bed, and our conversation led to me asking her if we could go out and just eat out. She will be meeting up with friends, so she said we can just eat early lunch and she will just meet up with her friends after we eat.

We were supposed to eat at Jollibee, but while in the jeep, she asked me if I wanted to eat at Greenwich (a pizza pasta food place) instead. I told her we just ate at Jollibee last Saturday, so okay, we can eat at Greenwich since I still haven't blogged about the place yet.

I have been craving for pizza for a week now, so when she asked me what I wanted, I told her I wanted to eat their overload pizza as it has more toppings than the regular pizza. New on the overload menu are the Angus Maximus and 5 Star Bacon... and since I will be eating carbonara pasta, too, I decided to just go for the Angus Maximus.

For an overload pizza, I wasn't really satisfied. Flavor wise, it was good, although it didn't have that pizza feeling that I was craving. I guess I was really used to eating Supreme pizza that I didn't really enjoy this one. However, it's not everyday that my cravings were satisfied, and it's not everyday that my sister treats out... so for this, I am thankful.

*** Jenn ***

194/365 - Time

2010-07-14T00:46:00.001+08:00

13 July 2010

Probably one of the not so good pictures for this cycle. I just am not in the mood that much - I just borrowed my mom's wristwatch and took pictures of it.

*** Jenn ***

193/365 - Crayons

2010-07-13T00:37:00.000+08:00

12 July 2010

Still lacking some inspiration to take pictures, I just took out these crayons from the box and played with it. Brother won these from Jamy's birthday, and because these were just game prizes, there were only four crayons in the box. Back in the days, the kid in me would always hope for the big crayon box - having 64 colors to choose from was something which I think would make me happy, that even in college, I bought myself some coloring books and that big box of crayons to satisfy the deprivation feeling I had.

Now I was asking, how would a child of this generation feel if he/she can only have four crayons?

*** Jenn ***

192/365 - Kwintas

2010-07-12T00:17:00.000+08:00

11 July 2010

I was watching TV in my mom's room when I noticed her sets of necklaces. These necklaces were made from different materials, mostly beads of different kinds. I am not really a jewelry type of person, but I do liked how each looked. One of those that got my interest was this one, made from plastic. At first glance, it looked as if these were stones, eh? Really cute, but it's something I really can't wear - it just doesn't look good on me.

*** Jenn ***

191/365 - Jam Jam Bee

2010-07-11T10:47:00.003+08:00

10 July 2010

From the time my friend Charmy got pregnant with her first child, I was already privileged to take a picture of her with the baby bump. Now that the baby celebrated his 1st birthday, of course I was there to be part of the celebration as well.

The party was held at Jollibee (Philippines' leading fast food chain), and maybe because it was Jolli - "bee" that they decided to put on a bumble bee costume for the little one. It was really cute seeing him like that... and what's best was that this kid was so used to people that we can just carry him around and he won't cry. Thanks to the bee butt, I was able to let him sit on the table by himself as I took pictures, but the decorations in the ceiling, the big tarpaulin and the cake next to the table just distracted him so much it was difficult to let him just look at the camera. Still, I am happy to be able to take this shot.

Happy birthday, bumblebee! May you grow up to be a fine man.

*** Jenn ***

190/365 - A Different Kind of Hibiscus

2010-07-10T11:08:00.005+08:00

09 July 2010

I saw this flower in our neighbor's garden. I think I was only able to see this kind of hibiscus in their garden, and it was definitely unique. What I like about this particular plant was that it never stops blooming flowers. Since I can only take pictures from the neighborhood, realizing that I haven't taken this picture yet (after the Earth Day in 2009), I decided to just take a picture of it.

Happy weekends!

*** Jenn ***

189/365 - Ipis Again

2010-07-09T10:37:00.001+08:00

08 July 2010

I was about to wash my dishes when I saw this cockroach in the sink. I think the critter was quite groggy due to the insecticide, and seeing that it wasn't really moving a lot, I took my camera and started taking pictures of it. Of course, after the pictures, I poured some hot water and drained it in the sink. :)

*** Jenn ***

188/365 - Money Money

2010-07-08T13:42:00.003+08:00

Been a while since I last posted for Shoot Me. I still take self portraits once a week, but because I had problems with PC, it was just now that I was able to catch up with the project 365 pictures.

I am a person who can really handle her finances wisely. Last week, I had a hefty amount to buy a netbook, and although there were a lot of choices, I still went for something that was below my allotted budget, so I would still have some money left.

I took this picture because a blog meme I joined asked bloggers to talk about how they love themselves in the financial aspect (you can read that HERE). I wanted to actually use these oh so big fake US dollar bills that my late dad used to received in one of the seminars he attended (it was a set of play money, 10 inches each), but I cannot find it anymore, so I just used the real Philippine money. This money will no longer in my hands in the days to come, so might as well take a picture of it already. Hahaha.

*** Jenn ***

187/365 - Cat's Eye

2010-07-07T23:03:00.003+08:00

06 July 2010

Finally, was able to catch up with Project 365!

Don't you find it amazing that the cat's eyes look different in different light situations? It's pretty much like the camera's aperture I think. Hahaha.

Off to bed now, thanks to my cat Oreo for being a willing model. I love that cat!

*** Jenn ***

186/365 - My Lenovo

2010-07-06T22:56:00.000+08:00

05 July 2010

It's been a week since I bought my new netbook, but it was just now that I was able to take a picture of it, because since I had it, I was just swamped with so many things to do.

It took a lot of planning before I got this, and I wanted to thank my friend K the most for helping me get this one. If not for my friend, I might not be online still. Thanks so much, dear.

Name? I still don't have one, but I might call her Yoko, because Lenovo rhymes so much with LennOno (Lennon and Ono), and because K is a British man, and Lennon is British as well, I might just call her Yoko (as in Yoko Ono) because LennOno might be a little too obvious.

*** Jenn ***

ps - yes, I need to wipe the netbook... I can see the dust, too! Hehehe.

185/365 - The Lyre Player

2010-07-05T22:48:00.000+08:00

04 July 2010

Ever since mom received this figurine last Christmas, I have wanted to take a picture of it, but I just didn't have the chance... until now. Well, same reason - too lazy to find a subject, so when I saw this, I just took a picture of it.

*** Jenn ***

184/365 - Pusit

2010-07-04T22:40:00.001+08:00

03 July 2010

Mom got home with a small bag of dried squids, a gift given from her office mate's daughter as she came home from the honeymoon in Palawan. My mom and brother love this dried food, but I never got to like it. I do love eating squids, it was just that I didn't like eating dried squids. I would really prefer to eat dried fish rather than this.

To the one who gave the dried squids.. thanks.

*** Jenn ***

183/365 - Manika

2010-07-03T22:23:00.002+08:00

02 July 2010

Why is my mojo not present again?!? Ugh, I just don't have the urge to go out and find subjects that I just check items here in our house to take pictures of.

I don't know why and I don't know when it started, but ever since I could remember, I have this fear on dolls - especially those with eyes that move, or those that dances and walks. I knew it was something about the Chucky (of the movie "Child's Play"), but my late dad told me that even as a little child, I never really liked dolls.

This doll was mom's Valentines gift to me in 2007. Its eyes move, and that when it has batteries, it would walk. It was a gift that I despised the most, but because it was given by mom, I still kept it - although when I put the doll in the divider, it wasn't facing me so I won't have to be afraid of it. It took a lot of guts to use the doll as the subject, but as long as I don't see the eyes, all was okay.

*** Jenn ***

182/365 - Chili Flakes

2010-07-02T21:24:00.001+08:00

01 July 2010

Oh well well... it's the 7th month of my project 365, yey!

I was lying in bed and about to doze off when I realized that I still don't have any picture for my Day 182 picture. Good thing I still have 15 minutes to go or else I would have failed this project.

Without any concrete subjects to take, I got up and was supposed to drink a glass of water when I saw the chili flakes container. I just then opened it, and started taking pictures of it. I was very relieved that even if I only had a few more minutes, I still was able to do what I have to do.

I just then took my glass of water after I took my pictures. :)

*** Jenn ***

181/365 - Thistle?

2010-07-01T23:02:00.002+08:00

30 June 2010

Day 181 was a holiday - for this day was the inauguration of Noynoy Aquino as the 15th president of the Philippines. Since it was a holiday, the family decided to eat lunch out and do grocery shopping. Not that we didn't support the new president, we just figured most people would stay in their homes to watch the inauguration and it presented to be a good time for us to go out - no traffic jam for sure. :)

We were walking out of the subdivision when a plant caught my eye. It had little orange flowers, and because I always have my camera in my bag, I stopped for a while to take a picture of it. It looked like a thistle, but I am not sure. Still, I thought it was a blessing that I saw it and captured it with my camera.

*** Jenn ***

180/365 - A Little Bird's Egg

2010-06-30T22:54:00.002+08:00

29 June 2010

When I went out of the house first thing in the morning of Day 180, I was surprised to see some bird's feathers scattered in our terrace. The cats might have feasted on a poor bird again, but that's nature (even if they're house cats, they are still hunters) and I cannot really prevent them from killing birds. I took the broom and started sweeping, and this very little egg caught my eye. It was in the rug, and at first I thought it was a lizard's egg, until I showed it to my mom.

She told me it's not a lizard's egg for this one had designs, but the size of this egg made us question if it was really a bird's egg. We suspect that the bird was about to lay an egg when the cats caught the poor bird, and maybe out of fear the mother bird just laid an egg. The rug prevented it to crack, and after I found it, I just placed it in a plate of glass pebbles and other stones as part of the collection.

*** Jenn ***

179/365 - Dad's Dog Tag

2010-06-29T22:52:00.001+08:00

28 June 2010

Two days left for the photo hunt, so I started listing down the items and think of how to picture the ones I haven't hunted yet.

One of the items I still don't have was "something old." I first thought of taking a picture of University of Santo Tomas' facade, but time just didn't allow me to, so I just took out my dad's dog tag during his ROTC days in college - also in UST. This was one of my dad's possession that I personally took in for myself as his inheritance to me. I thought that I lost it (I couldn't find it after a few months following his death), but I was just happy to be able to see it again.

*** Jenn ***

178/365 - Dinuguan

2010-06-28T22:21:00.003+08:00

27 June 2010

One of the things I love about my brother and my mom was that they seem to buy the foods I crave for (most of the time, that is). A day before, I was just thinking aloud when I said, "I sure hope to eat dinuguan," and on Day 178, mom came home from the market with some pork and pig's blood. Dinuguan is one of the easiest dishes one can cook, so I volunteered to cook this one.

It wasn't the creamy consistency that I loved about dinuguan (it probably uses coconut milk that's why it was creamy), but then I was proud of this little kitchen experiment. Cravings satisfied.. and I just love it!

*** Jenn ***

177/365 - Orchidia

2010-06-27T20:59:00.002+08:00

26 June 2010

I went to the mall (the nearest in our place) to check for netbooks I could choose for. As I exit the mall, I saw a kiosk selling plants and orchids, and taking to mind the June 2010 Photo Hunt, I don't know why my eyes are pinned on purple objects.. like this orchid. When I saw it, I told myself, "I gotta have something purple."

I do love taking pictures of flowers, and I could also say I am good at it, but when it comes to taking pictures of orchids, I am always lost. I just don't know how to frame them.

*** Jenn ***

176/365 - Tanglaw

2010-06-26T20:49:00.000+08:00

25 June 2010

I have been exchanging e-mails with K regarding my situation and on Day 176, I was really surprised that my friend did something to make me smile. I was happy to be going to the Internet Cafe to check my mails, but I was happier to know that something good is happening in the next few days.

I was walking home when one of the houses had their dog out in the street. I am a person who fears dogs in the street (I was bitten by one of my puppies in the face when I was around 6 or 7), so I stopped for a while and pretended to be texting (someone might be watching me). I looked up and saw the light in the post, and took a picture of it - just so I could have something to do while waiting for the dog to flee away or to go back into his home. Luckily the dog flee after a few minutes, and I got home safely.

*** Jenn ***

175/365 - Guinataang Sitaw at Kalabasa

2010-06-25T20:47:00.000+08:00

24 June 2010

Although I could say that chicken, sinigang, and spaghetti are my top three foods, I also could say that I love eating dishes with coconut milk. I find these dishes really delicious and rich in flavor.

Aside from doing exercises, I have also started not to eat rice come dinner and just eat the viands. Then again, I have also asked brother to cook mostly veggies / fish dishes so I could minimize my meat intake especially at night. For Day 175, he cooked squash and string beans in coconut milk... and for mom to eat it as well, he added some shrimps to be the dish's meat. Even if I loved eating coconut milk dishes with rice, I stick to my personal rule of not eating rice and just ate a bowlful of the viand. Along with the two pieces of shrimps, I was satisfied.

*** Jenn ***

174/365 - Glowing

2010-06-24T20:28:00.003+08:00

23 June 2010

Having no PC to use gave me the chance to go back exercising. My weight has been increasing, and I am suddenly alarmed with how fast I am gaining weight. I really want to have a transformation, but I do know change won't happen overnight. Still, I decided to go for it, for I cannot just sit and wait until I blow up.

I was able to learn about the Hip Hop Abs through the infomercials on TV in 2007. I was able to see a copy of it in a mall and immediately bought it and started doing it. After a while I stopped and now that I want to make myself better, I went back to doing it. This was how I looked after 15 minutes of doing the cardio routine. I took some time to rest because I needed to tie my hair. My cell phone was just nearby, and realizing that Day 174 was a Wednesday (the day I do self portraits), I took a picture of myself before going back to the routine.

May this effort reap success in the days, weeks, and months to come.

*** Jenn ***

ps - Why "Glowing?" During my holiday with my friend K, I spoke something like, "I'm sweating all over" (after walking around La Loma Cemetery). K told me, "Horses sweat, men perspire, women glow." For K, the term "sweat" or "sweating" isn't appropriate for women, so I'd take K's words for it, "I'm glowing."

173/365 - Purple Socks

2010-06-23T20:25:00.000+08:00

22 June 2010

I am heavy and I love to walk. I know my feet always take a beating whenever I go out, and after my week-long stay in Pangasinan, the soles of my feet became dry and thick - probably because of too much walking on the dirt roads. When I got home, I started to take care of my feet by washing, applying some lotion and cover it with socks.

This pair of socks were something I bought in Market One - the weekend market located at the grounds of Lung Center of the Philippines, purple is my favorite color, and seeing some monkeys in the design, I didn't hesitate to buy it in an instant (I was born in the year of the monkey). For 20 pesos, I can cover my feet while sleeping, and it was a good use of lotions I don't use anymore.

*** Jenn ***

172/365 - A Burst of Starlight

2010-06-22T22:39:00.000+08:00

21 June 2010

Only a few days left 'til the end of the month, and only a few days to go for me to finish off the June photo hunt I joined. I still don't have a definite image for the Black and White with Selective Coloring item, and I did tell my friend Halie that I might recycle some images in the past, and this image was one of those.

In my last Project 365, I already used these paper stars as my subject, but in that image, I had the stars lined up, mostly black stars with one red star. For the re-take of the subject, I decided to include the bottle and some more of the stars, just to give it a depth. I intend to make this whole image in black and white with only one star in color, but I guess the stars were too small that even if I successfully edit the image, the colored star wouldn't be recognizable. I just kept the image as is, and used it as my photo for Day 172.

*** Jenn ***

171/365 - Reproducing

2010-06-21T22:29:00.000+08:00

20 June 2010

It's Fathers Day and because I don't have a father (anymore) to greet, I still stayed at home to be with my family. I heard mass with mom and brother, and in the afternoon I just went to take a peek on our neighbor's vegetable garden. A few weeks ago, I have taken pictures of these orange bugs there, but in every instance that I took pictures of the bugs, I wasn't really able to use them to be my photo for the day. I already told that I was running out of subjects to take pictures of, so I checked if the bugs were still there so I could finally use them as models for the pictures.

I was so amazed to see that there were still some bugs in the garden. Quite a few remaining on Day 171, but still I was glad. My camera was taking pictures of a single bug, when my eye caught these two. I am not a perv, but the frustrated biologist in me just found it cute to be seeing bugs in their intimate moment. I used my flash to take this picture because not using the flash resulted in bland colors, as it was getting dark already.

*** Jenn ***

170/365 - Watching the Rain

2010-06-20T22:19:00.001+08:00

19 June 2010

It was the weekend and I wanted to go out. I was supposed to go to the SM Megamall for the 2010 Toy Con, but I just got well from the massive back pains I had earlier in the week that I decided to just stay home. I was hoping the family could go out and eat and/or do the groceries, but the rain hard that all of just didn't have the chance to go out. I was running out of ideas on what pictures to take and late in the afternoon, I just stayed in our terrace to play with the cats.

My cat Orange-y has become aloof, and didn't really wanted to be carried or to be played with. I guess with his age, he is in his mating period that he just want to left alone. While playing with the other cats, I saw him run around the terrace and then jumped in the wooden seat to take a peek at the window. I guess the hard drops of water created an eye candy that he just stayed there and watched as the rain fell.

*** Jenn ***

169/365 - Stained Flower

2010-06-19T22:09:00.001+08:00

18 June 2010

I went back to the Internet cafe to fix some things, and not learning from the lessons of yesterday, I again just brought my cell phone with me. There were really some good subjects to take pictures of while walking, and I saw this image by the open area of the neighborhood's multi purpose hall. I learned how to use the macro setting of the camera through my cell phone, and I was happy to be testing it again for Day 169. The fly sure looked like a stain or a nuisance in the image, but somehow it added embellishment, and I am happy about that.

*** Jenn ***

168/365 - Leafless Tree at Dusk

2010-06-18T21:59:00.002+08:00

17 June 2010

Not having a PC to use really took its toll on me. I was restless, and my efforts of diverting my attention to DVD marathons didn't really make me satisfied and fulfilled. I went out to go to an Internet cafe (there's one at the end of the street), and walking back home I noticed this house with a leafless tree in their front yard. I really loved seeing leafless tree because I find it quite dramatic, and even if I only have my cell phone in hand I still dared to take a picture. I also saw that little moon in the cloudless sky, so I zoomed in, not really minding if my cell phone can only do digital zoom. The picture looked a little pixilated, but this is what I can come up with for this day.

*** Jenn ***

167/365 - Atop a Tree

2010-06-17T22:09:00.002+08:00

16 June 2010

Late afternoons of June meant an afternoon of rain showers here in our area. Luckily, the sun was a bit smiling on this day, so I went to the garden to attempt a shot of "sun flare," still for the photo hunt game. I failed in capturing the sun flare, but since my cat Orange-y went to the garden to see what I was up to, I decide to pick him up, cuddle him a bit and let him hug the tree trunk. In no time, he was already climbing the tree.

The problem with cats was that they were quick to climb up, but would be scared to go down. I tried to ask him to go down, even attempted to grab him, but he was just afraid and would just like to stay in the tree. Since I still don't have a picture for the day, I just aimed my camera at him.

It took him until dinner before he came down. I guess him hearing me giving food to some of the cats made him find a way to come down and eat.

*** Jenn ***

166/365 - Fight Club

2010-06-16T21:52:00.001+08:00

15 June 2010

Still having problems with my back, I decided to go to our garden and check on the ants in their home. I told myself that should I encounter a hurdle in this project, I would resort to the ants to get my picture of the day, and they didn't fail me.

That little black thing was the thing I noticed first, and realizing that two ants were fighting over who will get it, I aimed my camera on them, but in one of the shots, it was really interesting to see that other ant "standing up," looking as if he was the referee in the fight club! I love it when my camera was able to capture moments like that!

*** Jenn ***

165/365 - A Bug's Life

2010-06-15T21:43:00.001+08:00

14 June 2010

On the first day of the month, I signed up for a little game of Photo Hunting, and one of the items to hunt was "Something Blue." At first it was rather easy to find something blue, but with 20 items to hunt, some of which were closely related to each other, I really did have a difficult time finding that blue item.

I was cleaning the entertainment cabinet and saw our little collection of McDonalds' Happy Meal. Back then we would enjoy collecting the toys, and one of the collections we had was this set of "A Bug's Life" toys. I know Flik was the main character of the film, but Dim was "bluer" than Flik, so I put him in the front.

Now I won't have to worry about this item to hunt. :)

*** Jenn ***

164/365 - Father and Son

2010-06-14T21:35:00.002+08:00

13 June 2010

Day 164 was very hectic for me. Even if my lower back was aching a lot, I still went out to meet my friend Halie. We met at the Lung Center of the Philippines' weekend market, then to La Mesa Eco Park, and going to UP-Ayala Land Techno Hub. My back sure hurt a lot, but taking a tablet of Naproxen Sodium helped me in a way. I was really thankful that Halie understood my plight that time and I was thankful that I still was able to enjoy a weekend out despite the pain.

Thinking of what to put up as the photo for the day was quite a difficult task. I took quite a lot of pictures that day, but in the end I chose this. I know it would be a week more before Fathers' Day, but I just like the look of a father carrying his son. Somehow it made me miss my father, but looking at it on a bright side, I am happy that this boy was able to enjoy a day out with his father. Some people think that kids might not remember the moments once they grow up, but I don't think so. There are some moments from childhood that will be forever etched in memory. I hope this child would remember this day until he would be old enough to be a father.

*** Jenn ***

163/365 - Green on Green

2010-06-13T21:12:00.001+08:00

12 June 2010

It was Independence Day and the family (minus sister) went out to have lunch together and possibly do grocery afterward. Mom left earlier than us because she would still drop by the hospital to get her eyeglasses. Brother wasn't really keen on going out, but he still went. While waiting for brother, I went out of the house just to walk and see the street, and in one of the plants in our garden, I saw this interesting fly. I am not sure if it was a different kind of specie or it was a "baby" fly... but whatever it was, I quickly took out my camera and shot a picture.

*** Jenn ***

162/365 - Tokwa't Baboy

2010-06-12T23:41:00.003+08:00

11 June 2010

Since I was a kid, I have always loved eating fried tokwa (bean curd) dipped in spicy soy sauce and vinegar. Over time, I have also come to love eating it paired with pork slices, and through my father, I have come to know how the dish was done.

There were certainly a lot of ways of doing this dish, but I always prefer mine using the pig's ears and some meat from its head. I cook it paksiw style, and cut it to bite size pieces. I love the crunch from the cartilage in the ear... the texture certainly made it more appetizing.

Brother must've heard me telling "I am craving for tokwa't baboy," from the night before, because come morning of Day 162, he told me he just bought some pig's ears and some blocks of tokwa from the market. I certainly had a great lunch that day!

*** Jenn ***

161/365 - Kubyertos

2010-06-11T23:34:00.001+08:00

10 June 2010

I wasn't in the mood for some pictures again... I guess not having a computer to use and me doing DVD marathons really sucked up my juices on Day 161. While washing the dishes, I noticed that the utensils have formed some shadows, and instead of putting it back to their places, I went to get my camera instead to take a picture of it.

*** Jenn ***

160/365 - L for Laban

2010-06-10T23:15:00.001+08:00

09 June 2010

I was thinking of what self portrait to do, and while watching the season finale of Glee, I decided to just go with the "L" sign, just because Glee is a TV show I have come to love, and I truly loved this week's episode, although the New Directions didn't win. Still, it was an episode telling viewers that good things are yet to come.

Another "L" thing for Day 160... the Senate and the Congress just proclaimed the newly elected president of the Philippines - Benigno "Noy Noy" Aquino III. Taking his mother's sign, he also sported the "L" sign meaning "Laban," or "Fight." I didn't vote for him, but since he was the elected president, he is my president, too, and I am optimistic that the country is now seeking new life.

*** Jenn ***

159/365 - In Company of Friends

2010-06-09T22:59:00.002+08:00

08 June 2010

When I was a kid, quite a lot of kids were living in the neighborhood, and I have always liked playing street games with them. After a while, when most of us were growing up, the streets have quieted a lot, and at times I would miss the noises.

Now that the people in my age bracket have really grown up, some of them had kids of their own, while some were new neighbors. This summer was indeed a noisy one as far as the street is concerned, for these kids would really enjoy their days out of school by playing games. Finally, the street had some life again.

On Day 159, I opened our gate because mom just got home, and I saw the kids playing outside. Since there were a few steps leading to our gate, the stairs have become the kids' headquarters - a place for them to talk and play games as well. I just liked the way they looked - some kids were playing while these two (Lyza and Kyla) were listening to some music stored in Lyza's cell phone. It was so nice to journey back in time - I truly saw myself in them, back when I was their age.

*** Jenn ***

158/365 - Growing Pains

2010-06-08T22:54:00.002+08:00

07 June 2010

As you saw in my older posts, the mother cat (Teddy) gave birth to some kitties - three to be exact - and now that the kitties have opened their eyes, the next thing to look forward to was their teeth coming out. Unlike humans, cats seem to have a few teeth coming out all at the same time, and I could only imagine how they were feeling about it. I sure am very happy that I didn't become a cat.

*** Jenn ***

157/365 - Pocky Heaven

2010-06-07T11:01:00.002+08:00

06 June 2010

I have heard of Pocky a long time ago - I remember Multiply staff posting a blog telling that the admin people of Multiply loves snacking on these goodies during meetings, but I admit I never really gave it much attention. When I attended a cosplay event, I saw empty boxes of Pocky - telling that so many people have already bought its contents. It aroused my interest, and last month, when our neighbor invited me for an event and we passed by the mall's snack exchange, she asked if there was anything I want. I handed a little box of Pocky (in chocolate) just to taste it. I was hooked on the first bite.

Right now I have tasted three flavors - chocolate, milk, and strawberry. All were delicious... and munching on these made me wish I can taste other flavors, too.

*** Jenn ***

156/365 c2 - Water Dance

2010-06-06T09:05:00.002+08:00

05 June 2010

Day 156 was a busy day for me. I met up with two of my friends for lunch, went to do a nude photo shoot with them (one of us was the model), and as our model left to meet up with her other friends, Halie and I decided to go to Eastwood City in Libis to eat dinner and check out the sights.

This picture was taken in Eastwood City. Last time I set foot there on a night time was back in 2003, and of course it wasn't as spectacular as it is now. After eating dinner, we went to the fountains, because Halie told me the water dances every 30 minutes until midnight on weekends.

I took many pictures for this day, but I decided to use this as my photo for the day mainly because somehow the water formed a heart, and being a hopeless romantic that I am, I loved it. Using a point and shoot camera, my camera's ISO was so high, and because my camera is having difficulty handling low lit situations, I am happy with how this picture came out. I remembered just clicking the shutter as fast as I can just not to miss out on the fountain's change of movements. With this picture, I am loving my p&s more and more.

*** Jenn ***

155/365 - Flower Strands

2010-06-05T07:40:00.000+08:00

First time to join Macro Flowers Saturday meme - hope I was able to see it in the blogosphere; flowers and macro photography are two of my favorites. Here's my share for this week:

It's been raining for the past few days, and although it wasn't raining cats and dogs, the rain had somehow made me stay inside the house and just getting out to take care of the garbage. On Day 155, I just had the urge to go out and check the garden, to see if I could find a flower to take pictures of. I was so happy that the one plant in our garden just bloomed, and I didn't waste any time - I took pictures of it in any angle that I can.

I don't know the name of the flower, but it was this red big ball of flower made up of this beautiful stringy like strands (there might be a redundancy there). Whenever it blooms, I just can't help but be happy to see it. It stays fresh for a week, then will wilt. I guess the plant not blooming as often made me love the plant more. I love waiting for it to bloom again, and when it does, it's a priceless reward.

*** Jenn ***

154/365 - Water Beads

2010-06-04T11:12:00.002+08:00

03 June 2010

Rains started pouring in... and I am one of those thankful for the blessings from the sky because I am aware of how difficult it was living the past few months in heat and less water.

It rained here pretty much the whole day, and I wasn't able to go out to take pictures. I just waited for the rain to stop and as I checked our plant pots, I noticed that there were traces of rain in this plant's leaves and flowers. I liked the way the water beads embellished the plant, so I took pictures of it. Am sure this plant was one of those happy that rain already came.

*** Jenn ***

153/365 - Mirror Mirror

2010-06-03T09:36:00.002+08:00

02 June 2010

From the time my sister had her cell phone with camera to me having my own camera, I already lost track of how many times I have taken pictures of my reflection in the mirror... and I also don't know how many of those pictures actually looked good. There are times I'd forget that I should look at the lens and not on the camera's LCD or the mirror itself.

This picture was taken late last night. After I took my shower and started with my "vanity regimen" - something I just started a few weeks ago - I realized I still haven't taken pictures of myself yet. Amid the clutter in the couch (I was sitting on a mattress as I was also watching TV), I turned on my cell phone's camera and took pictures. Some of the pictures looked awful because I would tend to move my hand as I press the shutter, and some just looked awkward because I cannot fit myself in the mirror (major lolz). I was lucky I was able to capture this, though. :)

*** Jenn ***

152/365 - Licky

2010-06-02T14:41:00.002+08:00

01 June 2010

Mommy Teddy gave birth a few weeks ago, but we didn't know where she gave birth. For a while we thought her new kitties died because we weren't able to hear kitty cries and that Mommy Teddy would often times stay inside the house.

A few days back, we were already able to hear the cries of the kitty, and we were thankful that the mother cat was able to give birth okay. She first transferred one of the kitties in brother's room, but brother didn't want any cats in his room, so he placed them outside. Mommy Teddy was able to find shelter in one of the wooden sofas in our terrace, which has a space for knick knacks under.

Mom had asked me never to bother the kittens because the mother cat might transfer the little ones again. I tried to, but I just couldn't... especially now that they have opened their eyes. :)

This was another one of those "faith shots." The place where they're at was so dark and even if my camera has the red light, it was still difficult to check if I got the right shot or not. I just aimed my camera and clicked the shutter hoping to get something interesting. Although Mommy Teddy was cut in a wrong way, I was still happy to be able to take this shot. A very nice picture of mom grooming her little one.

*** Jenn ***

151/365 - A Chicken Dish

2010-06-01T11:50:00.003+08:00

31 May 2010

I just couldn't resist taking pictures of food. :)

Anyway, for Day 151, I decided to eat chicken, but I didn't want to stress myself, so I decided to cook it the way I cooked my Pork Belly dish from way, way back. It was quite okay, but I gave the dish a new twist when I opened the can of pineapple tidbits and added it in the dish. Initially, I only thought of eating the pineapples as my dessert.

Few ingredients were added, and from a simple recipe, it turned out to be a very experimental dish, which I really liked. I am a pineapple person, so I am very proud to say that for an experimental dish, this one was really good. I still don't know how to name this dish, though.

Recipe will be posted on Friday, through my food blog, I Live to Eat!.

*** Jenn ***

150/365 - When Kitties Relax

2010-05-31T08:36:00.002+08:00

30 May 2010

I woke up late - around 9AM - and because I overslept, my day was a bit slow for me. Add to that the body aches I got from yesterday's outing, and I was pretty lazy yesterday and has no mojo to do whatever. I even just had hotdogs for lunch because I didn't want to stay that long in the kitchen.

Anyway, I was hoping to join another blog meme for Mondays (which means I have to take the pictures on Sunday), and I did... only that I overlooked one key factor and as I browse the images, none of it satisfied me. I did take the pictures, but I guess not having the mojo have dragged my brains out.

This picture was one of those pictures that just happened. The mother cat (the one lying) just took some time off from watching the new born kitties when one of her older offsprings went near her. I so happen to be holding the camera, so I gave this one a shot. Because I didn't intend for this one to be my photo for the day, I didn't give it much thought - after all, the cats sometimes flee away upon seeing the red light from my camera - but because the supposed to be picture for today didn't pass my standard, I have to settle for this.

May Mr. Mojo come back now. :)

*** Jenn ***

149/365 - It's the Climb

2010-05-30T11:41:00.003+08:00

29 May 2010

On Day 149, us family together with our neighbors went to Loreland Farm Resort in Antipolo City, Rizal for our annual neighbors summer outing. It was a bit sad that it was mainly our family and the Raboys who went out, but still, all of us got to enjoy a day out. Now that classes are about to open and that summer is officially coming to its end, we feel blessed that we were able to come together.

For this trip, I didn't take much photos because I stayed in the pool most of the time. I had my share of trips for this summer, but this was the only time that I went in the water, so I really did soak up the sun.

Late in the afternoon, my brother and I went to walk around the resort and checked out the different pools. I took my camera with me so I can also take pictures, and somewhere in the resort, brother saw this wall and asked me if I could cheat the shot and make it look as if he was really climbing. This was my attempt.

When I showed it to mom, she asked me, "Do they have wall climbing activity place here? I thought they only had the zipline..." I guess I was able to cheat out the shot. :)

*** Jenn ***

148/365 - Quail Eggs

2010-05-29T04:33:00.002+08:00

28 May 2010

It rained pretty much the whole afternoon, hence I wasn't able to go out and take pictures. I was keen on not taking food pictures for Day 148, but I just cannot find anything here in the house that would be a good subject. When I opened the fridge to get some water, I noticed this bag of quail eggs, and I thought, "what the heck... lemme do a food picture again today."

I hoped to take pictures of the eggs on a nest, but I don't know what could be a good material for the nest. I saw a bag of potpourri in brother's room and decided to use it instead. Sometimes, I am still amused at how our house pose a lot of possibilities.

*** Jenn ***

147/365 - Coconut Poached Fish

2010-05-28T08:33:00.002+08:00

27 May 2010

And it's food once again. :) Well, I did take other pictures for Day 147, but then I decided to cook this dish and figured I want this as my photo for the day. This was the last recipe I tried off the May issue of Yummy Magazine... and I am so looking forward to try out other recipes in the days to come.

This one tasted good. It was my first time to cook and taste dory fish, and I really loved it! Will post a full version of this on my Food Blog.

*** Jenn ***

146/365 - It's a Hairy Situation

2010-05-27T13:32:00.002+08:00

26 May 2010

First time to join "Shoot Me" meme... and I am so excited!

On Day 146, I scrambled to think how to picture myself. If doing Project 365 is difficult, I guess it was more difficult for people to do it all with self portraits! For a person who's not really into having her pictures taken, week after week, thinking of how to do a self portrait is indeed a mind blowing activity. :)

I was watching television in mom's room when I realized I still have to take a self portrait. This shot was one of those random thoughts I had... I was combing my hair when I thought of lying in the bed, brush off the hair to one side and take pictures. Using my cell phone, it took a while before I got the hang of it. I had small eyes and big eyelids, and with a big face, I didn't know how to position my head to make a good shot. I just took pictures after pictures and when my cell phone's battery gave off that "low batt" signal, I stopped. I told myself I might have taken something that would satisfy me. In the end I chose this picture.

I have always had the limpy thin hair. If there's something I could do to make my hair thick, I'd do it without asking a question.

*** Jenn ***

145/365 - Chicken with Tausi

2010-05-26T14:35:00.002+08:00

25 May 2010

While eating dinner a few days ago, brother expressed his interest in tasting dish with tausi (salted black beans). And on Day 145, he was able to satisfy his interest when he cooked this. The dish was a total experiment - he just fried some chunks of chicken breast (minus the skin, darn it) dusted with some cornstarch and a few seasonings and cooked off the sauce in a way I forgot to ask. For an experiment it turned out to be good. I guess we will be eating more of this in the future, but using fish, as mom said this would be better with fish fillets.

Been posting a whole lot of foods lately - reason for that was because I am always indoors, and I would only remember about my project 365 whenever dinner is served. :) Will try to take different subjects next time, I promise. :)

*** Jenn ***

144/365 - Crack Me Up

2010-05-25T16:37:00.002+08:00

24 May 2010

I am a person who doesn't really eat cracker nuts. However, when I took out my big planner (which us unupdated for the longest time now) in my bag, I saw a bag of Nagaraya Crackers (barbecue flavor), which was actually our neighbor's... which she left in my bag and already forgotten about it. It has been two weeks since it was left in my bag, and I couldn't muster up a courage to send it back, so I just opened it.

After taking pictures, I took a handful and gave it to my brother.

*** Jenn ***

143/365 - OreoLandi

2010-05-24T14:06:00.003+08:00

23 May 2010

I am a person who's in front of the PC for most hours of my day. Whether I write articles for work and for personal things, the PC has been my best friend since I started enjoying the wonders of the Internet.

Aside from different components that make up my totality as a person, I am also a cat owner. In our house, we have seven cats (plus three new kittens), and among all the cats, Oreo is the one who loves me much. He doesn't come to me when I call him and at times he would run off when he notices me coming, but on several occasions, he would just let me play with him. When I carry him, he won't complain and would just be still.

But what made me say he loves me the most was because whenever he would come near my feet, he would rub his head on my toes and try to be as close to it as possible. Cooking sometimes create minor accidents because he would sleep near my feet and when I go get something, I would accidentally step on him. He would be surprised, but would go back to his position as soon as he realizes it wasn't my intention to hurt him.

On Day 143, I was just playing Cafe World on Facebook and he just came near me, rubbed his whole body in my leg, rubbed his head on my toes and sat still. I would (at times) move my foot because it was getting warm, but he would never leave. He stayed until I got up. So sweet of a cat.

...which is why I love him, too.

*** Jenn ***

142/365 - Braised Beef

2010-05-23T18:33:00.007+08:00

First time for my Project 365 blog to join photo memes. I have wanted to join SOOC Sunday meme since I first heard of it last year, but Sundays are normally my off days in blogging, so I didn't decide to join the bandwagon. However, there's something in me that wanted to be challenged... posting SOOC pictures are sometimes aren't easy to do. But like what I have said, I want to be challenged. I want to prove that somehow I could share pictures without tweaking the image and just stick to resizing and adding my name stamp on it. May I be able to carry it through. :)

22 May 2010

Mom was asked to prepare breakfast for the attendees of Youth Camp, so we decided to go to the mall and do some grocery shopping. Brother was going to attend a retreat, but went with us to eat lunch first. We hoped to eat at Tong Yang shabu-shabu restaurant, but their "eat all you can" buffet was at Php500 (roughly 11USD) each person.

In our attempts to eat at different food places in the mall, we tried out Go! Fan Roasts and Dimsum. They had bowls of different rice toppings for individual orders, but they also serve it on a big platter if diners wanted to share. We opt to have the individual rice bowls, and since mom chose the Macau Lechon and brother went with Minced Duck, I just went with Braised Beef. We actually shared all our dishes, and while I loved their food, I was happier with my choice. This braised beef was seasoned well and very, very, tender. It was like melting in my mouth. A little bit fatty, yes (there's a layer of fat in the middle of each beef slices), but overall it was okay. I can always take away the fat, right? And the best thing about this was that it was only Php125 (2.75USD)... and I was so full afterwards.

And because I didn't bring my own camera, I used the old camera - which now belongs to my siblings.

*** Jenn ***

141/365 - Smidgets

2010-05-22T12:52:00.002+08:00

21 May 2010

We were eating dinner on Day 141 when mom remembered she had a box of Mister Donuts smidgets in her bag. She said it was given to her by someone in the office, and even before we ate some for desserts, I asked their permission to take pictures of it first. I just laid out a black apron and just poured its contents and took pictures.

We still have some smidgets in the fridge... the family isn't big on sweets, so as of this writing the smidgets are a bit hard already. :)

*** Jenn ***

140/365 - Pan Seared Tuna

2010-05-21T10:38:00.002+08:00

20 May 2010

I normally don't eat fancy during lunchtime. Because my brother wakes up around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, cooking for myself wasn't something I look forward in doing. I had this feeling that even if you have great tasting food, if you're alone to eat it, eating still wouldn't be so great. Most of the time (during lunch) I would just reheat left overs or will open a canned food, or cook a very simple dish.

There was a blessing in disguise on Day 140 when there was a power interruption come lunch time. I already prepared myself some longganisa (pork sausage) for lunch, but since our house is like an oven without the electric fan going, brother woke up a little earlier and seeing I cooked longganisa, he took out the tuna belly cuts in the chiller and pan seared it. It was a very simple dish to create - season the fish and place it in the pan and just wait for it to cook. Brother also prepared some tomato salsa to go with the fish, and even if I have eaten the longganisa, I (of course) gave my brother's food a taste, and I liked it. And, us eating outside (on the terrace) made this lunch a little nicer.

*** Jenn ***

139/365 - A New Book

2010-05-20T12:07:00.003+08:00

19 May 2010

A few months ago, I saw a blog contest by Melo Villareal. He had 20 "Twisted 8 1/2" books by Jessica Zafra (autographed, take note) to give away, and because the mechanic was just simple - a simple article on "Your Favorite Beach Destination in the Philippines" with some pictures - I decided to join. The books were good while supplies last, and I was lucky to be one of the first twenty people who won the book.

I received the book a day before this picture was shot. I wasn't able to take a picture of it as soon as I received it, and realizing that Wednesday is my self portrait day, I made a two-in-one shoot. The book was a good read... very witty and a good way to de-stress after a long hectic day. The stories inside were short, and it was very easy to read the book in one sitting actually, but I decided not to read the book all at once... I want to read a few stories so it could linger in my head for a while before I read the others. I am glad to have won this book. Thanks, Melo!

*** Jenn ***

138/365 - Tilapia Tropicale

2010-05-19T17:17:00.003+08:00

18 May 2010

Mom bought some tilapia the day before, so I took on the chance to try out another recipe from Yummy Magazine. Sadly, the tilapia mom bought were too small, and after filleting the four small fishes, I only had fish cuts enough for one serving. Brother didn't want me to switch off my kitchen, so he quickly went to the market and bought some pork because he said me filleting the newly bought tilapia would take up some time, so he asked me to do it using pork instead.

I still fried the tilapia cuts and segregated them from the pork cuts and went on to cook the sauce. I plated the tilapia cuts on a little platter and created another platter for the pork. Basically, the dish is a simple sweet and sour thing, but using tilapia, it was a new taste for me. I seriously preferred the tilapia over the pork, and maybe one time in the future, I would cook this again using tilapia as my meat.

*** Jenn ***

137/365 - Whiten Me!

2010-05-18T10:21:00.002+08:00

17 May 2010

Last Saturday, our neighbor came to our house offering some products. Normally, I don't really buy stuffs even if the seller is a neighbor and/or a friend, but seeing that the catalog has some whitening products, I decided to get a bar of soap and a tube of lotion, just to try it out. I am starting to hate my uneven skin tones and I think it was time to take care of myself - all part of my making my birthday wish come true.

I am not sure if this one would deliver me the kind of results I am hoping, but I do have my faith in it.

*** Jenn ***

136/365 - Purple Lotus

2010-05-17T11:23:00.002+08:00

16 May 2010

Last week, I received a call from our neighbor Ria asking me to invite her out if I happen to go back to the weekend market of the Lung Center of the Philippines. Because I wasn't able to buy anything from that week and that my brother expressed his willingness to visit the market, we set up Day 136 as a day of big bro little sis bonding moment. Sadly, Ria has some other places to go so she wasn't able to come with us.

I slept late, and I woke up late. It was already near 10AM when brother and I arrived, so we weren't able to enjoy it that much because it was just so sunny and hot. We checked aisle after aisle - my brother was all about walking, and when we reached the plants section, I asked brother if I could take some pictures. He just let me do my thing while he checked more things.

I saw this puple lotus flower and I knew I just had to take a picture of it. I normally see white and pink lotus, but definitely the first time I saw a purple one. The sun was shining on the flower, so I just had to adjust.

By lunch time bro and I were already home because we promised mom we will be taking home some cooked lunch so we can eat together. Next time I get back, I really need to turn the alarm on.

*** Jenn ***

135/365 - Near Midnight

2010-05-16T15:41:00.003+08:00

15 May 2010

Our neighbor and good family friend went to our house to sell things. In the course of our chit-chats, she mentioned that she will be going to the SMX Convention Center of SM Mall of Asia because the company where she got the goods was celebrating their 4th year anniversary. She invited me to come, and I quickly said yes - maybe because I was itching to go out on a Saturday.

The celebration was nice, very alive and very noisy. The party wasn't finished when we decided to leave because it was already nearing midnight and we still have a long road to take before we can get home.

We were seated at the back, so my pictures of the event were all crappy. Still not having a picture for the day, I just made a quick shot while walking to the parking lot. Not a good day for pictures for me today, huh?

*** Jenn ***

134/365 - Macaroni-less Soup

2010-05-15T14:49:00.000+08:00

14 May 2010

Since I was the one who cooked dinner the night before and that mom was out with friends on a movie night out, so I wasn't so interested in cooking dinner. Since there were some leftovers, I was already contented eating the leftovers when brother whipped up something - an experiment of sort.

It tasted like Chicken ala King (without the bread) and / or Macaroni Chicken Soup (without the macaroni). I do love my brother's enthusiasm in the kitchen, but most of the time his foods were tasteless, which sometimes turns me off. Well, back when we were in elementary, there's this food place near our school that serves tasteless foods because the owner said she nearly lost her son to some kidney infection, so that time she would cook, but allows the people to season their own food for their preference. Somehow my brother picked it up, and it's the way he's been cooking since. Well, it was a very "noble" gesture, but seriously, bland food and having to season it really sucks.

Still... I am a fan of my brother. I just hope somehow he would just learn how to season correctly. It doesn't really matter if it's lacking some taste, but tasteless will always be unacceptable.

*** Jenn ***

133/365 - Thirty Today

2010-05-14T13:24:00.003+08:00

13 May 2010

If you would notice my self portraits in my Project 365, you would see me showing mostly my face. The reason why is because I am an obese woman. I don't really pose with my whole body because my physical self just looks awful. :) Anyway, while checking my forum thread, my friend Ethel asked, "What's your birthday wish?" After a few funny wishes, I responded with the serious wish, "I wish to be in tune with myself more. I wish to be more confident."

My birthday wish is something only I can make come true, and why should I wait for it to come true when I can start now? After eating my lunch, I took a quick shower and got dressed. It's a personal tradition of mine to take pictures of myself every time I turn a year older, and as always, I started with the face shots.. and noticing the flow of the dress I was wearing, I set up the tripod in our living room so I could take full body shots.

Well, not all pictures look good (I admit that) - and I am not sure if this one's okay actually, but at least it was a start. I know my arms and my legs are way too big and my boobs are too small for my size, not to mention the scars I have on my legs brought about my a worse case of UTI when I was a kid... I had so many reasons to hid in my shell, but I refuse to do that. I know posting this picture would create a whole lot of criticisms, but I am ready for that. This is my life to live, and I am going to live it with much gusto as I can. Life's too short to be anything but happy.

*** Jenn ***

132/365 - Ice Scramble

2010-05-13T14:49:00.002+08:00

12 May 2010

It was sister's day off, so we decided to go out. Brother woke up early, too, so us sibling were having a day out together. Brother was looking for this photo booth that prints pictures at a cheap price. As we walk around, I saw this kiosk that sells ice scramble. When brother and I were kids, we always go with our paternal grandfather to the market during summertime and he would buy us a cup. It's one of my favorite street foods, and I so hope to taste it again.

Brother treated me this cup... at 10 pesos, it was a good way to rewind days of my childhood. This one's so delicious, it tasted just like the one from before but more hygienic, of course. And, I was thankful to the store staff because upon seeing my camera, they quickly took their strawberry syrup and added more. Nice nice nice!

*** Jenn ***

131/365 - This is a Chicken Dish

2010-05-12T09:48:00.002+08:00

11 May 2010

When I read Fran Haw's blog about the Yummy Magazine contest, I got myself a copy and hoped to cook one of the recipes for Day 131's dinner, but I was so surprised that my mango was missing in the fridge and that I forgot to include the leeks when bro did the grocery shopping. When mom came home with ampalaya, I just asked brother to cook it for dinner and I would just cook the chicken dish next time.

I was already set to take pictures of my supposed to be chicken dish, but since dinner was ampalaya, I just put my cell phone's camera to solarize mode just to picture that feeling that "I was supposed to be eating chicken, but I was eating this." Don't get me wrong. I love eating ampalaya, and this one was cooked good.

*** Jenn ***

130/365 - The Incredible Ink

2010-05-11T13:39:00.002+08:00

10 May 2010

Day 130 was the time when the whole Philippines added a new entry to its rich history: the first ever nationwide automatic elections. I voted early, and even if there were problems, I got lucky to have been part of the cluster with PCOS machine ready for the elections.

The casting of votes was really easy, it was the situation prior to the elections that was causing too much hoopla. But, elections is something all of us have to do for our nation. The one I voted to be the president doesn't stand a chance to win, but I still voted for him. But as a good citizen of my dear country, whoever wins I will support. The progress of the country doesn't solely lie on the leader, it's a collaborative effort, and whoever will be the next president, I will give my best to be a good citizen.

*** Jenn ***

ps - the ink on my index finger is the indelible ink, yes, but I called it "the incredible ink" because I only get to have it every time there's an election.

129/365 - GrassFlyer

2010-05-10T11:07:00.002+08:00

09 May 2010

On Day 129, I met up with shutterbug friends for a get-together and to do a photowalk. After taking some pictures from the weekend market of the Lung Center of the Philippines, we walked to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to take pictures of the animals and whatever catches our eyes. We were about to go to the lagoon when I saw this big grass hopper and thought I'd take a picture of it.

The grasshopper was an instant celebrity as the three of us took turns in taking pictures of it. At one point, the grasshopper seemed to have noticed the attention we were giving him that he just flew! Hmmm... we never saw the critter hopped, so we called him "grassflyer."

There were so many pictures taken that day, but I decided to make this one as my photo for the day because this was the only subject that got my friends and I do a photo frenzy.

*** Jenn ***

128/365 - Hanson Fans United

2010-05-09T19:33:00.002+08:00

08 May 2010

When I started loving the band Hanson, it gave me the chance to meet other fans. I exchange phone calls, letters, e-mails, and merchandize with them, and do get-togethers with them once in a while. Because we are all grown ups now, meeting personally wasn't an easy thing to organize, but because it was a celebration of the 13th year of us being Hanson fans, we were all eager to meet up once again.

It's great to see a bond this strong.

(right to left - Anne, Yne, *me*, Bingkoi, Mia, Dhanah, Joe, Skye, and Jam. The last two people in the row weren't Hanson fans. Hehehe)

*** Jenn ***

127/365 - A Mother in Need

2010-05-08T07:29:00.002+08:00

07 May 2010

Morning of Day 127, my mom asked me to go to the bank and deposit some money in my brother's account. The bank errand was easy-breezy, and since I was already outside and that I was getting a little lazy to cook my lunch, I went to the streets of Lagro to look for food places where I can buy cooked meals. There was this little food stand that sells different kinds of viands, but the stall was closed, maybe it was still a bit early. Thinking where else to check, I saw this beggar.

I pity this mother because I knew she would want a good life (I think all of us want that) not just for herself, but for her kid as well, but because of life's circumstances she ended up in the streets, begging for money just to live. Life isn't always fair, yes... but I just hope life will be well for them.

*** Jenn ***

126/365 - 13th Hanson Day

2010-05-07T07:32:00.003+08:00

06 May 2010

Thirteen years ago, a band of brothers released their very first studio album, and in an MMMBop they were able to capture the hearts of many, including myself. My love for the band and their songs never ended, and being a true-blue fan, I also celebrated the anniversary of me being a Hanson fan.

I couldn't think of any way to express my Hanson love, and when I saw another fan post a picture of her holding a banner saying "Happy Hanson Day," the first thing that came to mind was to use their CD as an earring. And of course, this marked the 13th year of the release of "Middle of Nowhere" CD, might as well use the same CD as my earring! It was nearing midnight and I was getting a little sleepy so I didn't put any make up on... I just strung the CD using a thread necklace, secured it with one of my earrings, and took pictures! :)

Happy Hanson Day to all the Hanson fans all over the world.

*** Jenn ***