Movies - Take Me Away!!!

Today was somewhat of a FRUSTRATING DAY....  I mean it did not start of so - did my work, cleaned up a bit, then got ready for a Lite Lunch with Juliana....   Had our lunch - nice and tasty... and great chats, of course.....  then we both hack to work for 3 PM appointments...  Her's for interviews she has to do at work, and I to accept a delivery from CHINA I had been waiting for since last week....    my way to lunch, the Courier company called and set the delivery time....

 

Anyway, was home about 10 minutes before 3PM....  even called the courier company to tell them am home and waiting - and to this they just said OK....   an hour had passed andcome, so I called....  then I wast ready and cannot give me an exact time they were coming - but that they will come....  not wanting to miss the delivery opportunity, as the weekend is approaching too - and would have had to wait till MONDAY again if this was missed - I hung on and waited and waited and waited....  it was finally delivered - after 6:30PM....  3 and 1/2 hours late - with no advisory whatsoever....  and as you all know - WAITING IS NOT A VIRTUE OF MINE - so this left me frustrated...

 

I totally missed the showing of a movie I have a PASS for....   it was too late to GYM and already too dark to go for a run...  was going to meet Juju and her Mom for dinner but instead they had to meet up with some friends - other Moms with kiddies....    I was left with nothing but feeling a lot of frustrations.....  So I walked and walked and walked... and decided THE MOVIES....  it is always a GREAT ESCAPISM for me....  so why not go to the movies....   with not much playing here right now....  already saw 007 and Magic Mike - and I was too tired to be reading subtitles - I opted for Breaking Dawn Part 2....   Not really a follower... and a couple of entries I did get to see, I was neither awed or moved... just OK...  but sometimes, just OK is better than NOTHING....   and I was glad I went...  this, SUPPOSEDLY, last installment to the SAGA was not too bad...  though it borders on predictability, boredom and hokeyness - I just went with it... let it take me away - and my frustrations away... 

 

and so  that makes my THANKFUL ENTRY #16: THE MOVIES!!!

-whether in the Big Screen or in the privacy of your own home... With a group of people or alone... Be it Drama, Comedy, Animation, Science Fiction, Love Story, Action or Foreign... Big Budget Hollywood style or Indie... ...

The Movies are still one of the Best form of Escapism...

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THANKFUL 15. THE WARM FUZZY FEELINGS WE GET! And that is just what I got watching the Please MeiMei Tree Lighting Event... 

Brought back Sweet Memories of those I witnessed in the Bay Area growing up.... 

Truly makes the Heart Sparks - just when one needs it the most!!!  

COMPLETE PHOTOS HERE: Please MeiMei Tree Lighting Event

 

Open & Lock Case XMas 2011

ECSTATIC.HAPPY.OVERJOYED

Just a few words that describes my feelings tonight  - I LUCKED OUT and actually got my Open & Lock Premiums from 7-11...   and not just the Regular POP & Rock versions that you can hook up with your iPhone to listen to your music - was also LUCKY ENOUGH to get the XMAS versions of the duo, that doubles as speakers once attached to your MP3 or computer....   SCORE!!!

Regular Versions = Earphones

Special XMas Suits Versions = Speakers

Now if only I can get the COCO one from COSMED and the newly introduced, PLEASE one from

 7-11....  neverending, isn't it?

Sunday's Little Blessings

Started off the day with my first 7-11 Premium Earphones....   yes, I was FINALLY LUCKY enough to happen upon a 7-11 with a few of them IN STOCK for redemption....   and I got me the OPEN chan one....   Could not wait to get it deboxed and give it a try....   hooked it up on my iPhone and listened to some tunes - in fairness, it sounded pretty good....  nice, very nice, reception indeed!!! 

Now I cannot wait to get the LOCK chan one... I do hope that I get LUCKY enough for that one as my second redemption -- two more stickers to go..... :)

Then later on, out of the blue - with the skies still looking gloomy but no rain - we decided to drive up for a DIP at the Hot Spings... less than an hour outside of Taipei....   today was the perfect day... though the sun tried to come out a few times - it never really did....  so it was refreshing to be outdoors, nice cold breezes, and soothing Hot, Natural Spring waters...  and all that heat equaled an appetite for some delicacies for lunch....

...and earlier tonite, we got a visit from Jewel - who just came back from Japan... her first trip abroad ever....  only a year old and already Traveling....  what a life!!!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT WEEKEND!!! 

 HERE'S TO A BRAND NEW WEEK!!!

Close But No Cigar...

or in my case: "No Premium Earphones....  Yet!"

Went to a few 7-11 today to try and CLAIM my first of the Premium Open/Lock Earphones as I have collected enough stickers (Thanks fto all those cups of coffees - the BEST and FASTEST way to collect stickers!!!) for one so far....  but NO SUCH LUCK....  except for the ones they have on displayed (Teasing Me!) - none were available for redemption...  so I wait another week... BOO HOO!!!

AAAAAAHHHHHH  The Torture..... 

 I really should just got the Yahoo Auction way via Sue....  hahahahahahahaha.....

In My hand but cannot take home... BOO HOO!!!

Incidentally, sister company COSMED is running the same Premium Program but offers 3 EXCLUSIVES - Coco the bird, Open & Lock in XMas Clothing!!!

Original Post Regarding this Newest 7-11 Premium Program HERE!

Enjoy Music with Open & Lock!!!

November 2nd starts a brand new, and awfully awesome, Premium Program from 7-11....  this time around, Open, Lock and the rest of the Open Plaza gang with let you enjoy MUSIC like never before....  yep, they will all be available as Music Earphones... and just from the Adverts and posters up so far - I already know I want to collect them all!!!  HELP!!!

I better learn to read Chinese....

...or ELSE AM MISSING OUT ON ALL THE GOOD PARTS!!! LOL.... and this is one of those times.....

...Been collecting Premium Toys from various places here in Taiwan, 7-11, McDonalds, Family Mart, etc... and recently I have been coveting the XMas 2010 Open Plaza premiums, basically the more Limited Special Edition Open and Lock ones.... dressed as Nutcraker Soldiers, they are just cute as a button.... and as an added bonus, they double as Flashlights...Somehow I lucked in on the Lock one when I redeemed the points I have collected so far.... unfortunately, though I had enough for two, the other one I got was the Pink Dog (Jewel is getting this from me...:) ) so I had to ask Sue, my Yahoo Auction connection to help me get the Open chan one.... which she was able to quite fast....

Anyway, when she called to tell me she had received Open chan - she went on to say that she had to check if the light works, as well as the sound recoding device... I had to ask her to repeat right away, "the sound what?" Little did I know, each one can also record one's voice and playback.... and it even say so on the boxes...waaaaah!!! I had to run and get my Lock-chan out right away and test it - and it sure did record me talking and can play back pretty clearly.... I never would have known this if I did not enlist Sue to help me get one.... LOL!

Needless to say, am even happier about this EXTRA UNEXPECTED SURPRISE!!!!

OPEN for XMAS, once more....

It's beginning to look a lot like Open Plaza XMas... once more...
7-11 has already unveiled their XMAS Premium Toys Promotion... already ongoing till early Jan..... and yes, Open-chan & Lock-chan, along with their KOOKY Open Plaza friends are back - much, too much, to my excitement - of course!!!
This time around, the gang will Thrill and WOW, all collectors as they, not only come musically equipped... they also double as mini flashlights.... to better shine on each other I suppose....and once more, one can collect sticker points faster by Special promos such as this one: Buy 7-11 Slurpee Large Cup size and get double sticker points... Weeei.....

chillin' @ chili's

Had a LOVELY fun time at my Nov 1st lunch with Juliana @ Chili's, in the Warner Viewshow area - a themed resto from the Southwest of the good ol' USA... it did not disappoint - it was as TASTY as I was already imagining/dreaming/salivating over everything tht is to be, since the weekend prior to the lunch date.... I SWEAR! (NOTE: now that Juliana is back being a full time working gal - scheduling a lunch get-together becomes tricky once more... but we managed somehow - hehehehehe )
We did not overdo the ordering - as we know the servings are quite big.... we shared a Nachos Platter... A Bacon Cheeseburger.... Bottomless Ice Teas... and the creme de la creme: a Chocolate Marvel for dessert.... this dessert was HEAVENLY - chocolate cake, with creamy chocolate fudge filling inside and topped off with vanilla ice cream covered with hardened chocolate shell.... YUMMY!!! TASTES of the SOUTHWEST, INDEED!!!We were accompanied by three of my Bearbircks - of course!!! Just to add some fun to the day - especially when taking photos.... plus, it gives others something fun to see and talk about, too.... LOL... also, had the pleasure of being served by Jeff, a nice young boy from my Gym.... and the other added pleasant surprise is my Halloween Gift from Juliana - a commemorative, limited edition, 7-11 OPEN chan iCASH card

COMPLETE PHOTOS HERE

it's an OPEN & LOCK case...

I have completed the chorus line of OPEN PLAZA Premium Toys - FINALLY!!! With a BIG THANK YOU shout out to Sue for helping me acquire the last piece to complete this collection... actually I would have been loooong finished in completing the collection - even with the addition of the Silver and Gold variations of Open & Lock for the Holidays to boot (part of my XMAS present from Sue & Cecilia) - but towards the end of the promotion, 7-11 Taiwan introduced an additional character... that of the program's spokesperson, Jolin Tsai... Jolin has been one of the Premier Pop Idol in Taiwan ever since I moved here - and that was a decade ago...

Anyway, I was frustrated with the idea as I knew I was going away and will most likely not have a chance to collect this - and how many of us are ever happy knowing our collection is not complete...especially when it is just by one piece... months passed and I have completely forgotten about her and was just reminded last month... so I had to ask Sue for help as she is, for me and Juliana, the Yahoo Auction Queen of Taipei... hahahahahaha... Lo and behold, she has not failed us yet - so now, another collection completed!!!

Magazine Ad Introducing the newest additional character, announced by the spokesperson, herself, Taiwan's Pop Idol Jolin Tsai.

OPEN PLAZA and Collection Photos Here

monday, monday

the past weekend, besides being a COLD & WET one (every year, I swear, I think the winter months in Taipei is even colder than the previous one!) was no too bad at all -- even though it seems as if we did not do much but eat, eat, and eat some more.... hahahahahaha... as always, David was on a cooking frenzy and was making a lot of stuff for us all to savour and get fat on.... no wonder I feel like a BIG BEAR in WINTER just wanting to HIBERNATE after each meal.... ONLY PHOTOGRAPH THE DESSERTS AS THEY ARE MY FAVES AND JUST ABOUT THE ONLY TIME YOU WILL SEE ME HELP COOK, MAKE THAT BAKE, IN THE KITCHEN.

-well, aside from eating, I did manage to get around here and there.... and spent a lot of time watching DVDs (finally got to see the ELIZABETH - 2nd installment - simply an amazing film! and the 1st season of newest Melrose Place - TRASHY FUN - and seeing the old casts pop in and out is just too fun a trip down memory lane)...

spent a bit of time at the LIBRARY as well, reading mags, and catching up on "this n that".. always a pleasure flipping through magazines: fashions, toys, architecture, & news, now and again - hahahahaha) always so much going on that I wish I could see in person... places I wish I could visit.... and toys I wish I could have.... I was also HAPPY to have discovered a new TOY SHOP & SAD that, there is more COOL & FUN stuff to add in my OPEN PLAZA collection (SEE Follow Up Blogs) ...... oh well, back to reality.... and the trials and tribulations of life....

Happy Monday to you all... here's wishing for a GREATR WEEK for us all!!!

let him entertain you...

1 down, 5 more to go on this quest of mine for the OPEN YOUR DREAM premium program by 7-11.... weeeee...

(in case it does not appear here - CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT LINK TO VIDEO)
I GOT ONE... of course, I had to take him out of the box right away and test for myself... dancing cuteness with built in music to boot.... Plus yesterday, I got to see up close the COSMED EXCLUSIVE, Coco the Bird... definitely a MUST HAVE, too!!!

more photos of these OPEN PLAZA Premium cuties in THIS ALBUM

Open Your Dream

Back in August, while visiting my fave mall in KAOHSIUNG, Dream Mall, we happen upon this new cute little boutique - OPEN PLAZA. Cute characters printed in so many different goods: tote bags, umbrellas, tees, caps, etc.... and of course, the thing that attracted me to them in the first place, VINYL TOYS!!!

Over the last few years, OPEN PLAZA characters have been used for various promotional push by 7-11, but for the most part I have seen keyrings, plush items, and a few others. So, as cute as they are, I did not pay them too much attention. Not until I stepped into their shop, their wonderful world. So much VINYL TOYS - from music boxes with rotating figures, cute dioramas, and vinyl figurines... I was sooo enamored but still was strong willed not to start another new collection, after all, with just tokidoki goods alone, I really do not have more space for anything else.

Fast forward to this recent visit to the Wu residence in Kaohsiung, a visit not ever complete without hitting three places: our FAVE breakfast place, IKEA, & of course my personal fave, DREAM MALL. I dragged everyone to take a look at OPEN PLAZA Boutique once more - just to take photos. (^_*) Once again, I was enamoured with everything there - and was once again reminded how am loving these characters.

As if to egg me on more into wanting to covet them, the cutest 7-11 promotional tie up just commenced, ""Open Your Dream"". In this one, running through the holidays, the five main characters stands a top their own individual boxes. Cute I thought but why in the heck, do I need 60 point stickers (1 sticker per purchase of NT$30/a little less than US$1)!!! Well, upon closer look I realized that with a push of their individual buttons - they each start dancing -- and when you line them all up you got yourself the cutest chorus line. Now I gotta get cracking with these stickers - I now have 14 stickers so far - only 286 more to go in order to get all 5 figures.

Naturally, 7-11 was the next stop for a round of drinks - and of course, to get the stickers! Lo and Behold, as if they wanted to add SALT to my WOUND from pining for them, a cute mechanical display was put up at the Mall's 7-11 shop -- in it, a bunch of these cute figures are lined up, dancing away. And actually a 6th figure was added to the line up, a bird named Coco - this one I am told is a cross promotion that will run with another shop, COSMED. Darn, now I gotta go find me a COSMED to figure out how to get my hands on this 6th one. WHEW!!!

Open Plaza Cuties dance up a storm!Here's the cute ADVERT for the 7-11 Program, it stars one of Taiwan's Biggest POP Star, Jolin Tsai.
OPEN PLAZA PHOTO ALBUM HERE