Deathly Halfway

Three more days before the most awaited day in 2007! Seventy-two more hours before this excruciating torture ends. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be out on July 21 already!

Good thing the release date in my current geographical location is a non-working day. Otherwise, I will have to utilize one vacation day again for this very important, and yes, life-shattering event, as what I have done for the last five books.

I have just finished reading Book 5 and 6 again to refresh my (epidural-damaged) memory and get ready to devour the last book. No need to read Book 1 to 4 already, I have done so five times or more for each in the past five years.

So how will this great (magical) tale end? Everyone have their own conjecture, their own desired outcome and explanation of things. Here’s mine:

1. Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape executed an Unbreakable Vow before Snape did one with Narcissa Malfoy. Thus, the latter was not valid.
2. Snape is thus still loyal to the Order! He will redeem himself in the last book.
3. If in the event that I am wrong, I hope he pays for his horrible crime with his own life!
4. Dumbledore is still alive. Either that or he will resurrect from the dead, just like Gandalf. This time he will be wearing an all white cloak already. Alright, this one’s way beyond stretching already. Haha!
5. A big part of me wants Harry to die fighting Voldemort. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for me to let go!!! I will want more volumes of how he will live his life after Hogswarts. Will he become an Auror? Will he marry Ginny?
6. I hope there will be more chapters on the romance between Ron and Hermione in Book 7. I am a fan. Hihi.
7. Who is R.A.B?!?!?!?! Can he be Snape?
8. Will Hogwarts be still open this year?

My name is Emi and I am a die-hard HP fanatic.

Halika, Byahe Tayo

After the release of the tourism promotional song "Halika, Byahe Tayo", I have been manually plotting my domestic travels on a hardcopy map of the Phils., trying to color the areas I have visited already. Boy was it a tedious task.

I dream of doing my own Travel AVP using the song but I guess I still have a long way to go to be able to complete it. I haven't even been to Mindanao yet!

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out atLakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

After this expat assignment, we will definitely continue exploring and appreciating the beauty of our beloved Pinas (and thereby improving my travel quotient)!

SuperDad Day

A Rookie Dad no more
You have been elevated to the level of SuperDad

Thanks for always being there for Evan
For all the love and blue skies you bring to our lives.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy Riki!
We hope you had fun on your special day this year.
We love you!

M

MAY, Month of
This entry is a memoir of my ordinary life for the month of May.

Memorial Day
The last Monday of May here in the US is observed as Memorial Day, a time where those who gave the ultimate sacrifice (their lives) are remembered and honored. This day is also a national (non-working) holiday.

Holiday (here in the US) is always an adjective for the word SALE. So off we go again to the garlic capital of the world, Gilroy, not to buy garlic of course, but to pay homage to the outlet stores.

Mighty Mouse
A wireless mouse for my Macbook. Blue-tooth enabled.
See also: Mom’s Day

Mom’s Day
For most parts of the world, the second Sunday of May is a day where mothers are honored, given extra attention and offered special gifts. I had been an inducted member of this privileged group of celebrants for two years now.

My mom and I were treated to a lunch and a tour of Napa. Evan wore his “My Mom Rocks!” t-shirt. Riki treated me for dessert afterwards at my new favorite place in downtown Walnut Creek, the Apple store. I ordered the Mighty Mouse and the laptop bag for my Mac. Woohoo!

I really wish we had Mother’s Week instead.

See also: Mighty Mouse

Moment, Purple Flower
I have been looking for a copy of the book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal since 2005. It had been on the top of my Xmas/Kris Kringle wishlists for the last two years, and a constant query to Customer Service during all my Powerbooks visits. But all efforts to find it were futile. The book seems to evade me for some reason.

That reason was made clear to me the week following mother’s day. When Riki picked me up from work one afternoon, he presented me (an additional) late mother’s day gift. A hardcover copy of the evasive Rosenthal book and a FIRST EDITION copy at that!!! I was panting from disbelief and sheer joy.

You remember the scene in Serendipity where Halley (Bridget Moynahan) gave Jonathan (John Cusack) a first edition copy of the book Love in the Time of Cholera as a wedding present? It was exactly like that moment, except that I wasn’t looking for a telephone number on the first page of the book.
See also: www.encyclopediaofanordinarylife.com for other purple flower moments

Muggle Task and Opinion
I finally got the chance to go to a bookstore and reserve my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (coming out July 21!). After getting my personal details for the database record, the attendant posed a very serious question to complete my reservation. Is Severus Snape a friend or a foe?

My answer was automatic. Of course he is a friend! Professor Albus Dumbledore had trusted him eversince. That is enough for me to believe that he is indeed worthy to be considered loyal. And I bet there will be a twist in Book 7, where Snape will be singing his redemption song in the end. So let's see if I am right on July 21, 2007.

More importantly, the “ Snape Is Loyal” sticker Border’s handing out is purple.

Multiply
I created my Multiply account last year just so I can have access to free mp3s online. But after a month of daily browsing thru Jon and Bibi’s photo albums, I was finally encouraged to ramp up my site just to make it decent for them, and for other visitors as well.

This blog and my Smugmug Family Album will still remain as my main sites though.

Musing
But writing with simplicity requires courage, for there is a danger that one will be overlooked, dismissed as simpleminded by those with a tenacious belief that impossible prose is a hallmark of intelligence.
- Alain de Botton, The Consolation of Philosophy

My Credit

If you have read the Rosenthal book, you will understand while I am writing my post this way. Kudos and full credit to Amy!

See also: Moment, Purple Flower

TRAVEL DIARY: April 2007

Time to start exploring the Golden State!

Armed with printed Mapquests directions and our dependable digicam (DSLR still budgeted for May!), we braved the intertwining freeways and roads of Northern California to visit some of its well-known tourist attractions from our Walnut Creek home this April.


April 7, 2007: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Getting There: 3.5 hours / 170 miles
Whoa! That’s what you’ll utter when you witness Yosemite’s beauty. The graphite mountain, the majestic waterfalls, the gemstone lakes, everything is so picturesque. Lonely Planet calls it the Taj Mahal of national parks. I haven’t seen the Taj Mahal, but I must agree still. Being there, witnessing the awesome beauty of nature makes you feel closer to God indeed, to his awesome creation.

Inside the park, there are hybrid air-conditioned buses that offer free rides around the vast territory. This is a better way to explore the area than bringing your car to every station. You can just hop in the bus, get off one camp to explore the trails and engage in massive camera-whoring activities, then hop in the next bus again to go to the next camp.

April 15, 2007: GILROY
Getting There: 1 hour / 78 miles
Lonely Planet only devoted two short paragraphs for Gilroy, plainly describing it as the garlic capital of the world. Omitted was the important fact that it houses plenty of factory outlet stores! This is certainly a place where everyone's sentiment is “too many stores, so little time!”. A shopaholic’s haven indeed.

It is also the hometown of Riki’s Italian friend/previous co-worker Luca. After a day of record-high kilometers in my pedometer, drinking Japanese beer and Italian espresso in their American home, while chitchatting with their French friends in the backyard (where there are lavenders in full bloom!) is definitely a welcome cool-down before heading back home to Walnut Creek.

April 21, 2007: SAN FRANCISCO and SAUSALITO
Getting There: 45 minutes / 31 miles
A visit to San Francisco will not be complete without seeing (and walking over) the “red” Golden Gate Bridge. Picture-taking in the south and north vista points of the bridge are mandatory. My little man Evan though seemed unfazed by the majestic bridge, taking more interest in the pigeons socializing with all the tourists in the area.

North of the Golden Gate Bridge, is the lovely town of Sausalito. When I first saw this bay neighborhood, only one word came into mind, quaint. Perfect for a romantic stroll, an al fresco meal and a cup of coffee, Sausalito is such a lovely place to spend a relaxing day during the weekend. My favorite place so far!

San Francisco has so many interesting places to visit, a day of exploring is not enough. However, after playing with the pigeons, Evan decided to take his nap already on our way to Exploratorium, which means end of the trip for us for that day. We will definitely come back for more in the future.

April 28, 2007: MONTEREY PENINSULA
Getting There: 2 hours / 120 miles
Sausalito is now just second on my list of favorite places in Northern California. The Monterey Peninsula now tops the list…well, so far. The Monterey Bay Aquarium was a mesmerizing treat for marine animal lovers, strategically located in Cannery Row, which basically is an avenue of charming shops and restaurants, all promoting the area’s sardine-canning business. Riki and Evan had a blast watching the otters, jellyfishes, hammerhead sharks, octopus, penguins and a dozen types of fishes.

I had a better fun time though when we drove along the 17 Mile Drive, a breathtaking scenic route connecting Pacific Grove and Carmel. I just fell in love with the stately and posh seaside homes, the sea, the breeze and the Lone Cypress Tree. This is bed and breakfast destination extreme!

April 29, 2007: SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM
Getting There: 30 minutes / 23 miles
Never a fan of monster rides, Six Flags was not on our list to visit. However, the recently re-opened Marine World/Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo boasts of a wide variety of zoo and marine animals. So off we go, together with other Pinoy office friends to the amusement park. While the rest of them are screaming their lungs out in the thrill-rides, we explored the park, watched the animal shows and posed with the Justice League and Looney tunes folks.

Whew, that was fun! Travelling is indeed more meaningful when you have your family and friends with you to share those memorable shots.

This is just the executive summary of our April adventure. If you want to see the rest of the fun pictures, click this.

Till next month's sojourn! :)