#I watched two (2) very artsy movies this afternoon

[chocolatepot]

I am such an unintellectual. Rewatching Friday Night Dinner in 2024 and it still makes me cry laughing.

[xnchxntmxnt]

OMG HAPPY 2OO LUV!! ILYSM, AND YOU DEFINITELY DESERVE MORE!! AS EXPECTED I'M HERE FOR THE MATCHUP EVENT AND I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE KSDJFHSDF

1 | name : amie 2 | pronouns : s/her 3 | preferred gender : doesn't really matter 4 | self-description :

— it's ya clown sho <3 anyway, i'm an ambivert but more inclined towards the introvert side. my MBTI is INFJ and i'm a Gemini. i'd describe myself as someone who's very observant? yea, i guess. i'm awkward and you know it. My favorite color is blue, specifically sapphire, but i love all pastel colors. My fav show is Chicago Medical and all the psychological and crime thrillers out there are my favorite ( silent patient is my #1 though ) I love painting, playing piano and basketball!

— what i look in a partner you ask, uh, someone who can tolerate my silence. there are times when i go quiet for a whole day, i'll barely speak, no interaction nothing. i want someone who'd not exactly 'deal with it' but 'understand it.' also, i want someone who i can talk to without any hesitation. i have a hard time opening up so i don't do it but when i do, i spill almost everything. i might cry, might have anxiety attack, i might even shout. i know it's not very healthy but i want someone who can help me with those. plus someone who i can read with please <3 cheating and not having any respect for personal space would be the major deal breaker for me

5 | gen. aesthetic : my fashion sense starts from sweats and ends in sweats. i'm a big fan of those oversized hoodies and shirts, like something really comfy. however, i do have a collection of formal wears like blazers and dress.

6 | color/s to describe myself : red, actually. if not read then blue. it switchers but red 90% of the times.

7 | fav song/s : literally everything by Chase Atlantic and The Neighborhood. However, my absolute favorites are some of the famous classical pieces like Experience by Ludovico Einaudi and Chopin's Ballade No. 1 Op 23.

8 | fav genre of music : classical music ( Beethoven, Einaudi and Chopin own my heart )

Lol this is very lengthy I'm sorry, btw congrats again!

I looked into MBTI, I looked into zodiacs, I went off of what you said

Here he is, the man, Seijoh’s do-it-all guy

HANAMAKI TAKAHIRO ur new boyfriend

There is not enough content for him, anyway

How You Met

Bear with me here

Think about this

Artist!hanamaki

You love painting? Art club.

Idk if youre actually in any art club but shhh

Anyway, it was probably some sort of community thing full of tons of different age artists (bc you’d have basketball or something after school and he had volleyball)

So like once a week on thursday afternoons everyone gets together and does all sorts of artsy stuff

Everyone listens to lo fi music (or you can bring headphones) and chit chat and just paint for a couple hours

Its in the back section of a library (bc the library near me does stuff like this its awesome) so if you want you can go read a book while you wait for things to dry

One day the person that ran it suggested you talked to the new guy

He was about your age, it was his first day, they didn't know what all he was good at, and tbh they thought you two would look cute together

Just the vibes yk

So you set up your canvas and stuff next to him and introduced yourself

And you guys just vibe to the playlist

He’s REALLY good

Compliments you a lot too

Which is fun because he’s cute so it makes you a little flustered

You find out you guys go to the same school and he’s on the VB team

And says he has a (practice) game that weekend and asks you to come if you can

Which you do

And they win! So its fun!

Matsukawa basically asks you out for him though

He’s heard all about you already

“You don't get it issei! She’s so pretty!! God, she touched my hand and I thought I was gonna die!!!!!” “the enthusiasm is new for you” “shut up asshole” (conversation from the night before)

So he walks up to you after the game and is like “Hey so,,, we’re going out to get some lunch, you wanna come?”

Makki thinks HES flirting with you and is pissed off about it

Until you all sit down for lunch and oh, the only open spot for him is next to you (since when is matsukawa willing to sit between iwaizumi and oikawa??)

He asked you out after art club that week (Mattsun threatened not to give him any more monster for the rest of the month if he didn't get the guts to do it)

General Headcanons

You date hanamaki, you're also dating matsukawa

There’s no separating them (good thing ur MBTIs work together too, especially for strong friendships)

This was literally my first thought

So

Good luck with both these trolls

More on that later

Of course he’s going to be worried if you go radio silent for a while, but he'll understand

There are some days he’s not gonna wanna talk either

He’s really supportive on your bad days of course

Expect a random text in the middle of the evening from him

“Hiya sweetheart, just wanted to remind you that you’re beautiful, I love you, and I hope your day is going well.”

When he’s having a bad day, the same thing is all he needs from you to keep moving

He’s a really honest person. If you want to talk to him, be prepared not to get any sugar coating. If you tell him to shut up because you don’t want advice, he will. But if you expect advice from him, expect brutally honest advice. Subtlety is not his strong suit, so when it comes to advice, he’s going to tell it like it is. He's just trying to help, yknow?

However, he’s pretty good with people, so will know how to comfort you when something is bothering you. Tea and cuddles? Gotcha. Dancing at 11pm because neither of you want to sleep yet? On it. You want him to hold you? Perfect.

He’s not like...the most touchy person? There are some things he’s really indifferent on, and other things he’s stubborn as hell with. Whatever you wanna do, though

His weakness though

⚠️this part is slightly little bit suggestive⚠️

He will randomly walk up to you and pull you against him, give you a really deep kiss, smirk and walk away like nothing happened

Like hands in hair probably almost making out and then just

Walk away

Because that’s how he kisses and it’s breathtaking every time

It’s either little temple kisses or forehead or cheek pecks or something

Or that

And probably leaves you flustered and it’s funny (to him) (and to me if I was there with you) (bc that would be funny)

Hmm I’m thinking

I’m thinking hair dye dates

He needs help doing his hair from time to time Y’know (he doesn’t he just likes spending time with you) and he wants to make it pink again

So he teaches you how to do his hair and even offers to dye yours one day

Either just a strand or the ends or everything, up to you

Imagine having twinning hair dye with makki isn’t that cute

I think it’s cute

I said ur platonically dating mattsun right

Yes you are now

He absolutely adores you and loves how much makki loves you

Probably would have asked you out if makki didn’t but he was really pushing for makki to because he was just all over you in the beginning

He wasn’t overly attached to you romantically so being friends? Perfect. Sounds great

You two get along wonderfully though like you act like siblings once you warm up to each other

Again, very brutally honest person, but a little more awkward so doesn’t know what he’s saying might come off as he’s acting like a dick

He doesn’t try to though and he does really care about you

Flat out told makki if he breaks up with you and breaks your heart he’s gonna kick his ass (makki doesn’t know he had the same (less aggressive) conversation with you)

Tbh all of the VBC at seijoh loves you

Oikawa loves talking to you he thinks you’re great for makki

Gets you in on he and makki and mattsun’s antics

Iwa thinks you’re good too he just doesn’t know you as well

I think that kunimi would like you (he was almost a runner up--)

Kindaichi too

The first years just think you’re cool even if they won’t say it out loud

Seijoh VBC loves you

You got mattsun’s approval

And hanamaki loves you with literally everything in his life

So

You’re pretty set with your strawberry baby huh

Date Night!

SLEEPOVERS

I was waiting for some matchup to come along that gave me sleepover vibes

In a perfect world where you could do sleepovers with your bf because most parents would,,,not let that happen

Imagine…

He shows up at like 7:00 after practice, pizza in hand because he picked up dinner

You two eat, chat about your day, he probably scarfs down half the pie bc it’s after practice ofc he’s hungry

So when you guys are done eating you head up to your room

And make pillow fort

It’s mandatory

Different design every time, but there’s a pillow fort nonetheless

And then when there’s just enough room for the both of you to climb in

You get a blanket and a couple pillows and one of your phones or laptops or whatever and watch a movie and cuddle

When the movie is over you guys break out the face masks

You ever wonder why he has such great skin? It’s thanks to you (or if you don’t have masks, he picks them up on the way home from practice)

But anyway you guys talk shit about people for a while and sit with the masks on (it’s usually him talking about how Oikawa is a bitch as much as he loves him) (or about whatever he and Mattsun were talking about lately)

You both get chances to vent while the masks sit on your face and you just vibe with music (usually that you pick) (he listens to like,,,meme songs and like CORPSE yk)

After masks you guys make/get some snacks and munch on those during another movie but this time you’re in comfy jammies and more relaxed Y’know

Less paying attention to the movie you’ve seen a million times and just vibing in each other’s presence and it’s just really sweet

Fall asleep on his chest

Let him fall asleep on yours

Either way, you’ve got him whipped for you he loves you

Not that he doesn’t already but that’s his favorite thing ever so please just let him do that

Always makes sure to tell you he loves you before you sleep too

If you fall asleep first he takes embarrassing pictures of you with your hair being a mess & you best bet he sends them to mattsun because “she’s so cute omfg” “dude” “dude what” “you’re so fuckin stupid” “?” “Whatever—good luck being whipped just tell me when you need to get a ring, k” “you’re such a jackass” “yeah yeah Gnight”

Zodiac/MBTI

Okay so I’m not doing a big long paragraph for all this BUT from what I understand, Gemini/Aquarius are really compatible, and ENTP and INFJ are known as “perfect matches” sO (I had a really hard time deciding between Atsumu and Makki because they're both ENTP)

Psst Gemini + Leo is compatible and so is INTP + INFJ,,,, so, again, asking you to marry me sho 💍💍

Aesthetic/Vibes

Playlist

Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 846

Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi Trio (meme song)

Sky Full Of Stars by The Piano Guys

Someone To You by The Piano Guys

Shut Up And Dance - Simply Three

Runners Up

Miya Atsumu, Tsukishima Kei

[purplesurveys]

965

What's your favorite type of survey to take? Random question surveys that don’t make me think too hard are my favorite, like this one. Surveys that bunch categories together are also fun. Bolding ones are fine but I prefer elaborating on my answers so that I don’t go through them quickly, because otherwise just bolding gets boring.

What was the last topic you read about? I recently watched a Good Mythical Morning episode where they talked about certain US presidents’ favorite snacks, and since I was only vaguely familiar with most of the mentioned presidents I took some time to read about them.

Have you ever made a diorama? I probably did in grade school but given that it’s such an artsy craftsy project kind of thing, I’m sure I did horribly and that my brain has kept it from being stored in my memories.

Do you prefer Windows or Mac? Maaaaaac. I spent enough time with Windows, but I would not go back.

What's the best amusement park ride you've ever been on? I was never an amusement park ride type of gal since I tend to get dizzy from anything fast, but I’ll give an exception to the octopus since that gave me a lot of fond memories from high school.

Where are you right now? Describe the room or place. In my bedroom. Four white walls, two windows, a variety of prints and paintings on the wall, a desk in one corner with my laptop and a journal, and a bunch of knickknacks stored in my drawer, a storage chest, and the bottom tier of my closet.

Have you ever participated in a fundraising campaign? I’ve shared tweets and posts to help raise awareness about certain fundraising campaigns that I support, but I never spearheaded or managed any of them myself. I’ve donated to a few.

Do you know how to knit? No. I didn’t care much for it when they taught it in grade school, but now I actually kinda want to check it out. I feel like it could be therapeutic for me this time around given how crappy my life is being at the moment.

What did you have for lunch today? I skip lunch all the time since I typically have late breakfast, but I might snack on the brookies that we have during my lunch break.

Name some of your favorite sitcoms. Friends, The Big Bang Theory but only up until season 6 or 7ish, and this 80s sitcom that my parents tried to introduced me to when I was 10 but I ended up really loving and watching all eight seasons of, Perfect Strangers.

Who is the 7th contact in your phone and how did you meet them? Blanch! My favorite vape break partner ha. I met her when I was applying in my college org. Part of my tasks as an applicant was to have a conversation with as many present members as I can talk to, and eventually I crossed paths with her. I remember calling her ‘Ate’ during our first few interactions, aw...until I realized she was actually a year younger than me haha. I miss her so much. She was such a laidback friend to be with and always had a healthy supply of dank memes.

Would you know how to read a house blueprint? Probably not right off the bat because I’ve never even seen one in real life. Give me a few minutes though and I think I’d be able to get the hang of it.

What shirt do you wear the most? I tend to repeat bottoms more often since I have fewer of those, but I don’t know if I wear a certain shirt more often than the others. I like making sure I wear them all an equal amount.

Do you keep notes on your phone? What sort of things do you write? A lot. I use the Notes app for almost everything, from writing about weird dreams I’ve had, baby names I like, my passwords, movies to watch, notes from school and work, and ideas about anything I’m working on just in case a random interesting thought pops up in my head.

Have you ever used Duolingo to learn another language? I’ve attempted to use it a few times including once during this lockdown to learn Spanish, but I always end up forgetting about it. I also tried to learn Korean but their audio exercises were so hard. I realized I learn Korean so much quicker and more effectively by reading the hangul that comes up often on Korean reality shows.

What was the last video game you played? It’s been a while since I touched a game console but I’m pretty sure it was Mario Kart 8 on the Switch.

Do you remember much from high school? Not a big bulk of it but just enough to be able to look back and share several stories if I have to. It helps that I was already on Twitter throughout high school though; whenever I’m stumped about a certain high school memory I can just look through my account and look at my old tweets and photos I posted.

What's your favorite fruit to snack on? None of them on their own, but I can handle fruits incorporated in other foods, like avocado cheesecake or mango bits in my sushi. I’m not that big of a hater, hahaha.

Has anyone ever come out to you? A few people. I’ve always been very supportive but I make sure I express it in a nonchalant way. I find that people who came out to me always appreciated it the most when my response makes it look like their orientation isn’t a big deal to me and that I love them all the same.

Have you ever been part of a bridal or groom's party? No. That doesn’t happen here.

Are there any rooms in your house that don't have windows? No, all do. The bathrooms have tiny windows that are all the way up to let light in.

What's your go-to order from KFC? ZINGERRRRRR. And a chocolate brownie. This question made me realize how much I miss getting KFC, holy shit.

What was the last album you listened to in full? I cannot remember the last time I did this...my best guess would be no song without you by HONNE.

Would you prefer cupcakes or a big cake for your birthday? Any other day I would prefer cupcakes simply because I think they’re better and generally have more variety. But cakes are a birthday thing, man. My birthday would feel incomplete without one; receiving even just a cake slice would do.

What emotion is strongest for you at the moment? Melancholy.

Do you have Disney+? No. I don’t know if we have that here already.

Have you ever sent a package or letter to a foreign country? I don’t think so.

How many jobs do you have on your resume? My resume lists down 6 but that includes extracurricular shit I did in college that mentions the work I did in organizations and publications. So far, I’ve had 0 full-time jobs and 2 internships.

Do you use pepper to season your food? Almost never. My parents already add it in while cooking.

When was the last time you had a headache? This evening. Work was too much this afternoon and the weather sucks, so my temples felt sore for a bit. I think it’s mostly gone now though.

[missguomeiyun]

I’m back from Korea

I feel like October didn’t happen at all .. but at the same time, it happened & it happened too quickly =/

I was away for 2.5 weeks in Korea, & then when I came back, it was a mini series of night shifts so I practically did nothing. .. & by the time I realized it, it was Halloween & I was working evening shifts so I didn’t go out. O_O it has been 1 crazy month. But November is here now, & things are returning back to normal: my vacation withdrawal is over, & I have some “normal” combo of shifts, & it’s time to say bye-bye to the hot weather. It’s gonna be great~

Okay, let’s be real: I’m never “over” a Korea trip lol the other day, I was really craving that budae jjigae. The struggle was real. So I made it for lunch ^^

For my 1st return post, I’ve decided to keep things simple & just share a brief summary of my 2.5 week-long trip with you!

Day 1-4: I stayed at my usual Seoul home, Namsan Hill Hotel. I was unable to book a longer stay at this place =( These 1st few days, I revisited some places in Seoul: Namdaemun (for hand-cut noodles called “kalguksu”); Sinchon/Ewha Womens Univ area/Hongik Univ area for shopping & ; Gyeongbokgung area for Tongin Market & some art museums; Insadong/Samcheongdong/Bukchon Hanok Village for some relaxing strolls around traditional Korean housing. Some new places I went to include:

- a cafe called “Kopi Han-yak-bang” (lit. trans.: “coffee Korean pharmacy”). Look it up! It’s super cool! The owner believes coffee has a healing power, just like traditional herbal medicine, so the cafe is like a vintage herbal medicine shop/pharmacy. It feels as if you’re entering a movie set rather than a cafe.

- The Skyfarm for brunch! Pretty place with amazing view of Seoul.

- Seongsu area for industrial warehouse cafes. It was a valuable & memorable experience bcos Seongsu used to be an area for large factories (making of leather products & shoes, & car-fixing shops), but it’s revitalizing & the large factory spaces are now being converted to hip coffeeshops. Many of which do collabs with local/emerging artists & fashion designers so there’s lots of artsy things to see in these coffeeshops.

- Seoul Forest. There’s like a picnic area, some basketball & tennis courts, walking trails, etc. .. I had a convenience store goods dinner in the picnic area, & watched the sunset there.

Day 5-8: I moved over to Savoy Hotel located in the heart of Myeongdong. It’s ~15min walk away from Namsan Hill Hotel. Great location but also quite loud. My options were slim when I was booking stuff, & I needed to stay close to Seoul Station bcos I arranged 4x 1-day trips! I didn’t realize it at first but then I was like, “I have 4 back-to-back day trips right now.” I was essentially out every day from like 0700h to 2100h.

Trip 1: Paju~ for Heyri Art Village & Provence. I have been to these places before & really liked it so I went back, esp Heyri Art Village. After the day trip, I met up with 2 of my coworkers for K-BBQ in the Hapjeong area.

Trip 2: Jeonju~ I only went to 1 place in Jeonju & that was the Jeonju Hanok Village. It was raining all day that day. However, it was still very enjoyable. The village was a beautiful place, & under the rain, it looked even more picturesque.

Trip 3: Incheon~ for Incheon Chinatown & Wolmido, which is an island connected to Incheon via a highway. Due to its close proximity to China, Incheon became a major port for trades back in the day, & the Chinese immigrants basically settled here, hence it’s the largest Chinatown in Korea. I met up with my friend Ji Yoon in Chinatown & we spent some time catching up.

Trip 4: Gangneung~ For the annual Gangneung Coffee Festival; its title was “Voices of Coffee” this year! It was held at the Gangneung Olympic Ice Arena. I can’t recall how many shots of coffee samples I had that day, but it was a lot. I also went to the Anmok Coffee Street, which is a line of cafes along Anmok Beach - all the cafes face the beach so the view is pretty. Even more so on the day I went bcos it was cloudy =]

Day 9: remained in Seoul today. Went to the Seoul Botanic Garden, which opened its doors in May 2019. Very pretty displays~ Huuuuuge space too. It was like Telus World x Muttart Conservatory x Devonian Botanic Garden. Lots to see, & if you go, allot more time for yourself here. & then in the evening, I camped out by Yeouido Hangang Park for the annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which was named “Life is Colourful” this year. So many ppl! I was expecting that before going but it was beyond my imagination. It was truly an experience- the streets were blocked off for pedestrian traffic & literally, it took like 10mins to move 5meters after the show as over! Then at the subway station nearby, there was a bottleneck, where apparently the capacity inside the underground station was reached so we needed to wait outside the exit.. . still, it was fun!

Day 10-12: 1 way train ticket to Busan. Yes, train to Busan ;) I was safe though hehe Busan was beautiful! In hindsight, I should’ve spent more time here but . .. NEXT TIME! I went to BIFF Square & Gukje Market, which was like across from my hotel, Stanford Inn Busan. Gamcheon Cultural Village was super cute; although I would hate being a resident there =/ The Busan Int’l Film Festival was happening then, & I visited the Expo & Convention Centre for the film market. Can’t go into the exhibition, but that whole area was filled with ads/posters of BIFF - it was a big deal! It was cool to witness such a big event & to experience the sheer scale of it. I then went to Shinsegae Centum City, which is the largest shopping complex in the world.  Haeundae Beach was also cool. I went on a cloudy day & it was awesome! That same evening/night, I checked out the Jagalchi Fish Market, which is the largest seafood market in Korea. It has 7 floors total, with 3 underground parking levels :O On the last day, bcos I only had the morning available to do stuff, I had Busan fish cake for breakfast & strolled in BIFF Square again.

*Note: I actually hit all the things on my itinerary EXCEPT for the Busan Museum of Art, which was closed on Mondays =( but the security guy let me in to see the lobby bcos he knew I was a tourist. Thank you!

Day 13-17: Flew from Busan Airport to Jeju Airport. I used more time than needed for the whole process- turned out foreigners have their own line at the Busan Airport, so it’s faster than locals. There’s also a domestic terminal & international terminal, so from arrival to being checked in & through security.. . it took less than 25mins. It was great! In regards to Jeju, I did the following:

- stayed in Jeju City for the arrival afternoon/evening, with my hotel being Astar Hotel. Had a street food dinner at Dongmun Market; they were having this night market/festival event so a bunch of street food stalls were open from 7pm-midnight. Smelled like heaven haha

- I did my 1st hike ever on Hallasan Mountain, specifically the Gwaneunsa Trail, & I reached the peak. It was.. . hard. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it; however, it has proven to me that I am a land person, & I belong in museums, cafes, & street walking lol. Look up the details of the trail! Was it ambitious of me to go on this for my 1st hike ever. .. without any hiking gear? I went with what some ppl would consider gym shoes, a hoodie, leggings, & a backpack with water, juice, kimbaps, 2 bananas, 6 mandarins, & some snacks (cheese crisps & pineapple cream-flavoured crackers).

- The day after the hike, my legs were still okay. But it was my glut that was starting to get sore XD I went to Osulloc Tea Museum & Innisfree Jeju House. The aesthetics <3

- Went to Black Pig Street for black pig bbq. I was hoping a restaurant or two was taking solo-diners & thankfully, the 2nd restaurant I asked did! I ordered pork neck instead of pork belly - it was quite tender & kinda chewy, actually. Later that evening, I went to the Tamra Cultural Festival 2019. It was neat~ There was an outdoor night market, as well as a stage for cultural dance/play/music.

- Jeju Island is actually quite small, & it takes approx. an hour from 1 side of the island to the other side. Thus, for my 3rd (full) day, I went to the Jungmun (Jeju City is north of the island; Jungmun is south coast) & visited the Yellow Cafe, Chocolate Land, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, & Yeomiji Botanical Garden.

- From Jungmun, I took a local bus to Lee Jong Seop Street in Seogwipo, the next city over. The street is very pleasant & chill, with artwork along the street, coffeeshops & eateries, as well as little gift shops. Totally my thing! It reminds me Bukchon Hanok Village in terms of vibe, but minus the traditional housing look. The Seogwipo Olle Market is nearby, & is a great place to buy Jeju souvenirs. The pricing, I heard/read, is cheaper than Dongmun Market in Jeju City - it is true! There are also less tourists here, which was what made it enjoyable for me, personally.

- Only the morning on my last day was free for activities bcos my flight to Seoul was early afternoon. I visited the area around Jeju City Hall, which was ~20min walk from my hotel. It was a very leisurely morning, where I sat down & enjoyed coffee at Coffee Finder & had a build-your-own-ramen bowl at a place nearby. The architecture of Coffee Finder was unique; it used to be a 2-floor house, with like a driveway/sidewalk. But the ummm first floor ceiling/second floor flooring was knocked down so there’s a “hole” in the middle of the cafe. The cafe has very homely vibes as the placement of tables/chairs are in what was (at one point) rooms of the house. It’s open but also you can get some privacy at the same time.

Day 17-18: Back to Seoul, & stayed at Namsan Hill Hotel~ Itaewon is a must! I need to go to Passion 5 every time lol. & I also revisited the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art bcos I like it. & then I had my last day as a “free” day, where I didn’t plan ANYTHING. I’m a very intense planner & when I go on trips, I literally plan to the minute haha & guess what, I ended up in Hongdae. Honestly, it’s my kinda place. Sadly, the transportation situation there isn’t convenient for the rest of my itinerary, or else I would choose a hotel that’s in the vicinity. I nearly spent 2.5 hrs at Coin Su Noraebang haha I realized that if you score high enough, time gets added to your paid time :O I can’t let that go to waste =P

There ya go, Korea 2019!

PS: I haven’t decided what/how I’m gonna go about posting my trip. .. There are wayyyy too many photos & it will take me a million yrs to write/upload. Perhaps expect unexpected Korea posts scattered between my regular posts :P I will, however, share with you the coffees I’ve had in Korea. I tried diff ones, from franchise to small local cafes, adventurous flavours & the typical black Americano. I didn’t have any poor experiences but there was 1 particular one that I will likely never order again - tbh, I should’ve expected it but I still went for it anyway *shrugs* so I guess it was all my fault haha ok, I’ll ttyl~!

[4purplebags-blog]

Santiago de Chile at last!

January 2019

After two flights, one of which was overnight, we arrived in Chile’s capital.  It felt surreal to be at the bottom of the southern hemisphere, plunged right back into summer.  Chile is a long, skinny country that experiences every possible climate from north to south, and boasts a 2,600 mile coastline, with only an average of 110 miles from east to west.

Santiago, our new hometown, felt enormous.  With 5.6 million inhabitants, it is home to about a third of the entire country’s population.  The city sits at the foot of the Andes mountain range, which you can see from most parts of the city.

We started out in the city’s Lastarria district – a super hip, central and artsy area in the center. After a couple of days in the wrong Airbnb (to put it nicely), we moved to a great little apartment in a bustling part of Lastarria where we had easy access to restaurants, grocery shopping and a couple of beautiful city parks where the kids could let loose.  By day, we began the hunt for a house rental near the girls’ school.  Easier said than done.

Before we started this journey back in June of last year, many friends (and strangers) told me they thought what we were doing was “brave.”  That first week in Santiago, Chile, I finally accepted their description. Todd and I had to figure everything out on our own – everything was new and different and intimidating.  It takes time to settle into an environment, figure out the lay of the land and what is safe to do and what is not.  When it came to looking for a house to rent, we learned that the Chilean real estate market is not centralized through an MLS type system, so you have to go out with several different realtors to see their individual listings.  With every new realtor we approached, we had to explain ourselves all over again – very different from in North America where you need only develop rapport with a single agent who understands your needs and acts as your advocate.

So I say thank goodness for Facebook.  Even though I haven’t been actively posting on FB on this journey, I did join a FB Group for expats in Chile, and through that amazing network we found an awesome house to rent from the sweetest family.  We will be able to bike with the girls to school every day (a priority for us), and we have a beautiful view of the Andes all around.  On top of it all, we totally hit it off with the family and feel like we have made lifetime friends.

The girls spent a week away at a Chilean summer camp in a part of the Andes about 6 hours from Santiago. We sent them away on a train with 50 other campers and their wonderful counsellors (again feeling like “what the hell are we doing?!”) and they had an incredible experience hiking, horseback riding, swimming in rivers, doing carpentry and archery and singing.  When we picked them up, the whole crew looked dirty and happy. It took two showers and scrubbing down with towels to get rid of the baked-on dirt from the week.  The perfect camping experience!  The girls made friends and many happy memories.

For the rest of Chilean summer, we are making our way south.  Todd and I enjoyed a few days in the wine region of Colchagua while the girls were away at camp.  We rented bikes so we could go on long rides in the countryside in the morning, then go to wine tastings and tours in the afternoons/evenings.  The town of Santa Cruz which was our home base has dozens of vineyards within close Uber distance.  Many of the restaurants are situated next to or within beautiful vineyards, and offer delicious and varied cuisine.  A highlight was a sunset tasting at Ventisquero winery, which sits perched at the top of a hill with a breathtaking view overlooking vineyards and mountains as far as the eye can see.  Todd and I were the only guests and we had the wraparound deck to ourselves, listening to the birds chirping and the wind whispering through the vines – so peaceful.

We continue to meet interesting people wherever we go, and Santa Cruz was no exception.  We shared a tasting at Apaltagua with two American women who were traveling the country together.  We ended up deciding to have dinner together that night, sitting outdoors overlooking a vineyard at restaurant Vino Bello, and sharing stories. It’s funny…I have found that when you meet people while traveling, you tend to dispense with any formalities or getting-to-know-you stage, and instead go right to “the good stuff.”  So we learned a lot about each other :)

We are now spending a few days in Pichelimu, the surf capital of Chile about 2-3 hours from Santiago. Here we will meet up with new friends we met in Bali, Britt and Max, who are very involved in saving large parts of Antarctica through their environmental work.  Britt and Todd had met in the water while surfing off Nusa Lembongan, an island off the coast of Bali, and I later separately met Britt at our hotel.  We ended up on the same ferry to the mainland and found out that her husband is Chilean and that they would be visiting Chile during the time of our move here.  Life throws you together with people sometimes.  They are an amazing couple doing great things.

Watching outdoor movie at the Eco-lodge in Corbun

Happy dirty camper at Las Mulas, Achibueno

Arriving at Santiago airport...as residents!

In downtown Santiago, Lastarria district, there was a parade that passed our window

See any similarities between Costanera Center (tallest building in South America) and Todd’s hair?

Enjoying Santa Cruz wine country

With new friends Debra and Corrine

Ecolodge made out of former shipping containers

Visiting the girls’ soon-to-be school!!

Making new friends

Hangin’ out in Lastarria district, Santiago

View towards our new neighborhood at the foot of the Andes

Ventisquero winery and its special tasting expert, Daisy

Dirty happy camper arriving from a weeklong summer camp

Our new ecolodge friends hosted us - what a treat

The girls took skateboarding and climbing classes in Pichilemu while daddy surfed

[themirthfulroadrunners]

New Mexico Just off the Turquoise Trail

The first two days of this trip were troublesome, nearly problematic… sorta. We got an early (early!) start, leaving home at 4:45. Traffic wasn’t bad, not even the trucks. Of the 8 construction zones that Google maps identified, which turned into 11-12, none of them slowed us down much. No merging problems, and never below about 60mph. So we arrived at our reserved hotel at about lunch time – much earlier than we usually stop driving. (Exaggeration maybe, and gaining an hour at the New Mexico border did affect our timing. Plus, we had reserved a hotel, due to so many travelers escaping lockdown). But we used the free afternoon to drive a scenic road that was actually more cool than scenic with the find of some awesome old churches. And the location of where Coronado stopped over for 4 days to build a bridge across the Pecos River. We tried to find Pecos Bill. Maybe next time.

The troublesome, nearly problematic parts were in the area of our energy. After the activities of the 2nd day, we were toast. Debbie was so weary as to be sick from it. The hotel bed was heavenly, tho, so good rest was had.

 The morning drive out of our stop (Santa Rosa) was horrific with the truckers. The rudest in the world apparently drive I-40 going west from Santa Rosa and we interacted with many of them. Speaking of Santa Rosa, the California city that was burned up in 2020, is where Wayne moved from in 1979 to return to the land of ancestry (on his dad’s side), Arkansas. Working in the Post Office in Santa Rosa, CA, he saw a ton of misdirected letters that should have gone to New Mexico. Conversely, a lot of Santa Rosa, CA mail that was supposed to go to another address in Santa Rosa, CA, took a side trip to Santa Rosa, NM first.

 Our next hotel in Albuquerque, the city of Debbie’s birth (thanks to the United States Air Force) was touted as a ‘full-service’ facility, which means no free breakfast. Don’t know about you, but for 150 million bucks, we want free waffles! (and yogurt) And we ain’t payin’ no $25 for a hotel breakfast where you can’t even order what you want (free waffles!) Also, now, mind you that this is during the Covid19 Delta-variant-surging-wave, one of the two elevators in a 6-floor hotel is closed. Once while we were on the only operative one, descending from the 5th floor, it stopped at the 3rd where 2 employees and a customer charged in to join us. NO! We scored a strike bowling them down as we clamored over them to get out. WHAT’S A’MATTER WITH PEOPLE? (Besides bein’ knocked out.)

 We got to our house sit and guess what? The promised hot tub doesn’t work, the homeowner had compromised the wiring while tryin’ to electrificate a tree that grows through the deck. After immediately kicking their two dogs (NO, we didn’t), the homeowners pledged that the promised hot tub would be repaired before our house sit was to start. Afraid for their pets’ lives, they did, it was, and a hot tub at 7000’ is sublime. All is well in New Mexico. And even better yet, the owners invited us back before we even unpacked. Now we feel bad for our earlier disappointment.

 Speaking of hot tubs, this trip afforded us the best in terms of stars, satellites, and shooting (falling?) stars. They were awesome.

 New Mexico, which should change its name to Carson State, or Navajo State, seems to have a distinct lack of historic, or cultural, heroes. Coronado, the famed Spanish explorer abused the native Indians (Pueblo, Navajo, Zuni, Apache, Comanche, Ute, Kiowa), and probably more, to the degree that they revolted in 1680. There was blood, followed by bad blood. Coronado was solely interested in exploiting both the people, and their wealth, had he ever found the lost cities of gold. Coronado aside, there were famous trappers and hunters, but none who benefitted the development of the state, or any people groups within. Kit Carson seems to be the singular stand out as far as heroic figures go. (There may be a bunch of indigenous folks, or folks of Spanish ancestry worthy of the acclaim, I don’t know.) Starved for notoriety of some sort (even bad press is better than no press), modern New Mexicans (Carsonians) point to Billy the Kid – almost to the degree of the George Washington slept here hype. While eastern states laud actual heroes: Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, General Anthony Wayne (hah!), Ashley McBride (ha-ha!), and the like, New Mexicans extol a murdering punk, a villain. Oh well, even bad publicity …

Despite the obvious lack of historical heroes, New Mexico does not lack for historical enchantment. The sights are spectacular, especially the mountains and even the smaller rock formations. The people are friendly (excepting the murderous Billy). The food is great. Wayne prefers the red chili peppers while Debbie, the green. Wayne likes to actually see the mold in his food.

After a short two-mile hike with a thousand-foot elevation gain, it was time for Sparkly, our glittery black Ford Edge, to finally get his way, a trip up a bona fide Jeep/ATV road/trail. It used to be a road. In fact, we drove it with ease two years ago. A local told us that the monsoons they’ve had washed it away. Sparkly wanted to go fast, so Wayne let him have his head, doubling the recommended 2mph. Sparkly was sometimes difficult to restrain.

 The adventure was worth it, offering a Stephen King Misery experience. A mountain lion crossed the ‘road’ just ahead of us. Wayne stopped and got out of the car to check out where it had headed. (maybe not the most clever of options) Low and behold, (BTW, we loathe and despise cliches, but sometimes it’s better than a sharp stick in the eye) A hundred or so feet down the nearly 90 degree drop-off was a vehicle smashed into a tree. Though there were no obvious signs of a recent departure from the ‘road’, it could have fairly flown over the nearby brush. Or it could have gone over when there was snow cover. Or … anyway, going down to check whether there was a corpse in the vehicle while theoretically possible, didn’t seem very well-advised considering that there might very well be a mountain lion finishing up what might be left and much preferring the live meat presenting himself on a veritable platter – Wayne.

Surprisingly, there was cell service in this remote mountainous area. From a Sandia Mountain trail map handout, we got through to someone who transferred the call to the proper authority. While they appreciated our call, they’d been aware of the vehicle and that it had been there for some time. But how weird, that the mountain lion crossed exactly where we could see the crashed vehicle. What if it wasn’t the same crash that the authority thought they knew about? What if the driver was just then coming to, only to see a mountain lion eating his face? (Limiting Wayne’s Stephen King intake.)

 Another mile down the ‘road’ we saw a mountain lion kitten, though it was barely a kitten, nearly as large as its mother, and almost devoid of kitten colorations and markings. We watched it in awe for some time before thinking to take a photo. You just have to believe us (or not) that the blond blur in the below picture is the kitten.

 Another quarter mile brought us to our promised hike, a trail to what was described as a Cave Man Cave. Unless we’d unknowingly driven across the Atlantic, it is doubtful that cave men had ever seen New Mexico, let alone inhabited this cave. More than likely the occupants, for which sufficient evidence supported the probability, were ancient indigenous people, no doubt using the cave to hide from mountain lions at night. The cave was cool, but there are better in Arkansas.

 A serendipitous hike in the Sandia Mountains showed us a plethora of wildflowers; most were varieties this Arkansas couple do not normally see. But the star of the show was a large mule deer buck who calmly sauntered in the trail behind us when we stopped for a rest (hiking at high altitude is hard, y’all!).

A retracing of a trip up the Turquoise Trail from 2 years ago put us re-hiking a trail in Cerrillos State Park, just south of Santa Fe. Several old mineral mines dot this trail and their history is revealed in very good signage. Passing through Madrid (unlike the one in Spain, this one is pronounced MAA’-drid), we were stopped for several minutes on Hwy 14 due to a ‘special event’ which we could not see. When allowed to pass through the artsy, cutesy town, we saw evidence of a movie being filmed. After exploring Cerrillos, we returned to Madrid for ice cream and got to watch some of the preparations for more filming. We did not get to see the part where the clipboard snaps and someone yells, “ACTION!” but it was enough. This same town was used for some of the scenes in the motorcycle film Wild Hogs and one building still boasts the ‘Diner’ sign that was added only for the film. Sign on the door says they do not serve food there. One can understand the confusion for tourists. We found out the movie being filmed during our trip is titled Robots and is a futuristic comedy starring Shailene Woodley and written by one of the writers on Borat. Cool beans. We ran into the film company yet again a day or two later, this time in a couple of sites in the Sandia Mountains. Whether the finished movie turns out to be good or meh, we’ll be watching it to catch glimpses of the gorgeous New Mexico countryside. New Mexico and Colorado have several movie ranches sprinkled in the very scenic areas.

 15 months, or so, ago we were house-sitting in Durango when paper Closed for Covid signs went up on doors in business-after-business. Here’s one for the whole town.

 While touristing Old Town Albuquerque we suddened upon a shop managed by a very personable guy who gave us a cup of Arabica/piñon coffee. When we house-sat in Sante Fe last year we talked to a State Park Ranger dude who told us all bout people picking piñon nuts. Having marvelously (Debbie word) passed the aroma tests, we bought a box of K-cups of this unique, pinon flavored brew. The personable guy turned out to be the artist, David Behrens (DavidBehrensGallery.com and Facebook.com/DavidBehrensGallery).

 This trip ranks among the best, or at the top of the list: obedient and FUN pets, very clean and comfortable home, fantastic hiking and scenery (despite the photo-compromising smoke), and very gracious hosts who offered us their entire refrigerator! Regarding the smoke, we shouldn’t be too self-centered considering it may be what’s left of someone’s home passing overhead.

Here are more pix from the trip. Enjoy!

[anamedblog]

‘NUOVO CINEMA ANAMED’

by Susanna Cereda, ANAMED PhD Fellow (2018–2019)

Poster of the documentary ‘Tohum’

It’s Monday, and I’m starting to write this blog post after coming back from one of our usual movie nights. 

This time it was the turn of ‘Kynodontas’ by Yorgos Lanthimos, a movie that had a powerful impact on everybody. When the screening was over, a lively discussion started in the room and kept us for twenty more minutes glued to our seats. While coming back to my room, I continued thinking about it and about how fond I grew of these weekly appointments, and so I decided that I would use them as a starting point to talk a little about my personal ANAMED experience.

I love movies, I always did. I consider cinema the art form I can relate to the most. It was just a matter of time before I would talk about it also with the other fellows here and find a way to make of this passion a communal event (after all, who doesn’t like movies?!). The moment came almost immediately, right after we arrived here in September. I simply spoke to Nebojša, who told me he had recently had an interesting “cineforum” experience while he was a Junior Fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, in Washington DC. And that was it! We decided to have our own film-club, to watch movies together once a week, and since then we have been holding regular screenings every Monday (with only a few interruptions during the winter break).

The system is simple: everybody, taking turns, suggests a title (there are no pre-established themes or genres, though some might say that there is a predilection for artsy movies :P) and this gets announced on our Whatsapp group, so that who is interested just shows up at the established hour. Thanks to this rotation scheme I got to discover movies and directors I had never heard of before, or that I always wanted to watch but for some reason I never did. I guess that one of the most stimulating aspects for me is that (also in this non-academic setting) we get to learn from each other and that we push ourselves out of our comfort zone to get exposed to something new and thought-provoking. Indeed, in some cases the choice of the movie was rather controversial and triggered strong reactions (even leaving the room!).

Beside our in-door cinema, Istanbul is a city that offers many opportunities to cinephiles. Since I arrived, I watched movies at the “International Crime and Punishment Film Festival,” which took place in November; in the same month, I visited with Julien the Italian Cultural Institute, that was hosting the “24th Istanbul International Short Film Festival” (and I think we found our personal winner that day, right Julien?); a couple of weekends ago I went with Aslıhan to the Pera Museum, for an afternoon screening of Sergei Parajanov’s short movies, as part of the exhibition dedicated to the artist. And of course, I cannot forget to make a special reference to the premiere of two documentaries in which two of our friends and fellows had a direct involvement: the first, ‘Tohum (Seeds)’, tells the story of the journey of wheat from Anatolia to Europe, and was realized under the scientific supervision of Burhan Ulaş. The second, ‘Kadın Olmanın Günahı (The Sin of Being a Woman)’, sees the participation of Müge Özbek, who explores the life and work of Nezihe Muhiddin, one of Turkey's earliest feminists. (Well done guys, we’re really proud of you!!)

Poster of the two documentary ‘Kadın Olmanın Günahı’

Cinema was a major topic of discussion also with Pelin, another film enthusiast, and one of the three girls I used to live with when I came to spend two months in Istanbul, by the end of 2014. At the time, I was writing my Master thesis and I used to go every day to the NIT library, located in this same building where I am sitting right now. I remember that during those few weeks I met the ANAMED fellows from that academic year, who very kindly invited me to participate to their academic life (seminars and lectures) and introduced me to this stimulating environment. So, already back then I was enthralled with the atmosphere of Istanbul, the ANAMED center and its community, and I promised myself that I would do my best to get the chance to come back and experience this fellowship firsthand.

Many things have changed since those two months: I left Italy, lived in two different countries, had various life experiences and embarked on a PhD adventure…but after several years, I eventually managed to achieve that goal and I’m in Istanbul again! During my stay here, I have a challenge to face: writing my dissertation. The task is not an easy one (as everybody who’s going through the same process, or did it in the past, knows well), but I consider myself privileged because of all the benefits and the supportive community that I found here, which make every step a bit easier.

Maybe it’s because we’re already approaching the end of this unique experience, but a wave of shameless sentimentality takes over me when I think about the baggage of memories that I will carry when I’ll leave Istanbul and ANAMED…then a music starts playing in my head and, as a cliché, I remember a very iconic and heart-tugging movie scene, the ending sequence of ‘Nuovo Cinema Paradiso’.

What can I say, I have a sweet tooth!

Sources:

Fig.1: https://www.avrupa.info.tr/tr/eu-and-member-states/tohum-belgeselidunya-gida-gunu-munasebetiyle-venedik-sarayinda-duzenlenen

Fig.2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9381432/mediaviewer/rm4077942272

[simonsoys]

So what movie genres do you think the UT cast likes? I can imagine Alphys and Sans nerding out and nitpicking sci-fi movies together for one thing heh.

Ooh! Good question! Asks like these are my favorite haha!

I’m actually going to broaden this to TV shows too. Maybe like, what their Netflix history is.

Frisk

Loves Pokemon. Has watched every single episode in sequential order. (Toriel insists on knowing what Frisk is watching, so she’s had to sit through all of it too. She’s mostly confused by what the point of all this is, and is going to barf if she hears “Gooomygoomygoomy” one more time, but admits she quite likes Brock.) Also watches a lot of Pokemon-like shows.

Occasionally watches Sesame Street, even though it’s below their age range. It’s hard to find monster-positive shows.

As for movies, its pretty much anything animated or based on a kids’ book and nothing else right now. Everything must have a happy ending.

But even more than watching Pokemon shows, they’re into Youtube Let’s Plays. They like Minecraft videos, especially Stampy. (Undyne thinks the concept of watching other people play video games is ridiculous and yells at Frisk to go outside.)

Ambivalent about Frozen. Liked Olaf but that’s about it.

Favorite movies: Matilda; The Little Prince.

Toriel

Likes PBS Masterpiece Classics, like Downton Abbey and Indian Summer. 

Probably likes Benedict Cumberbatch.

A sucker for soppy British movies.

Loves The Walking Dead more than you’d expect. Carol is her favorite.

Likes the variety of crafting shows that humans make and put on TV and YouTube. Has thought about making and uploading some of her own.

Gets overly invested into some of Frisk’s kid movies. Bought Frozen on DVD for Frisk. Honestly. For Frisk. 

Favorite movie: Philomena

Sans

Into Sci-Fi movies a lot, even though he knows the science is bogus. He and Pap both like Star Wars, it’s got a lot of non-humans who are good guys! (A head canon I ACTUALLY had previous to this ask– the two of them have seen the first Star Wars, but it’s the only one that’s fallen into the Underground and circulated. They don’t know about Vader’s relation to Luke or what a Yoda is. The monsters are possibly the only fans on the planet who haven’t been spoiled on the ending of the OT yet. Some kind human souls learn about this and set up a screening of it in a theater, so that monsters have a chance to see it properly before having it ruined for them. It’s beautiful.)

He also has a large appetite for 90s high school romcoms? Like 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless. It’s light and funny.

Not as big on TV shows. Likes to have the experience done and over with in one sitting.

Falls asleep without fail during Frisk’s movies.

Except for Frozen, which Toriel’s watched so many times, he managed to stay awake once for it. He thought it was kinda stupid through 2/3rds of it, but the final act got him. SIBLING LOVE is relevant to his interests and now he kind of digs the movie.

Favorite movie: The Fifth Element.

Papyrus

Watches The Bachelor religiously.

Watches Dancing with the Stars religiously.

Still watches anything MTT comes out with. 

Not a binge watcher. He likes shows that are on live.

Likes to watch random YouTubers’ Vlog channels, and no one’s totally sure why. It’s so weird… watching them daily, they feel like friends that haven’t met you yet. 

Animated shows are for children. …But Power Rangers is cool.

Sees every superhero blockbuster that comes out in the theater. 

Doesn’t typically watch anyone else’s shows or movies. If it’s not something he likes, he doesn’t have time for it.

Forced to sit through Frozen at least once. Whined about Elsa’s amateurish ice magic technique and poor casting form throughout the ordeal. 

Favorite movie: Star Wars.

MK

Probably watches PG-13 movies eVEN THoUGH THEY’RE NOT YET 13??? Scandalooz!

Is more of a Digimon kid. Arguments have been had.

Also likes superhero movies a lot, and Godzilla movies.

Watches a lot of Ninja Warrior/American Ninja Warrior, and has decided they’re going to take the challenge someday.

Hates Frozen, 0/10,literally the worse movie ever.

Favorite movie: Any Godzilla movie where he’s a good guy.

Undyne

Is disappointed to learn that anime isn’t real. But that’s okay because soon afterwards she discovers Jackie Chan movies and that’s even cooler?? Martial arts are her new jam.

Likes the idea of Ninja Warrior shows, but just feels like there’s a significant lack of real danger. Needs more fire and deadly pits.

Likes watching YouTube videos of people playing musical instruments in really crazy and incredible ways.

Sometimes likes more artsy films? Like with music, she’s not all action all the time.

Still watches anime with Alphys, even though she’s learned the truth.

Frozen had fighting! And magical transformations! And a gripping love story! It’s practically an anime! (Though not the best one she’s ever seen.)

Favorite movie: Hero

Alphys

Continues to be anime trash. Probably likes most of the gay sports anime the best.  Also cute romances like Ore Monogatari!

Watches MST3K with Sans sometimes. They also found this old show where people build RC robots with sawblades on them and fight each other and they LOVE it. They’re considering organizing their own tournament at some point.

Not as into sci-fi movies– but is very into complaining about sci-fi movies. Likes to write long blog posts about why they’re bad/inaccurate.

Likes Dr. Who, despite the above statement.

Really likes cheesy romances. Watches a lot of K/J/C-Dramas.

Total weekly intake of movies and shows in hours is obscene and embarrassing to repeat.

Has blogged about Frozen’s clunky narrative and weak execution of its core themes, but has to admit the characters are lovable and has drawn at least one fanart of it. Has the unpopular ship of Elsa/Hans and just won’t let that shit go.

Favorite movie: Mew Mew Kissy Cutie: Super Lovely The Movie: Extra Doki Extended Cut Edition

Blooky

YouTubing music videos all day.

Watches concert recordings.

Watches MTT’s show every day.

Downloaded the Frozen soundtrack off the internet, but has never watched the movie and genuinely has no idea what it’s about.

Forgets they own a TV 90% of the time.

Favorite movie: ?? Doesn’t really have one. …Sorry…

MTT

Competition shows are great, but he gets frustrated by how long and drawn out human reality tv is. Between each commercial break it should be wall to wall excitement! That’s his philosophy anyway.

Is actually consuming as much film as possible now that he’s on the surface, from a variety of genres. Where Napstablook and Undyne are passionate about music, MTT sleeps and breathes film studies.

Watches the news a lot too?? Probably the best informed monster besides Asgore. He has a news program of his own, and filters a lot of the world’s current events through to monsterkind. He has to always be in the know! …It also helps for making funny, topical statements. His 1.5 million viewers love topical statements!

He’s actually a really effective reporter. There’s no region too dangerous for him, he’ll report from anywhere. War zones. Active volcanoes. Maybe even space? All while doing it in a stunning blazer and perfect hair.

He’s busy a lot, so doesn’t actually have time to watch too many things.

Frozen is exactly the kind of movie he’d make, except that Elsa’s sparkly dress did not have enough screen time. For that matter, more characters needed sparkly clothes. Someone bedazzle that reindeer, stat. 

Favorite movie: Grease; Moulin Rouge

Asgore

New to movies and TV, but is slowly getting into them. There are so many violent movies and shows out there! So he mostly lets other people recommend things to him. A member of Oprah’s Book Club. He watches the movie versions of the books he’s read.

He likes stories about peoples’ lives. Watches Dr. Phil every afternoon. Recently he’s been touched by the stories of My 600 Lb Life and Teen Mom.

Is the only sports fan in the bunch. Prefers being there in person to watching on TV, but that’s not always feasible. Paints his face, even when he’s watching from home.

Frozen was a good movie and he enjoyed it quite a lot. Thank you, Undyne.

Favorite movie: Tuesdays With Morrie; Fried Green Tomatoes

Flowey

Loves YouTube Poops and he doesn’t know why.

Hates sad movies. Hates any movie that makes any attempt to make him feel things. Up is a dumb movie.

Doesn’t really care about TV or movies, but likes to watch with other people and chatter over it to ruin their experience. He really just wants to be the center of attention.

Probably pretends to like Adam Sandler movies, but doesn’t actually like Adam Sandler movies.

Likes America’s Funniest Home Videos, especially the ones where people fall off water skis.

Frozen is disgusting and would’ve been better if everyone turned into ice and died. The end.

Favorite movie: Anyone else’s favorite, so he can ruin it for them.

Chara

Doesn’t have much experience with TV or movies outside of what Frisk consumes.

Secretly has the same crappy taste in anime and K-Dramas as Alphys, but is stuck with Frisk’s over-indulgence in YouTube and Pokemon.

Sibling estrangement and isolation is a theme too close to home. Spends too much time drawing parallels between themselves and the rest of the cast, to the characters in Frozen.

Favorite movie: Frozen

[iamjhosel]

Wandering in Wonder in Melaka: Day 1

So I guess hitting 30 would really make you sentimental. Out of the blue, a few days before my birthday week, I had the urge to go on a solo travel. Then and there I booked a 2 days and 1 night trip to Melaka. With no itinerary or plans whatsoever (I only read through some blogs where to go and what to eat in Melaka), I told myself to just go wherever my feet leads me. It will be two days of spontaneity, wandering and just fun.

I took the 730 Starmart Express bus to Melaka. There were only four of us on the trip so the whole ride was rather ‘silent’. I slept through almost the entire ride.

Sunrise at Kallang River.

The whole trip took longer than I expected. We reached Melaka Sentral at around 1230, almost five hours, with one stop over at the 3rd hour. Melaka Sentral is still few kilometers away from the main tourist spots so I grabbed a quick lunch before heading to Gate 17 for another 15-20 minutes bus ride.

Bus ride from Melaka Sentral to Dutch Square costs RM2.

There were already a few tourists in Dutch Square when we arrived even amidst the scorching sun. When I got off the bus, I instantaneously loved Melaka. The red bricks and the red buildings were just sooo enchanting. It exudes a homey vibe. It felt like I was in Naga. Maybe because of its rich heritage just like Naga’s. I wouldn’t mind visiting Melaka over and over again sometime in the future.

Victoria Fountain at the heart of Dutch Square.

Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia.

Stadthuys, a replica of the former town hall.

Just across the street, you can see Melaka River already and just across the bridge would be the infamous Jonker Street. Jonker Street also known as Jonker Walk is where you can find souvenir shops, boutiques, quirky cafes, artsy buildings, temples and mosque.

Melaka River.

Jonker Street Entrance

Found a Sangkaya stall while strolling Jonker Street. I read about it in one blog so I gotta try their ice cream.

Sangkaya Signature Coconut Ice cream. It was delish, plus you can add on your toppings yourself so you could put as much as you want!

After strolling around Jonker Walk, I then headed to Rucksack Caratel to check in. It was just a few minutes walk from Dutch Square. Rucksack is a small hotel but OMG I could definitely live there. It’s so artsy fartsy. The interior of the entire hotel was so enchanting. I totally loved the garden view. Although their breakfast menu was so-so, all in all, I definitely enjoyed my stay at Rucksack. It was ranked #2 in Specialty Lodging by Tripadvisor.

Rucksack Caratel 

 Caravan Rooms at Rucksack Caratel

Common Area at  Rucksack Caratel

Pool, Rucksack Caratel 

I got a Deluxe King Garden View room. Its complete with everything, hair dryer, room slippers, small safe and all! I even loved the scent of their shampoo and bath gel!    

After freshening up a bit, I headed out to St. Paul’s Hill, Dutch Graveyard, and A’Famosa.

St. Paul Church Ruins at the top of St. Paul Hill.

View on top of St. Paul’s Hill.

Selling pastel paintings inside St. Paul.

Also on the hill is Dutch Graveyard where some Dutch officers and British officials during the 17th century were buried. I didn’t dare go further in coz nobody went inside actually, I only got enchanted by a cat at the path walk. Haha.  

Going down St Paul’s Hill.

A’Famosa, "The Famous" in Portuguese, is a Portuguese fortress during the 15th Century.

I didn’t know where I was heading to but I just walked and walked until I found these arrays of museums, train exhibits.

Train Exhibit at the middle of nowhere.

Muzium UMNO (United Malays National Organisation), a museum on history and Malaysian politics.

A few steps away is the Menara Taming Sari, the 360-view tower which I earlier saw at the top of St. Paul’s Hill. I wanted to go up but then my ringgit wasn’t enough coz I didn’t expect that Rucksack will ask for RM100 deposit (which of course they’ll give you back when you check out). I have only exchanged 50sgd which is equivalent to RM150 for this trip coz I intend to enjoy and soak more in the beauty of Melaka rather than shopping. There were no money changer in the building so I asked a kind lady where was the nearest money changer in the area. She told me to go to some place.

I tried to follow her directions but I couldn’t find any money changer until I found myself at the Melaka River Cruise port. This was so spontaneous indeed and since I was already there so why not take it! Ticket was only at RM15. The cruise was around 45minutes with a voice over explaining the history of the places. I loved how the walls were all painted with artsy murals.

The river cruise will take you around the Heritage City. 

More murals along the river banks!

I so love this area called Kampung Morten. It doesn’t show much in this pic but its a village of traditional Malay houses. They were able to preserve the village through time. It looks like small houses on stilts, reminds of my great grandmother, Lola Minang’s house. We used to play there when I was very very little, like it’s one of my oldest memories.

I had just to take a snap of this old man on a bike. I was smiling to myself when I saw him. I know I am weird but even from afar he speaks to me loudly of contentment. He’s prolly on the way home or maybe just out for an afternoon exercise or what-have-yous. I could even imagine him whistling a song while cycling. To be content, joyful in what you have and have not, and have a peaceful heart, that’s what I pray, at the end of the day. 

Even the birds speaks to me of never giving up and never leaving the people who’s dear to you! I thought she’d be flying away, but she just changed position. I know I am still a work in progress on this. As much as I am faithful, and even the enneagram categorized me as ‘The Loyalist’, I struggle on keeping my long distance relationships. (With the exception of my family of course, whose I am in contact with every single day). I am guilty of not being intentional in contacting my far far away friends. I miss them and I pray I’d be a better friend. Sorry na Ate Ace, Jek, Zaza, Zyra, Bhing, Ruth, Laopos JITS.

After the cruise I took a stroll in the river bank near Jonker area, discovering artsy alleys and snapping everything that amuses me.

Kota Melaka, The Malacca Port, remains of the gateway to the city.

Walkin’ round the river bank!

Kiehls Heritage Wall which looks like Hadji Lane the environmentalist version.

I love these trees, they’re all over Melaka! I saw it before at Boss Hotel after church. They are the literal representation of the bible verse ‘Set your minds on things above’. Hehe. I am always fascinated how all its branches are all facing up. Beautiful reminder! 

I then went to Calanthe Art Café. This was one of the must go to cafes I read in one blog. Surely enough, the place was awesome. They served coffees named after the 13 states of Malaysia. I had Malacca coffee and Penang Laksa. It was soooo delicious, I totally dig it!

Calanthe Art Cafe, home of Malaysia’s 13 States’ Coffee 

13 States’ Coffee, Calanthe Art Cafe

Artsy installations at Calanthe Art Cafe

And more installations! How innovative! Calanthe Art Cafe

Calanthe Laksa, their signature dish, this was suggested by their friendly waiter and OMG its the bomb! I so loved how its spicyness and thickness are just right, the flavor was on point and the curry wasn’t overpowering. I give it a five-stars! Oh the chili was good too!

Since I’m in Melaka of course I chose Melaka coffee. It was a bit weak for me tho, I want my coffee a bit stronger, but I enjoyed it still. Would love to try the rest of the states’ coffee on my next visit.

I walked around the area one last round, and then I headed to the mall to buy some chips and water. I was planning to watch movies that night but they were showing Insidious 3 on HBO so I just slept it off instead. Hahaha.

Oh so comfy bed!

Day 1 was fun. I was initially scared that I would get lost because I was navigating without a map so I was actually proud of myself that I was able to get to the hotel without wifi or map. Hahaha. I realized too that no matter how you want to go solo or isolate yourself, you hafta interact with others. Since in the morning I was able to interact with everyone in the bus including the driver. Hehe. Its okay to talk to strangers, of course you have to be on your guard, but its actually fun to interact with random strangers. You get to know different kinds of people. One local I talked to even ask for a picture after our small talks. 

Spontaneity is good too. Sometimes you don’t need plans, you just hafta go along where your feet leads you. Its God’s reminder that at the end of the day, its not our plans or our will that could be the best for us. But surely when we follow His leading, we could expect for the best!

P.S. Oh yeah, I found the money changer in Jonker Street. Tip: Have enough cash going around, it took me a while finding for the money changer. Hehe.

[mymoviesnob]

A Movie Snob Predicts the Oscars – 2019 Edition

Hello fellow movie lovers! It’s been another busy award season. There were 121 nominations and I got to see all but 9 of the films this year.  Not too shabby, all things considered.  

This season, like the ones before it, was full of pleasant surprises, a few hours I can’t get back and films shining a bright light on topics which were painful to watch.  

Now, for the four of you who still read this each year, let’s get to the movies! J

 Best Picture:

·         Black Panther – The first Marvel movie to be nominated for Best Picture. I don’t see this as the winner.

·         BlacKkKlansman – Based on a true story, about a black cop, impersonating a white cop, to infiltrate the KKK.

·         Bohemian Rhapsody – I loved this movie. I love Queen. I wish Freddie Mercury had been able to grace us with his presence for more than we were lucky enough to receive.  I would love to see this beat Roma but unfortunately, the Director’s alleged shenanigans will get in the way.

·         The Favourite – Dark and witty, full of strong performances. This however, was not my favorite. (Yes, pun intended…I know, I’m hilarious)

·         Green Book – Another based on a true story, about a black performer in need of a driver/ body guard as he tours the deep South and how their friendship was formed.  I really enjoyed this film. Mahershala and Viggo were both fantastic. I kept wondering how I had never heard of these men before watching this.

·         Roma – While I can’t call this my personal favorite film in the bunch, I do think it will take the top prize this year. It’s been so lovingly received by critics while others on this list have been subject to controversy moving Roma to the top of the pile.I did enjoy it, just not as much as others here. 

·         A Star Is Born – I loved this too and when I saw it, I thought it would be a lock for Best Picture… until I saw the competition. I was equally surprised by Lady Gaga’s acting and by Cooper’s singing. I’ve seen the previous versions of this film and while I typically dislike remakes, this was well done. Cooper should have received a Director nod here.

·         Vice – Based on the life and career of the notoriously private Dick Cheney.  Something tells me he will never endorse this one, or confirm any of its story line. If you like Cheney, you will hate this movie. And if you hate him, it will make you question just how awfully distasteful you can find another human being to be.

 Lead Actor:

·         Christian Bale – Vice –When I first read that Bale was going to play Dick Cheney in a movie, I thought Central Casting was delusional. Then I saw it. If anyone is going to give Malek competition, it’s Bale. You literally forget it’s him buried behind the makeup.  

·         Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born – Cooper will get his Oscar one day and I thought he was fantastic in this movie, but this is not his time.

·         Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate – He’s always great, this time as Vincent van Gogh

·         Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody – Malek became Freddie Mercury. Every detail of his iconic performances, recreated to the letter. He must have studied Mercury’s every move. The commitment to getting that right is stunning and I think this win will be well deserved.

·         Viggo Mortensen – Green Book – Another great performance by an actor who seems to be able to play anyone.

 Lead Actress:

·         Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

·         Glenn Close – The Wife – I didn’t want to like this one. I don’t care for her, ever since she boiled a bunny back in the day, but she was amazing.

·         Olivia Colman – The Favourite – I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be seeing much more of her.

·         Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born – She was surprisingly great in this movie, but it wasn’t really much of a stretch… playing a singer and all. Don’t get me wrong. She’s an incredible talent and deserving of this nomination, but I’m curious to see how her film career progresses playing roles outside of the scope of her ‘day job”.

·         Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Another true story and another surprise. McCarthy in a serious role as the caustic (not to mention desperate) author, Lee Israel, as she resorts to forging letters for profit. If you haven’t seen this one, watch it. And someone please sign her up for more roles outside of the comedic space!

 Supporting Actor:

·         Mahershala Ali – Green Book – Everything I’ve seen him in has been excellent. This was no exception.

·         Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman – I love, love, love Driver.

·         Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born – About time you nominated him, Academy!

·         Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – I’m not sure I’ve seen him before but watching him here made me want to find everything else he’s ever done. I don’t think he will beat Ali, but if he did, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

·         Sam Rockwell – Vice – Another consistently consistent character actor, this time as a weirdly convincing G.W. Bush. I love it when the Indy guys get the attention they deserve!

 Supporting Actress:

·         Amy Adams – Vice – We get it… the Academy adores Amy Adams. She did not blow me away in this movie.

·         Marina de Tavira – Roma

·         Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk – I must confess that this was one of the films I was not able to see. It left the theater too soon, and as you may know, I won’t use bootlegs on this journey each year. I’ve chosen her for a few reasons… one, she’s won virtually every other award known to man for this performance. And two, this has been a long time coming. She’s always great!

·         Emma Stone – The Favourite – Stone and Weisz here a glorious team.  

·         Rachel Weisz – The Favourite  - She’s married to Daniel Craig so she’s basically already won at life.

 Director:

·         Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman - Spike Lee is finally nominated here! I do believe he will take home a statue one day but I don’t think it will be this year.  

·         Pawel Pawlikowski – Cold War

·         Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

·         Alfonso Cuaron – Roma

·         Adam McKay – Vice

 Animated Feature:

·         Incredibles 2 - this gets my kid’s vote, just for the record. 

·         Isle of Dogs – Another year where I have the opportunity to declare my love for Wes Anderson. Another year where he will go home empty handed.

·         Mirai

·         Ralph Breaks the Internet

·         Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – I can’t believe I’m choosing a non-Disney / Pixar for the win, but I am. It’s visually stunning.

 Animated Short:

·         Animal Behaviour

·         Bao – Pixar for the (predictable) win. Every one of the films in this category is a gem! Watch them all!!

·         Late Afternoon

·         One Small Step

·         Weekends

 Adapted Screenplay:

·         The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.

·         BlacKkKlansman – This category is tough. I think this may be where Lee picks up a win, but…

·         Can You Ever Forgive Me? – … I really loved how this was written… and I think it can bump Lee out of the top spot.

·         If Beale Street Could Talk

·         A Star Is Born

 Original Screenplay:

·         The Favourite – The quick witted dialogue may push this one over the top to win.

·         First Reformed – I want my two hours back

·         Green Book – The Favourite is the favorite in this category, but I think the story line in our current climate will give this screenplay well warranted votes

·         Roma

·         Vice – Another film where the writing definitely shined!

 Cinematography:

·         Cold War

·         The Favourite

·         Never Look Away

·         Roma - There is just something about the way this movie was shot which immediately grabbed me at the opening scene. The very things I loved about it are things that others found to be a turn off, but the crisp black and white, tight, artsy shots were mesmerizing. Maybe it’s my love of photography, particularly B&W, but this film made it easy to see the beauty in the mundane.

·         A Star Is Born

 Best Documentary Feature:

·         Free Solo – Will probably win, but…

·         Hale County This Morning, This Evening – A film about regular people doing regular things. I hope the point is not lost on those who see it.

·         Minding the Gap - This is an interesting narrative on the leap into adulthood and just how hard that is to navigate.

·         Of Fathers and Sons – Watching this literally made me feel physically ill. If you question whether or not hatred can be taught, this confirms it.

·         RBG - … I’m rooting for RBG, tonight and every single day for every single reason! Someone please put this woman in a bubble and preserve her for all of eternity... or at least until the next administration.

 Best Documentary Short:

·         Black Sheep - The Shorts this year were difficult to watch. This is about a young black man and his experiences growing up in a suburban white British town.

·         End Game –This film is about the painful process of helping a loved one through the last days of their life and the humanity of the doctors and nurses who are walking alongside them. This is my vote.  

·         Lifeboat –About refugees fleeing their war torn home in the hope of a better life. 

·         A Night at the Garden – Actual footage of a 1939 Nazi rally at “The World’s Most Famous Arena”. The fact that this actually happened in this country, and so long ago, hurts my heart.

·         Period. End of Sentence – About young women in India just trying to survive being a girl in a culture that demonizes something which is utterly (and biologically) out of their control.

 Best Live Action Short Film:

·         Detainment – A reenactment of the interrogation of two ten year old boys in Ireland, accused of murdering a toddler. Terrifying. And true.

·         Fauve  - this won at Sundance, but…

·         Marguerite �� my pick to win

·         Mother – As a parent of a 6 year old boy, this one kept me up at night.

·         Skin

 Best Foreign Language Film:

·         Capernaum

·         Cold War

·         Never Look Away

·         Roma – If this doesn’t win I’ll be shocked, but since it’s a likely winner in other categories, voters may spread the love and throw Cold War a bone.

·         Shoplifters – I really liked this one, about an unlikely group of outcasts in Japan, trying to survive on stolen items while flying under the radar.

 Film Editing:

·         BlacKkKlansman

·         Bohemian Rhapsody

·         Green Book

·         The Favourite

·         Vice

 Sound Editing:

·         Black Panther

·         Bohemian Rhapsody

·         First Man

·         A Quiet Place – I’m selecting this because of how profoundly important sound was to the entire concept of the film. I know I’m probably wrong... it will probably be Black Panther

·         Roma

 Sound Mixing:

·         Black Panther

·         Bohemian Rhapsody – Because of the music

·         First Man

·         Roma

·         A Star Is Born

 Production Design:

·         Black Panther

·         First Man

·         The Favourite – Period piece + Castle = Win

·         Mary Poppins Returns

·         Roma

 Original Score:

·         BlacKkKlansman

·         Black Panther

·         If Beale Street Could Talk

·         Isle of Dogs

·         Mary Poppins Returns

 Original Song:

·         All The Stars

·         I’ll Fight

·         The Place Where Lost Things Go

·         Shallow – if there is one certainty about tonight, this is it.

·         When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings

 Makeup and Hair:

·         Border

·         Mary Queen of Scots

·         Vice – Because I forgot Christian Bale was in there….

 Costume Design:

·         The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

·         Black Panther – This is hard because any one of these could take it, but this is my gut feeling

·         The Favourite

·         Mary Poppins Returns

·         Mary Queen of Scots

 Visual Effects:

·         Avengers: Infinity War

·         Christopher Robin

·         First Man

·         Ready Player One

·         Solo: A Star Wars Story

  I’m sad to see this season come to an end as the summer blockbusters approach. Here’s hoping there are some hidden gems among the moneymakers this summer to keep me company! 

Thanks for sticking with me to the end, all four of you. :) 

[thehungrykat1]

Altamira Boutique House: My Serene Getaway in Tagaytay Highlands

When one thinks of going on a relaxing vacation in Tagaytay, there are so many hotels and lodges to choose from along the Tagaytay ridge. I have stayed at most of the big, popular hotels and resorts there, but I recently discovered a new alternative that gives its guests a truly memorable “Tagaytay rest house” experience unlike any other. Plus, it also gives you access to a very exclusive members-only country club that other hotels in Tagaytay will never be able to.

Altamira Boutique House is a fully furnished Balinese home located in the heart of the exclusive private sanctuary of Tagaytay Highlands and Midlands. Located inside the Alta Mira residential village, a gated community with 24/7 security and a clear picturesque view of the Taal Lake and Volcano, this charming bed and breakfast lets you experience having your own rest house that you can visit to unwind and destress from the hectic city life. Tagaytay Highlands is a members-only golf and country club offering a selection of restaurants, world-class amenities and fun-filled activities. Guests staying at Altamira Boutique House can enjoy exclusive access to all amenities and facilities of Tagaytay Highlands and delight in the countryside living, just like I did a few weeks ago.

After achieving an important milestone in early April, I decided to reward myself with a idyllic vacation at Altamira Boutique House. This new boutique hotel recently opened to the public last February 1, 2018 and I wanted to see what makes it so different from the other places in Tagaytay. You can find it at 57 Paseo de Alta Mira, just a few meters from the main gate of Alta Mira Village. Waze comes in really handy when traveling out of town so it was easy to look for it. The guards of Tagaytay Highlands are informed with the names of guests arriving each day so you can pass through either of the gates coming from Tagaytay or from Calamba, Laguna.

Altamira means “high ground” and this colorful house is situated approximately 1,000 feet above sea level which gives it a fantastic view of the lake. Altamira Boutique House is comprised of five spacious guestrooms designed to offer a peaceful and well-appointed getaway. It also comes with a personal house butler service, a dining hall, a cozy mango-shaped pool, a relaxation room, and several breezy balconies.

We were greeted at the door by the very friendly house butler who immediately offered us iced-cold Dalandan Tea refreshments and some lemon sugar-scented cold towels upon our arrival. This was very much welcome after our ride, which only took around 1 hour and fifteen minutes from Makati. 3 mbps wifi internet access is available throughout the house, which is good enough for this location. 

I found out that Altamira Boutique House was actually the family vacation house of Mr. Nelson Miller and Mrs. Carlota Miller (the grandfather is an American soldier) for the last ten years. The house has been a family weekend retreat for the Filipino couple, with art pieces brought to it from their travels to various Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. 

The mother of the house had some battles with her health and this is where she would find a safe haven to destress from all the worries back in Manila. Now that she is in better health, the family decided to open the doors of this house and pass on the good vibes brought to their family to other visiting guests.

Guests staying at Altamira Boutique House have use of the common spaces which are filled with interesting and artsy pieces. Everywhere I looked, there was an artwork or sculpture that was truly Instagram-worthy. You could feel that this is really a home with its own character and personality, unlike staying in a commercial hotel filled with hundreds of guests.

The relaxation room is like a typical living room where guests can watch movies and play old-fashioned board games like Sungka or Jenga. I actually played Sungka for the very first time that evening and it’s nice to stay away from our gadgets for a little while and enjoy the surroundings and the company.

Just outside the relaxation room is the beautiful poolside veranda where guests can enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze. 

The private mango-shaped pool is also a great place to have a dip. Guests can have a pool party here, especially with several balconies beside and overlooking the pool. You can even book all five rooms of the house and have your own private party right in Tagaytay Highlands. I think I’ll take a swim later this evening.

The great thing about staying here is that you are free to bring your own food, snacks, and beverages inside the house, just like what you would do at your own rest house. They have a microwave and distilled water plus ice and kitchen utensils you might need. Just ask the house butler and she will provide whatever she can. Breakfast for two is included in the stay, but guests can also order lunch and dinner set meals (P600 each), although these will have to be done 24 hours in advance. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are also available for sale.

After exploring much of the house downstairs, it was time to go up to the second floor to see my room. Most of the guest rooms are located upstairs, with only Room 1 located on the ground floor.

The second floor has its own public balconies for guests to use. These give a relaxing view of the neighborhood and the surrounding mountains.

The biggest guest room in the house is Room 5 (P8000 published rate) which has a king-sized bed inside 40 square meters of comfortable space. This bedroom enjoys a private bathtub and an easy access to two shared balconies. It can accommodate up to 4 guests so this would be a great room for families with children.

We were booked at Room 2 (P7000 published rate) which actually has a better view of Taal Lake with its own private balcony. This room is more suited for couples.

My room has a more intimate 30 square meters with a queen size bed. You can still see various artwork adorning the room and I particularly liked this elegant gold mural by the door.

The room is fairly simple with just the basic necessities. There used to be a television set in the room but it was recently removed. I’m not sure if the owner is going to replace it, but having no television actually added to the tranquility of the whole experience. 

The bathroom also comes with everything you need including towels, toiletries and a bidet.

The best feature of this room is its private balcony which opens up to a romantic view of the Taal Lake and the house pool below. I woke up in the morning hearing the chirping of the birds with the cool summer breeze from the countryside.

Another feature of Altamira Boutique House is that it is only a two-minute drive from the Madre de Dios Chapel, which is a popular wedding venue inside Tagaytay Highlands. The house also offers packages for hair and make up preparations as well as overnight stays for the bride, entourage, or wedding guests.

But the biggest advantage of staying at Altamira Boutique House is the option to get a Tagaytay Highlands Guest Card which gives the holder exclusive access to members-only activities and amenities, except for golf facilities. The Guest Card is available only upon request for P3,000 which includes a P2,000 consumable amount and P1,000 processing fee. Any amount that goes over the minimum consumable amount will have to be paid upon checkout. I had pre-booked my guest card beforehand and it was presented to me by the house butler when I arrived at the house. Now we can explore this exclusive club and its many activities, amenities, and restaurants. (See my next blog for details)

After spending the afternoon at Tagaytay Highlands with a short trip up to the Tagaytay ridge, I wanted to cool down with an evening dip in the pool. If you book your stays during weekdays, you might end up with the entire house for yourself, just like we did. That’s why we really enjoyed our time at Altamira Boutique House.

The water was cold indeed so I only stayed in the pool for a few minutes. After that, it was time to hang out at the relaxation room for some board games before we headed back to our room.

The next morning, we headed downstairs and were greeted with a complimentary a la carte breakfast for two. This is served between 6:00am to 9:00am and the house butler will ask you the night before what time you want it to be served. You can have your breakfast at the dining room or even on the balcony if you prefer. Breakfast will be comprised of garlic rice, your choice of egg, pickled papaya and a filipino main dish together with hot French pressed coffee.

I decided to have the Bangus Tocino and while there only a few choices for your main dish, I really enjoyed the essence of waking up and having your breakfast personally prepared for you. It really feels like I have my own rest house and the butler really takes good care of me. We went back to our room to relish the last few hours of our enchanting stay before we headed back to the busy city life of Manila.

This was definitely the most unique and serene vacation I have ever had in Tagaytay. You don’t need to have a rest house or your own country club membership, because staying at Altamira Boutique House lets you have all of those exciting benefits in just one trip. Now I feel refreshed and reenergized for the next challenges ahead.

Altamira Boutique House

57 Paseo de Alta Mira, Alta Mira Village, Tagaytay Midlands and Highlands

(0917) 791-0302

www.altamiraboutiquehouse.com

www.facebook.com/altamiraboutiquehouse

altamiraboutiquehouse@gmail.com