I got the world in my hand, the masterplan

Christian Dior Denim Flow - Kanye West, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Lloyd Banks, Pusha T, Ryan Leslie | Download via Kanye.com

I've been listening to (and loving!) this track the whole day. It's just really good and I believe we haven't had something like this in a while. Kanye West (YEEZY!), Kid Cudi, John Legend, Lloyd Banks, Pusha T and Ryan Leslie in one track! How awesome is that? I thought it was an homage to gorgeous models at first but when I listened to the song, I realized it was written for the homegirls! FINALLY, NO? *virtual high-fives all around!* Why Christian Dior when the megabrand is really spelled as Cristian? I don't know, I guess spelling it as such is just a lawsuit waiting to happen or a profit waiting to be divided. What I do know is that I really, really, really like this song. Drake and Swizz Beatz' Fancy might be my current favorite (I just love Fancy! Intelligent too/Ooh, you're my sweetheart/I've always liked my women book and street smart/) but this song comes a really close second. I uploaded them for kicks. Go get 'em! They're just sooooo good.

Some girls just walk in the light. Indeed.

Old Man Pablo

Hello! I'm going to blog a bit because I can't sleep. Just to state the obvious, I'm never going to run out of pictures from New York. I have a 4GB card full but to be honest, I might have had a few escapades I cannot talk about. Mostly because there are times when I can be unbelievably confident and for a small-town girl alone in a big city like New York, being forward is just very unbecoming.

One day, I decided to ride the bus to the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art). I was alone but a group of young tourists from a French public school offered to tag me along as they go around the museum. I declined, of course, because how can I flail over regency England set-ups in the presence of European boys? I figured they probably wanted me to come with because I am big enough to be their bodyguard. That or the simple fact that I translated a few sentences describing Byzantine art to these fine gentlemen. Regret only comes back to haunt you when you're already in Third World Philippines, wondering why nobody pings you on MSN e-v-e-r. Huhu. Haha. Just kidding. Anyway, moving along..

I roamed around the museum alone. The whole thing took me four hours. I found myself reveling at the items inside the American History wing the most.

I have a thing for chairs, so I took a picture of these old American chairs on display. I actually have a small list in my head of the chairs I want to buy when I earn big: Philippe Starck's Louis ghost chairs, the Heima couch, those Victorian lounge chairs I saw in Dimensione and Locsin International's onion couch in black. Aaah, I can't wait.

I got bored walking around so off I went to a secluded wing to buy a painting of my ancestors. CHOS! I'm just kidding. I'm not sure why there are a lot of paintings which are not on display anymore but storing them inside glass cases is the next best thing.

These girls are my favorite. The portrait on the right is actually reproduced as prints, greeting cards or postcards and is sold all over the museum gift shops. I should have bought one. Look at her, she's beautiful.

Being right in time for Picasso's exhibit made my trip worth it. It is easily the highlight of my Manhattan 2010, a feat since I have been shopping in stores I wouldn't even dare enter alone during my stay in NY (I have fairy GRANDmothers). Still, art > any material thing.

I have been a fan of Pablo Picasso ever since I read his autobiography in college. I've always looked at him as a tormented genius, someone so passionate about his art but really cold-blooded towards people. My favorite Picasso anecdote was when he cut his son and grandchildren in order to mix their blood into his paints. It was so twisted but it was the same detachment he showed towards his family that attracted me into learning more about him. I was so interested in his passion for his art that I didn't realize he's already become the artist I know most about. His life is just so colorful and so sexual. I am very pleased that politics and social issues found its way through his art, no matter how much his style has evolved throughout his creative years. It just shows how great an influence culture can be. As a matter of fact, it *is* the greatest influence an artist (or a person) can have.

I know Picasso has done a lot of commendable artwork and paintings, from Cubism to Surrealism to his infamous Blue and Rose Periods. However, my favorite is still and will always be his charcoal sketches and rubber prints. There is something about the simplicity of his art in these mediums that speaks so strongly to me. I actually dream of exploring places like Barcelona, Madrid, most of Spain and parts of France just to get a feel about his creative process. I'm a big fan of creative artists and troubled geniuses, I would love to learn more about Picasso through his culture.

Most of these sketches are nude, erotic or extremely objectifying. I. Just. Love. It.

An original announcement for one of Mr. P's shows.

I don't need to tell you something about the prominence of clowns in one of Picasso's series. The most famous of which is Le Clown et l'Harlequin and the White Clown. Some of his famous works like The Dreamer (the painting above) were also featured.

This print or partial sketch of three ladies bathing was imprinted into a big canvas bag that museum folks sold for $47 a piece. I love Pablo P and all, but I don't think I will ever pay for katsa that expensive. Even if I had the money. Which I don't, usually.

These rubber prints are my favorite. Picasso made these for the King and Queen of Spain at that time, in the hope of getting more funding in the future.

I spent some time looking at his sketches, mostly because they are my favorite set. I really think these works have been overlooked because they're just sketches. That or I'm really into school and I've been trying to make my mind work by connecting art and art history to psychology. Temperance Brennan and Meredith Grey will not approve.

Critics argue that these sketches are not only overtly sexual, they also objectify women. I just think they're sexy and gorgeous. It's a plus fact that Pablo Picasso was totally into gorditas for a time. Hey, it isn't everyday that we're objectified. It might be bad but we're all a little vain inside. It feels good. Kind of. (Don't mind me, I don't know what I'm talking about)

Lastly, my all-time favorite Picasso artwork:

La Douleur, painted in 1902 (0r 1903, no one is sure) using oil on canvas. People refer to it plainly as the erotic scene. He was very young when he painted this, he was only twenty-two but look at that painting of himself being fellated by a woman. It is the most sexually charged painting I have ever seen and even then, I think Pablo Picasso already had a carnal knowledge of both his personal pleasures and his art. He is a genius. Always.

Forever amazed.

Some days are meant for pasta

I'm not the biggest fan or patron of pasta. I'm actually very carnivorous and very asian, in that I like my rice as much as I like my meat. Fortunately, there are lazy days that really call for pasta. Like weekends or break-up months or Christmas time. It's not a secret that I like to putter around the kitchen whenever I have free time. I'm not exactly big on writing about my experiments with food because how redundant can I be? Like, seriously? A fat foodie? Heh. I have nothing to talk about so I'm making an exception. This recipe is as simple as it goes. I already wrote about this dish on my tumblr but I'm blogging about it again with the full recipe (my own tweakage of the standard tomato cream pasta).

Ingredients:

2 tbsps. truffle oil

2 tbsps. butter

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 250g all-purpose cream

10 oz. tomato sauce (I used 3/4 of a can)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp of brown sugar (to counter the acidity of the sauce)

about 200 grams of sausage, chopped

dried basil leaves (if you have fresh ones, go for it!)

grated Pecorino Romano cheese

450 g linguine¹, cooked to package directions

Preparation instructions:

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add chopped sausage and let it brown a bit (if you like salty and garlicky sausages, you can omit the garlic and just saute it with onions but I like my sausages sweet so, yeah). Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (I turn off the heat when my sauce is thick and the color turns into a really deep red. I also add a dash of dried basil leaves just a few minutes before I turn off the heat. Adding it any time sooner is just overpowering). Remove from heat and stir in cream. Pour over drained pasta and toss to coat. Garnish with grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan cheese) and more dried basil leaves (if you want to!). Serve.

My sister likes this a lot but she wants it sausage-and-herb-free and really cheesy. My mother suggested I put mushrooms the next time I make one. A friend of mine puts red pepper flakes in his recipe. I would've used fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes (instead of tomato sauce) if I had the option. I think it's a matter of personal preference. Enjoy!

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¹You can use other kinds of pasta, I just prefer linguine because it's firm and it cooks well. :D I think this kind of recipe works well with fussili and penne too, because it's saucy and creamy but what the hell do I know? I just like to eat. Period.