A Vegan Weekend

It's really hard to go vegetarian in the Philippines, as the options her are a bit limited (plus peer pressure can bea bit overbearing at times), yet I managed this weekend of 48 hours to be absolutely meat-free.

Being fully stuffed by glorious puto from Friday afternoon, I decided to skip the meat and just have salad for dinner. Inspired by the vegan meal, I spent Saturday morning picking up random vegetables from the supermarket. Just sharing the weekend menu, you might want to cook up a veggie meal one of these days.

Zucchini and Eggplant Fusilli in Cream
Pseudo Roka Salata
Chili Tomato and Oyster Mushroom Pasta Soup
Nachos with Jalapenos
Peanut Butter and Banana Toast
Apple and Nori Salad
Stir Fried Soft Tofu and Broccoli

Sounds actually yummy. Any suggestions on what to do this weekend?

Twin CDs

Hi everyone. I think I've composed myself and this entry (Pun. Glee.)- It's interesting how I picked up 2 CDs, born 14 years apart, and they look the same save for the color:



In case you can't figure out the doodling, it's Dookie by Green Day and We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. by Jason Mraz. It's Billie Joe Armstrong and friends when they were young, just stepping out of the indie scene and into mainstream success. It's Green Day's debut album, a poppier, spunkier, neurotic sound and it definitely reflects the atttude of the early 90s (Compare that with today's kids in skinny pants, emo glasses and incessant screaming in the radio). Green Day back then was the rowdier, schizophrenic brother of the blooming alternative scene, and a tribute to the Slackers vibe of the grunge generation. I love it. And if you can remember the large noses going around the Basketcase video, then give me a high-five - you're definitely in my age group.

You know the songs in the album already, but I think I got so enticed by this album (a decade and a half late, I know), ergo, American Idiot is getting a nomination to join my album shelf.

Contrast Dookie with Jason's new album, where he trades his bebops (well, at least most of it), retreats into the cabana, and puts on his flip flops. Watch out Jack Johnson. Mraz relaxes with his latest songbook, and does away with the overture he created in Mr. A-Z, and strips it down to some fancy guitar strumming, easy melodies, and, well, a bit of the scatman thing. Did not like the collaboration with Colbie Caillat, but the subtle harmony created with James Morrison was indeed haunting. Interestingly, their voices are similar, with Mraz carrying a more fluid veneer to his melodies, and Morrison providing the coarseness to highlight the differences.

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More music news - it's November already, and the race is on for this year's most loved song. Justin Timberlake walked away with the trophy last year, and I knew it by September. This time, I can honestly say, I don't know; I don't even know what my favorite top 10 songs of 2008 will be. Any suggestions?