A tsunami scare raged through out the Pacific in the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that shook and devastated Chile leaving hundreds of its people dead.
People all over the island of Saipan was alerted and a lot of them packed up and fled to higher grounds in fear leaving their homes and belongings behind. Everyone in our four story building allegedly left during the night, all except us who had no idea what was happening until it was all over.
It was already 12:20 in the afternoon when my fiance and I first heard about it. I had opened the door on an insistent knock from my friends telling me that there was a tsunami alert since last night after the massive earthquake in Chile. The tsunami was reportedly supposed to hit the island at 1pm and they are headed to higher grounds at San Vicente for safety. I informed my fiance about it and he looked it up in the net and he located a map of some sort that is monitoring the progress of the supposed tsunamis. For some reason, we felt safe in our building and we didn't leave. Eventually we read that the alert on Hawaii had been lifted already and I am thankful that 1:00pm came and went quiet, safe and without funfair.
I learned later on that the earthquake yesterday in Chile had matched a 1906 quake off the Ecuadorean coast as the seventh-strongest ever recorded.
Hachiko: A dog's story
This is one good movie that I have no intentions of watching. I don't want to cry and get depressed and ponder about it for days only to sniffle and remember it all over again whenever I see dogs and their dog face cuteness. No! Ah-ah!
My fiance and I saw its trailer on one of the DVDs we had rented a few weeks back and just by looking at it I know that I will love it. Love it so much that I will sure to cry buckets before the movie is probably done. I have no problem in crying on movies when you don't expect that you are going to cry but I just find it quite weird to rent a movie that you well know you're just going to be depressed about. I mean, isn't life's cruel jokes depressing already as it is that you had to go out your way and depress yourself a little more and even pay for it at that? Now I'm depressing myself with all this depressing talk! Isn't that depressing? Lols! My own sister who had proclaimed that she hasn't cried in any movies since the Titanic had admitted crying heavily on seeing this movie which made me all the more adamant not to watch it at all.
Anyway here's some of my personal dog stories that I found in my old blog and I thought I'd share here for a change since I don't have any reviews at all to give on this movie that I like but would probably never want to see...
John and the Barbeque Stick
Story originally published in my Friendster sCUTEzophrenia blog on February 10, 2008
It was Friday night and already late, our little crowd had trooped in front one of our friend's house where a booze party was going on. Our dogs that were still puppies by then were also there playing around except for the one that was named John who was being cradled like a baby by a friend while she fed him barbecue after barbecue.
John being John who doesn't know how to chew would just gobble down food one after another like some thing that was being starved for weeks on end the way he acts but that's just how he is and always will be. I remember I was by then sitting cross-legged on top of my car’s hood blabbing away with some people when suddenly the girl that was carrying John went ballistic and started shaking the puppy like crazy.
Everyone gaped as she continued to cry out for help calling to the owner over and over again to come and help while she hold out the puppy from her for all to see. The puppy's owner on the other hand had somewhat freaked out herself and instead walked away not wanting to see what’s wrong with her dog. I jumped from where I was sitting to see. The little guy turned out to have swallowed 3 chunks of chicken barbecue including the 3 inches barbecue stick he had broken off from the one the girl was holding. The pup being PG “patay gutom” (a running joke in our group) had allegedly grabbed the food from her and swallowed it before she could even react. She did try to pull it out his mouth but John’s “PG” super powers dominated.
Everyone was quiet afterwards, all eyes staring at John the puppy, expecting him to drop dead or at least heave in pain. But no, he just went on playing with the other puppies as if nothing happened and after two days… we found the broken stick lying inconspicuously inside his dog house with his dog puke that had already dried out. I say way to go John!
Now he is a huge monster of a dog that hasn't changed his eating habits one tiny bit! Well why would he? ;b
Have a heart. Have a dog heart.
Story originally published in my Friendster sCUTEzophrenia blog on February 8, 2008
I was at a store early one eveing to get some bread and I was just coming out of the door when a truck sped by like a hurricane right in front of me leaving clouds of dust and leaves at its wake. As it goes I heard a loud bang not far away sounding as if it had hit something on the road. There was some stray dogs barking by the trees and I was afraid one of them was the casualty. Sure was, when I turned to have a better look, there was a lone black object lying conspicuously on the road. I was praying it was just some garbage bin or something until I saw it wag its tail.
I was pretty sure the poor thing was hurt badly considering how fast the damn vehicle was going. The mother*%#@ driver didn’t even break his speed for a sec. I didn’t know what to do and I just stood there staring at it. Here we were, fussing up with our pets like mad only to see someone do a stunt like that.. arggghhh!!! I went in back to the store and told the Chinese owner what transpired.
I said, "A pickup truck hit a dog on the road just now."
Her reply totally blew me off, she said, "Oh dogs are tender and good." and she said it while smiling up at me.
WHHHATDAFUCK?
I stood there just staring at her, unsure of what else to do then. When I had pondered about it, the woman must have misunderstood me, after all she could barely understand English and maybe she thought I said "EAT" instead of "HIT". Whatever.
I know I could have done more but I didn't. That night I went home feeling really bad.
Hero Dog
I learned this story when I was in 6th grade and it broke my heart and wished I had never heard it. But the lesson in it was heavy and important that somehow it justified retelling the story even if it was sad and tragic.
There was farm dog whose name I could no longer remember, wasn't even sure if my then teacher had given it a name at all when he was telling us the story. This dog that we will now call "Bantay," a generic Tagalog name for dogs meaning "guard", for the sake of the story, is loyal and beloved by his owner and who Bantay loves back more than life itself. Now this farmer owns a large field and he checks it with Bantay tagging along with him day after day. The farmer also has a wife and a baby and there was a time that the wife had to go to the city for a while and the baby was left only with the farmer and Bantay. Noon came and the farmer had to do his routine check of the farm so he told Bantay to guard the child who was sleeping on his cot while the farmer went away.
It wasn't long when the farmer suddenly heard furious barking from Bantay and he ran back quickly home to see what happened and as he approached the house, he saw Bantay ran towards him with his fangs dripping with fresh blood. The farmer was besides himself and in his anger, he killed Bantay. When he went inside his home, he saw that the baby lay sleeping safely while a huge snake lies dead beside it. I hope you got the lesson. The end.
An Ode to Doggie 19??-2009 I saved the best story for last. Doggie was our dog of more or less 20 so and so years. He was just a mutt but he was a part of our family in so many ways than just a pet. He was there ever since I can remember and he was the one and only dog that was really THERE in every aspect of the word. He died on Christmas last year. I really don't remember anymore how we got him, I was still young then. It was just one day, he was there, a pup that somebody gave and the rest was history. I know that the typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but for most the median longevity ranges from 10 to 13 years. We aren't sure just exactly when he was born but we know that he is more than 15 years old. He was already there when I graduated from college in 2003, he was there when I graduated from high school in 1998 and when even when I graduated in elementary in 1994 which makes 16 years total plus the odd years of my childhood.
I went away overseas in 2005 and I got to see him briefly in 2007 when I took a vacation for a week which was the last time I saw him. Months before he died, my brother took him to a vet because Doggie had trouble eating and he could barely stand anymore. Miraculously, he got well soon after that and I was happy with that news. On December though he was at his worst and we were faced with the fact that our beloved dog was old and dying and he chose Christmas among other dates to say farewell. He must have said that since we don't remember his birthday at least we won't forget his dying day. I love you Doggie.
Minami of Palms Resort Hotel in Pau Pau Beach is a beautiful Japanese restaurant set in a modern meets contemporary look that offers a variety of different ambiances within its premises to sooth your every mood. You can choose to dine either on the huge odd shaped table that is perfect for big groups of people, romantic dimly lit portions for two or my personal favorite – the tables propped against glass walls with an excellent view of the beach or the hotel pool and its scattering of trees and other greens.
The establishment's Japanese lunch buffet that is open from 11:00am to 2:00pm every Mondays to Saturdays ranges with a variety of different dishes from Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura as well as fish, chicken, beef and pork dishes. They also have various choices of salads, soups and desserts like the the Italian Tiramisu and other cakes and pastries that are simply delightful.
I have a streak for losing my sunglasses I don't know why. I just bought a really fetching pair before Christmas and just after a few days later; it was already gone never to be found again as what happened to all other sunglasses I had owned. Vanished. Disappeared. Gone to some parallel universe where I could never find them again and unsurprisingly the only one I have left is a white pair of shades that is still with me solely because of the fact that I barely use it.
I never ever buy expensive glasses. I had never done so and probably never will or else I might just as well throw the money to the wind. I'm not saying I don't like buying them though, I have a fetish for sunglasses especially semi dark ones that blank out my eyes a little from the world especially when I'm running late and I don't yet have my make up on and I know that I look more or less a disheveled witch who just got up because she had to. I'll just don them on the way to the office, make a dash on the ladies room when I get there and no one's the wiser.
Bad news is that I had been going through different stores and boutiques around the island ever since I lost my last pair but I couldn't find anything at all that I like. I'm really digging those really humongous aviator shades that could cover almost half of my face and it's so frustrating that the stores here on island offers so little choice on that area. I guess I'd just have to try and check out online stores or have my sister buy one for me back home and have it sent here. Let's see...
It had been a long time since I had last been in Tony Roma's and last two weeks ago before Valentine's I found myself inside it's cozy establishment at the Comete Building in Garapan to meet my friend Lein — who had just flown from Guam — for lunch. We were supposed to meet up with Phil — who must have overslept as usual and didn't at all showed up — to go about our plans for the upcoming events in May in which the we are going to help her spearhead much like we did last year. So it turned out that it was just the two of us for lunch and not our usual trio.
For appetizers we were served with bread and what they call Potato Skins shaped like a leaf or a tiny boat depending on how you look at it that were deliciously crispy and was covered with cheese and chives served with ranch dressing. It was so good, I swear I almost finished the whole plate. For the main course, Lein had baby back ribs while I chose Rosemarie Chicken which was just divine. I had been contemplating on where to go on Valentine's with my hubby and that place was definitely way up on my list.
From the place where Jollibee used to stand in it's happy grandeur is now occupied by Raffy's Diner, a definitely grown up and more serious replacement that offers a range of western dishes.
I had dinner lately there with Hayden a few weeks back but I prefer that place in the morning right by the glass walls where you have an unobstructed view of the Kristo Rai Church and the road. It used to be the place where my fiancé and I would rendezvous to meet and have breakfast together and I had enjoyed those times extremely especially when it drizzles and we would be inside sipping coffee huddled together while watching news or sports on their flat screen television or just looking at the rain and eating breakfasts the way they are supposed to be: heavy, greasy and cheerful sunny side ups with hash browns, french fries and sandwiches.
Tangji is just one amongst a number of Chinese restaurants clattered around the island of Saipan. It is small and inconspicuous beside the Mobile Gas Station across Pizza Hut and First Hawaiian Bank along Middle Road. Inside it looked like a windowless one room nursery with it's pink walls with nonuniform chairs and tables that screams at its total plainness. Though it is not necessarily the kind of place that will impress anyone, they certainly makes it up by the food they serve in an overly friendly price that ranges as low as $3.00 per order and a chili which I love that is only moderately hot just perfect for their every dish.
Among their selection, I had taken to liking their Beef with Scrambled Eggs that is served under piles of stir fried Chinese Pechay and reaming servings of rice which I again asks without fail that the Chinese waitress knows already by heart and would guess my order for me even before I open my mouth. My boyfriend on the other hand - a person of habit such as I - would also always ask for his favorite Shrimp with Scrambled Eggs while the rest of our friends would all opt for the place's infamous Beef Broccoli.
I myself do not tend to experiment with my orders at Chinese Restaurants for I have seen a number of friends who did and ordered something they aren't familiar with and ended up being sorry at the end. An incident such as that happened a few months back when one of my bestfriends Elle decided to try something new on the menu at Tangji without asking what it was and it turned out to be a soup that looked and tasted like plain water with salt and a dash of flour. Tophee and I at that time couldn't help but laugh and tease her as we shared portions of our regular but much beloved choices to her so she wouldn't feel half as bad.
Poon's Restaurant is a new Chinese establishment located also in Middle Road which definitely looks more classy in contrast to Tangji-a Chinese restaurant that we like and frequent. They have round tables to go with their black high back chairs that had caught my eye when we came to check it out. We came to visit when my colleague and friend Eve had gotten a $35 Gift Certificate from the restaurant and she called us all in for a lunch treat, otherwise I wasn't sure if I'd have the opportunity to drop in since its standing on an area where it is not much noticeable.
It was a pretty place with an all-year-round decorations we sure had fun pointing at each other. At first I commented how advance and ready they already are for Valentine's when we realized that other holiday decorations are either thrown around the room, hanging or plastered on the walls in greeting. They had Valentine's Day cut outs, Chinese New Year symbols and lanterns, Christmas wreaths and displays - you name it. Someone from our group then pointed out at an altar on a corner of the room and said out loud, "That one must be for All Soul's Day!" which got us all laughing. The food was good especially the deep fried chicken and the beef broccoli that we ordered in a very affordable price.
Costa Terrace Restaurant (Aqua Resort Hotel) is one of my true favorites which is open from breakfast to dinner all throughout the week with their special seafood buffet on Sundays. Their weekday buffet however is a wide selection of dishes of chicken, beef and pork and an even more impressive array of desserts such as ice cream, fruit salad, cakes and other pastries. The place is also a favorite choice for receptions and gatherings, in fact, one of my godson's Christening reception among others was held there inside a room adjacent to the main dining area.
They also have a pasta corner where you decide which ingredients among the choices there you'd like to put on your spaghetti or carbonara. Aside from the food, its the service in Aqua Resort that we love best with their more than accommodating staffs that are ever ready to assist you the best they can.
There are two J's Restaurant establishments on island: There's one along Beach Road and another on Middle Road. Among the two, I personally prefer the latter which I find cozier and more appealing in every aspect I could think of compared to the other. We consider ourselves genuine patrons of that place and more often than not we always asks for the same order over and over deeming the menu of no use to us anymore.
Both me and my fiancé's favorites are the crispy Chicken Chasers and Beef Bulalo that we always order without fail every time we find ourselves in those premises. Some friends of mine for example usually opts for the Crispy Pata and Sinigang na Hipon in which they never fail to taunt me with knowing full well I wouldn't eat it any way. I in particular like their iced tea and of course their cups after cups of coffee.
But it was more than the "comfort food" as we call it why we frequent that establishment, it has also become a "comfort place" to many nocturnal beings like us who sometimes drop by in the middle of the night to eat and hangout. What with their dim lighting and comfortable cushioned chairs placed strategically against the walls with large windows where you can view either the parking lot or the cars zooming in and out on the road or the extra dim elevated area with the television overhead so you won't miss any of the shows you like while you eat and stay hour after hour just chatting or idling away without anyone bothering you.
I thought I like Sushi but now I had come to love it after visiting Himawari — a Japanese restaurant in a rather secluded area in Garapan.
Himawari is actually also a Japanese store and the restaurant which was also named after it, is housed on its right wing area. The place was small but nevertheless attractive in its own right. Besides I had always like Asian decor especially the Japanese styles of clean, simple, serene designs although this particular restaurant is more in to dark wood when it comes to their furniture and some antiques for decorations.
My fiancé and I together with his family had decided to have dinner which was rather unexpected. We were just supposed to have an ordinary dinner at some restaurant we frequent but in a sudden inspiration my fiance turned towards Himawari out of the blue asking us if we cared for some Japanese food that night. So we said why not since we haven't tried the place yet and how glad I was that we did.
We ordered their specialty — a plate of Sushi in 12 different varieties and another plate of Salmon Roll plus a steaming bowl of Ramen. The Sushi variety plate was beautiful and very creatively made served with wasabi and pickled ginger or gari; the art in the food and how painstakingly it must have been done didn't escape me. I reached out with my chopsticks and picked a roll surrounded with tiny little orange gems that I found out was called Tobiko—a roe commonly called flying fish roe that is commonly used to flavor and enhance texture of a variety of sushi rolls which has a slightly salty taste—and popped it in my mouth where it melted in a surprisingly perfect mingling of flavors that was truly delicious. The next I tried was this roll with peach colored fish on top which I believe is white tuna and I was surprised on how delectable and fresh the fish was without the taste of rawness that I had to double check on what I was eating to check if it was indeed raw at all. I tell you every bite of that morsel of fish was heaven in itself and was a real treat to the senses. I had quite finished the thing already when I asked my fiance the name of the fish to confirm what I just ate and he laughed telling me that I should have left some for him to see. I tried all the other rolls that looked yummy and they were all fantastic except maybe the one filled with orange fish eggs which was actually Salmon eggs called Nigiri Sushi-Ikura that I didn't finish because I didn't like the way it all went popping inside my mouth when I chewed it. I scanned the remainders of the plate trying to decide which to try next and I could have gone ahead and ate everything if I didn't recognized the rolls that came with octopus and other sea creatures I couldn't fathom to eat and so I left the rest to my companions and eyed the other dish instead.
I tried one of the salmon roll applied with mayonnaise and melted cheese stuffed with avocado, cucumber and some other vegetables and once again it didn't disappoint. I think I finished three from that roll and by that time I was munching the third one I was already stuffed and couldn't have another bite even if I wanted to.
They haven't seen the last of me though because right now I'm already hankering to go back for more of those wonderful sushi!
Something peculiar happened to me one time that got me a little piqued. It was after two in the morning when a friend dropped me off at home from dinner after an event that we both attended. Before going inside, I went to walk at the back of my house to look for my dog Wangkers who usually waits for me besides where another friend’s pet dog Jakjak who is usually tied up. I was calling for Wangkers when Jakjak spotted me walking towards him. He was wagging his tail at first when all of a sudden, he straightened and barked furiously at me -- something that he has never done before. I reprimanded him to be quiet and to remind him that it was me he was barking at but as I went nearer, he got angrier and angrier all the more. What baffled me was when he suddenly stopped on his tracks and without taking his eyes off me, howled an ear-shattering cry.
Not wanting to wake up anybody, I quickly brushed him off and walked over towards my house where I saw my dog Wangkers right ahead. I called on to her expecting acknowledgment. I was perplexed when she suddenly ran away scared as hell and whimpering under a table. I suddenly became aware of my surroundings, aware of the gazillion ghost stories that circles that place in San Vicente. Though I wasn't at all scared, something told me that I wasn't alone or at least the dogs were seeing something I'm not. I followed my dog and called to her again, she came out of her hiding place under a table in front of my house, got a good look at me and finally came to greet me albeit halfheartedly. I picked her up and cradled her in my arms, watching for any more weird reactions. There was none. I walked inside my house firmly closing the door behind me. Whatever they saw was gone.
Story originally published in my Friendster sCUTEzophrenia blog on March 15, 2008
