Reading the Dan Wells Trilogy

For the first time since I was in high school, I started and finished reading three books in the same year. Wow! In the last two months, I managed to read The Devil's Only Friend, Over Your Dead Body, and Nothing Left to Lose, all by American author Dan Wells.

It all started a couple of years ago, when I included several book titles in my Christmas wishlist. My friends got me all four books I put in my list, including Nothing to Lose by Dan Wells. Why did I ask for this book? Because I read the blurb on the back cover and was immediately interested.

However, upon reading the wikipedia entry of Dan Wells, I realized that Nothing Left to Lose was the third book of a trilogy. I'm sure I could have still read this book and it would still have made some sense, but I thought I would enjoy it a lot more if I read the first two. So I went to the nearest Fully Booked and got the first two books. Now my set was complete. :)

This Dan Wells trilogy revolves around the protagonist, John Wayne Cleaver, a sociopathic teenager who is employed by the FBI to hunt and kill supernatural beings that have existed for millennia. I have to say, I really enjoyed these books. I think they may be some of my favorite books that I've read. I guess it's because I love stories that take the reader through a thought process that attempts to piece clues together to solve a problem. Of course, solving these problems are never straightforward, and the twists and turns throughout the story add such great elements of surprise and suspense and make for gripping reading.

I've always been a slow reader but as I went through these books, I started reading faster. I guess that's because the closer I got to the end of the trilogy, the more excited I became and the more quickly I wanted to find out how things would turn out. I started out going through about 30 pages an hour but by the end, I was reading almost twice as fast. In fact, I read Nothing Left to Lose in a single day. Cool!

The problem now is that I realized that this trilogy is actually the second trilogy and the end of the John Wayne Cleaver heptalogy - which means there are seven books. What??? I did see this in Dan Well's wikipedia entry but at that time, I thought "John Wayne Cleaver series" indicated the publishing group and not the name of the protagonist LOL. This heptalogy includes a first trilogy, a novelette, and a second trilogy, which is the one I just finished reading. Now, I need to get copies of the other four books.

Nanay's 92nd birthday

My family celebrated the 92nd birthday of my grandmother whom we fondly called Nanay. I somehow triggered the plans when I asked Tita Ace when she was free to celebrate Nanay's birthday. She said she was free at any time so I asked Nanay if she had a preferred date. I relayed Nanay's selected date to Tita Ace then I thought of telling Tita Tuds, who now lives in the province. I asked her if she could join and if her children - my cousins - could also join. Then I thought of asking Manang Neneng, Nanay's sister, who lives only 5 minutes away from us, if she could also make it. As it turned out, everyone was available. Cool!

Our celebration was a feast. I ordered food from CCME. I had been thinking of ordering from CCME for a while but I never got around to it until now. I ordered Lengua in Salsa Blanca, Steamed Lapu-Lapu, and Chicken Pastel. (I had the Chicken Pastel before which I really liked but it was the first time I got to try their Lengua and Lapu-Lapu. Both were also really good. I'm pretty sure I will be ordering again from CCME in the future.) Manang Neneng's family brought bellychon that her son prepared. Tita Ace brought fresh lumpia, sotanghon (which Nanay requested), and chicken lollipop for the kids. Finally, Tita Tuds and her family brought a beautifully decorated cake.

As we were wrapping up the party, Nanay asked for a photo to be taken of everyone there. Luckily, despite space being a bit limited, we all managed to fit in the living room and into one photo.

I'm really happy and thankful that at 92, Nanay continues to have a sharp mind. Hopefully, she continues to have many more wonderful years with us.

Avengers: Endgame

I finally got to see Avengers Endgame and what an amazing finale to the 22 movie-long MCU film series.

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avengers:_Endgame

SPOILER ALERT: I will be talking in great detail about many specific things from the movie and revealing how the film unfolds so please stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

*****

Let me start by saying that, as expected, this movie was pretty emotional. There were two scenes in particular that I found moving. First: the Soul Stone scene. Unlike the similar scene in Infinity War where I couldn't really connect with Thanos' supposed loss of Gamora, this one was quite powerful. The other scene was of course Iron Man's demise. I could see many people wiping away tears during that scene and the scenes that followed. His death scene was really well-directed and the actors performed tremendously well (reminds me what a great actress Gwyneth Paltrow is).

The big scene when everyone returns to life and fights off Thanos' drew massive cheers from the crowd, and deservedly so. I will be a bit of a naysayer here and say that I wasn't really affected by Infinity War because I was kinda expecting everyone to come back. As such, while everyone was tremendously happy seeing the return of the people who disappeared in the previous film, I was just waiting for it to happen. Still, it was an amazing climax and it was great seeing everyone back and fighting together.

Of course, the big thing about this movie was its involvement of "time travel" through the quantum realm. Personally, I am not always a fan of time travel films because it can be a bit iffy. That said, in this case, it has its good points and bad points.

On the very positive side, it is this going back in time that allows End Game to pay homage to the past 21 movies of the MCU. Characters had to go back to scenes from their previous films, resulting in a tremendous amount of nostalgia. Captain America seeing Peggy, Tony talking to his dad Howard, Thor talking to his mother, Starlord dancing in Morag during his first screen appearance, The Ancient One protecting the earth, the Avengers beating Loki, and Captain America in an elevator with Hydra were all very sentimental. These scenes allowed Endgame to pay a very fitting tribute to many of its previous films and tie everything together.

The bad points are the consistency and impact of changes in the timeline. When Tony Stark and Antman attempt to take the Tesseract, a mess ensues that allows Loki to take the Tesseract back and disappear. If he did after the first Avengers movie, how would that have impacted the timeline? He certainly wouldn't have been locked up in Thor: Dark World anymore. Also, Captain America decides to go back in time and stay there to rekindle his love with Peggy Carter and it is implied that they end up together. If they do, what happens then to Peggy's granddaughter, Sharon? And would that also mean that there would be two Captain Americas at some point? It's all too confusing, which makes me not a huge fan of time travel in these kinds of situations. (I also initially had issues about the 2019 Thor taking the Mjolnir when he goes back to 2013 during the Dark World setting. I was thinking that if he did that, then the 2103 Thor who was battling the Dark Elves would have then lost his Mjolnir. Then I was reminded by a friend that Captain America, who could now lift the Mjolnir, went back to that moment and he could return 2013 Thor's Mjolnir.)

One of the elements I loved the most was the major twist where Thanos learns of this time-traveling plan to prevent half the world from being wiped out. That just added an incredible layer of complexity and made it significantly more compelling to watch. Another moment I loved was when all the female characters and superheroes stand in front of Captain Marvel to prevent Thanos from taking the new Infinity Gauntlet. While the Avengers started off with a heavily male cast, a lot of powerful and amazing women have become integral to the story and it was great seeing them together, making a powerful stand.

On the flipside, there were also other elements I wasn't happy with: Thor was made to be tremendously powerful in Infinity War and here he was made to be a joke. Also on consistency, Captain Marvel blew up Thanos' ship and she can fly at tremendous speeds yet she wasn't able to prevent Thanos from taking the gauntlet back from her. I also didn't particularly like this half-Bruce, half-Hulk incarnation. I also felt the first 30 minutes where maybe a bit too slow. (I remember looking at my watch to see how much time had elapsed because I couldn't wait for the action.)

That said, while there are things I wasn't happy with, these are nowhere near enough to make me displeased about Avengers Endgame. It was truly nostalgic and emotionally charged. As the film wraps up, there's a bit of a heavy feeling when you realize you've become emotionally invested in these characters and their story lines that you've followed over the last 11 years and now we have come to the end. The effects, the action sequences, the twists and turns, and even the performances make Avengers: Endgame a truly incredible film. The question on my mind now is whether this movie will manage to knock Avatar off the top of the all-time worldwide gross list.

A Walk Around UP Diliman

During my recent visit to UP Diliman for my E-Waste Project donation, I decided to spend some time walking around the campus to take photos.

The E-Waste Project donation area was in the College of Engineering Lawn so that was naturally my first stop.

I then decided to walk around the Academic Oval. This is the elliptical campus where you can find the most important academic and administrative buildings including Quezon Hall where the Oblation stands, Palma Hall, Vinzons Hall, Melchor Hall, the University Theater, and Vargas Museum. During weekends (or is it just Sundays?) and holidays, this 2.2 kilometer road is closed to traffic, making it a popular destination for runners, strollers, and cyclists.

The academic oval is lined with acacia trees which form a gorgeous canopy.

I then made my way to the Sunken Garden. Just as I was walking by, an aircraft passed overhead, leaving behind a streak in the sky. Naturally, I had to take a photo.

I also passed by the Sunken Garden bench where some Alone/Together scenes were shot.

The Sunken Garden is a really photogenic location. Why this UP Diliman landmark is sunken, no one knows for sure. (There are some theories; read them here.)

I thought about walking all the way to Quezon Hall so I could take photos of the Oblation but I had a mid-afternoon appointment that I would be late for if I did so I skipped that plan. Now I just need to schedule a return visit to take more photos and to visit Vargas Museum.

Dinner at Salta!

Raych arrived in Manila before Holy Week and we made sure that we would get to meet up while she was here. Since Chari wasn't available to join us, we agreed to meet in Quezon City so it would be closer to everyone else. Bett suggested we meet in Salta! in Mayaman Street. No one else had eaten there before so we agreed to try this restaurant.

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Sunday, we are ready 🍷 #saltabypappareph

A post shared by Salta! Italian Rotisserie Bar (@saltabypappareph) on Jun 23, 2018 at 8:27pm PDT

Salta! is an Italian Rotisseri Bar with relatively affordable dishes. We ended up ordering a handful of items, including several pasta dishes such as the Spinach Tartufina Carbonara,

Farfalle Crab on Tomato,

and the Tomato Gamberi.

There are many non-pasta dishes in the menu and we ordered a couple of them, including the 1/4 Chicken & Beef Rib Duo with 2 Salta! Sides.

To cap off the evening, we ordered two desserts (which were the only two available that night): the Ube Panna Cotta Cake...

...and the Triple Cioccolato.

The food was pretty good for its price range and the serving size was just right. It's a small, cozy restaurant and parking is quite easy so it's definitely a good place to meet up with friends to catch up. Which we did. There were so many stories shared that night and it was great that Anna was also in town and was able to join us.

photo from my friend Jette's phone

Raych also brought us some pasalubong in the form of Easter Bunny chocolates from Lindt. Very cute! :)

We stayed there, enjoying the food and each other's company, for about 3 hours before calling it a night. It's amazing that we've been friends now for more than two decades and we are still going strong. I'm happy too that I got to try a new restaurant.

Salta! Italian Rotisserie Chicken Bar
https://www.facebook.com/saltabypappareph/
38 Mayaman Street, Diliman, Quezon City
Phone 02 3729177
Mobile +63 9178309290

La Mere Poulard in SM Aura

I recently had dinner in La Mere Poulard in SM Aura. I had passed by this restaurant a few times before and, as a fan of fancy French cuisine, I always wanted to try it but never had the chance. That is, until I found myself in SM Aura doing a couple of errands. Since I needed to have dinner, I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me to try this restaurant.

La Mere Poulard in SM Aura is a franchise of the original French restaurant in Mont-Saint-Michel. The interior is beautiful and the lights and the color scheme are inviting. I think the brass-looking chandeliers that have a rose gold sheen add a touch of elegance.

The walls are lined with mirror panels and decorated further with photos and paintings. I'm not sure if the photos are of VIPs who have dined in La Mere Poulard but many of them seem to have autographs.

On to the food. I wanted to have some vegetables (I've been trying to eat a lot more vegetables recently) so I selected the Warm Goat Cheese and Artichoke Salad (P350). I like artichokes and goat cheese so I enjoyed this dish. The goat cheese, which seems to have been fried to give it a crispy exterior, provided a soft and salty contrast to the fresh, crunchy vegetables.

Warm Goat Cheese and Artichoke Salad

For my main course, I ordered the Roasted Chicken and Mushroom Normandy Rice (P350). The chicken was well-cooked and juicy. Apparently, La Mere Poulard translates to 'The Chicken Mother' so I guess that means they cook chicken really well. Normandy rice is kind of like a risotto and this was well-prepared, creamy and flavorful, with carrots to provide an extra crunch.

Roasted Chicken and Mushroom Normandy Rice

I really enjoyed my meal here and, looking through the menu, there are a lot more dishes I would like to try. I'm hoping I can visit La Mere Poulard again in the near future to enjoy more of their delicious food.

VPeepz achieve a near-perfect score in World of Dance

This video became viral on social media and deservedly so. VPeepz from the Philippines performed a dance routine in the Cut of the Juniors Team division of the American World of Dance. It was so good that not only did they top their group to make it to the Divisional Finals, they got a near perfect score of 98.7 (in fact, Ne-Yo gave them a perfect 100). Wow! Check out their sensational performance here:


video uploaded in youtube by NBC World of Dance

Apart from the incredible choreography and the amazing execution and synchronization of the dancers, I also loved the fact that VPeepz were wearing Filipino barongs. Way to raise the Philippine flag!

According to their Facebook page, "VPeepz is the varsity team of UPeepz, a dance crew based in the Philippines. Founded in 2017, VPeepz is an urban choreography-based dance crew composed of a diverse group of members from different backgrounds 21 and below."

Whatever happens, VPeepz have certainly made a name for themselves. Congratulations VPeepz on your amazing achievements and good luck in the Divisional Final!

Gaming in the new year

Over the last few months, I've gotten to join and even organize a handful of board and tabletop game nights. These game nights allowed me to play a few new games and re-experience some that I had played only once before.
I got a Bagani Card Game for Christmas last year and I finally got to play it. It's like Ticket to Ride in terms of how you build your hand and play your cards and a bit like Legendary in terms of how you battle the monsters. Game play is pretty fast (maybe around 15 to 20 minutes per game) and it's easy enough to teach. It's simple enough for newbies but it has enough complexity to make it entertaining even for experienced gamers. I really had a lot of fun playing this game.

Bagani: The Card Game

I also finally got to play my Mint Works. While I had played it once before, I hadn't played my own game. My Mint Delivery has also been played in one of our game nights but it was my friends who played it since I was immersed in another game when they decided to give it a try. Another new game I got to try was Villainous, where different villains from Disney films - Maleficent, Ursula, Jafar, The Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook, and Prince John - all attempt to become the most villainous character in the Disney World. It's pretty cool!

I also got to play two games that I played only once before and really enjoyed: Tzolk'in and Castles of Burgundy. Tzolk'in is incredible for two reasons: it has a really beautiful board and it has a very unique dynamic worker placement mechanic. I'm tempted to get my own Tzolk'in but I'm afraid I might not be able to explain this game well enough to other people LOL. Castles of Burgundy is also worker placement but it involves dice rolls. Normally, I'm not a fan of games that involve rolling dice since I don't like relying too heavily on the luck of the roll but Castles of Burgundy is an exception. In this most recent attempt at Castles of Burgundy, I did really well - I almost filled my board (I completed all areas except the blue section) and I ended up with 233 points which put me in first place. Cool!

Castles of Burgundy

I am also really happy that I finally got to play Agricola again. This is one of the first board games I learned but I last played it about 8 years ago. Katco had been wanting to play this game with us for a while, so when I organized a game night last March and she said she could join, I told her to bring her Agricola. We ended up playing it twice that night and it reminded me how much I enjoy this game.

What's interesting is that I have three game nights coming up in three weeks. In one of them, I will be playing a few or my expansion games that I hadn't played before. I am definitely looking forward to that.

Great Moments with Great Friends

The second half of the previous week provided me with many opportunities to spend time with really good friends.

On Wednesday night, I met up with Pia and Tim in Ortigas for dinner. Tim was in town and he was working near Podium so we decided to meet up with him in Nono's after work. Both Tim and Pia started new jobs relatively recently so it was nice to hear what both of them have been up to. Tim's role was quite different from his past roles so it was quite interesting to learn more about the stuff he's doing now.

The next evening, I met up with Martin and Jane in Bar Centrale in Salcedo Village. Martin had Zomato Gold and it gave us a free dish in this Italian restaurant that none of us had previously tried so we agreed to have dinner there. We ordered the Tagliolini Verdi al Funghi, Beef Lasagna, and Chicken Parmigiana and we enjoyed the food. My personal favorite was the tagliolini. One of the more interesting discussions that night how Martin organizes Quiapo tours and that Jane and I would like to join these tours at some point in the near future.

Two days later, I met up with Geop and Ana for lunch in Ooma in BGC. I hadn't seen my first-ever wedding inaanak in a while so when I messaged Geop recently, we both felt it had been too long since we saw each other and that we should meet up soon. And we did. Apparently, Ooma is one of their favorite restaurants and I do like the food here so I was happy that we had lunch there. We shared lots of stories with each other and it was interesting to learn what Ana and Geop have been up to and what their plans are as a couple.

I stayed in BGC the rest of the day because later that night, I had dinner with my college friends. We were sending off Kermin and Gerhard, who were moving to the US. Joining us that night were Gosh, Letlet, Lala, Jay, and Trina. We had dinner in Manam since Kermin wanted Pinoy food on her last night in the Philippines. We initially planned to move to Hotel Bar in Shangri-La at the Fort after dinner but when we got there, it was so loud. As such, we decided instead to go to Brotzeit. We stayed there until a bit past midnight before calling it a night.

I hadn't been out that much in such a short period of time. While it was physically tiring, it was very emotionally enriching. Hopefully, I will have more opportunities to catch up with them again and with my other friends in the near future.

Supporting the E-Waste Project in 2019

Because today, Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national holiday, I decided to head over to UP Diliman to donate my electronic waste to The E-Waste Project. I became aware of this initiative a couple of years ago. After donating all my e-waste in 2017, I decided to continue storing any new e-waste since I was sure there would be more collection activities in the future. I was unable to visit last year so that meant I had more e-waste to donate this year.



I had about three bags worth of e-waste. My stash included used batteries and light bulbs, empty ink cartridges, old chargers, broken phones, irreparable watches, among many other items. Since I knew I would be going to UP during the holiday, I asked some other friends if they wanted me to pick up their e-waste so I could bring them with me. My friends Zaza and Jovan said they did have stuff for donation so I passed by their houses to collect their e-waste. In the end, we had five bags total. Cool!

What you can donate:



The E-Waste Project partners with Envirocycle Philippines. The Project volunteers collect the waste and Envirocycle Philippines does the recycling. You can learn more about Envirocycle Philippines from their website http://www.envirocycle-inc.com/.

I'm happy and thankful that The E-Waste Project continues to organize a week-long collection every year. It allows me and many other people to dispose of our electronic waste responsibly.

The E-Waste Project
https://www.facebook.com/TheEwasteProject
April 8-12, 2019
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
UP Diliman
College of Engineering Lawn