FAVORITE THINGS

I grew up with our old record player, as my Dad was a music lover. We had music officially played every Sunday morning before going to church ... or while we were doing the household chores... or on special occasions, but always played it henever I am by myself and everyone is out of the house.

He played the clarinet - and this helped him through college being a member of the band. We have several records (favorites were Matt Monroe, Peggy Lee, etc). . . but my all time favorite was The Sound of Music.

I learned to sing the lyrics before I actually saw the movie while in highschool. From memory, I was so enthralled - actually "fallen in love" with the movie that I watched it over and over again. It was only in college that I though of this as form of "westernized colonial mentality" but so be it.... i really love this film !

From then on, I always thought that the Captain Von Trapp was really attractively handsome and that Maria believe it or not - became my ultimate role model. There was a little hill near our place like the first scene of the movie, and I always climbed that hill and sang to the top of my voice "...the hills are alive with the sound of music" like Julie Andrews did at the opening of the movie, to my heart's content.....

When I met my closest friends (kindred spirits) twenty years after - - we discovered that one common bond was our attachement to this movie and how we related to Maria/Julie Andrews one way or the other....Although most of us wanted to become the Countess. I think there are so many things about me and things that happened in my life that The Sound of Music movie can well explain....

MY FAVORITE THINGS Artist: Maria LyricsSong:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings These are a few of my favorite things Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favorite things When the dog bites When the bee stings When I'm feeling sad I simply remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ and these are some of my favorite people and things..... NATASHA One of my happy happy thoughts is about my niece Natasha. She is the one and only daughter of my younger sister. She is the oldest of all my nieces (2) and nephews (2). I arrived in Australia just one day after she was given birth, so I became sort of a "mama" to her for the first months. She is so cute and beautiful (like moi), and her lovely eyes just melt my heart away. Wishing her all the best in life, from me being her second "mummier". FLOWERS, flowers.... but my all time favorite are the fiery red orange tulips. I have taken this photo from the foyer of the National Gallery of Victoria last week. They have these gorgeous tulips plants and I was just so elated !!!

BANANA Leaves .... and anthing that has to do with with banana leaf wrap... like grilled Bangus wrapped with banana leaves, tupig' (an Ilocano delicacy expertly made by my grandma)...

BAMBOO... and anything that has to do with bamboo... like a big cool bamboo bed...

LEMONS.... lemonade, for bath, for cleaning, to give zest to food...

GAZEBO

Filipino style... just lazing away in the afternoon with friends....actually, this is what we are to have when we move to Brisbane.... maybe in the garden yah?