The Lone Ranger

Rating: 3 stars - ok not great but entertaining

I grew up watching the cartoon version of the same title. Knowing it was Johnny Depp, I was interested since he usually acts in films that I like. I appreciated that he was not over the top here. He was quirky but not impossible.

Though this was a Disney film, somehow it did not feel like the usual type they deliver. The action sequences did not have me jumping but there was a lot of laughter thanks to Tonto. Perhaps it is part of growing older but I left the cinema full of sorrow for the American Indians who had their lands and lives stolen from them. A treaty they were told they broke that they didn't, the wasted lives to serve other people's greed. Once you realize the truth, a choice must be made (as a number of characters in the movie had to do). Defining moments that sometimes we don't realize is what it is such as for Capt. Jay Fuller but the next step is/was a conscious choice.

Though the title of the film is the Lone Ranger, this film did not feel like any version of the Lone Ranger I've seen before. It did not feel like an adventure. The tragedy and the injustice just couldn't be shaken off and the  concept the Lone Ranger rides again did not feel as strong. The determination and resolution that characterizes him for me just wasn't there.

Character I love: Red! That leg is awesome!
Most memorable character: Silver! That is one strange horse. very smart though - no use arguing with a spirit horse.

Would I watch it again...maybe but definitely not on the big screen.

Animation Weekends Shared

It makes me happy that my children share the things I love. It gives us more common ground and makes for livelier conversations. I am looking forward to the days when I can stop being the one who disciplines them and more really just their friend. Common interests make it easier to build bridges and memories to keep the relationships strong, I hope, long after they are all older and have moved on to having their own families.

Some of the things we enjoy doing together is watching cartoons. Everything from Disney to Avatar. Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes, Power Puff Girls, Voltron,  Macross, Totally Spies, Amazing Spies, Bakugan,and the list is endless. Of course Asia has always had great animated work. All the robot shows- Voltes V, Mekanda Robot, Mazinger Z. Though not cartoons but still something we enjoy are the shows like Star Rangers, Bioman, Mask Rider Black and yes, the Power Rangers. The list would go on and on and on.

The kids introduce me to new anime all the time and I introduce them to the ones we enjoyed growing up. Though they have watched Voltes V and Daimos, these have not become their favorites. I introduced them to Vandread, Curious Play (Fushigi Yuugi), Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho) and of course, my favorite, Detective Conan. Though none of us speak Nihongo, we all prefer to watch the original Japanese anime with English subtitles.

Recently we watched some Sailor Moon movies. I promised them that these would make them laugh. How could they not with titles like Sailor Moon and the Black Dream Hole? Gist: Sucking in the sweet (kids dreams) and using the resulting energy to open the black hole where badness will spill out. Hmmm....what does that sound like to you? We all agree that it's great to watch for laughs. Pretty Girl Sailor Moon (PGSM) the live action is still the best series of that show and OMG on the dialogue and the voice acting!

Seriously, TV may be bad for us because it creates couch potatoes but it also helps create good memories and common bonds. To the creators, authors, producers, artists and people keeping the cartoon/animation industry alive, I say THANK YOU and I hope you never get tired of doing what you do. More please!

Nail-a-holics

I finally made time to check out nail-a-holics in Gateway Tower. The receptionist immediately advised me of their 10% discount as soon as I walked in. That was nice! She offered different services to help me choose though I had already said I just wanted a basic mani-pedi. Never hurts to listen since how else would you find out if there's something new to try, right? At the end though, I still settled for the basics.

The attendant, Sheila, led me to a comfy arm chair in the inner left hand section and offered tea or juice. (Naturally, I went for tea). There was only one other customer in that area so it was pretty quiet except for the background sound of sea / surf / beach inspired spa-like music. She quickly got to work on my toes. She had very gentle hands-I barely felt my feet being worked on.

Another girl worked on my hands. I found it a bit strange that she didn't know how to shape my nails into an oval cut. I finally re-cut and shaped them myself and she did the rest of the cleaning and painting. She was very nice though. She allowed me to test out the different colors since I couldn't decide on the color since almost everything appealed.

I was there for almost 2 hours. They didn't do my hands and feet at the same time and they redid my hands twice due to polish errors. But the result was good. I have pretty and happy hands and feet.

The cost of the service is pretty standard for having nails done in the mall. They charge extra if you choose an imported brand of nail polish. Interestingly, they are more expensive than my regular home service. That was a surprise to me. Would I go back to nail-a-holics? Yes but more as a once in a while treat than my regular service. I'll stick to my awesome home service.

Tips for Working At Home

Women are often torn between the need to be home and the need to contribute to the family financially. Not everyone is cut out or inclined to have their own business though it may offer more flexibility. A great alternative is to work from home.

Telecommuting is a great way to address both needs. For moms, this can be a real lifesaver. You are around all day so you can keep track of the things at home. You have work - of the nature you like - that allows you to earn and to the family coffers without any transportation costs.

Now raises the other head of the hydra. Your family appreciates the fact that you are now more accessible than ever. Since you are home, they tend to think they can ask you various stuff at anytime. You are trying to manage the household needs - cooking, cleaning, etc - and still get your job done. End of the day, you feel wrung out, dizzy and you wonder why you ever thought it was a good idea.

Here are some things I found helpful when starting out:

1. Discuss your decision to work from home with your family. Talk to them about your chosen work and what it's about. The more they know, the better they understand the situation.
2. Set your hours around your needs. Most work from home businesses ask you what hours you are available. Choose the ones that makes sense given all your tasks. This is good for both your family and your employer/clients.
3. Make sure to give yourself time off. What good is it to be home if you are too busy to spend time with your family still - even when they are standing right beside you?
4. Treat your working hours as working hours. This means that during those hours your mind should be on the job and not on the laundry. Let your family know the hours you work so they are aware that those hours are just like if you worked in an office in another part of the city. 
5. Comfort is good but working on one's bed can also be very conducive to falling asleep. It can also be bad for the back. It is best to find a spot for your home office and get it set up properly.
6. If there is space, set up your home office somewhere that has a door you can close. This may sound funny to some but try working in your living room and see how much you get done. Often various people come up and ask questions or talk to you not realizing you are working. The very act of being in the office - whether the door is open or closed - establishes that it is time to work. Most people will knock if they need you or just come back. 

Cup of Tea

I woke up and found that an important tool I use for work had stopped functioning. BUMMER! Just when I had 4 items on a deadline, I couldn't work. It's also one of those times were free online tools or software just wouldn't do.

So there I sat...sweating...praying that my boss would understand and allow the deadlines to get pushed back. I suddenly found myself in my kitchen making a pot of tea. Perhaps it was the need to do something-anything-with my hands other than fidget. Perhaps it was the lure of my first ever tea set. Of course it could simply be a need for a soothing cup of jasmine tea.

Tea is considered medicinal by some or just another source of caffeine by others. Some countries, such as Japan, even have tea ceremonies or rituals. Of course, tea isn't worshiped - that would just be silly. But tea is definitely a companion when chatting with friends - an alternative to coffee and definitely a healthier one than soda or liquor. There are so many kinds and brands of tea, it can be bewildering.

I learned to drink tea at home. My father would bring out this tin of black tea or Jasmine Tea or gold tea. Out would come one of the beautiful tea sets of my mom and we would get to drink tea. I felt very grown up drinking from the delicate porcelain cup. Tea brings many fond memories of home. Perhaps this is why I am so happy to have my own tea set, at last, and sharing that love of  tea with my kids.

Tea is best when hot so..off to savor my tea.

BS'D

Someone sent me an email that started with this:

Now I had no idea what that mean so I looked it up:

I am choosing to believe the sender meant the latter but there is a big difference folks between an apostrophe and quotation marks.

Gelatissimo

It is always wonderful to discover a new favorite hangout for summer. With the scorching hat, a place that is cool and helps banish the heat is always welcome. Enter Gelatissimo - the real taste of Italia that came to us via Australia.

What is Gelatissimo? Primarily it is an ice cream place but they don't sell your local grocery available brands. Gelatissimo is an experience.

They create their own flavors- flavors that range from your vanilla to the richness of chocolate to lushness of fruit. Their menu shows premium dairy and premium sorbet. They have flavors we've seen elsewhere such as white chocolate or mango or Belgian Chocolate; but they have some flirty flavors that are uniquely theirs. I loved the names in their naughty or nice line:

• Will You Marry Me - white chocolate and macadamia
• Love is Blind - white chocolate and blueberry
• Stood Up - Chocolate Creme brulee
• Heart Broken - white chocolate and Honeycomb
• Falling for You - white chocolate and passion fruit
• Far Too Confused - chocolate macaron
• I'm Just Not ready - (sorry forgot the ingredients)
• You Had Me at Hello - white chocolate and raspberry
• No Strings Attached - (sorry forgot the ingredients)

After tasting almost all the flavors on display (yes, they actually encourage you to taste), I chose the lemon cheesecake - is that any surprise when I looove lemon squares? All I can say is YUM! The cleanness of the flavor was perfect. The lemon just right - not too sour. It was a toss up between this and the chili chocolate

Not surprisingly a scoop of ice cream here is way more expensive than a scoop of the stuff you would buy in a grocery but it is definitely worth the price.

There are 5 Gelatissimo branches here in Manila:

• Greenbelt 5
• Trinoma
• Serendra
• Shangrila
• Megamall

For those who's rather enjoy their treat in the comfort of their home, they also sell their gelato in half liter and 1 liter packages. Their staff said that you can have up to 3 flavors in the half liter and 4 flavors in the 1 liter package. The price is not dependent on the flavor you pick but on the size of the package you choose.

I will definitely go back soon.