wishing you all a SAFE & FUN Xmas filled with joy, laughter & love... with family, friends, love ones... and even on your own... and of course, here's wishing for 
NOTE: 5 more days before XMas... more places to hit and snap photos of... (^_*)
and as always, Chef Marketchow did not disappoint and treated us to some very nice dishes... and I even got to help on a few of them... just don't grade my Salmon Cakes shaped as gingerbread man and stars... well, they were supposed to be anyway....
Party finished at almost 11PM... and we SURVIVED!!! and BEST of all, next dinner is at Sue & Cecilia's home.... weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee............... but we could not rest yet - now we gotta get ready for a lunch party at Shaun & Lyn's home the following day...
...thanks to you Miss Mary!!! got the BOX today - totally UNEXPECTED.... love them all - Just Perfect as I do not have any of these Be@rbricks in my collection yet.... they certainly will LIVEN UP the display case....
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, Mary!!! Love Ya... Always!
So I had my first official Holiday Get-Together for lunch today with Juliana... Since I had stuff to pick up from her and momokos to deliver to her - we decided to make just go ahead and make a lunch outing out of it... at our FAVE hangout, too - TGI Fridays, over at Chung Hsiao East Rd... right next to the ever festive, SOGO Department Store... which is nicely decorated for XMAS btw... we got to enjoy their XMAS decor a bit right after lunch, as we walked around the Department store - mainly, the Toy Section, of course!!!
Don't forget to wear your RED RIBBON and HELP SPREAD AIDS AWARENESS in however you can.... do this in honour of the brothers & sisters - the world over - who has fought this battle and lost... and those who are still fighting the battle... we are all in this together.... 
-was just reminded this morning that there are only 9 weeks left before XMAS!!! YIKES!@#*?! where did the time go? am so 2000 and late! Confucius, help me make sense of it all - puhleeze!!!!
I was anticipating the total darkness that was reported to envelop us all... well, it did get dark but with the dark clouds obscuring the actual eclipse -- all I got to see was this:
It looked so promising...
Till the clouds obscured it all....oh well, there's always the next one...
Okie Dokie - been asked enough times that am breaking down... am FINALLY starting a BLOG to highlight all the dolls that comes the R&D way: Susie, Angels, Mensajero, Momoko, FR, Nikki & Odeco-chan, Jenny, and many, many more...
We will keep you current on Upcoming & New Releases, Magazines, Pictorials, LINKS of Interests, etc.... So pls STAY TUNED and SUBSCRIBE so as to not miss out on the latest NEWS & Photos of your Favorite Dolls.
So without further yada, yada, yada - I give you all: R&D Spotlight
Kaohsiung, Taiwan is the PROUD host of the 10 day (from the 16th thru the 26th) 8th World Games... Wishing I can snag tickets... but am sure that is a long shot as they are too pricey and am sure will sell out fast!!!
Gao Mei & Syong Ge, the World Games' Official Mascots
Official Site Here
In Honour of this year's Pride Weekend - a few smart & funny quotes:
"When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
-From the tombstone of a gay Vietnam veteran
"Why can't they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going: Who'd you call a faggot?"
John Stewart on homophobia in the military
"Soldiers who are not afraid of guns, bombs, capture, torture or death say they are afraid of homosexuals. Clearly we should not be used as soldiers; we should be used as weapons."
Letter to the editor, The Advocate
"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?"
-Ernest Gaines on ill-conceived machismo
"If homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in queer to work: Hello. Can't work today, still queer."
-Robin Tyler on a possible positive thing about being queer
"What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains."
Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947) defining "straight"
"If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters."
Anita Bryant proving how ill-informed a person can be
"My own belief is that there is hardly anyone whose sexual life, if it were broadcast, would not fill the world at large with surprise and horror."
W. Somerset Maugham speaking common sense
"When it comes to exploring the sea of love, I prefer buoys."
-Andrew G. Dehel on, well, boys
"There is only one success – to spend your life in your own way."
Christopher Morley states the obvious
"The most important thing is to be whatever you are without shame."
-Rod Steiger on pride
"The best things and best people rise out of their separateness. I'm against a homogenized society because I want the cream to rise."
Robert Frost on uniqueness
"Love is the answer, but while you are waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions."
Woody Allen's take on love - and sex
"Live all you can; it's a mistake not to. It doesn't so much matter what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If you haven't had that, what have you had?"
-Henry James on living to the fullest
Happy Pride Weekend Ya All!!!
Though we try not to eat as much JUNK FOOD - now and again something just catches our eyes.... just like this new AD from McDonalds... nope not the HUNKY Popular Taiwan Soap Opera Star, but actually the new Burger offering - with QUADRUPLE MEAT!!
For NT$140 - you get this Tasty Burger with 4 X the meat patty & the works (veggies & sauce); Large Fries & a Super Large Drink -- We just had to try it.... and as an added BONUS for a Limited time offer, with each meal set order - you get a FREE Coke Contour Glass, available in Blue, Green, lime, Pink, Purple... so how can you top that... so far we have the Blue, Pink, Purple & Green versions -- so you know, we have tried this new offering not just once, but actually a few times.... and We're Lovin' It!!!
The end of the week marks another Dragon Boat Festival celebration in Taiwan.... and once again am missing all the actions and festivities, for today am flying out to Manila to check up on my MOM and her not-so-good health... am actually at the airport now, awaiting my flight to Manila...
Am really SAD about this as it seems am forever missing this Holiday which is a FUN one... with lots of festivities happening by the RIVER, where we run... DRAGON BOAT ROWING contests... music, food, and lots of revelers...
My only consolation this year is that I happen upon some practice run while biking by the river yesterday morning, SUNDAY... so am able to watch some practice runs & even snap a few shots.....
One of the things I like best when is Kaohsiung is walking down to the Cultural Center... about a 15 minute walk from The Wus home... there is always something ahppening there... live performances, hip hop dancings, and various exhibitions.... this time we happen upon a cool art exhibition and the focus is to welcome the Year of the OX -- so all art posters, paintings & illustrations are of various cows, oxes, and even (the CHICAGO)bulls.... took a photo of some of my FAVES to share: CLICK HERE
Happy Niu (OX) Year!!!
"Niu" is Chinese for Cow... so it is fitting as we welcome in the Year of the OX!!! Hope you are all fine and having fun... staying safe...
A week later, and am so sure, at least, 3 KGS heavier, we are back from Kaohsiung where we celebrated and welcomed the Year of the Ox!!!
Staying TRUE to my Horoscope for 2009, decided to take the PLUNGE and GO FOR IT! Armed with enough mileage to use with ANA, David and I booked our vacation for this year... this is our DREAM VACATIONS -- David stopping by for culinary pilgrimages, while I do my own in Holy ones in Seville and Rome... The VATICAN here I come -- FINALLY!!!
The ITINERAY for this APRIL TRIP goes like so(FUNNY HOW THESE THREE LITTLE CODES MEANS THE WORLD TO ME):
TPE-SIN (Singapore)
SIN-SGN (Saigon)
SGN-BKK (Bangkok)
BKK=MXP (Milan)
MXP-LIS (Lisbon)
LIS-SVQ (Seville)
SVQ-LIS (Lisbon)
LIS-LYS (Lyon)
LYS-ROM (Rome)
ROM-FOC (Frankfurt)
FRA-PVC (Shanghai)
PVC-TPE (Taipei)
-- all these stops for 65,000 miles per person... of course, all these could not have been POSSIBLE without David's SAVVYINESS on airline routes & mileage requirements... never ceases to AMAZE me how he can come up with the routes that he does... making sure that our miles will be used the BEST and MOST to our advantage... even the ANA Reps were AMAZED!!!
So this is one trip am totally looking forward to... let me know if you have suggestions of cities to see, delicacies to try, along our route....
Posts
All Comments
