I've every reason to love to Jack Johnson, especially when it is my love for Jack Johnson that brought the Boy and I together (that's a story for another time I guess, or ask me direct, if you care to). But tonight, while we were in the Boy's car, we played my very first Jack Johnson CD - the one with one of my favourite songs, "Inaudible Melodies".

I confess I've never heard the CD beyond "Inaudible Melodies". Tonight, we heard "The News" and I understood why we love Jack Johnson so.

1) This - one of my favourite books turning into what seems to be a fabulous movie by Mira Nair. I can't wait! First I need to re-read it! Good thing I bought a copy...

2) The boy gave me a list of books to look for at the NUS library. It's like a treasure hunt. First you locate the shelf, then the row, then the moment you spot the book, you score.

I really should go back to school - and I really can't wait.

So yea - go knock yourself out.

It's quite the time to re-think having a dream wedding, or having a wedding that is quite in line with our dreams of a better world to live in.

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by daisygal.

and yes, im still blogging, and i'm still going to work tomorrow to type type type. how inconvenient

I do not quite know what that sentence means, but all I know is that while I ponder over the loveliness and inevitablity of the words and listen to Camera Obscura's Dory Previn, I must - I have to love the Boy one more day, the best I can.

Because I definitely love you more than one more day, let us never live any day in regret.

Have also read the very epic The Vision of Emma Blau by Ursula Hegi, (she used to be such a funny writer, when did she get so tragic? ) and the VJ-reccomended The Quantity Theory of Insanity by Will Self. Definitely one of the most bizzare reads of my life and I still think Will Self is a neat name perfect for nomenclature.

I've not been faring that well on the movies' front, having only caught the mediocre and contrived Snowcake (awesome soundtrack though) and the very fabulous and life-affirming Stranger than Fiction at the cinema. I need more movies, but I'm just too busy at work to make time to go to the cinema.

Does watching lots of West Wing episodes count?

When we finally got up at 9am (only!), the house was bustling with activity. JD was telling Uncle Jerry one of his many stories, JM, Auntie J (JM's sis) and Aunt Hilda (the very old domestic helper) were cooking. And J and I just rubbed our eyes and walked towards the breakfast table. Here, I realised that one of the reasons I can never like Filipino food is because of the constant appearance of coconut. And being the polite houseguest I was, I stuffed into my mouth or quickly sneaked whatever coconutty breakfast I could to J. Luckily J was my very willing accomplice. :)

And so we were heralded to go for a walk on the beach. It was Christmas Day after all, families were back to visit, children did not have to go to school and nobody's working at all. So the beach was crowded with people swimming and basically just chilling. When we say "crowded" in the countryside, it is probably considered sparse in the city.

So it was a simple day. We walked a long way on the beach - we went back to the house for lunch. We took an afternoon nap, we went to the sea for a swim. We took an evening nap. We had dinner. We went to the town centre to look at the Christmas lights.

J and I were beginning to get real bored. But I was sure JM would think of some adventure for her city-son.

And I was beginning to get used to showering with well water....

Day 1:

Noticed the amazing landscape that is the Philippines from the air and kept snapping pictures. J's Dad (henceforth known as JD and his mom will be JM) pointed out the long snaking road. It was actually a river until Mt Pinatubo erupted in the 90s, now it's a tunnel of lava and soil.

Uncle Jerry, who is essentially JM's younger cousin, picked us up from the airport. He is a funny, friendly man who really loves his food. J & I would get to know him better the next few days and come to really like him and enjoy his company.

We went to Shoemart (owned by Henry Sy - richest man in the Philippines) for lunch and to buy J a barong (he bought a green one!) for the wedding before our suuuuupppper long road trip. Filipino food was interesting...but little did I know how much I would learn to fear it as the days passed.

We managed to squeeze alot of luggage and all of us into Uncle Jerry's Pajero. Not the most comfortable arrangement but definitely better than a jeepney!

We finally reached San Fernando, La Union at 9pm after more than 6 hours on the road! This is where J's aunt, lives with her children, domestic help, adopted boys and 3 dogs. Everything was still confusing and everyone scary and alien to lainey. But it's time for our Christmas Eve dinner which was lovely (first day of Filipino food only) and after which we got dressed for Midnight Mass.

Unfortunately, it was in Ilocarno (the dialect in that particular province), so J & I left after 10 minutes and went for a walk around the province with Uncle Jerry instead.

The firecrackers and random bombs and what-nots proved to be very disorienting for a very tired lainey who was very out of her comfort zone and feeling very scared. So we hurried back to sleep. Shower in cold well water made me more uncomfortable and even though J & I had the guestroom (the only airconditioned room in the house), I couldn't imagine staying in this little house in the province for more than a night. And we had to stay for three nights!)

His short story is - "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." So heartwrenchingly concise and so Hemingway. I think he is the master of words and no one can match up to that. But it's fun I think, like a more difficult version of a haiku.

Check out the link here.

I've thought of two myself, before I go to bed. Perhaps I should think of one each night. Like a writing mini-exercise to make myself feel better about my life-sucking job.

She checked her phone. No reply.

Why is mommy not coming home?

I should sleep. I think I'm blogging so much because The Boy is not around for me to rant to.

Waking each other up during dinner.