My Dreams List or a Shameless Ploy to Coerce M. and C. to Get Me the Food I Miss from Philippines

M. (my sister) and C. (her husband) are heading to the P.I. for a vacation. So I had the phenomenal, larger-than-life-task of listing the things they need to buy up there and bring back to Ho Chi Minh .

It was a long list, to say the least. It includes books (please sell Arundhati Roy books in Vietnam!), CD's (sample, a belly dancing instructional video), DVD's (not pirated!), office clothes for M. (difficult to buy here since we're not as small as Vietnamese women),even Mac makeup (make up in HCM are mostly European brands, there are some American brands but still no Mac, I think) and a lot more.

To make the list longer, of course, I added MY DREAMS part. It's a list on its own. It's independent. It has its own life. It breaths, sighs, weeps, begs... I'm posting it on my blog because a list on a paper is a list on paper. It can be lost and then nada. A post on a blog will haunt you. It can be seen even in the P.I., just go to my blog, damn it. What I'm saying, bluntly speaking, is, "M. and C. if you ever read this, as I know you will, I would appreciate it if you buy me some!" There.

My Dreams List (This has got to be the most mentally-taxing post I've written here. Just to demonstrate, I had to edit and reedit it more than three times.)

1. Lord Stowe's egg tarts: No website and I have no idea why. Though for me, the brand sounds English (a cause de "Lord"), I think this is a Portuguese delicacy. It has outlets in Hong Kong, Macau and Philippines. I don't know where else.

2. buko pie from Nueva Vizcaya province: I have to be very particular here. The link was used as an in-case-you've-forgotten-the-sight-will-remind-you-how-mouth-watering-buko-pie-is, okay? I want the one from Nueva Vizcaya.

3. Auntie Anne's pretzels

4. Krispy Kreme doughnuts

5. Muhlach's ensaymada: Another instance in which I need to be particular. Muhlach's, Muhlach's, Muhlach's.

6. Cinnabon cinnamon rolls

7. Sans Rival Cake: I love the cheesecake in Brodard's, don't get me wrong, but hey, we're talking about dreams here.

Attention: If this ploy proves successful, there might not be madness for a while so people in Vietnam will be spared. I'll also gladly spend a sugar-induced hiatus from blogging, brain freezing due to excessive sugar and all. It's a good idea to wish me luck.

Some Asians Educated in Asia Can Speak and Write English Well, Too

Seventeen Saloon
White Person: You're a Filipino. Are you a member of the band here?
Me: No. I'm here because I'm writing a review of the bar. And I also need some pictures.
White Person: Really? You? Write? (from what I remember with a smirk)
Me: Yes, but I sense the question marks there.(laughter not because I found it funny but because I was already drunk I could laugh at everything)
(White Person proceeded to quizzing me thereafter, i.e. how would you rate the band, how would you rate the bar. My reaction: Go ahead, I always ace quizzes.)

Vasco's
American Guy: (when I mentioned I have 2 blogs) So, what language do you write in?
Me: Uh, English sometimes. Sometimes Filipino.
American Guy: I meant, what language are you more comfortable writing in?
Me: Uh, both.

Still in Vasco's
Same American Guy: Have you been to any country outside of Asia?
Me: No, why do you ask?
American Guy: Because you speak English with a barely noticeable accent. Did you speak English at home?
Me: No,mmm, in fact, we don't even speak Filipino at home. We speak Ilokano which is another language altogether. I learned both Filipino and English in school. I was smart, I guess (note the past tense).
American Guy: (I-can't-believe-the-gall-of-this-small-woman-laughter)

I find it ridiculous at times when some White people in Vietnam are dubious that some Asians educated in Asia do speak and write English well. It's not like all Whites can speak and write English well. Not even some of the supposedly educated ones do. (Enough, Cheryl.)

"...(I)t's odd that English is a language that, for somebody like me, is a choice that is made for me before I'm old enough to choose. It is the only language that you can (I prefer the term must) speak if you want to get a good job or you want to go to a university. All the big newspapers are in English."

Arundhati Roy said this of the English language in India. (Please sell Arundhati Roy books in Vietnam.) It's true in my country and in other parts of Asia, as well.
(American Guy, hi! I don't hate you. You have to admit you're full of crap sometimes.)

amadbrownwoman According to Yahoo

You think I'm not a goddess, huh, yahoo?

I don't know why I did, but, mmm, I searched my virtual moniker amadbrownwoman on yahoo. Well, look what I found. It only shows what I've suspected all along. One, Black Eyed Peas is really famous, (yeah, of course). Second, OMIH's blog is famous among Vietnam bloggers. Lastly, yahoo doesn't care that amadbrownwoman has her own blog.

So, if you're a blogger and you want to be visible on the internet, go comment in OMIH's blog.

Or if you want to be a famous blogger, just claim you're OMIH.

Or if you want to be famous period, just be a member of Black Eyed Peas period.