Randomness Is Bliss

TO MY FELLOW LA SALLIANS LET'S BE ONE FOR ILIGAN

2011-12-18T16:04:00.004+08:00

Typhoon Sendong, which hit the Visayas and Mindanao regions REAL HARD. I was reading my Twitter timeline and read heartbreaking tweets from ABS-CBN and other people. They say it's Ondoy-like, some say it was far worse than Ondoy. But Ondoy-like or not, when Sendong left, the end result was a catastrophe! And what's worse it hit the region like 10 days before Christmas.

And since my family's also in the giving mood for the Holidays with our annual Christmas Drive, I think we should give back and help these families. Guys, it's almost Christmas, and a lot of these families will be spending the supposedly happiest day of the year in resettlement areas (school gyms or the town center).

I just re-tweeted Gang Badoy and it said that: "My cousin just texted me: The La Salle Iligan gym is being prepared now for the mass wake of the victims in their community. :(" Seriously, this isn't how Christmas is supposed to be.

And since we have a brother school in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte (which was also badly hit by Sendong) the Brothers have posted on their Facebook accounts ways on how we can help these families. So to my fellow La Sallians, it's time to pay it forward. These people are in dire need of help. Here's how you can help send your donations:

Development Bank of the Philippines
Account Name: La Salle Academy
Account Number: 0820-016221-030.

Notes:
1. Please make cheques payable to La Salle Academy.
2. Kindly make a digital copy (or digital photo) of the deposit slip and email this digital file to Br. Raffy Reyes FSC (President of LSA) raffyreyes1018@gmail.com AND Br Dennis Magbanua FSC (President of DLSZ) brodennis@gmail.com for proper documentation and accounting.

De La Salle Zobel: Please leave donations at GATE 7, starting December 19. They also have relief goods drop off centers at Alabang Town Center. You may contact the following people in-charge:

The following members of the DLSZ community are in charge of the Relief Goods Drop Off Center:

Miss Evangeline "Vangie" de Peralta (Lasallian Formation and Mission Department Director)
0917 563 8870 (office cellular number)

Mr Jayjay Jacinto (Social Action Office Head)
0917 859 7602 (office cellular number)

Mr Dennis Patiño (Administrative Services Department Director
0917 556 4155 (office cellular number)

Mr Ton Francisco (Parent Volunteer for Logistics and Transportation)
tonfrancisco2000@yahoo.com

De La Salle-College of St. Benilde: Fill-out pledge form and give/send donations through the accounting office. You may get pledge form at COSCA Office 3rd/F of Br. Cordero Building.

La Salle Greenhills: You may leave donations at GATE 2 also starting December 19.

For more information on how to help visit the De La Salle Philippines Facebook page by clicking here.

Thank you guys! Please spread the word. Our La Sallian brothers and sisters need us, and so does the people of Iligan City whose lives will be changed forever by this catastrophic event. Let's help them rebuild their lives in the littlest way we could. We had Ondoy 2 years ago, so we know exactly how they feel.

P.S. Here's a clear example of how devastating the situation is over at Iligan City.
NEWS UPDATE:
Several LSA faculty members, support staff and students lost their homes. One teacher lost her brother, another lost her parents and a sister. Another teacher lost her mother and two brothers. One night high school student reportedly died too.

The school was also flooded (about one to two feet high). Clearing of the mud in the classrooms and offices has commenced. Wakes for the members of the Lasallian Family will also be held on campus because the funeral parlors are full.

Appeal to Kind Hearts: Fund our Annual Christmas Drive

2011-12-13T13:31:00.010+08:00

Hi guys! I have been an absentee blogger due to the fact that I had 3 subjects this term and the months leading to the Holidays is the busiest here at work. But anyway, this blog entry is not a blog on a recent food trip or travel, but a sincere appeal to kind and generous hearts this Christmas.

It's been a dream of my Mother to give "gifts" to unfortunate families during Christmas. And last year, this dream saw realization when we got to do our first ever Christmas drive my Mom wittily called PANSSTTT! She called it that because we gave pancit canton (and all ingredients involved in the cooking plus some fruits and powdered iced tea) to unfortunate families near our subdivision in Cainta, Rizal. You can read about my entry last year here (120 Families Served on Christmas Eve)

Through the help of our Parish (San Antonio de Padua Parish) and Dess (the lovely lady from our subdivision who coordinated it all) we were able to distribute these Noche Buena goods to about 120 families. Here are some of the pictures from last year's Christmas Drive. Seeing the smiles on their faces that Christmas Eve was the best! Ang saya na makita sila na masaya to get the goodie bags! :)

By the way, Dess made sure that families we were giving these goodie bags to HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO MEANS FOR A NOCHE BUENA! Dess knows the place well since she volunteers for the Church, and knows the people by name. :)

Through the help of our kind donors, we were able to put up enough money to buy all those things for the pancit canton, and we got a little more than we expected so we got buy them fruits and iced tea. Our donors ranged from our relatives (here and abroad), my friends (barkada and work), and other kind-hearted people. We made sure that they SAW where their money went, hence the proper documentation (with accounting pa yan ha!).

So now let me appeal to all of you guys reading this blog entry. It doesn't have to be a huge sum. As of this writing, my Mom has been able to collect funds from our relatives from the States and a friend of hers from work donated juice packs.

For those who want to donate, please leave your name and e-mail address so I could send you details on how you can extend your help.

Thank you very much guys! Let us help those people who will, in no way, have a decent Christmas dinner with their families. Let us be reminded that this is THE TIME of the year to show how blessed we are that we have so much, and it is time to give back.

Please help us spread the word! To my fellow bloggers, I hope you can help me get through some more people. I'm not as big time a blogger as you guys, you guys have a wider reach, so sana you can help me with our Christmas Drive.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! The red poster above, you can use to help promote! :)

For queries on how to donate please e-mail me at: mtc(dot)dumana(at)yahoo(dot)com.

CHANGE OF DATE: Personal & Basic Make-up Workshop by Jim Ros

2011-11-24T09:02:00.007+08:00

GUYS CHUCHIE INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF DATE FOR THIS MAKE-UP WORKSHOP. IT HAS BEEN MOVED TO SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2011. TIME AND PLACE REMAIN THE SAME. FOR DETAILS YOU MAY TEXT CHUCHIE LEDESMA AT 09157954061 OR E-MAIL HER AT carmela.ledesma@gmail.com

THANK YOU!! :)

And mi amiga Chuchie Ledesma! Chuchie was my officemate and becky friend who has this knack for all things jukap. We were her guinea pigs when we were in the publishing company, FAME, Inc. At nagsimula ang pagiging bakla ko dahil sa kanya!

After her stint as head writer for Zen Health magazine, she is now a make-up artist extraordinaire. She became a MUA for Lourd Ramos (her mentor) and her portfolio boasts of Philippine Fashion Week, Mutya ng Pilipinas, weddings, and photoshoots in our magazines. Check out her tumblr page so you guys would get an idea kung gaano ka-PAKAK ang kanyang jukap skills!

And so bilang gow na gow na si Mother sa jukapan, she asked me to post this invite to a Make-up Seminar with another make-up extraordinaire, Jim Ros, Maybelline's Senior Make-up Artist. Oh diba? Sino bang hindi magiging proud? :)

Click on the poster for the details. Bongga ito mga bakla! Once-in-a-lifetime ang isang jukap session with Jim Ros kaya GOOOWWW! :)

And si Chuchie also does jukap sa mga wedding at kung ano ano pang ganap. E-mail her and let her work her magic on your fez! Kung gusto niyong mag-mukhang mowdel for a day gow na sa make-up ni mareng Chucie! :)

Happy Ha-ha-halloween!!

2011-11-08T09:25:00.011+08:00

Best in late haha! :)

How was your Halloween celebrations? Saw a lot of my friends on Facebook and Twitter post pictures of their Halloween costumes and parties. Seriously medyo witchechelles akitch paki sa Halloween. Not a big fan of the costumes and the thought process involved in sprucing up the costume. I just come as myself all the time, keri na ang pagiging natural na bruhilda ko!

Best example is our family's yearly Halloween party. Kabog ang Cream ng Big Fish sa party na itech! Ever since the apos started growing in numbers, my Tita and Tito made it a point to make our Halloween special. Even if my Tita didn't have a household helper (talk about fired about 3 months ago), iba pa rin ang effort niya in decorating their home in BF, Parañaque for this event.

The kids and kids-at-heart pakabugan at pabonggahan sa costume. Hindi talaga nagpatalo ang mga thunders! Pakak si Darth Vader! Achieve!

The pictures are care of my cousin, Ate Anna. While they were having their Halloween party, I escaped and drank with Gladys, John, Miya, and Miguel. Being the youngest among the 1st cousins (what is single and childless?!), medyo hindi na ako makasabay sa groove ng mga muda at puda kong mga pinsan. So I thought it would be better to drink with my friends whom I haven't seen in ages! :)

And ang 2 bagets na itech magkasunod ang birthday! So our Halloween party also turn into their birthday party. Scary lang ang peg ng kanilang party! At least complete pa rin with the costumes! Happy birthday Dustin and Blakey! :)

So ayan! Belated Happy Halloween, All Souls at All Saints from the Dumana family! Wit ako sa fekchoor dahil nakikipag-jinuman ako sa Aguirre niyan hahaha

Latte Love: A Latte Art Workshop

2011-11-03T11:31:00.004+08:00

If you've read some of my entries, you'd know how much I absolutely can't live without caffeine! I am simply addicted to coffee. I usually get to have 3-5 cups, depending on the situation and the level of sleepiness I am in.

So I was thrilled when I received a Blogger's Pass for an event on a subject I really understand and love: COFFEE. The event is called Latte Love: A Latte Art Workshop and it'll be held on Saturday, November 5 from 2 to 5PM at the Landmark TriNoma in Quezon City.

The first time I saw latte art was in Boracay, I forget the name of that cafe but I see it clearly in my mind's eye. Ever since then, it continues to amaze me - how they can "draw" or "create" art using latte! AMAZING! Makes you not want to touch your coffee AT ALL sometimes hahaha

Thank you so much to Krups Marketing. I will run to TriNoma right after my Strategic Planning class all the way from La Salle in Taft. Your latte event will keep me up for an extra few more hours! :)

Who else will be going to this event? Give me a holler! :)

Lashing Out at the Taksiyapo Wall

2011-11-02T08:40:00.011+08:00

BFF Trency and I set out on a roadtrip not too long ago (think last long weekend before the November 1 holidays). Seems like the two of us end up going together on trips since the others are just way too pre-occupied with their lives! Last time we went out on a major trip was in Cebu during the summer, which you can read about here, here, here, and here. Being the only two single girls left in the barkada, we stick together like peas and carrots to somehow cover up that fact hahaha!

We were on our way to San Juan, La Union for a surf trip, when we passed by this restaurant called Isdaan along Gerona, Tarlac. Guys! You'll never miss this restaurant along the main national highway. It's like a major stopover for families. Good thing we decided to stop over the restaurant on the way to La Union, because when we passed by Isdaan on our way back to Manila it was JAMPACKED!

We didn't eat here though, but we stopped here on the way to La Union to try out the famous Taksiyapo Wall. Mariko and I planned a trip to Isdaan to experience this, but never got the chance to, sayang! I really don't know why it's called that, but it has become popular here because you can throw stuff (choose from mugs, saucers, plates, bowls, vase to television sets!) at the Taksiyapo Wall. So if the Jews have their Wailing Wall, we Pinoys have the Taksiyapo Wall to lash out

Here's Trency with her very highly emotional throwing. She doesn't get angry a lot, so I understand her need for releasing the stress/tension. She got so carried away, she hit one of the light bulbs and the broken pieces ricocheted near the cashier. The poor ladies almost got hit! :p

I for one get angry all the time, hence the lack-luster throwing. Sorry! Although I must admit it was fun throwing things just for the heck of it. :)

So if you guys are on a road trip up north, make sure to stop by Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac. Release your tension and try out the Taksiyapo Wall. Don't forget to shout Taksiyapo before throwing your item into the wall, they say it gives it an emotional twist.

But has anyone of you eaten here? Is the food any good? Worth going on a road trip for? Lemme know! :)

P.S. Also, don't forget to bring Off Lotion or any anti-mosquito lotions. The place is one huge fish pond, so it's also one huge place filled with stagnant water. Better safe than sorry right?! :)

A Birthday Celebration at Mr. Kurosawa Resorts World

2011-10-25T09:17:00.012+08:00

I was telling you guys in my other blog entry that last Friday I was all over the Metro (Makati to QC and back again to Makati). It was okay, but the thing was I had just entrusted my trusty baby Huey to my casa in Pasong Tamo. So....hagardo versoza ang peg last Friday.

After our short but sweet tour of the GMA studios, I ended that day with Mom's birthday dinner. Thank you to Cash Cash Pinoy's kick ass promos, I was able to buy Mr. Kurosawa vouchers (Php500 for Php1000 worth of food!). CashCashPinoy has been making food tripping really affordable hoozaah!! :D

But before I met up with my Mom I passed by Cara Mia at the Ayala Triangle Gardens to buy her favorite cake TENTAZIONE! Got to taste that sinfully delightful cake during sa friend's birthday, and Mom got totally hooked. So I decided to surprise her, since she already knew about my dinner treat for her.

Parking was a bitch at the Resorts World, as usual. We parked at the steel parking, and that's where I decided to give Mom her cake. Had to tell her to turn her back so I can light the candle. It was funny to make her blow her birthday candle at the steel parking, but I couldn't wait til the end of the dinner for her to do it haha!

We then headed off to Mr. Kurosawa to have our dinner. It was yet another Japanese dinner after our Sumo Sam experience. Anyway, here's what we had:

Chicken Teriyaki. I had no idea chicken teriyaki would be perfect with Japanese mayonnaise with a hint of wasabi. It was delish! Can't stop dipping that tender chicken meat in that mayonnaise!

Since it was Mom's birthday and it has been a tradition to eat noodles (for long life), we ordered Unagi Soba. Since the fish was smoked, the smoked flavor seeped in to the noodles which it gave it a different twist. We had fun picking on this with our chopsticks!

Lastly, Tuna Sashimi. This, by far, was the FRESHEST Tuna Sashimi I ever had! The tuna was still red and soft. Super good!

Oh, and yes, Mom ordered Miso Soup. Didn't take a pic of it anymore since all miso soups look the same haha!

After that huge meal, Mom and I walked around the Newport Mall. Didn't know it was THAT small. It looked so huge outside. Oh well optical illusion. Since there was really nothing to see, we bought coffee at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, walked to the parking (instead of talking the shuttle from the mall to the steel parking and vice versa) to have our cake! :)

I'm so happy I made my Mom happy on her birthday! I love you, Mom! :)

Cara Mia Gelateria
Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 621-6111
Operating Hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Mon-Sun

Mr. Kurosawa
2nd Floor, Newport Mall, Andrews Avenue, Pasay City
Tel No: 659 8363
Operating Hours:Mon, Tues, Thurs and Sun: 11 a.m. - 12:00 mn | Wed, Fri and Sat: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.

May Field Trip sa Grad School!

2011-10-24T08:27:00.013+08:00

Oh yes! May field trip sa graduate school! Funny cos when we were but undergrads in La Salle we never had one. So we all kinda looked forward to this out-of-class activity for our Integrated Marketing Communications class.

Our cool professor, Mr. Rodrigo Cornejo, works at the Office of the President at one of the biggest television networks in the country, GMA 7. Every single time we have our class, he always mentions GMA, as in never fail! Proud to be Kapuso ang lolo niyo talaga! Understandable, cos he's one of the pioneers of the network, present ang lolo niyo nung mga panahon na it wasn't doing well yet.

So last Friday, our class trooped on over to GMA along Timog in Quezon City. Bonggang commute kaya pawis pawisan levels ang lola niyo cos I had to bring my car first to Toyota Pasong Tamo for a 35k km check-up. Alay Lakad ang ganap sa katirikan ng araw! But I seriously missed riding the MRT, since it was past rush hour hindi parang Quiapo o Baclaran ang mga train compartments. And I think a lot of you would agree on this, on the girl's compartments, it's relatively peaceful! Tamuh? Tamuuhhh!! :)

Kami ata ni Drin ang pinaka-maaga don, egzoited much na makakita ng mga artista. Joke lang! But we were early, but it was nice to see that our professor already waiting for us at the lobby of the GMA Network Center, the building he says took Php950 million to complete! BONGGELS!

When we were finally complete, we were lead to the Mezzanine to wait for THE Mike Enriquez. It was nice to see him without his game face, he's usually angry on TV or radio kasi cos he's like our Mr. Expose here. And he spoke to us in STRAIGHT ENGLISH, wag magulat purong La Sallista po itong taong ito. Because we were all La Sallians, chumika ang lolo niyo about La Salle during his time. He was so cool talaga! My Mom doesn't really like him because of the way he speaks on TV or radio, but when I was telling her afterwards how he was really soft spoken pala talaga, although he didn't lack in facial expressions hahaha!

By the way, meet my pretty kulots classmate Rieze. Ang magandang babaitang ito ay galing sa kabila, Kapamilya. Cute when she was in GMA and she was wearing the studio tour pin, laughtrip! Medyo pinagtripan lang siya nila Mike Enriquez hahaha

After his inspirational talk on Integrated Marketing Communications in the media we were given a quick tour of GMA and its studios. I'm no stranger to the place because when I was still working for a publishing company, I got to interview and shoot Arnold Clavio and Heart Evangelista. The place is really modern and jazzed up. A far cry from what they were when they started out.

We were done with the tour just before lunch. Most of us had to rush back to work, but kami na makapal ang mukha at nag-leave or tumakas sa trabaho, we all had lunch at Banapple, Il Terrazo along Tomas Morato. No pictures of the food, but I had the Cheezy Penne, my fave at Banapple. Super good and CHEEZY!! But we had our photos taken at the free photobooth hehe.

Hoping for another out-of-class activity in one of our majors soon! It was really fun! But when I was in GMA I realized I've been veering away from what I really want to do. When I was in high school/college, I wanted to be a reporter, I got as close to it when I was in publishing. But now I'm doing something different, I think it's time get my life back on track! :)

Sumo Goodness at Sumo Sam!

2011-10-17T07:55:00.006+08:00

Mom have been raving about this restaurant ever since she ate here with a friend she treated to before she left for the US. She said it was really good, a bit pricey, but good! For us, as long as the food's really good, spending a few extra bucks is worth it! Plus Mom and I are huge fans of Japanese food, especially Mom who is ADDICTED to Miso soup!

Sumo Sam is also one of Marvin Agustin's (actor turned restaurateur) babies. In Greenbelt, BFF Trency and I have tried eating at Marciano's.

So last Sunday, after hearing Mass and before watching No Other Woman, we decided to eat at Sumo Sam's newly opened store at Greenbelt 3. It was small but cozy, and the interiors were so bright. They had drawings of sumo wrestlers on the walls, and it reminded me of the anime drawings over at the Ramen Bar!

So here's what we ordered. Of course Mom had her favorite Miso Soup which they served piping hot!

She also had Beef Teppanyaki Don. She said she liked because the beef was tender.

On the other hand, I had my favorite Katsudon. It was really good, and it made me miss other favorite Katsudon over at World Topps in Valero Street, Salcedo Village.

I loved how Sumo Sam have HUGE and generous servings! If you're hungry, this is the perfect place to load up! Check out their menu for other dishes. They've got lots of other stuff to choose from.

Sumo Sam
3rd Floor, Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. No. 903-0847

UPDATED: It All Started With A Videoke Machine

2011-10-13T07:36:00.013+08:00

Pardon the story telling...pansin niyo mahilig ako umeksena sa mga long narratives in some blog entries. But I have a point naman! Hahaha!

It was in 2009 when I went back to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte with Steph and Par. The first time I went to Pagudpud was in 2006 marami kami sa barkada non, the summer before our senior year in La Salle. I also came back with officemates early this year! So hindi talaga obvious that I love the place!

We were supposed to be like 4 or 5 on that trip, but some weird stroke of luck happened, and the 3 of us ended up going. Dakilang mga lakwatsera talaga! We took Steph's mom's trusty Ford Everest, and off we went on that 13-hour drive up north. Since it was just the 3 of us medyo slight titigan ang ganap because Pagudpud isn't exactly like Boracay with a wild nightlife. BUT! In Polaris Beach Resort, there's a videoke machine, and being the true Filipinos we are, we (meaning Steph) just wanted to take a whack at it.

BUT (#2)! There were 2 girls who got there before us! Actually, it was Steph who wanted to sing, kating kati ang lola niyong bumirit that's why we egged her to talk to the 2 girls so we can all share the microphone! After a couple of hours of singing, we went upstairs to to our room (which had a veranda) to drink and play cards. Mega bonding ang ganap, that went on to talking about our schools (they were engineering graduates from Mapua (BIGATIN!)), why it was just the 2 of them and the 3 of us there, and at hindi mawawalang LOVE LIFE! :p

Pagudpud circa 2009

Their names were Shera and Mitch....and as they say, the rest is history. Even after we left Pagudpud, we've been in touch through twitter, facebook, and text messages. We've managed to squeeze in one drinking session before, and of course we're planning more if time permits. We've been busy with work and other things, and the other got married and got a kiddo now, but hey, we're still friends! :)

Ondoy Relief Operations, Bulacan, 2009

Post-Christmas/Pre-New Year Inuman Session, 2010

So it was really touching when Shera who gave birth to a cute baby girl 3 months ago, asked all 3 of us to be Ninangs (godmothers) of her panganay. How can we say NO, right? I probably got a good track record because Syb is like my 2nd inaanak this year! Naks!

So October 1, after my Strategic Planning class, I drove to Pandacan to attend Baby Syb's baptism!

Borlogs ang bagets the whole time. Even when the priest was pouring Holy Water on her head, deadma! She was the cutest, and I didn't even see her cry the whole time we were there! She had the plumpest cheeks (which by the way I wanted to bite and pinch).

And after, it was off to their abode for the reception and the drinking session at 3PM. Yes, 3 in the afternoon! It was Tanduay Ice and shots of Emperador Light! Plus, I got to meet the rest of Mitch and Shera's Mapua barkada - Yaw (na super benta na Ogie Alcasid ang peg), Chowkie, Johnny(boy), July, and Ida (forgot the rest...sino na nga ba yung Dume-Derek Ramsay at si jowawers niya? HAHAHA)!

It was super fun! It was really nice meeting you guys! Dance Central na ulit sa bahay nila Johnny! Hahaha oha! May puntahan na sa bahay na naganap, feeling close, etchosera! :p Fierce ang barkadang ito, betchicola ko kasi lahat bakla (literally and figuratively speaking). THE BEST! I'm glad I went to the reception, salamat na rin sa pagpilit Mitch! :D

So see...it all started with a videoke machine in Pagupud! Friendships can be formed in the weirdest sense, but it can go all the way. Thank God for Steph's addiction to videoke, because if she didn't, we wouldn't have met them! :)

So kayo, you guys got the same story as ours? Share kayo! :D

Best in Late Ever: Wee Nam Kee x Citibank

2011-10-12T13:47:00.008+08:00

I am back to blogging! Our IT decided it was pointless to block a blog site, thank God for that! So anyway, I'm back in the blogosphere and I spent like 3-4 days reading backlogs of my favorite bloggers (the ones who use Blogspot). I missed you all! :)

So since, I was derailed from my blogging groove, I am going to be best in late! Like this one, I remember Mom sending me an email about Citibank's promo last September. Wee Nam Kee is opening another branch at Serendra at the Bonifacio Global City. Since I've been trying to convince Mom to eat there with me, she instantly emailed me this and told me to get a reservation at once!

Ain't it cool! When you're a Citibank cardholder you instantly get 50% off on any of Wee Nam Kee's dishes! And since we Filipinos love promos, getting a reservation was a bitch! I mean you wanna have lunch or dinner, but then you get a reservation at weird hours like 3.30PM or 5.50PM! But since we really wanted to avail of the promo we decided to just get on with the show even if it meant for us to eat lunch at 3.30PM on a Sunday! :)

So here's what was on our table. If I remember correctly this was either beef or pork with tofu. It was really good, not too salty! And they served us generous portions of both tofu and beef/pork.

Mom got intrigued by this dish when she saw it on the menu: Honey Crispy Squid. First bite, and it was crispy, like you were eating the skin of a lechon...only healthier! We had fun picking on this! Hearing the crunching sound as you chew on the squid made it exciting to eat! Totally recommended! :)

And of course, the star of Wee Nam Kee: THE Steamed Hainanese Chicken. Damn it was good! And all I could do was sit there and say to myself, how in the Lord's name did I wait THIS LONG to try this out! But as they say, better late than never, right?!

The meals would not be fully enjoyed without rice and we ordered the Wee Nam Kee Fried Rice, it's your usual Yang Chow...Wee Nam Kee style! :)

Thank you so much to Citibank, have you not emailed my Mother about the 50% off I would still be walking along the Ayala Triangle Gardens, wondering why there's always a huge crowd outside Wee Nam Kee waiting to be seated!

And Wee Nam Kee, you did not disappoint. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity and even going beyond my expectations. The food was hands-down good! Can't wait to try other dishes! :)

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
Serendra, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Tel. No. 822-7095

New Post at Tumblr!

2011-09-05T09:44:00.003+08:00

Hey guys! Since our IT Department has totally, completely, and irreversibly blocked BLOGSPOT in the office, I'd be posting my blog entries on Tumblr and would be posting the link here. I'm so sorry for being an absentee blogger. A lot has happened, and I really wish I had been able to share with you guys through my blog. But don't worry, I shall really find a way to get my Blogspot up and running again. Maybe just weekend blog entries for the time being. Anyway the latest food blog entry I did was when we ate at Yummy Roast at the Food Junction in Eastwood Mall. For more details click on this link: YUMMY ROAST @ EASTWOOD'S FOOD JUNCTION. Pathetic what I'm doing I swear! I should just edit my photos here at the office, write the blog entry, and upload the photos and publish it at home. What do you guys think? Blogger friends, SOS!! Any type of suggestions would be of great help! Thank you! Hahaha!

Yummy Roast @ Eastwood's Food Junction

2011-09-02T13:45:00.006+08:00

Being cheap doesn't mean you get something mediocre. There are times when cheap thrills can be one of the best you've ever had. And that's what happened last Sunday when we had our family day at Eastwood Mall.

After hearing Mass at the Richmond Hotel's lobby, we got so hungry we decided to have early dinner. But first I decided to bring my baby boy Yankee to the groomers (Dogs and the City) before it was too late. Then we passed by YUMMY ROAST at Eastwood City Walk's FOOD JUNCTION. You won't miss it because of their brightly colored interiors plus it takes up a huge space. It also helps that they had their huge menu outside of their door, and we saw their Yummy Pork Asado with Rice. Surprisingly it was only Php98 with unlimited rice and regular coke. Good deal!

Mom and I ordered the Yummy Pork Asado because it looked so good at their photo. How I wish they presented the actual order the same way as the photo on their menu. But it was really, really good. The pork was tender and they gave us generous amounts of the meat, too. The girl at the counter suggested I order their YUMMY RICE (with an additional amount of Php20) with it, and it was YUMMY! Our helper got inggit because I didn't order that for her. But really, try their yummy rice! :)

On the other hand, our helper ordered their Yummy Chicken with Rice. She got disappointed with it because she wanted the pecho part I think and they gave her something different. But I think it was good enough for her because not only did she inhale it but she also asked for 3 more cups of rice hahaha!

They also have other rice meals on their menu which are also very cheap! I do hope it's good. So you see you can have a good meal that can totally satisfy you that's below a hundred bucks!

Now I have yet to try the other stalls at the Food Junction! :)

Whatta Friday That Friday!!

2011-08-01T16:27:00.022+08:00

When Rebecca Black said in her notorious song, FRIDAY: "Gotta get down on Friday" She sure as hell wasn't joking! :D

Anyway, the 5thirsty gang was at it AGAIN! Just noticed we get WILDER and WILDER every Friday! Remember our Fiamma night-out, that was tame compared to this! This time we didn't get contented with just one place - we went from Gerry's Grill in Insular Life to World Topps in Valero Street to Izumi at The Fort. Hooozzaaahhh!! :D

So I'll let the photos do the talking this time. The first set of photos are from our dinner at Gerry's Grill Insular Life. Since it was payday Friday, it took us almost an hour to get seated. We ordered Baked Scallops, Crispy Adobo Flakes, Inihaw na Pusit, Inihaw na Liempo and Pork Sisig. PLUS 2 buckets of San Mig Light with 2 free pulutans (Lumpiang Shanghai and Fish Fingers). Thanks BOSS (you know who you are!) :D

Then it was off to World Topps Valero. CB, Marvin's pretty girl, wanted to do something different. We didn't have any plans on singing our guts out, but it was just too good to pass. Spend Php500 and you get to sing for 1 hour. So on the table was 2 buckets of Red Horse beer, peanuts and fish crackers, and squid balls. Lahat UBOS! :) Playlist included: 214, Ang Huling El Bimbo, Pyramid (or should we say Triangle *wink wink), Glory of Love, Crazy for You (not the Madonna version but the SPONGECOLA version), and Alone. Can't remember everything!

Hahaha and we also met these 2 folks who sold us condo units afterwards (ayos din kayo salesman na salesman talaga ang peg hahaahahaha).

Since the night was still young no one wanted to go home yet. So we took a sneak peak at Il Ponticello, but it was ghost town that night and too chill for our liking so we left. We also checked out Rue Bourbon along Tordesillas but it was closed (booo!).

Since David already went ahead to Izumi, we decided to follow him there. And this time all we had was a BOTTLE OF JACK DANIELS! And for the first time, we weren't able to finish the bottle. I think we've had way too much alcohol intake that night! BUT IT FELT GOOD TO DANCE IT ALL AWAY!

Thank you so much to Elaine for letting me use her photos. Darn should remember to bring a camera every Friday! :)

P.S. Don't forget to follow my love, Elaine's blog too! It's called A Misselaineous Life!

Buffalo's Wings and Things

2011-08-01T12:00:00.008+08:00

BUFFALO WINGS!! BUFFALO WINGS!! BUFFALO WINGS!! BUFFALO WINGS!! They're just so damn good especially if it has that spicy kick to it. If it's lava red, then you know you're in for one HOT dish!

And so for lunch last Friday, Lainey and I ate at Buffalo's Wings & Things at the Solaris One along dela Costa Street in Legaspi Village. Elaine has been raving about this, so it got me intrigued. And after having a buffalo wing meal early Friday morning after the Incubus concert, it was perfect to compare this wingding meal with what I had.

Buffalo's Wings & Things is just a really small place. I mean this picture captured the entire restaurant already. So if you want to eat your lunch here it's best to come really EARLY! Plus that day Elaine and I ate there, it was payday Friday, so getting seats were kind of a problem for those who came late. But since it was connected with another restaurant, Chubby's, diners could have the option to stay at Buffalo's or at Chubby's. I guess, same owner lang.

Elaine and I both ordered the FAN MEAL A. For Php199 your get 1/2 pound buffalo wings, NY Dirty Rice, and Iced Tea. It's a bit more expensive compared to Wing Kings, but you get more buffalo wings here than in Wing Kings. But at least both were really, really good. I got the NY's Finest Buffalo Wings which was a medium on the hotness scale. Well since I asked for medium, I was really expecting a bit of spice. But it didn't so I had to get hot sauce to make the wings spicier. And also, I got a couple of pieces from Elaine's Firehouse Classic (a 3 on the buffalo wing sauces) and it was really spicy. That was what I was looking for! Again it gave my sinuses a workout!

Oh and when eating spicy food, it sucks when your food goes down the wrong pipe. I choked on a piece, and started hacking like crazy. It was actually dyahe cos people started staring! So lesson learned, when eating really spicy food chew your food well and swallow slowly! Hahaha!

Here's a little bit of concern I had with this small restaurant, I talked to Elaine about this during the meal. It seemed like they had this sort of identity crisis. Refer to their menu below, they say they serve American food, yeah sure the buffalo wings. But then you get to the THINGS part of their menu, there's MEXICAN. The NY Dirty Rice tasted like salsa dip. So really, what are you guys? Identity crisis much? Not like it's affecting the entire resto, we're just saying! :)

And this poster pretty much sums up your eating experience at Buffalo Wings and Things: EATING WITH YOUR HANDS IS SOOOOO MUCH BETTER! I mean come on, you're eating buffalo wings! Wash your hands then eat with them! PERFECT!

For Elaine's account on our lunch out click on her website: Buffalo's Wings and Things lunch out

Buffalo's Wings & Things
Solaris One Bldg. Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village
Makati City

P.S. I left my iPad in the restaurant that day. Thankfully, they kept it! Just wanted to thank our server Ate Yeth for keeping it in good hands while I was blissfully unaware of my stupid stunt, and also the management. Thanks guys! You literally saved my ASS!! :D

If Not Now, When World Tour 2011 + Buffalo Wings at Wing Kings

2011-08-01T10:16:00.013+08:00

As media partners of Ovation Production, our channels here at Solar Entertainment aired non-stop the plugs for the Incubus concert. The big day was on July 28, 2011. We already perished the thought of getting tickets to this one-night only show, so we just stuck to listening to Incubus songs on our iTunes/iPods to temper our lusting over free tickets.

But around 2.30PM on the day of the concert itself, God answered our prayers and the best instant message I have ever received came through. WE HAD TICKETS!! YEAH MEN!!!!! But just like an insider's scoop, I can't name our source! :D What's fun is that we would have been happy with Upper Box A or B tickets, but since we're a lucky bunch, we got LOWER BOX tickets! HOOOZZZAAAHHHH!

Since it was Thursday, I first had to attend my class over at La Salle because I had a report that night. But right after my report, I asked my dear professor to let me go because we had an "EVENT". Luckily, he said yes so I ran to the LRT as fast as my two feet could carry me. Just a side note: Haven't ridden the LRT-MRT in a long time, it reminded me of our college days when we'd troop down to the Araneta Coliseum, that same way, to watch La Salle games! FUN! :)

I got to Araneta in the nick of time, the front act FRANCO, just finished playing their set and everyone was just waiting for Incubus to come out. Good thing I had enough time to breathe! Was seated with Lainey and her boyfriend Anton.

Photos from MAGIC LIWANAG. Taken from Saab Magalona's blog: SPELL SAAB

Here are photos from my Blackberry. They suck yes! But I just wanna use them just because I took them hahahaha proof that I was there talaga! :p

We were absolutely POOPED after that concert! But it was great to hear them sing their songs LIVE like I Miss You, Promises, Promises, Wish You Were Here, Drive, Pardon Me, and so many others. They're a great band! And I really wish they come back SOON! Thank you to our source whom I cannot name, without you, we wouldn't have been there! THANK YOU!!

Oh and our friends, David and Marvin got their production passes signed. But for David, he wasn't contented with having his pass signed, he even had his FOREARM SIGNED! Weird mo talaga David! But hey, I turned green with envy! Hahahaha

And even though we were tired, Josh, Leah, and I still managed to haul ourselves to The Fort Stopover to have a post-Incubus dinner at Wing Kings. Had this killer, super good, spicy buffalo wings meal for only Php95 and it came pa with a iced tea. Really good midnight snack! I have to say this was super good because I already have a strong tolerance for spicy stuff, but still this meal got my sinuses worked up! GOOD JOB WING KINGS!!

Wing Kings
The Fort Stopover
32nd St. cor. Rizal Drive, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Mobile No. 0917-5594649
Tel. No. 775-8229

Denim Revolution: Oxygen’s Reversible Jeans

2011-07-25T17:03:00.006+08:00

Don't you guys notice how classy DENIMS are? May it be a cute denim dress or denim jeans with a white top to give you the classic look, it'll always be a fashion staple.

With this idea in mind, trend-setting clothing line OXYGEN, introduces a first in Philippine retail: REVERSIBLE JEANS! This cool twist is sure to give an edge to our everyday denim jeans. Super perfect for those who are out traveling, you can just bring a pair, use one side on this day, and the other side the next. Quick outfit change, without having to bring an entire suitcase with you!

“We always keep things fresh and exciting. Fashion is very dynamic and so as our market. We want to show people we are continually evolving with them, giving them nothing less than the trendiest and the most eye-catching fashion,” said Oxygen’s Brand Director Jeffrey Bascon.

Oxygen's reversible jeans will be coming out in stores starting the 3RD WEEK OF JULY and it'll come in GRAY, DARK BLUE, BLACK, AND OTHERS. It also has two styles to choose from to give you that perfect fit: DROP-CROTCH OR SKINNY.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your pair of Oxygen's Reversible Jeans NOW!

Go to the Oxygen fan page on Facebook or catch it on Twitter (@oxygenclothing) for more information and exciting treats.

One of the Best Gambas I've Ever Tasted

2011-07-25T14:27:00.009+08:00

Is found at Regina's: The Restaurant in San Jose, Antique. Yes, it's that far!

So after a bumpy, dusty, jeepney tour of Antique, we got really hungry. One of my Aunt's Antiqueño friends recommended we eat at Regina's: The Restaurant. I'm not really sure if it's super popular in Antique, but it's different and unique to that place. There was Jollibee and Mang Inasal in the center of town but my Aunt wanted seafood.

At first we were the only customers in the restaurant, so we got to choose the longest table inside. We were a huge group of 12 which consisted more of the senior citizens (boring! hahaha!). Since my Aunt was paying, she was the one who took charge of our orders, and true to what she said, everything we ordered came from the sea!

Sinigang na Tanigue. Really good soup, not too sour, perfect with rice! They had generous vegetable servings too.

Shrimps! Super good! We really just hated peeling the shrimp's shell...but it was all worth it afterwards!

Mixed seafood in oyster sauce. This was okay, the oldies enjoyed this better than I did.

But the kicker in all the food my Aunt ordered was THE GAMBAS! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a picture of it as they had already attacked the dish even before I could get a snapshot of it. But take my word for it...IT WAS THE BEST GAMBAS I'VE TASTED in a while! Super spicy! My Uncle and I enjoyed it. I had several servings of this dish. And even after we've left the restaurant, I was still reliving the taste of it in my mind. I wish you guys could have a taste of it. I wouldn't mind going all the way to Antique for it.

If you guys do get to Antique, do eat at Regina's: The Restaurant and order their Gambas. But try also their other stuff, I'm sure there are dishes in that place that's surely good! Here's their menu. :)

Discovering The Province of Antique

2011-07-19T15:47:00.022+08:00

Don't you guys just love it when you get to hit two birds with one stone, especially when it comes to your travels? That's exactly what happened when I went to Iloilo over the weekend for my Uncle's (my Mom's older brother) 74th birthday bash. It was extra special to him because he also FINALLY and OFFICIALLY won the elections last May 2010. He ran as Barangay Captain, he was declared the winner, but the guy he ran against challenged it and they had to go to court. But about last month, my Uncle was officially declared the winner! :) Our first politician in the family after n years! :p

I flew in at about 10AM, went to their beach resort in the coastal town of San Joaquin to drop my stuff, then it was off to the province of Antique - which Iloilo shares a border with.

We didn't get to Antique the usual pomp and pageantry which an airconditioned car could give you, instead we rode a JEEPNEY going there. And my Aunt who's usually so scared of us getting hungry bought snacks of puto (a snack made which we could munch on during the 2 hour ride.

When we finally got to Antique, our first stopover was their main parish, I think it was St. Joseph's Parish. This Church actually reminded me of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Guagua, Pampanga. And they also had a beautiful Adoration Chapel outside of the main Church.

We were in the town of San Jose by the way, the capital of the province. According to Kuya Dodong, a newphew of my Aunt, they've been wanting to make San Jose a city but couldn't get to it not because of the town's net income but because of the shortage in population. I think it's better that way, cheaper tax collection, cheaper housing, cheaper everything. Here are some snapshots I took while we were going around town in our rented jeepney!

Oh, and right across the Church is the Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park, which is like their Luneta Park. Evelio B. Javier is the province's local hero, he was killed by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos just because he's a supporter of Corazon Aquino. It was in the park, 25 years ago, where Evelio Javier was gunned down.

And if in Antique, you really have to bear with how DUSTY it is! Just look at these photos, you could get asthma attacks from it. My hair was as hard as a broomstick after the tour of the town, that was the low-point of this trip though.

After lunch, which I will blog separately, it was time to go back to Iloilo. We took an alternate route along the coast, though it took longer than the first one. BUT it was more scenic. It was absolutely beautiful! So I'll just leave you guys with photos. :)

It was a short but sweet trip to Antique. I'm just a bit saddened that we didn't get to see that much and we only went to one town. I would really like to go back to see a lot more things, and by that I mean not seeing a Jollibee or Mang Inasal. I want the hardcore, laidback, sleepy provincial towns of Antique. For sure they have a lot of tourist spots there waiting to be discovered. :)

Raving About Nailaholics!

2011-07-18T14:59:00.012+08:00

I am not one kikay girl in fact I don't really dress up, a loose shirt and jeans are more my kind of thing...PLUS semi-dirty Chucks. But every once in a while, a girl's gotta feel extra girly and pampered. I don't spend big bucks for the pampering, a much-deserved massage does the trick!

But just last Sunday, after flying in from my Uncle's 74th birthday bash in Iloilo (to be blogged after this), Mom and I went to SM Mall of Asia to kill time while waiting for someone. My BFF Amanda commented on how dirty my toenails were already, so I knew right there and then that I HAD TO GET A MANI-PEDI A.S.A.P.!! So I went to Nail-a-holics, a nail spa my majorly kikay and good friend Chuchie of Fresh-Cut Grass recommended to me. (Read about her Nail-a-holics experience here)

When we went there it was PACKED, not just by women but also MEN! Yes, men can be really kikay too nowadays! It was super cool seeing them seated in those really colorful sofas, relaxed while having a foot spa and a massage.

I only wanted a pedi because my toenails were a disaster, but the cool reeptionist recommended to get a complete mani-pedi-foot spa package. So I availed of their CLOUD 9, they said it was the most availed of package because of the anti-cellulite treatment for P750.

So they let me sit in one of the colorful sofas, complete with soft, fluffy pillows. Then the lady who attended to me first was Ate Rose, she gingerly soaked my feet in a huge bowl of lukewarm water to soften the skin in preparation for the foot spa. It was so relaxing!

After a couple of minutes, it was time to rub off the dead skin on the soles of my feet. Not really one for ticklish people, but this really softens your skin. Plus, I've read a lot of stuff saying it's really good to remove dead skin. And yes, that would be my Mother kidding around with Ate Rose.

After removing the dead skin my from the soles of my feet, Ate Rose exfoliated both my shin, preparing it for the anti-cellulite treatment. She then rubbed some algae thing on my calves afterwards then wrapped it in Cling Wrap (yes, Cling Wrap I felt like food about to be taken home).

She then wrapped hot towels around the calves. And then the pedicure started. THIS IS THE LIFE!!

Oh, for the manicure, it was Ate Jenny who did it for me. And after almost an hour getting pampered here are the end results: had my toe and fingernails painted RED (the safest color for me). I particularly love how they squared my nails. PERFECT! Now they look like they belong to that of a girl hahaha!

Oh and thanks so much to the cool staff of Nail-a-holics. I was with my Mother that time, and she was so sleepy, they let her sleep in their massage area. Thank you so much!! I swear I will come back! :)

Oh and if in Nail-a-holics MOA make sure to get Ate Jenny and Ate Rose...I swear they're the best!! :)

Nail-a-holics Nail Salon & Spa
2nd Level, South Parking Building
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Tel. No. 856-1722
Website: http://www.nailaholics.com

Cebu Part 4: Madridejos, Bantayan Island

2011-07-14T15:08:00.021+08:00

Hi guys! I know it's been on and off again for me when it comes to blogging. I had NO IDEA Grad School can suck the life out of you hahaha and to think I still have more than 2 years to endure (gah!) :D

So to complete (FINALLY) my Cebu Diaries, here's my take on our last stop during our tour of Bantayan Island. I am about to leave for another Visayan province this weekend for my Uncle's birthday, so I decided to wrap this baby up already! :)

So after our island hopping tour earlier in the day, Trency and I just showered and rushed back outside to hop on our rented habal-habal (motorbike) which will take us to the town of Madridejos. Trency really wanted to go here because she heard they had incredible sunsets here.

We had our very cool, hip-hop tour guide with us, Kuya Jun, as our driver. Below are pictures I took while precariously balancing myself on the edge of the motorcycle. With Kuya Jun's crazy-ass driving, I am amazed I was still able to take pictures of the countryside. I tell you this was the CUHRAZIEST motorcycle ride I've ever been on. IT was Trency's first time on a motorcycle and I think she won't ride one again after this experience hahahaha!!

It took about 30-minutes for us to get there, and the first thing we went to is this old fort, much like the one we see in Intramuros. There's really nothing much there, except for some old artifacts recovered from shipwrecks.

From there, we walked on towards the beach. They had this really long boardwalk, but since it was low tide, Trency and I decided to walk on the coral deposits. If you guys are wondering about the old woman, she's scraping shells stuck on the corals. According to Kuya Jun, it's edible and they have it as ulam. The old lady must have been there for quite some time cos she was about to fill that water gallon she brought with her.

But while walking around, Trency and I were treated to another surprise: A RAINBOW! I had already blogged about it before cos I saw another rainbow after this one. A clearer photo of the rainbow is on this blog entry too. It was so beautiful! I felt like it was a sign from Heaven; I knew Trency and I had a good trip together! :)

We waited around for the sunset, and when the sun started setting, Trency and I just sat down at the boardwalk completely ENTHRALLED! It was breathtaking, and it gave the sky a nice orange hue (my favorite color).

It was a great trip with my BFF! Although it would've been sooo sooo much better had BFF Amanda went with us. We kinda just rushed through our activities, but it still gave me and Trency that much needed break from the city. Vacations are really precious for us, and we always make sure we make the most out of it! :)

Cebu Part 3: Virgin Island, Bantayan

2011-07-05T14:32:00.014+08:00

Sorry for the delay, but here's the 3rd installment of my Cebu trip last May. Anyway this was our island hopping adventure with our Bantatay (our boat driver who is the coolest ever) and Kuya Jun (our hip-hop tour guide).

We got to wake up early this time cos we made sure we had a wake up call. Call time was around 8am, and even before that, they were already knocking on our door. We had a quick breakfast at the resort, then we walked to the shore to where our boat was waiting. Our destination: VIRGIN ISLAND.

The boat ride from Bantayan Island to Virgin Island takes about 30 minutes. Waters are usually calm in the morning, so it's going to be a smooth ride for sure. When we got there, it was beautiful! It was like Boracay, the sand was fine and WHITE! Plus it's really clean.

According to Kuya Jun the island is privately owned by some rich clan in Cebu - that's why the place is really, really clean. While we were swimming the said family arrived and had lunch and swam in the waters. Ain't that cool? Owning your own island and have people pay you to spend half the day in it? Hahaha!

After several hours in the water, it was time for lunch. Kuya Jun had the food that we bought in the market the previous day cooked in the island. Boy, did we have a HUGE FEAST! We had rice, hotdogs, fish, and liempo...and the best part is that everything IS GRILLED!! :))

To help our digestive systems and since it was too hot out to swim, we walked around the island to check it out. It's pretty big actually, and there were other families and barkadas having their lunch too. It was just a chill day at the beach. It was right smack in the middle of the day but the wind was cool. Really good to take a short nap with the waves lulling you to sleep. Even the dogs loved Virgin Island too!

After Virgin Island we went to another island with a Bisaya name I couldn't even pronounce. But since it was low tide, we had to just anchor off in the middle of the sea and swim around. It was so fun! I finally got the tan I've been lusting for since I was getting paranoid that I was losing the tan I've always had. Tan is LOVE!! :)

Oh and by the way, your stay in virgin Island is NOT FREE! You have an entrance fee per person, and if you cook food there you have to pay again. I think we ended up paying almost P400 for everything. Well kind of expensive, but vacations are really usually expensive anyways! Hahaha!

When we got back to Bantayan Island, we just showered and changed, then it was off to another destination: the town of Madridejos. It's at the other end of Bantayan Island, and that's where we took our epic habal-habal ride just to get there. Stay tuned for that! :D

You might want to read my past entries on our Cebu trip:
Cebu Part 1: The Cebu Pacific fiasco, NS Royal Pensione, Casa Verde and Tops
Cebu Part 2: Hello Bantayan Island

We Had 5 Colorful Visitors At The Office This AM

2011-06-30T15:20:00.010+08:00

This morning we had a very colorful and sweet surprise: 5 M&M's raided our office! Blue, Orange, Green, Yellow, and Red - all of them vying for the title of the MOST POPULAR! Ain’t it cute? And apparently our office isn’t the first they’ve visited. They’ve gone to other offices here in Makati, and even in the Ortigas area to promote their Vote & Win contest.

My officemates and I crowded around them like they were celebrities. It surely brought out the child in all of us. We were all giggling and smiling. It was fun! Here are our funny pictures :)

Right now, I'm biased for ORANGE since it's my favorite color. But since the Orange dude felt up my friend, me no likey anymore! Hahaha maniac Orange dude! So I'd go for YELLOW since he's the coolest among the bunch anyways! :p

But thank you so much M&M’s for visiting our office! It made a slow day at work really awesome! :)

And for details of the M&M's Vote and Win contest, just click on the flyers below, or check out M&M's official website here.

Balaw Balaw: Art and Food in One

2011-06-28T14:51:00.022+08:00

It was last Saturday, a day after the whole of Manila was submerged in flood waters by Tropical Storm Falcon, Ninya and I met up in SM Taytay to have coffee. But I was not yet in the mood to go home just yet, so I told her we could go to the art capital of Rizal: ANGONO.

I've been in the town of Angono once before when I was still a writer for our travel magazine, Travel Plus. We had a CALABARZON road trip, and the province of Rizal was first on our list. We visited a lot of museums that time, but one that really stuck to me was BALAW BALAW RESTAURANT.

Balaw Balaw is found inside a middle-class subdivision, and serves both as a museum and restaurant. Ninya and I first went around the museum. It was a trip down memory lane for me as I walked down the familiar corridors of the museum. It's cool that you have a new perspective of things when you re-visit a specific place, you get to see things you didn't pay particular attention to before. Although I would have to say that they really need to spruce up the place. It's dark, dusty, and is in bad need of a makeover. Maybe the artist's family should consider this to entice more people to come.

The museum showcases works done by Pedrigon Navarro Vocalan (photo above). You'd see hundreds of his paintings and sculptures on display. I'm not artsy person, so I just look at the paintings and the sculptures with an amateur eye.

As for his sculptures here are some that really caught my eye. This is found at the dining area, and it's a lady washing her hair in the river.

This is a life-size image of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, complete with all of His 12 Disciples.

Amihan or the Northeast Monsoon

And if there's Amihan, there's Habagat or the Southwest Monsoon

And in the center of the second floor, is a collection of mini sculptures

One more thing that caught my attention is their antique collection of statues that clearly depict our deep Roman Catholic faith.

After all the walking around the museum, it can really work up an appetite. So on the first floor, is the dining area of Balaw Balaw Restaurant.

Balaw Balaw, for folks who may not know what it is, is actually an appetizer. As written in the front page of their menu: "A delectable appetizer or sauce the Tagalogs serve together with Sinigang. It is made of small shrimps mixed with gruel and "angkak" a herb that gives reddish coloring. This mixture is preserved and fermented in an earthen jar for three days. After 3 days, the BALAW BALAW is ready to eat or sauteed with young bamboo shoots."

Would really, love to give this a try. Although am not really a huge fan of fermented stuff ever since I had a really bad tummy ache after eating a couple of spoonfuls of Pampanga's BURO! :(

But what made Balaw Balaw famous are their EXOTIC FOODS. Some of their exotic dishes include, Uok (beetle larva), Nilasing na Palaka (frogs marinated in wine), Kamaro (crickets), Soup No. 5 (butt and balls of COW), Sizzling Butt and Balls, Sinabawang Balot (fertilized duck eggs cooked like bulalo), Sizzling Balot, and Bibingkang Abnoy (duck eggs cooked in banana leaves). CAN YOU GUYS HANDLE THIS?! HAHAHA! Although I remember the first time I was at Balaw Balaw some 2 years ago, I ate something with FLOWERS. I think it was their salad, but it had actual flowers in them.

No Ninya and I didn't eat any of these, although it would've been cool for me to eat another round of exotic dishes much like when the BFFs and I went to Everybody's Cafe in Pampanga. Ninya and I settled for a safe and much-loved Filipino dish: ADOBONG MANOK AND BABOY (Chicken and Pork Adobo).

It was really good! The sauce was perfect with the rice, and the chicken and pork meat were all tender. We inhaled it in minutes (plus we were really hungry, too)! We even ate the pork fat (yes, it was that good or we were just THAT hungry hehe). And the serving size is really good for 2.

So why not visit Balaw Balaw Restaurant when in Rizal? You guys could get some Filipino culture and art appreciation. The museums of some of Rizal's famous artists are all close together, so it's not really that hard to find. And then after your visual arts trip, you and your family or barkada SHOULD make that detour to Balaw Balaw Restaurant! :)

Balaw Balaw Specialty Restuarant and Art Cafe
#16 Don Justo St., Doña Justa Village
Angono, Rizal
Telefax: 651-0110

Oxygen x Roy Macam

2011-06-24T15:08:00.013+08:00

For the past months, Connect Agencie has been sending me e-mails about Oxygen. But it was only YESTERDAY that I realized it was all for me to blog about about hahaha

Anyway, this is all about Oxygen's X Series. They first featured Doc Marlon's photos in their shirts. For the next series of shirts, they are now featuring up-and-coming photographer, ROY MACAM. His works have been published in Preview, Garage, and other publications.

Here are samples of the shirts' designs. For the X series' 2nd collection, 5 designs will be released and produced on 100% cotton shirts.

Here are some pics with the models.

So don't miss out on these awesome tees, guys! :)

Available in all Oxygen branches nationwide for only P499!

We Work Hard but Party Even HARDER

2011-06-22T11:05:00.024+08:00

You read that right! Here at Solar Entertainment we take that to heart! We work our asses off for 10 hours straight, but afterwards we reward ourselves with a really good time hahaha

For the past 3 Friday nights now, I've been on a liver-damaging spree with my officemates. But last Friday we took this spree a step higher (we've gotten sick and tired of our usual Trellis) and brought the party to Fiamma. This wasn't even supposed to be our night. It was Elaine and Leah's girls' night out, but since we love butting in we all joined! But it was all good since we got to meet new peeps! :)

Here are our suspects: Skyy Raspberry Vodka (c/o David from the liquor stash), Bacardi Limon (c/o me and Marvin from Ralph's), and Homenaje Blanco (c/o sosy Elaine from an equally sosy Terry's Selections). Not in the picture are the 2 bottles of Jagermeister (c/o Josh and Paolo from Distillery).

But first we had dinner at Whistlestop over at Jupiter Street. You'll notice how these sane smiles will turn to wider, toothy grins as the night wears on (hahaha).

We left Whistlestop at about 9.30pm so we could get a decent table at Fiamma. From here on out, I'm gonna let the pictures do the talking, cos it pretty much sums up the fun we all had. GOOD VIBES! Note to the other people involved THESE ARE THE SAFEST PICTURES IN THE BUNCH! NOTHING EMBARRASSING ALRIGHT! JUST CLEAN GOOD FUN!! :)

See how different those smiles are already? Hahaha GOOD TIMES!! :))

Oh and my BFF Gladys also joined us! Small world too, cos I had no idea Gladys knew Leah and Elaine from our DLSU days! Love you bru!! Nice seeing you!! :))

'Twas a fun night you guys! 'Til next Friday!! :D

Whistlestop Bar and Restaurant
#28 Jupiter St., Bel-Air Village, Makati
Tel No. 897-1352

Fiamma
#32 Jupiter St., Bel-Air Village, Makati
Tel No. 896-1989

100 Years and Counting...ANIMO LA SALLE!

2011-06-17T10:12:00.015+08:00

The entire La Sallian community started its Centennial Countdown a year ago. I remember the DLSU Centennial website even had a countdown. So it just goes to show how excited everyone was for THE BIG DAY!

And so yesterday, June 16, we all gathered together as ONE LA SALLE to celebrate our school's 100th year. The DLSU schools in the provinces also had their own centennial celebrations, so we could celebrate all together.

Since we all had work, we got to La Salle rather late. It was almost 9PM when we got to Taft and the traffic was HORRIBLE! If you're a regular Taft-er, you'd know how bad traffic can get along the avenue during dismissal. Just imagine that traffic magnified 30 times more! And oh, parking was equally HELL-ish!

According to my college barkada Steph, who was in school as early as 3PM, there were mini-concerts all over the school. There was one along Agno Street so it was closed off for a while. But the main venue was the amphitheater, which was so JAMPACKED! I swear in my 4 years in undergrad and 1st term in grad school I have ever seen La Salle filled to the brim with students. It was like the school was bursting at the seams. It was really, really fun, but it was also super hot! AND EVERYONE WAS WEARING GREEN! :)

I'm sorry for the really lousy pictures, I was only using my BB. Anyway these pictures are from Jett Pangan/The Dawn's concert at the amphitheater. He sure brought the house down. Students were singing to the songs, screaming, bobbing their heads to the beat, and raising their hands ("parang prayer meeting lang" - just like a prayer meeting - HAHAHAHA).

It was funny though cos while Jett Pangan was dishing out some rock tunes, some group decided this was the perfect time to release balloons, much like what the Indonesians did after the tsunami some 3-4 years ago. It was kinda weird!

But what everybody was waiting for were the FIREWORKS to cap off the celebrations. It wasn't BONGGA or anything. Actually I was kind of disappointed because they didn't set off the fireworks at a higher point. Most of the fireworks were covered by the tree in the Marian Quadrangle. Sayang! But hey the students were all cheering! I wish they let the Pep Squad play the drums, so we could all have cheered our DLSU cheers during the fireworks display.

After the fireworks, our VIPs came to the stage. We had former La Sallians who are now big names in showbizness sing our Alma Mater hymn. JM Rodrigo, Epi Quizon, Ruel and Randy Santiago, and Gab and Gary Valenciano lead the entire La Sallian community in singing the Alma Mater hymn. Seriously I got goosebumps. We were all singing with pride! HAIL TO THEE OUR ALMA MATER! HAIL! HAIL! HAIL! Highlight of the night, I swear!

It was a fun night! And it also served as a mini-reunion with my college loves! I feel bad for some of our friends who weren't able to go. They missed out on an important milestone. Wish you guys were there!!

No matter what others say about La Salle, I will always, ALWAYS be proud I am from this prestigious university. We may not be topping the international educational charts right about now, but I believe I am where I am right now because I am a La Sallian. It played an integral role in my life, and I am happy I made the decision to take up my undergrad here. I had a blast in undergrad, and now I'm back for my masters degree. I am a proud La Sallian, and always will be! ANIMO LA SALLE!!

P.S. We had a bitch of a time finding a place to eat dinner in. At the University Mall the restaurants ran out of food, while others were filled with hungry diners. We ended up on the Benilde side of Taft at Kenny Rogers. Did anyone of you guys experience this major foodie issue over there last night?

My Alma Mater Turns 100!!

2011-06-16T08:04:00.005+08:00

To all my fellow La Sallians it's our 100th year TODAY!! Be proud and WEAR GREEN!! :D

For those coming over to school today, here's the schedule of activities for.

We're definitely going tonight!! Most of my officemates here at Solar are La Sallians, so we might all go together after work! And of course, it's going to be a major reunion with college friends! So exciting! :D

For those who won't be able to make it to the celebrations tonight, DLSU Manila is quite high-tech now, so you can watch the celebrations at the DLSU website via the Archer's eye. But nothing beats being ACTUALLY THERE, so try to come guys! :)

For more information you may also check out the DLSU Centennial Website.

So proud of my Alma Mater! 100 years and counting. It may not be as a big a milestone as UST's 400 or Ateneo's 150 but hey...DLSU is getting bigger and better! Congrats to the Brothers of the Christian Schools, this 100 years is all about your efforts in providing quality education in the Philippines.

ANIMO LA SALLE!! :))

Nobody Almost Always Looks Up....

2011-06-13T17:35:00.009+08:00

...to see what's up in the sky. I've watched way too many CSI episodes to know that a lot of them miss vital evidence/clues because they don't LOOK UP.

But here in the hustle and bustle of city life, either people are just too busy, too pissed off at the traffic jam or simply too blase for stuff. But not me. One of the best things in living high up in the mountains of Rizal is that going to work, you obviously have to go down from the mountain making you see the horizon. And today while driving off to work, as soon as I turned right on Ortigas Avenue Ext from our village, I saw A RAINBOW.

This is the 2nd time I've seen a rainbow over at Ortigas Avenue Ext. whilst battling really awful traffic jam with light rains. It was raining in the Rizal area this morning, but the sun still managed to sneak out from behind the dark, rain clouds. For me it was perfect irony - dark clouds, awful weather, bad traffic jam but out there in the distance is something precious. A once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. I knew it was going to be a good sign, perhaps a good week or month coming up ahead.

It's cool because this is like the 2nd rainbow I've seen in 2 months. The first rainbow I saw this year was during my BFF Trency and mine's trip to Cebu (see photo below). We went to the town of Madridejos to watch the sunset, but I think God wanted to make that 30-minute habal-habal ride worth it by giving us not one, but two of his beautiful handy works! :)

It's such a spirit-lifter, don't you think? A rainbow is just there for a little while, but the emotions that stay with you after last several days, or you know deep inside you that you'll never forget that certain feeling you felt while you stood there marveling at that wonderful sight.

I remember the first time I saw that rainbow over an overcast sky some 9 months ago (photo of it below), my Mom and I were having some trouble. I'm not one who writes emo blogs, it gave me hope that there will be good days after. Nothing lasts forever, and problems just maybe the first ones to go.

And this rainbow I saw this morning, it gave me the strength to push forward. Had a talk with the Mother just this Saturday, and it got me thinking a lot about myself. I still see myself as free-spirited, enjoying life, and just taking things as is. But I'm sure as hell 100% sure that I am not taking things lying down because I don't want to disappoint her when I stop something I already started. I got work and I'm taking my masters degree. Sure I whine a lot, I'm not Hercules nor God, but I'm trying to make something for myself in the future. And with that talk I had with my Mom, I want to change a certain perception she has of me. And that rainbow, I took it as a sign that I should not lose any hope, that I should strive harder, that I would finish my masters degree. After all, before it helping my cause, it's all for my Mom first anyways! :)

So what about you guys? Do you guys have anything you see that inspires you the moment you see it? Share it with me! :)

Can Y'all Handle An EPIC MEAL TIME?

2011-06-13T08:58:00.015+08:00

I'm watching the Dallas-Miami game as I write this so I'm a bit distracted hahaha GO MAVS!! LOVE YOU DIRK AND TYSON CHANDLER!!! :)

Anyway, my officemates David and Josh have been talking about this non-stop. They kept quoting lines from this Youtube sensation. I remember David let us watch our first episode, and I remember it was a bunch of girls eating mac and cheese with burgers inside. Inasmuch as it was disgusting, it was actually fun to watch them mix these RIDICULOUS ingredients all-together to make one hell of an EPIC MEAL TIME!!

Every Tuesday, the guys of Epic Meal Time upload a video on Youtube. Harley Morenstein, co-creator, acts as host. He co-created the show together with Sterling Toth who acts as their cameraman. Also popular is Alex Perrault, a personal trainer, who is known in the show as "Muscles Glasses".

As of now I've watched only a handful of shows, it's a joy to watch because it's bordering on disgusting but at the same time it's something I'd like to try. I actually want to get on a food trip with these guys!

So far, I've watched the EPIC EGGROLL which has Chicken Fried Rice, Cantonese Style Chow Mein, General Tao Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, and Hunan Dumplings all packed inside a custom eggroll mix. It packs on a whopping 6,378 calories. This is by far my favorite episode, and something I'd most likely eat hehehe!

I also got to watch PROTEIN BAR, where they featured a Seahorse Protein Sandwich (9,763 kcal), 2 Happy Meal Bacon Protein Smoothies (10,500 kcal) and Protein Bar (29,173 kcal) dripping in chocolate.

They also have THE BLACK LEGEND, where they mixed in EVERYTHING SWEET (candies, McFlurry, Chips Ahoy) inside a chocolate wrap. And they asked GIRLS to eat it. The total calorie count was at 19,177.

Oh and these guy LOVE JACK DANIELS AND BACON!!!! Josh and David said these guys took a shot of Jack Daniels mixed with bacon fat. Haven't gotten to watching it, but I think it's fun.

Watch these guys on Youtube, just look for Epic Meal Time, and you're good to go. They have a lot more episodes, so maybe you guys can get around to watching everything. It's actually fun to watch. The mixing of the ingredients is the best part. Plus Harley's narration IS THE BEST!!

So...can you foodies handle this or not? :p

Here are the links:
Epic Meal Time Official Website
Epic Meal Time - Youtube
Epic Meal Time - Twitter

P.S. Oh and to all DALLAS MAVERICKS fans out there. It's OUR TIME!!!!!! :)) GO MAVS!!! :D

Reader's Digest Eat Shoot & Win

2011-06-08T14:39:00.006+08:00

To all my fellow foodies out there, you guys might want to join this competition by Reader's Digest. My Mom sent this to me through e-mail. It's perfect for us since we take photos of the food we eat and we try to write in full detail the taste and how it has enthralled us. But this time instead of just informing our readers, we get a shot at winning an iPad 2! :) Perfect isn't it?

Here are the super simple mechanics on how to join the competition.

Contest ends SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011. Let's not wait for the deadline to join so we could have all the time in the world to describe our favorite street food! :)

For those who would just like to vote for a certain entry, you guys also have the chance to win a Canon Digital IXUS 115 HS camera.

Hope to see your entries there guys! Let's do this! :)

For more information about Reader's Digest Eat Shoot & Win just click on this link.

What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You Stronger...

2011-06-07T11:45:00.006+08:00

...or put a huge dent and deep scratches at the rear bumper of your car!

Just this morning I got into an accident. I had just crossed the intersection of Buendia and Makati Avenue and about to turn right on H.V. dela Costa when a taxi in front of my car stopped. So obviously I had to stop too. Unfortunately the cab right behind me didn't and hit my car from behind. The impact was a bit strong, so thanking my fast reflexes, I stepped on the brakes harder and pulled on the hand brake just so I wouldn't hit the cab in front of me and prevent further damages on my car. The result:

A pathetic looking rear bumper. It had a HUGE dent and an awful lot of scratches. Plus my bumper looks like it's about to fall off. THIS PICTURE DOES NOT ENTIRELY SHOW THE DAMAGES. But it's painful to look at all the same. What's even more painful is that the taxi that hit me only got a bent hood, and I got this.

I wanna thank my friend Mariko, who thankfully was already up and about at 7AM, for helping me with this situation. It's my first real accident ALONE, so I had no clue on what to do.

So we went to the Traffic Bureau beside the Makati City Hall and filed a police report and our sworn statements. NO BREAKFAST YET. It was killing me! Since we were obviously the first "customers" of the day, we were entertained by an unusually jolly government employees. We both wrote our written statements and surrendered our licenses and car registration. It was pretty fast, although Manong Driver took his time writing his sworn statement.

Here's the good part, I talked to SPO2 Christopher Millares, and he was VERY, VERY ACCOMMODATING. He really helped me with the process. He asked about my comprehensive car insurance (which I am so thankful to GOD for!) and told me about this car shop that was accredited by our car insurance (Prudential Guarantee). He told me if we get the car in at that shop we could waive the participation fee from the insurance company (which costs about P2000 to P4000) and they'd be the ones to process the police reports and the other documents needed to avail of the service from the insurance.

After about 2.5 hours at the Traffic Bureau, I went to check on the car shop named Ambassador Inmogo along Bagtikan St. in San Antonio Village. I talked to Kuya Ramir Bitangcor who was by then already briefed by SPO2 Millares. I thought that it was pretty fast! Kuya Ramir accessed the damages, took photos of the pathetic-looking-barely-hanging on rear bumper and was very helpful. I'd be bringing the car in this Saturday, hopefully the papers would've been processed by the insurance company by then.

This then brings me to thank SPO2 Millares of the Traffic Bureau. Thank you so much! You made my life so much easier! Thank you for giving Kuya Ramir a heads-up! I will make sure your boss knows about it and that you get commended for a job well done! :)

I would also like to thank Kuya Ramir of Ambassador Inmogo. Thank you for the quick assessment of my car and for putting me at ease that my baby Huey would be in good hands as you guys spruce him up and make him look brand new again.

But in line with this, I'd also like to say sorry to the driver that hit my car. You see he's an old guy with a bad leg. He was limping and looked rather weather-beaten. I was surprised when he told SPO2 Millares that he was only 56 years old, he looked WAY OLDER. I know it was an accident, I do not have ill feelings towards you. Your quick apology and no-fuss attitude was what really got me. I really hope you still keep the job since you said you were just driving as a sideline today and that you get into no more accidents. Hope everything's ok after I left you at the Traffic Bureau.

To all my fellow drivers out there, just be careful. Don't lose your cool. And don't ever think that just because a jeepney, bus or taxi driver hits your car, and you know deep in your gut that they won't have means to pay for the damages, don't ever make them feel inferior. Accidents do happen, that's a fact. Lahat naman ng bagay naayos sa mabuting usapan. Accept the apology, don't make a huge fuss about it, forgive the guy, and just let the insurance company take care of the problem. Don't let your anger out on these drivers. They make a living too. It's just really unfortunate that the accident happened, and a lot of time was wasted. You see, it's only YOUR TIME THAT GETS WASTED. These drivers lose potential customers, their only means of getting by. So just keep it cool! :)

Feel at Home at Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe

2011-06-06T09:43:00.016+08:00

It was a year and a half ago when I first got to eat at Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe. We were newbies here at Solar Entertainment and our officemates decided to go eat at their Legaspi Village branch as a group to welcome us. We ate there again for a despedida dinner for one of us who was about leave for film school.

So I had a good idea on how good the food was here, that's why I wanted to bring my Mom there for a good dinner. After weeks and even months of planning, we finally got to go last night after Mass. Good thing they have a branch in Pasig, along C5 so we don't have to travel all the way to Makati for it.

The Pasig branch is exactly like the Makati one - HOMEY! It's really a good place for families, and since it was a Sunday night, families filled the place up. Although I have to say the wallpapers are a bit excessive, no offense!

Besides the bright and floral wallpapers, the other thing that welcomes you are these huge chillers with everything sweet, creamy, rich, and sinful.

Had had a sample of their cupcakes before, and I must say they're really super good! They're really creamy and not too sweet. Perfect for dessert with a good cup of coffee.

So here's what we ordered:

Caesar Salad - whole. We asked them to split them to two already.

What we loved with this salad is that their veggies are super fresh. The lettuce was green and crunchy. They also had very generous servings of bacon bits, croutons, and dressing. Really good way to start our meal.

For our main course, Mom ordered her favorite Callos.

Although it has to be said that OUR home-made callos is waaaaaay better than this. But suffice to say it's also waaaaaaay better than what Mom had in Dulcinea which was a total flop. In all fairness, this Callos had tender meat and good portions of twalya or tripe. It was only later that Mom noticed that it didn't have pimientos.

As for me, I've been really wanting to have this all for myself: the famed Shepherd's Pie.

The first time I tried this, I was SOLD! On top is like half an index finger full of mashed potatoes. But what's underneath that, that makes this a real winner. MEAT! Ground meat! It's just so tasty, and their sauce HEAVENLY! I especially love it when it's a bit cooler cos the mashed potatoes harden a bit and it mixes with the meat. I This was so good I had to recommend it to my good friend Mariko when they ate there. And like me, she absolutely fell in love with this.

For drinks, we had the Carousel. It's basically just an entire round of their iced teas - blue, red, green, and lemon. Mom and I only had 2 out of the 4. Their iced teas are a bit on the sweet side, it's best that you let the ice melt a little, but that's just me hehe.

We were stuffed. But more because of the iced teas. We planned on having coffee, but we just didn't have space in our tummies. But not giving in just yet, I bought a tub of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Had a piece at home with coffee. You get to taste butter the moment you bite into it. Not too sweet. But I don't like the kind of raisins they used. It just gave the cookie an entirely different taste. So kinda disappointed with it.

But hey, if you want something homey to eat in, I totally recommend Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe. Nice also to bring home cupcakes for both the kids and the adults. They still have other stuff there worth trying. But I will forever swear on the Shepherd's Pie. Consistency is key...and what's good about Mom & Tina's is that no matter what branch you eat in, the Shepherd's Pie has the same quality, taste, and everything that goes into that makes it SUPERB! MUST TRY!! :))

Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe
106 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.
Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City
Tel. No. 914-0833

This Made my Day! Thank you Coffee Bean and Geiser Maclang!

2011-06-03T16:56:00.008+08:00

First of all, let me apologize for the absence in blogging. I've been struggling at juggling studying for masters, work, blogging, and my so-called life hahaha! I promise I will make time to finish my Cebu trip blog. I'm so sorry!

Anyway, this totally made my day today. I opened my e-mail and the subject said: "Someone left a drink for you at The Coffee Bean". So I opened the mail and saw this:

I was thrilled to the bones. I SUPER LOVE COFFEE!! I have about 4-5 cups of it every freaking day! It was a huge sacrifice for me to give it up for Lent. Every time my friends and I would hang out, it'll almost always be in a coffee shop.

When we get sick and tired of the usual Starbucks, we go to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. BFF Trency has a swirl card already, so we go there frequently and use free wi-fi!

I love Coffee Bean's Vanilla Iced Blended and Cafe Latte. The latte is super good with any of their pastries, especially their cakes. I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks this but I think Coffee Bean has one of the BEST CAKES compared to some coffee shops! I particularly love their New York Cheesecake! Paired with a Cafe Latte, it's simply heaven!! YUMMY!!!

Hope you guys get to receive one of these! It was a huge surprise for me. I'm claiming mine in my usual branch - Four Seasons Condominium here in Salcedo Village. Thank you so much Coffee Bean and thank you Geiser-Maclang! :))

Cebu Part 2: Hello Bantayan Island

2011-05-20T08:35:00.028+08:00

After a hectic tour of the city, Trency and I woke up LATE the next day. We wanted to wake up at 6AM but since we were both tired from the day before we overslept and instead woke up at 9AM. After a quick breakfast, we checked out, and hailed a cab to take us to the North Bus Terminal. Good thing our hotel was only about 15 minutes away from the bus terminal, so we got there pretty quick.

As promised more photos, less words. :D

NORTH BUS TERMINAL. Take a bus going to HAGNAYA PIER. It's a good 3 hours away. Bus fare Php130. This bus ride actually reminded me of our Manila-Laoag-Pagudpud-Laoag-Vigan-Manila trip earlier in the year. But it was scenic drive so it's pretty much ok! :)

HAGNAYA PIER. Take boat that will go to STA.FE in BANTAYAN ISLAND. Fee costs Php170, terminal fee i think was Php2.

We were to stay at the Hard K Kafe & Kiwi Kottages. They were kind enough to pick us up from the pier. After checking-in and had our bags brought in to our rooms, we decided it was time to get our late asses moving. We had already arranged our island hopping tour (more on that on the next blog), but for that day we decided to go to the Bantayan town proper to get to an ATM, look around the town, and to go to the palengke (market) for the food we were to eat during the island hopping. We hopped on the trike that took us from the pier to the resort, and went on a 15 minute ride to the town. We paid Php300 for that.

BANTAYAN WET MARKET. I usually get disgusted with markets because they can get pretty stinky and dirty. But not in Bantayan! It was clean and it didn't reek of anything out-of-this-world. So going around wasn't a problem! :D

THE OLDEST CHURCH IN THE ISLAND: STS. PETER & PAUL CHURCH BUILT IN 1580.

KOTA BEACH & SUNSET

FOOD TRIPPING. I swear Cebu is a city of sin, but more on GLUTTONY. Case in point, this eat-all-you-can buffet for only Php295 with unlimited iced tea. I swear I gained about 20 pounds here! But it was so good. They had a wide variety of dishes, from pancit, spaghetti, fish, adobo to native kakanins like biko and maja blanca.

To cap off the night, Trency and I drank by the bar. We started up a conversation with the most hospitable resort owner I've ever encountered, GING. She married a Kiwi, hence the name of the resort, and they have a daughter named Steffi. It was a fun night of trilingual conversations, switching from Tagalog to Bisaya to English. Funny!

For the next, and the last entry, on Bantayan Island. It's going to be about our island hopping escapade with Bantatay and Kuya Jun and our habal-habal ride to the town of Madridejos. STAY TUNED!! :p

Cebu Part 1: The Cebu Pacific fiasco, NS Royal Pensione, Casa Verde and Tops

2011-05-19T08:05:00.031+08:00

Yey! Part 1 of the BFF diaries in CEBU: The Queen City of the South! :)We've had this trip booked early this year and it's one of the most awaited trip of the year for me. Too bad it was just me and BFF Trency, so we promised BFF Amanda that we'd make bawi and have another trip and to make it BONGGA! :)) And oh pardon this long post, this is going to highlight DAY 1 in Cebu City. :p

Mom wanted to see me off, so we first drove to Rockwell where I'd be leaving my car. Then it was breakfast over at Grams where we had a lovely breakfast of U.S. Tapa, fluffy eggs, and garlic rice, and of course COFFEE. Oh they call it Patriotic Breakfast. So good!

After a short breakfast with the Mother, I had to take a cab that would take me to NAIA Terminal 3, the assigned terminal for Cebu Pacific Air. We went early because the day before we left, a fellow blogger, Trip Or Treats and Carlos Celdran were cursing Cebu Pacific for their delay. We got scared we'd end up missing our flight, so it was better to be early.

Check-in went by smoothly, but Cebu Pacific's ground stewards were really MASUNGIT! Seriously, you guys have no right to be all grouchy at customers who are also really pissed off with your awful service! I wish I took note of the name of that girl who was super masungit. We get that you're tired and all, but it's your freaking job. If you want to be angry at the world, either you wait until after your shift ends or get the hell out of that job.

After surviving check-in, we had so much free time at our hands, Trency and I crammed research on Bantayan Island, our destination this summer. Thank God for Illy's free wi-fi, although it was on and off (well mostly off).

After having coffee, we decided to go to the departure lounge to wait for our boarding time. Since it was past 12NN, we had lunch at Let's Chow, a super cheap-ass Chinese stall. Trency had sharksfin siomai and I had wanton noodle soup. Really good! And for Php90 NOT BAD AT ALL! :)

Since our departure time was 1.55PM we went to our gate early. Our hearts sank when we heard the announcement that said our flight was going to be delayed. We were so pissed! It was my longest-ever stay at an airport! The stupid Cebu Pacific plane arrived past 2PM, and we got to board at around 2.30PM. And to top of our unlucky Friday the 13th stint, we were stuck on the runway for a good 20 minutes due to a congested runway. We were finally up in the air at around 3.30PM, our supposed time of arrival at Mactan International Airport.

Finally at almost 5PM, we had arrived in Cebu City. We quickly forgot about that harrowing airport fiasco and put on our vacation game faces ON! We were finally here! And no we weren't going to let anything get in the way!

We were to stay overnight in the city, so we only had a few precious hours. We checked-in at NS Royal Pensione, the hotel we stayed in when we were in Cebu last year for my cousin's wedding.

It's funny because the room they assigned to us was the same room we got when we stayed there. So there was that knowing feeling already. Plus the hotel's really cozy, and the staff, really friendly. It's a really modest hotel, but it has got the most basic necessities.

We were on our toes since we wanted to make the most out of our stay in the city. We freshened up a little then went to dinner at the famous CASA VERDE. Luckily it was within walking distance from our hotel.

Since it was payday Friday, families and barkadas filled the place up. Casa Verde has 3 branches, the one we went to was a house in a subdivision. It really is a HOUSE, with the restaurant on the ground floor and the living quarters on the 2nd floor.

We ordered the famous Brian's Ribs, which I must say must be one of the best ribs I've ever tasted. They served it to us hot, with the meat almost falling off the bones. I suddenly remembered why Mom loves meat that sticks to the bone. She says it's very TASTY, and I think these ribs are a true testament to that fact. The meat was very, very tender. However, Trency wanted more sauce.

Trency also wanted seafood, so we ordered this filleted shrimp dish. It was soooo good! It had 8 pieces, and we inhaled it! Forget about your diet when you eat at Casa Verde.

Then as if we weren't full, we ordered dessert: Lauren's Lava. We both loved how the warm chocolate syrup mixed with the cold vanilla ice cream on top. Plus it wasn't THAT sweet, so it was just perfect!

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel to decide on our next step. Trency's friend suggested we go up to Tops, the highest point in Cebu. So from our hotel we hailed a cab, please note that you have to talk to the driver. You'd have to ask them to wait for you. Luckily, we had a very accommodating driver, and for Php800 took us to Tops.

Tops is situated at the top of Busay Hills and is about 2,000 feet above sea level, and it offers a good view of both Mactan and Cebu. I must say, the view was absolutely breathtaking!

Even at almost 10PM a lot of people were coming up to Tops that night. It's open 24 hours and has a cafe and a bar. It's the perfect place to just lounge around and enjoy the cool, night air. Trency and I drank here, too.

After Tops, we went back to our hotel to rest up.

Stay tuned for our BANTAYAN ISLAND ADVENTURES. I'm gonna make it more of a photoblog, so you guys won't get bored with my narration. :)

CASA VERDE
#69 Lim Tian Teng St., Cebu City
Tel Nos. (032) 2536472, (032) 2538234, (032) 2536472

NS ROYAL PENSIONE
Juana Osmeña Street, Cebu City
Tel Nos. 032 254 5358
Website: http://www.nspensione.com/about_us.html

Food Trip: Legaspi and Salcedo Weekend Markets

2011-05-10T14:02:00.023+08:00

I am not a big fan of markets AND waking up early to go to the market. It's my Mom's frustration for me to start learning the ways. But thanks to these cool concepts, your market-ing can be really fun and really sosyal. Makes waking up early totally worth it!

I've been delaying my posts on these two popular early morning weekend markets, but after a so-so visit to Mercato Centrale with 2 friends last week, I think it deserves a good blog entry.

The Salcedo weekend market happens every Saturday morning at the Jaime Velasquez car park. As early as 6am 'til 2pm the weekend market serves a variety of stuff - from fresh produce, flowers, plants, organic stuff, to ready-to-eat-FOOD! It's the place where your vendors are either foreigners or girls who speak in straight English. It's almost funny! And the folks who live in the condos around Salcedo Village troop down to the park to buy their stuff.

Mom and I love the barbecue stall, Mang Ineng's. Since we have to leave our house early, we have our power breakfast here. Sometimes the food choosing in this place can drive you insane. There's so much food! Anyway here are some snap shots I took from the Salcedo Weekend Market.

This is going to be the only place in the Metrowhere eating dirty ice cream would actually LOOK COOL! :p

Last year, Mom burned her forearm because of this. They make small pancake-like stuff here, haven't gotten the chance to taste it. But it brings bad memories for Mom haha!

I really love this French guy! He makes really good crepes, too! :D

Then on Sunday mornings, it's time for the Legaspi Weekend Market. Also in a carpark right beside the Legaspi Active Park, it's just like the one at Salcedo. But before there used to be fewer concessionaires. But I've noticed that this year, there are more who offer other products.

The Legaspi market also has a wide variety of food to choose from, although compared to the Salcedo market, this one has more concessionaires who sell other trinkets such as paintings, dresses, furniture, organic stuff, shoes, and bags. It's a bit more diverse, but of course they also have the fresh produce.

But food trippin' is actually fun-ner here. They already have Chef Laudico's BFast and Pampanga's renowned, Everybody's Cafe here. Then you also have the good ole barbecue stalls and other home-cooked meals. You just have to patiently go around, twice or thrice, to pinpoint that one thing you want to have.

So here are some photos I took of the Legaspi Weekend Market!

I've noticed huge families and groups of friends come here to eat and just hang out. It's actually really fun, if you don't mind the heat. In Salcedo, I see a lot of call center people coming down to have breakfast. It's that much of a hit! So if you want to hit the MARKET IN STYLE, I totally suggest you come and check this place out. It'll give a new twist to your usual, boring trip to the market. Then again, don't be too shocked with the difference in prices. It is more cheaper in Nepa-Q Mart or something, but at least your feet won't get dirty (hehe)!

To My Mother

2011-05-09T14:58:00.003+08:00

This may not be her best picture, hehe, but it's the only photo I have of her as of this writing! :p

It's a day after Mother's Day, and I just wanted to pay a little tribute to my Mom. In an entry last year, I treated Mom to a FOTHER's DAY dinner and said that there's a little story to that part. It wasn't a typo error on my part, but really, my Mom is both my dad and my mom. Nope I didn't lose a dad at a young age, nor am I Mom's love child.

I AM ADOPTED! :)

A lot of my friends know about this and I am not embarrassed. Mom told me about my being adopted when I was around 5 or 6 years old in an aunt's beach house in Batangas. Being chosen is the first blessing I have ever received in my life. Mom gave me a chance at a better life the moment she took me in as her daughter. I may not come from her womb, but I may as well have. She would tell me stories of how she gave up A LOT when she adopted me, like how she used to go on trips on short notice in her past job and buying expensive stuff. It was a big leap for her, and yes, she was honest enough to tell me that she didn't really have plans on becoming a mother. But she did, and it's every reason why I am indebted to her until the day I breathe my last.

Whatever I am right now is because of her. I was able to go to good schools, travel, have most of my whims, because she burns the night oil every single night. The whole world is asleep but there she is typing away on her computer. Being a single mother is no joke, and she's doing such a great job. In a typical/ideal world where both mom and the dad raise kids, Mom did everything all by herself. She never complained and she never gave up.

I know that there have been lots of times I've disappointed her, but she made sure I learned from all those mistakes. And she never left my side. Sure she'd say things that sometimes I don't want to hear, but yes they are true and they are the only things a mother could tell her child. Now that I'm older and wiser, I am trying as much as I could do please her and repay her in my own way.

I wrote in my Facebook status yesterday, "Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful Mother who single-handedly raised me and gave me a chance at a better life when she CHOSE me to be her daughter. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!:))".

My cousins all agree, my friends agree, and I AGREE.

She's my hero, and I love her. :)

Slurping Goodness @ Ramen Bar

2011-05-09T13:31:00.008+08:00

Two Fridays ago, on the day Prince William and Kate Middleton got hitched, Mom and I went to Eastwood for lunch. I was down with horrible colds and cough (which made me miss an awesome Mt. Pinatubo trek with Kim), so I really craved for something hot. Finally, I had an excuse to go eat at the Ramen Bar, which a lot of people raved about.

I've been reading Cecile van Straten's Chuvaness for quite some time and have been enlightened on everything Japanese because of it. The moment I stepped inside, I thought how very MUJI of the Ramen Bar (see Cecile's MUJI entry here). It just made the entire restaurant, it being small, look so vibrant! Plus the anime drawings on the wall are really cute.

Of course we came here for the ramen, and I ordered SPICY KARAAGE RAMEN.

I wanted my ramen to be spicy to help ease the nasal blockage. It helped a lot, I might say. It was really good, the spicy oil gave it a good kick without damaging your taste buds! Generous servings of both noodles and karaage (bonesless chicken), too. People who LOVE spicy would be totally diggin' this!

Mom on the other hand got the SAPPORO MISO RAMEN.

She just had the butter and cream removed from this dish. Had a little taste of it, and it was good, though I wouldn't order since I'm not a huge fan of miso soup. Mom on the other hand, has this addiction to miso soup, and went as far as buying packs and packs of it from the Japanese grocery store. Like my ramen, they were also very generous with their servings.

But this was the absolute winner KAKUNI BUNS.

They're siopao buns with either pork or fish inside, but instead of the huge bun, they're cut up in small pieces. Perfect for pika-pika! We went for the fish, and it was love at first bite! We were given this mayonnaise type of dip, and it just gave it extra flavor! Mom and I had two each, and even if we were so full from the our ramen, we inhaled this. Super good! Don't go to the Ramen Bar without getting these, you won't be sorry!

Suffice to say this may be the closest I could get to having authentic Japanese ramen! Sorry to my favorite Teriyaki Boy Chicken Ramen, but Ramen Bar emerges as the winner (haha!). I'd love to try their other big bowls, they've got other unique stuff that look really enticing.

Eastwood Mall
Ground Level, Eastwood Mall
Eastwood Ave. & Orchard Road, Bagumbayan
Quezon City
Tel. No. 570-9457

Bloggers United: Shopping with a Cause

2011-05-02T15:33:00.004+08:00

High school buddy and fashion blogger, Ana Gonzales of The Fashion Commuter, asked for writers on her Facebook page to write short feature articles on their co-presenters for this their event happening really SOON! Missin' my writing days, I couldn't resist the urge to volunteer, and to help out a high school bud! :)

So now let me, in turn, help her and her friends, Melai Entuna and Aisa Ipac, promote BLOGGERS UNITED. If we foodies have our restaurants and our weekend markets like Midnight Mercato, fashionistas have Bloggers United. It's going to be a place where both ladies and gentlemen could share tips in fashion and get updated on the latest trends. It's going to be the first bloggers bazaar, so I'm sure it's going to be EXCITING!

Also, the hottest names in the fashion blogosphere would also be selling their much-loved shoes, tops, and accessories. So if you want to dress ala-Joanna Ladrido, you should not dare miss this event. I'm 100% sure their clothes are going to sell like hotcakes, so come early and get the good deals! I'm also sure you wouldn't want to miss the chance to meet your fashion idols, Camille Co, Tricia Gosingtian, and Kryz Uy.

Plus you also get to help their chosen charity, K.I.D.S. Foundation. So you don't only get to shop for yourself, you also get to help out. I suddenly remembered this quote from a girl interviewed in one of our events covered by the ETC team, "Fashion can be charitable and charity can be fashionable". We thought it funny and a bit pilit at that time, but suffice to say, that quote can sum up this interactive fashion bazaar.

So what are you waiting for? Come to Bloggers United happening on May 27, 2011 at the 32nd to 33rd floor of the Malayan Plaza Hotel in Pasig City. It's going to be a bloggers event with a whole lot of flair and a whole lot of heart! :)

For more information you may also visit these websites:
Bloggers United - Blogspot
Blogges United - Facebook page
Bloggers United - Official Website

Midnight Mercato: The Highs and The Lows

2011-05-02T08:38:00.019+08:00

Two entries in one day is unusual for me, but hey, there's always a first time for everything right? :D

So last Saturday, after officially becoming a godparent to this unknowing child, Mariko, Hazel and I drove from Paseo de Magallanes to The Fort in Taguig. Our agenda: to hit Midnight Mercato, the brainchild of foodie Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet.

We had a bitch of a time looking for it, I didn't know they transferred spots. So now, they're located behind the Starbucks with the drive-thru right beside MC Home Depot. Cars were lined up just to get to the parking lot. It was THAT BUSY! Plus some people cut the line, so it took us more than 15 minutes to actually get in!

But when we finally got in, we thought we were all going to go crazy! THE FOOD WAS ABUNDANT!! There were so much food choices, we had to go around the place 5 times before we got decide.

Since we came from Racks that afternoon, we were still sort of stuffed. So we only got to eat Nachos with Cheese and Beef from Mexicanto and the Hungarian Sausage. Both were really good! Nice and light..perfect for a close-to-midnight snack.

Mariko also decided to buy cakes from one of the stalls. They were a disappointment. This first one was a Chocolate-caramel cake. Although not too sweet, it's not your typical moist chocolate cake. It was dry and had a rough texture to it.

The really sad attempt at a Red Velvet Cake. Again, it was dry and the cream cheese was HARD.

This was much better, cake with walnuts on top. I liked it because it wasn't too sweet, plus there were nuts all over the cake.

Lastly, this was a strawberry cake. Again, not too sweet, but it was better than the chocolate and the red velvet cakes.

You really have to look around first before buying your food. There's so many stalls, but only a handful of them really serve good food. It's best to get the food that gets cooked right in front of you, at least you're assured of the quality once it's served! :)

Anton, if you get to read this, as a fan of yours, please:
1. FIX THE BATHROOM SITUATON! 2 portalets is not enough. Plus make sure nobody drops a bomb in there. It sucks that there are only 2 cubicles (one for the men and the other for the female) and one of them can't be used because of some inconsiderate dumbie! It's a bit of a hassle to go all the way to Starbucks or to MC Home Depot just to take a leak.
2. PARKING. Maybe you could just organize one entry point for the entrance and exit. It took us 15 minutes to get inside the parking lot because some moronic drivers cut the line.
3. FOOD SITUATION. As a foodie, maybe you should also get to screen the quality of the food being sold. We bought Sago't Gulaman that tasted like water, cakes that were dry and tasteless. And also the hygiene of the sellers were a bit questionable. We saw this stall with a "chef" preparing food with his bare hands. Come on, it's supposed to cater to the conyo crowd, how do you expect people to buy food when they see someone using their hands while preparing their food.
4. SITTING SITUATION. Hope you guys can get to add more seats, a lot of people had been scouring the entire area for seats. Plus most of the people there go by barkadas or one entire family. So most of them take up an entire table.
5. Getting to draw in hoards of people is really key, but as a foodie, you also know what gets you to come back to a certain restaurant. Most of the time it's quality and the cleanliness. Seriously Anton, cleanliness is a bit of an issue here. The food is not really exceptional, so maybe you can make the place spic and span, starting with the RESTROOMS. That part was really frustrating.

These are just some friendly suggestions to help improve the place. I think some aspects of the food market was neglected because it already had a NAME. In all fairness to the weekend markets at Salcedo and Legaspi Villages, they've been really successful because they took note of the minute things that people who come to them really need.

But don't get me wrong, before you throw and hurl boulders of hate at me, we really loved the place ok! Mariko, Hazel, and I had to make like 5 rounds just to decide on what to eat hahaha it really is a foodie heaven. But all things need improvement, and I guess Midnight Mercato isn't exempted from it! :)

Midnight Mercato
34th Street and 8th Avenue (across MC Home Depot), The Fort, Taguig
Operating Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10PM to 3AM
Website: http://www.midnightmercato.com

Proud Ninang to Baby Aron

2011-05-02T08:10:00.008+08:00

I never really thought of myself as a Ninang (godmother) figure. I kind of think I'm still a kid myself, so playing second parent to a child can be a bit daunting. But if asked, then I'm all good! :) Besides, this kid is like my 4th or 5th inaanak (godchild) so I guess they saw something cool in me hahaha!

Such was the opportunity when my "cousin" Mitch asked me to be the ninang of her first born, Aron Miguel. I was thrilled, as it was unexpected, and in the first place how could you say no right? :)

So last April 30, Saturday, I trooped down to the Shrine of Jesus: The Way, The Truth, and The Light at Pasay City right beside the SM Mall of Asia. The BAPTISTRY is located at the left wing of the Church. It was so pretty, I loved the huge painting in the middle of the room of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan.

The ceremony, officiated by Fr. Bong Lopez, was quick and very simple. We, the godparents, joined the parents - Mitch and Efren - in welcoming Aron to the Christian world.

Welcome to the Christian world, Aron. Be a good boy to Mommy and Daddy. I wish you the best of health, a good head on your shoulders, and a good heart. Make Mommy, Daddy, and us your godparents, PROUD! :) I'm sure you're gonna be a good kid! :)

P.S. The reception was held at Racks, Paseo de Magallanes. Wasn't able to take photos, got issued a ticket by stupid Pasay traffic enforcers, so I was in a sour mood! But the food was REALLY GOOD! :D Ribs galore! Oh and their Caesar Salad was yum-o! :)

Visita Iglesia in Pampanga

2011-04-26T07:40:00.030+08:00

Maundy Thursday Mom and I together with our helper Ate Dor and our baby boy Yankee set off to Pampanga for Visita Iglesia. It's a Filipino tradition every Maundy Thursday to visit 7 churches to either do the Stations of the Cross or just pray inside the churches. It's so cool to go to Pampanga for a religious thing, the last time I was in Pampanga was in Angeles for the Hot Air Balloon Festival on Valentine's Day.

It's our first time to do this for Holy Week, so we were all quite excited. The day before, Mom and I panic bought food we could bring for the trip. The downside to this was, I didn't prepare for it. We spent most of the time asking the locals for the nearest church. Funny cos most of them don't even know the names of their churches and where they are exactly in their town.

Here are the 7 churches in Pampanga we visited. For next year's Lenten Season you guys might want to put these churches on your list. A lot of the churches we went to where beautiful! And a note to foreign readers, you guys might be thinking why the altar and the statues are all covered in either white or purple cloth. It's also a Filipino tradition to cover it up during Holy Week as a sign of mourning for the Lord's death. I know, this is what makes the Philippines a culturally rich and religious country, and we're proud of it! :)

HOLY CROSS PARISH, LUBAO
This is a small parish in the town of Lubao. We were sort of disappointed with this Church because we were distracted by the kids playing inside. Plus they were cleaning up for the upcoming activities, so it was abuzz with people cleaning.

LUBAO PARISH CHURCH, LUBAO
The first old Church we visited. Constructed by Agustinian priest, Fr. Antonio Herrera in 1614, it was completed in 1630. Used as a hospital by Americans in 1899, it was completely destroyed by the Japanese in 1942. From 1949-1952, Fr. Melencio Garcia oversaw the re-construction.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH, GUAGUA
We saw the Church's dome from afar, that's how big it was. I really loved this Church, but the sad thing was, as we were on our way out, we saw a family of Aetas (a tribal group found in many parts of the Philippines) and the sad thing was they let this girl defecate right there. I know, gross! It was so disrespectful! Maybe the local authorities of GuaGua should do something about this!

STA. LUCIA PARISH, SASMUAN
Right beside GuaGua is the town of Sasmuan, formerly Sexmoan. The Church is found in a really lazy, sleepy barangay and only quite a few people came to visit this Church. This was by far, our favorite Church. Just look at the interior, it was so pretty! I also loved the dome in the center, it looked like the one in GuaGua, but since the ceiling was lower, it really illuminated the entire Church. It was peaceful, too, so we were able to pray without any distractions.

SAN GUILLERMO PARISH, BACOLOR
You could also see the dome from the National Highway, so you really won't have a hard time finding it. Also built by Agustinian friars, this Church has got more historical drama compared to the other Churches we visited. In 1995, 4 years after Mt. Pinatubo's massive and destructive eruption, the Church was almost completely buried by lahar flow. Kudos to those who dedicated a lot of time and effort to salvage the Church, it was beautiful and it would've been a completely loss if it weren't dug out of the lahar.

SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL, SAN FERNANDO
The biggest Church we visited, San Fernando Cathedral was also packed with people. We weren't able to pray the rosary here anymore as the Washing of the Feet was about to start. It's also a Filipino custom to re-enact Jesus washing the feet of his disciples every Maundy Thursday. And outside, we saw a penitent genuflect at the Cathedral's door. A group of foreigners were also there to document our tradition during the Holy Week. I think it amazes them how firm our beliefs are.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS, SAN FERNANDO
The last Church on our journey, this is most modern looking Church we visited. Also packed with people for the Washing of the Feet, we didn't stay long. Plus the Mass was in Capampangan so we just left.

We were pooped after our road trip. Too bad we weren't able to have a Capampangan food trip, most of the restaurants, save some fast food, were closed. We would definitely do this again next year! And maybe, we'll do it somewhere in Laguna. Visita Iglesia is a fun thing to do with the family. They have a saying here, "The family that prays together, stays together". And doing the Visita Iglesia would totally make any family bond. Plus you also get closer to God! :)

I also feel bad we weren't able to visit other Churches in Pampanga. It was a bit hard to navigate, and the asking around for directions took up a lot of time. Next year, I promise I'll be more prepared than this!

Don JuanHito's Grill: The Newest Bar To Hit Town

2011-04-23T20:54:00.012+08:00

It was payday Friday 2 weeks ago, I got a text from friend Ninya inviting me to go to this newly opened grill/bar in Granada St. in Quezon City. I was still unsure if I could go since I had a despedida party to go to that same night. But when I found out that my two other officemates, Chuchie and Jenny were going to be there too, I decided it was time for a reunion of sorts! I MISSED THEM ALREADY!

After almost 2 hours on the road, I reached Gilmore St., but had a slight confusion with directions. Turns out GRANADA STREET IS NOW GILMORE STREET! Good God! But it turned out okay since we found it.

Owned by sports enthusiast, Dexter Araquel, Don JuanHito's Grill is this hole-in-the-wall type bar right smack in the middle of Gilmore. What's so cool about the place is that up until around 10PM it's lit by this giant billboard of Anne Curtis, don't laugh it was actually cool to be drinking under a billboard! :) And also for us Filipinos, we couldn't go wrong with INIHAW or GRILLED food! :))

You could watch television while you're there, on the other side Ian and his friends were watching football, and on our side we watched PBA. Then later on we switched channels. It's that carefree to be there!

If you guys are wondering why it's called Don JuanHito's their specialty is HITO (for the foreign readers, it's catfish). Since it was Friday, and I was still observing the Lenten season, I couldn't eat meat. So I ordered their JUNIOR INIHAW NA HITO (Php120)

It was really good, and since they have an aquarium filled with catfishes, you are 100% sure of its freshness! Although there was a slight incident with me getting a fish bone stuck on my throat, I had fun eating this! The stuffing of tomatoes and onions made it all the more tasty.

Ninya and Jenny ordered their Pork Sisig (Php150). Too bad I wasn't able to taste this, it was meat! :( But they said it was really good! Perfect with the beers we were already chugging down!

Chuchie was the one who recommended we ordered this, and it was an instant hit! Sizzling Garlic Mushroom (Php120)

This was really GOOD! It was filled to the brim with garlic, and we had fun picking at it. This is really good with beer actually, but you could also order rice and eat it with it! :)

Lastly, we had the Seafood Sisig (at my request) (Php160).

We all liked this because it was spicy! It had squid and fish in it, and both had very generous serving.

For those who are really into hanging out with friends, have a beer or two, and watch basketball or football, while eating really good, cheap food, Don JuanHito's Grill is a nice place to go. They also have this drink-all-you-can promo for Php300 but only for Coors Light Beer. You can have a bucket of San Miguel Light for Ph225.

This has to be said though, you have to be a bit patient while waiting for the food. Since it's cooked on the spot, you'd have to wait for several minutes before the food gets served. But at least, you're assured of the quality and the freshness especially with the seafood.

Here are some picture we took that night. Chuchie, Jenny and Nya I missed you guys! We should do this more often!

Here's me with owner, Dexter Araquel. Thank you for accommodating us Sir! We really loved the food! I am now officially a fan.

Don JuanHito's Grill
96 Granda St., Quezon City
Tel. No. 585-3175
Mobile No. 0917-8741101

The Mishap That Was Forever 21

2011-04-18T08:43:00.006+08:00

Last April 12, a Tuesday, I went to pick up Mom at Makati. After dinner I told her I wanted to go check out the newly opened, and much-raved about FOREVER 21 store at SM Makati. Since it was late, I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of people.

So off we went and looked around. It was huge, and it is a playground for fashionistas (UNLIKE ME hahaha). I've read blogs of fellow Kulasa Anagon, my fashion idol Tin Iglesias, favorite pastimes reads Tricia Gosingtian, another fellow Kulasa Joanna Ladrido, and Patricia Prieto PRAISE Forever 21 to high heavens. So I wanted to have a look at it for myself.

The funny thing was after spending several minutes, make that close to an hour, of looking around unique-looking dresses, Mom was the one who ended up buying something. No it wasn't a dress or anything, it was a BELT worth P495. Please see picture of purchase below.

When Mom went to the counter to pay for it, the girl at the cashier gave her usual spiel which lead to this blog entry. She tells my Mother, "Ma'am we have a no return, no exchange policy for the belt". We knew she was just doing her job, but you use, the Department of Trade and Industry has this rule that SHOULD AND MUST APPLY TO ALL STORES that an item purchased can be returned, if not exchanged, 7 days AFTER THE DATE OF PURCHASE.

And the lousy excuse she gave Mom as to why we cannot exchange or return the item was it was deemed UNHYGIENIC to return a belt. Mom really gave that girl a piece of her mind. Underwear being returned or exchanged IS UNHYGIENIC but a belt? Whut!?

Oh, and another thing about SM, I don't know if you guys have noticed this but in all SM receipts, it only states THIS SERVES AS YOUR SALES INVOICE. All purchases must have an OFFICIAL RECEIPT. Landmark, Jollibee, Petron, Chowking...all of them issue OFFICIAL RECEIPTS. Why doesn't SM? Mr. Henry Sy, I think you have a lot of explaining to do at BIR.

And to Kim Henares, since you are very much into running after tax fugitives, you may want to get ALL SM stores at the top of your list. I think they've been getting away with paying taxes, it's your job to find out now.

To all fashionistas and all consumers, I think you should all be mindful of your purchases. Don't just say yes when cashier girls tell you that you can't exchange or return your items because of hygienic purposes even if it was a belt. As consumers we must all be aware of our rights. Be vigilant about that people!

P.S. If you read the comment below, an Anonymous person just commented. I have talked to a certified public accountant who has worked previously for the Supreme Court and now at the Department of Tourism, and she has told me that IT IS A BIR REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY PURCHASE MUST BE ISSUED AN OFFICIAL RECEIPT. However, she has also added that BIR also give authority that the machine tapes that some outlets or department stores issue serve as the OFFICIAL RECEIPT. But you have to double-check with the store. In the case of Forever 21 or SM, we weren't able to do this because we had no idea about this set-up. Since this has been published, I advice you do ask the girls at the counter if SM's machine tapes SERVE AS OFFICIAL RECEIPTS.

Please do not believe that merchandise purchased are EXEMPTED from being issued OFFICIAL RECEIPTS. Whatever school this anonymous person has gone to, and whatever accounting subject that is, is teaching them the WRONG STUFF! I think it is common knowledge that EVERYBODY SHOULD PAY THEIR TAXES and it is through OFFICIAL RECEIPTS that the government could keep track of this. There are way too many tax evaders in our country, so let us not add to this!

AND THE WINNERS ARE! Randomness Is Bliss: Giveaway #2: One for the Mommies and the Kids at Heart

2011-04-15T14:00:00.000+08:00

Randomness Is Bliss: Giveaway #2: One for the Mommies and the Kids at Heart

Since it's Friday already, it's time to announce the 2 winners for the MAMS Kiddie Funland coupons worth Php500! I am very pleased to announce the winners (done via lottery, I asked my 2 friends to pick) of my 2nd blog giveaway:

ROCKBLEEDER and YHRAYUII

I will e-mail you guys the coupon and some instructions, so please just wait for it! :)

Thank you guys for joining my 2nd blog giveaway! For those who weren't able to win, please stay tuned, I'm going to Cebu this May and will be bringing home goodies that you guys may win! :)) I promise they're gonna be really YUMMY! :D

Again, thank you so much guys!! :D

Ayala Triangle Gardens Edition 3: KANIN CLUB

2011-04-11T08:28:00.006+08:00

It's another Ayala Triangle Gardens edition! And this time, we hit up the old place for my kabarkada's 25th birthday! Although belated, he still pushed through with his lunch treat, which he promised he'd some time AFTER his birthday.

So Elaine (blockmate in La Salle turned friend in the office) and I trooped over to Kanin Club. I was excited because it was my first time to eat here! I've heard how cool and unique Kanin Club's food concepts are, so I was thrilled to have some for myself.

When we got there RJ had already ordered stuff. We ordered their crispy liempo which served us our appetizer as we sat waiting for the rest of the orders to arrive.

It was really good, and they kept true to their word: it was really crispy! And what's good about this was that it wasn't oily. It was so cool hearing the crunching sounds it would make as we gnawed at it.

Up next, we had their pinaputok na pla-pla. Very similar to what we ate in Abe and Lorenzo's Way.

Although the fish was a bit skinny, there wasn't that much meat in there, whatever we scraped out of that fish was totally awesome! They were also able to make the fish skin crispy. The chef must be congratulated! :)

First time to eat this, and both Elaine and RJ ordered this: CRISPY DINUGUAN.

Coming from an Ilocano family dinuguan has been a staple in our meals every since I was a kid. To foreign readers, dinuguan literally means from BLOOD, pig's blood specifically. It was a favorite of mine up until my taste buds started protesting and declaring it malansa. I was a bit hesitant to try this because of that, but I was glad I got the courage to get a spoonful of it in my mouth. IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! It had a vinegar-y taste to it, so you wouldn't know it was dinuguan, no malansa taste for this bloody dish. Plus the crispiness was a new factor so we really enjoyed this dish!

But the star of the show was of course the kanin, or rice. Their rice concepts were so cool. Elaine and RJ ordered the sinigang rice.

I was amazed by how it looked. I was thinking they had sinigang broth with the rice swimming around it. It was dry, but let me tell you, when you pop that thing in your mouth and start chewing, you'd actually taste the sinigang broth. So cool! You also get the vegetables and meat you'd see in a typical pork sinigang meal.

Kudos to the people behind Kanin Club! Totally unique concept especially with the rice! The rice can be a meal itself! And you guys sure know how to tug at a typical Filipino's stomach. We're such a huge bunch of rice eaters and these concepts give such a fresh breathe to the usual white or brown rice. TWO-THUMBS UP! :D

Kanin Club
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 621-6109
Operating Hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Mon-Sun
Website: Kanin Club - Ayala Triangle Gardens

Other Ayala Triangle Gardens food blogs:
Banapple
Momo Cafe

Ayala Triangle Gardens Edition 2: MOMO CAFE

2011-04-08T08:10:00.009+08:00

I couldn't remember what drove us to actually hit up Ayala Triangle Gardens to eat at yet another restaurant. But this time Kim and I was with Milds, remember these 2 gals were the ones I was with during our Ilocos trip last January, so you guys can get an idea on how good it is to be with them on a FOOD TRIP! I think it was just some "let's go eat out" for a change moment here at our office.

Anyway we hit up Momo Cafe, still on soft opening during that time. We had to go early since the restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens get filled up pretty quick! I've eaten here once before with my Mom at their Eastwood Mall branch so I gave the 2 some suggestions on what to order.

We got to order a lot of stuff, but it was cool that they gave us an appetizer of sorts for FREE!! :)

Carbs for an appetizer can surely perk up your appetite! It was good and we had one bread each!

Then our drinks arrived next. Milds and Kim both got their flavored iced teas. I got my ever favorite Peach-Lychee shake. Since it was a hot day, these drinks were the perfect way to cool down.

When the food arrived, we had to move certain things out of our table.

Order number one was their Carbonara.

I love pasta, especially creamy ones. And this was something I truly enjoyed. They ad generous servings of bacon, too. It's good enough for 2 people, so if you're the sharing type of person this would be a good deal.

Up next, was their Spaghetti with Meatballs.

This was a bit so-so. I'm a bit biased though because I'm not particularly fond of sour pasta, their sauce was purely tomato-based. Every time my Mom would make spaghetti she would put cream to cover up the sourness of the tomato paste. But hey, the meatballs were good and we all had a good time picking on them.

And finally, we also ordered the Country Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Corn.

This was also a hit just like the 2 pasta dishes we ordered! It was just as good as the first time I ate this. And with any restaurant consistency is definitely key to success!

It was a good lunch out with Kim and Milds. Being with voracious eaters like these 2 can really perk up the foodie in you. :)

Momo Cafe
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel Nos. 621-6161 or 621-6162
E-mail: reservations@eatmomo.com
Website: http://www.raintreerestaurants.com/momo/index.html
Open from 7 a.m.- 11 p.m. daily

You may also check out another Ayala Triangle Gardens food trip at BANAPPLE.

Ayala Triangle Gardens Edition 1: BANAPPLE

2011-04-04T17:12:00.007+08:00

I've heard people rave about Banapple. But I think I've been such a non-conformist foodie that I only get on the hype when everybody's been sick and tired of it. Primary examples of these are BonChon and Wingman. I'm weird that way! But at least I get an idea of what to order and what to completely avoid!

So one day my officemate and friend since our grade school days, Kim, decided to walk several blocks down from our office to the Ayala Triangle Gardens just to get take out food from Banapple. Thank God it's just near, and there are more food choices. It's almost a blessing from above!

I ordered their Pasta - cheesy and creamy penne!

Although the picture looks disgusting, let me tell you, it was SO WONDERFULLY GOOD! I LOVE pasta and it has been my alternative since I don't eat rice. I couldn't stop saying how good it was! My other officemates dug in, and they loved it too!

For dessert Kim and I bought their world-famous Banoffee Pie.

But I have to say, I was disappointed with this. I like Starbucks' banoffee pie WAY BETTER. Although they were very generous with their bananas. It just didn't match my expectations, since everybody was saying it was to die for. Maybe I should also get to try their other cakes too.

I also ordered their giant Chocolate Chip Cookie!

This was good, although I felt dizzy afterwards. It was just so butter-y. But the huge chocolate chips were good, when you bite into the cookie and you get a huge chunk in your mouth! Love it! :D

I gotta do Banapple much more justice than this. I think I have to try some more of their desserts. Although I am pretty impressed that their non-dessert stuff are really good! Banapple is one of the first restaurants at the Triangle that get filled up pretty much fast, plus a lot of people taking out desserts!

Oh and by the way, since the Ayala Triangle Gardens have been my frequent hang out places for a quick dinner with friends, I am to do a foodie trip starting with this entry! So stay tuned for the food blog series! :)

Banapple
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel No. 438-2675
Website: http://www.banapplekitchen.com

Giveaway #2: One for the Mommies and the Kids at Heart

2011-03-31T13:13:00.006+08:00

So okay, I'm sort of in the mood to blog...and not just write any blog entry, it's a GIVEAWAY! YEHEY! But this giveaway is for my Mommy followers (which I noticed increased in numbers) and to whoever wants to give these to their relatives with kids! :)

Up for grabs are complimentary coupons to MAMS Kiddie Funland worth P500! What's MAMS Kiddie Funland you ask? It's a haven for kids! A place where they can just be kids and have fun and not have a care in the world!

Managed by my good friend and fellow blogger, Koko Tamura, MAMS Kiddie Funland has been in operation since November 28, 2009 in Starmall Alabang. They offer rides and they have this huge play place for the kids. They also offer party packages, workshops both for parents and the kids, and educational tours.

It's not just playtime, kids and their parents could also learn some neat stuff! Perfect for family bonding time! :)

Now this is the part you guys should pay close attention to. To join this giveaway, simply:
1. Follow my blog. Just click on the follow button on the upper right hand of my blog page.
2. Click on the small BLOGGER button below the time and date I wrote this blog OR click on the "Create a Link" found below this entry, it's to link this blog entry to yours. I'm gonna check your blog if it's been done. :)
3. Leave a comment below telling me that you've got the link and your e-mail address.

It's that easy!

TWO LUCKY WINNERS WILL WIN A COUPON WORTH PHP500!! :D

I'll be announcing the winner on April 15, so you guys have 2 weeks to help spread the word about MAMS Kiddie Funland and leave your comment here on my blog!! :)

MAMS Kiddie Funland Center
3rd Floor, Starmall Alabang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Open EVERYDAY from 10AM to 8PM
Telefax: 556-6412
For their multiply site, click on this link.
For their Facebook page, please click on this.

A Huge Reason To Celebrate

2011-03-31T09:00:00.002+08:00

Just before March ends, I just wanted to update my blog (after a long time). I'm sorry guys but I've not been in the blogging mood lately, and I am really sorry! Hehehe I promise I'll blog about my food escapades SOON! :)

Anyway, I just want to share with you, my dear readers and followers, this HUGE SOMEWHAT LIFE CHANGING NEWS! I PASSED THE DLSU GRADUATE ADMISSIONS!! And this May, I am returning to my very dear Alma Mater to take up my masteral degree in Marketing Communications.

It's been a little over 3 years since I graduated in my Mass Media undergraduate degree, and I am just so psyched to embark on an all new journey in the academic world. I'm just so thrilled because I really thought I wasn't go to make it in. I sorta psyched myself up for failure (whoever does that right?) just so it woldn't hurt so much when I got my results. But then, when I checked our DTS system this morning, it brought me GOOD NEWS! Talk about a GOOD MORNING!! :D

And I'm happy to be going back to La Salle in time for our 100th year celebration this June! Perfect timing! I am a proud La Sallian, and will forever and ever be loyal to this university! :)

So in May...it begins!

Animo La Salle! :)

Randomness Is Bliss Tumblr Version

2011-03-22T07:29:00.003+08:00

I've been soooo lazy! I haven't blogged in 2 weeks! I promise I will make up for my lazy-assness and panic blog one time and maybe a little giveaway! :p I promise!! Sorry to my followers... :(

But anyway here's something you could do for me, maybe you could also follow my Tumblr account. Since I haven't been the most responsible blogger, I thought maybe Tumblr could help change that. I could post photos of my food trip and other small details that may or may not get included in my Blogspot. Then just maybe, I could do something to change this lazy habit of not blogging!

Anyway please click on this link to check out and follow my Tumblr account.

Thanks guys! I will blog soon...PROMISE!! :)

Brasilipinas Rio de Manila 2011

2011-03-10T16:30:00.021+08:00

It was Trency’s idea for us to go party at this event. It was an idea she got from her sister, who attended a yoga retreat in La Union. They had invited the students from this samba school to play, and while they played, you just lose yourself to the music. It was that feeling that Trency wanted to feel for herself that night.

So after a cool Spanish dinner over at the Power Plant Mall, we headed on over to the Rockwell Tent for the Rio de Manila 2011. That night we danced to the lively beat of the drums, it was not your ordinary club scene. It was like Makati was transformed into Rio de Janeiro.

Right smack in the middle of the hall, was this samba group of Brazilians. They were singing and the Filipinos and Brazilians alike were dancing and going wild. The beat was totally infectious! And it was just sooo amazing that Filipinos KNEW Brazilian music. They were singing along to the music like it was a regular OPM being played on the radio station.

Turns out the lively group of Filipinos were capoeiristas, or people doing Capoeira. I’ve had the chance to interview Professor Fantasma (the guy with the tattoo sleeve in a yellow and green hoodie) before our health magazine, giving me a bit of background on the martial art.

There were also guest performances, like this guy, who sang like 3 songs. Since it was in Brazilian, I couldn’t understand it.

They also invited a chef who specialized in Brazilian cuisine. We didn’t have the chance to taste Brazilian food, since we were still stuffed. And Trency was just delighted to have a swig of flavored beer, Super Bock. It’s the only beer she could handle.

But the performance we were waiting for was from the Escola de Samba, the group Trency’s sister was talking about. I was surprised at how young they were! And they just brought the house down! Everybody was dancing to the beat, it was amazing!

I’d love to attend another event such as this. It’s amazing to discover other cultures without having to leave the Motherland! I swore we all became Brazilians that night! It was just so fun and no one cares if you have two left feet, just DANCE!

Rio de Manila was a free event sponsored by the Embassy of Brasil, Havaianas, and the Power Plant Mall.

If you guys are interested on Capoeira, here's the link to the first Capoeira school in the Philippines where Professor Fantasma teaches, Escola Brasileira de Capoeira Philippines.

For those interested in learning Samba here's the link to Escola de Samba.