happy happy

Sharing some thoughts on happiness today ... Smile guys! Happy Tuesday! :)

 www.fanpop.com

Happiness is indeed a myriad of small things put together :

 www.littlemissmeencollections.blogspot.com

Life is too short to be anything but ....

 www.m.chime.in

Spread the happiness!

www.shelbyalarkin.blogspot.com 

Seize the day!

 www.straightquotes.blogspot.com

I especially love this one:

www.polyvore.com

And of course, happiness for me is losing myself in the pages of a book :)

Till next time! :)

-M

"Me Date" at Yabu

I was craving for some some Rosu Tonkatsu Curry for a week now and last Saturday, during my "Me Date", I finally had dinner at Yabu Megamall.

I was set on ordering the Rosu Tonkatsu Curry Set but saw something new on the menu, the Menchi Katsu! The description really got me : Minced Premium Beef and Pork with oozing creamy cheese :)  So I got that instead.  I opted to order the Extra Hot Curry set since I really, really love their curry :)

So, the Menchi Katsu did not disappoint :)  It was really good!  the cheese added an extra flavor to the meat without it being too overwhelming to the palate.  I felt it was just enough to complement the whole dish.  And again, the curry ... I cannot say anything about it except that it was delish! :)  I especially love how their Katsu do not turn soggy even though these were soaked in the curry sauce :)

Looking forward to eating there again soon!  Hope they come up with more new exciting dishes :)

 Dressings galore :)

 waiting for my Menchi Katsu :)

Yummy Yummy! 

Till next time! :)

-M

Book Buys (April 2013)

Soooo, May is just around the corner and I have been itching to get me some new books, aaaannnd I did ... last weekend annnnd the weekend before that .... :P

I was at Megamall and was basically just killing time last Saturday afternoon since it was soooo hot out.  My main purpose was to look for some work clothes and shorts as part of my AC/PD project (Article of Clothing per Pay Day).  Will explain this in another post though :) basically, its a personal project to update my wardrobe.  So, I passed by Powerbooks to buy Mango Bride by Marivi Soliven since an old friend recommended it and I got lost (as I always do) in the shelves and ended up buying 3 more books: John Green's Looking for Alaska, Rob Reger's Emily the Strange: Piece of Mind and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

Prior to my book buying spree last Saturday, I also got some books the weekend before hehehehe =)  I got John Green's Paper Towns and Fault in Our Stars in NBS and two more Emily the Strange books: Dark Times and Stranger and Stranger in Powerbooks :)

I will post my May-June TBR list soon, but I am already reading Creep by Jennifer Hillier, though I haven't quite finished Write Here, Write Now and The Song of Achilles yet :p

looking forward to reading these! :)

Till next time! :)

-M

of Betrayals, Peculiarities and Love

Read 4 books this month with more or less the central theme revolving around those three words.  So, as promised (to myself hehe) below is my take on the books I have read for March.

1.  Every day by David Levithan - the plot is surreal, but there was a point where I began to wonder if it can be possible, if there really are drifters like A.  And how many times in my life did I really feel "out of it", like someone else is doing stuff and I am merely an observer trapped in my own body?  Well, i guess that is a testament on how well Levithan wrote this book.  There are a lot of notable lines in there that can strike a chord in people's hearts.  Well it did mine, at least. So, here are some that I really like:

There are many things that can keep you in a relationship.  Fear of being alone, fear of disrupting the arrangement on your life.  A decision to settle for something that's okay because you don't know if you can get any better.  Or maybe, there's the irrational belief that it will get better.  Even if you know he won't change.

I keep turning back to see her.  Even when there are walls between us.  Even when there are miles between us.  I keep turning back.  I keep turning back in her direction.

If you want live within the definition of your own truth, you have to choose to go through the initially painful and ultimately comforting process of finding it.

I wanted love to conquer all.  But love can't conquer anything.  It can't do anything on its own.  It relies on us to do the conquering on its behalf.

Kinda cheesy and kinda emo, right?  but I guess that was the overall mood of the book.  Oh, and of course, hope and love.

I like the fact that A and Rhiannon have hope.  Especially A, since his situation is  really difficult, he makes it a point to do something about his situation.  The epitome of the saying "if there's a will, there's a way".  Some people confronted with a difficult situation will either accept the fact that it is difficult and stay within the confines of that situation, but some will find ways to alleviate their situation, take steps to make that difficult situation a better situation, come hell or high water. Turn the impossible into the possible.  I admire people who are like that.  And that is why I like A, that is why I loved this book.

2.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - two words:  thrilling ride. The mixture of the story complemented by the vintage photos really made this book quite an experience.  An air of reality is injected in the story due to the presence of the photographs. 

It is the story of Jacob, a sixteen year old boy whose life will be forever altered due to certain peculiar events in his life which lead him to find Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  I like the way Ransom Riggs tells the story which is both haunting and thrilling. I also like the way Jacob developed in the story, matured in a way.  He started out as scared boy looking for answers and when he found his place in the world, something in him clicked.  He decided to face his destiny with all its uncertainties and with danger lurking in every corner, head-on.

Initially, I got the book because I was intrigued by the cover of a hovering little girl with a tiara staring directly at me. Now, looking back, i think that was a good decision after all :).

3.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - O.M.G.  Now i understand why this book was described as addicting.  I could not put it down.  AND the TWIST.  My gosh!  

Obviously, I like the book.  I read Dark Places before I read this and that was also a good read.  Kinda disturbing though, but still good nonetheless.  But I liked Gone Girl better.  Still disturbing, but hey, it was a suspense filled disturbing thingie that you just cannot put down.  A nice kind of disturbing (if there is such a thing) that got me hooked on the book. 

Amy and Nick Dunne are indeed made for each other in every way.  In may sound romantic and it is romantic for most people, but for these two, it is one lifetime of trying to be the best for each other, be it for better or worse, for both love and punishment.  

One memorable line in the book that I feel everyone can relate to goes like this:

I was told that love should be unconditional.  That's the rule, everybody says so.  But if love has no boundaries, no limits, no conditions, why should anyone try to do the right thing, ever?

SPOILER ALERT: Who is better between the two? that is for the reader to decide.  For me, I think its Nick.  Given all his flaws, his infidelity, his craving to be the "hero", all of which are forgivable in the grand scheme of things.  But Amy? two words: psycho bitch.  And her being a twisted sick person is embedded in her whole being, a being with no remorse whatsoever.  Scary.

If you haven't read a suspense novel in a while, this is the book to read. 'Nuff said.

4.  Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger - Gone Girl left me in a daze so I opted for a fun and light read and this book did not disappoint.  It was a mystery, finding out about Emily the Strange and why she was in Blackrock and who she was and all that since she lost all her past memories.  

I was intrigued by Emily the Strange and I got the book just because. I did not know anything about her until I read the book :)  Good thing my instincts on buying books are kinda good for the past purchases (yay! ).

It was an entertaining read, actually.  A very entertaining read that I am planning to go to the bookstore to get the other 2 books on Emily the Strange.

Oh, and I read it in a day :)

So, that's it for now.  I still have 3 books on my March-April TBR list : 1. The Song of Achilles, 2. Write Here, Write Now and 3. Why We Broke Up.  I started reading the latter last night and so far so good :)

Till next time!

-M

a year later

On Monday, March 25, it will exactly be a year since my Tatay Joe passed away.

Up until now, I still cannot stop the tears from falling just thinking about that sad, sad day.  I still cannot get over the fact that I was not able to see him before he left, that I was not able to tell him how much I appreciate everything he did for me and my family and how much I love him.

I guess we all realize how precious every moment is when there are no more moments to be shared in the future and we are only left with memories.

I know he is happy now with our Creator.  Though he was taken away from this life earlier than we all could have wanted, I know he has lived a full life. 

I miss you so much Tatay... the Kare-Kare during Christmas and during my birthday; the flowers and heart-shaped balloons during Valentine's day (thank you for always making my VDay special); the trinkets and knick-knacks you bring home for me, and for always, always being there for us in however and whatever way you can.  Thank you for making food exciting and interesting for me.  It was that love for food (and the goodness of your cooking) that eventually lead me to my profession. 

We love you so much.  As promised, I will continue to strive to be a better person to make you proud.

March and April TBR

The bibliophile in me is screaming, telling me to make a significant dent in my TBR list, so as promised (to myself that is), to help me with my reading, I will post my TBR list every two months and try to write about it after I finished reading it.  So, for March and April, here are the books I plan to read and hopefully finish haha! :)


1.  Every Day - David Levithan
2.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
3.  Emily the Strange: The Lost Days - Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner
4.  Why We Broke Up - Daniel Handler
5.  GOne Girl - Gillian Flynn
6.  Write Here Write Now - AA Patawaran
7.  The Song of Achilles (ebook) - Madeline Miller

lezzz do dizzz :)

what i did with my happy B :)

The Bee gave us Bees the Happy B last Feb 27 and it was a happy one indeed :).  Unlike most companies, our bosses give us our Bs on February and August for the year-end and midyear respectively.  So what did I do with my B this year?  I plan not to splurge as much, but save a bit more and focus on my financials.  But I did get some things that I was itching to get the past year.  So here's what I did with my hard-earned B:

1.  Payments. Payments.  Payments.  - as mentioned, I want to focus more on my financials: loans, insurance payments, bills and other stuff that needs to be paid.  So far, I have finished more than half of my loans in the past year and some of them will be done by next year.  Yay!

2.   Portable Music  - yup, I got myself a portable speaker.  I got the X-Mini v1.1 capsule speaker from  Power Mac Center.  I have been crushing on this speaker for a while and surprise! when I went to the store to check it out (again) and look for other speaker options, it was ON SALE!!!! yay!  So since I think the universe is egging me on to get the speaker, I gave in.  Who am I to say no to the universe, anyway?!?

I got a free toy, too! :)

I must admit I am really really happy with this purchase.  The sound is great, their brand promise Sound Beyond Size is indeed true.  For more on the technical specs of this product you may click this link: http://www.x-mini.com/products-detail-overview.aspx?sid=4.

Oh, and yes its PINK :P

3. Jelly for my feet -   I have been meaning to get a pair of jelly shoes since it can be used in both sunny and rainy weather.  So, here it is, check out my Mel Blueberry:

I got mine from Verao, a newly opened store which sells only Mel shoes in Robinsons Metro East.  For more designs, you may visit their Facebook Page, look for Mel Philippines https://www.facebook.com/MelPhilippines

I was supposed to get the black one, but when I tried it on, the gold one looked better.  The shoes are comfortable to wear and easy to clean too :).

4.  Pampered Little Helpers.  Its been a long while since I last visited a Nail Salon.  I mostly clean and do my manicure and pedicure on my own for the past few months.  So, I got myself a nail spa treatment from Nailaholics as a bonus for my overworked hands and feet.  I got the Sea Surf Manicure, Pedicure, Foot Spa with Algae Wrap.  It was really relaxing, the hand and foot massage was very good, too.

Happy Feet :)

My feet looooooked good, hahaha!  :)

For more on Nailaholics' services, visit their website at http://www.nailaholics.com.

5.  Book Geek Staples.  or Staple, since I only got myself one book.  The titles I was looking for were out of stock: John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.  Will just look for them next time.  However, I did get my hands on Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket.

Gotcha!

This book was also out of stock for a while, but lo and behold, it was there when I visited the bookstore! :) Looking forward to reading this since I mostly read good reviews.  Hope it won't disappoint :)

6.  Smart Look - I need to update my wardrobe.  That much I mentioned in my 2013 Resolutions.  Since I cannot get the update all at the same time, I launched my Buy an Article of Clothing per payday project.  Since this is some sort of a payday thingie, I went out and got myself a pair of Tops which can be used both in the office and out :) Smart, eh? 

Well, it was actually my friend Yna who helped me pick these out since she is a genius in that department :)

Cool Tops

We opted to buy light colors since I mostly own blacks and blues and certain variations of those hues, like gray for instance :P.

Both tops are from Forever 21.

So that's it.  That's how I spent my Happy B. Well some of it at least.  I still managed to save some for rainy days :)

Till next time!

-M

Happy 2013!

I know ... its late but better late than never right? :)

Its been a long time since I last wrote something.  Its funny since I have been thinking about topics for my posts for a while.  But, unfortunately, I haven't had the time to write them all down. Alas! the life of a corporate drone! *insert sad face asking for sympathy here*

Anyhoo, I have been reading quite a lot, but not as much as I want to.  I feel like my reading pace is quite slow, I can't quite make a dent in my TBR list haha :P (lazy, lazy).  Plus, there are a lot of books I still want to get my hands on, so i need to take my pace up a notch... To help me do this, i made it a part of my 2013 resolutions, I PLAN (take note: all caps on PLAN not DO :P) to write down and post the list of books I would want to read in a month or two, then write about it after I read it :) *fingers crossed* ... sounds like a good plan, right?!? This way, I will either be motivated to read more or pressured to read and finish my blog post before the month ends ;).

I also hope to post more on stuff i have been doing, or maybe a few random stuff I find interesting.  I really don't know yet actually, but definitely food and books and some poetry are my top picks.  I would also like to try my hand on food blogging :)  since I do eat out quite a bit I may be posting some of my thoughts on that as well.

Since I already mentioned one of my resolutions for 2013, I might as well post the whole list.  Here it is, in no particular order:

1. Be happy.
2. Read more books.
3. Write more.
4. Watch more movies.
5. Spend more time with family.
6. Spend more time with friends.  If need be, exert more effort to keep in touch with friends.
7. Buy at least one article of clothing per pay day :) - this resolution i soooooo like :)
8. Open and maintain a savings account
9. Save money.  Learn to evaluate purchases first prior to buying (is it a need or a want?)
10. Pay my credit card and loan debts.  DO NOT get a new card unless all are paid.
11. Learn to drive.
12. Go on vacation.
13. Schedule an out of town travel and if possible an out of the country trip.
14. Be aggressive in work matters.
15. Work for a promotion.
16. Get a new phone (hopefully!)
17. Haul my lazy fat self back to the gym and TRY to stay in shape :)
18. Try to eat healthy :)
19. Blog more.  Plan and try hard to write about the books I want to read within a month or two.  Plus write about other topics : places I've been, things I saw, etc.
20. Hopefully, find love :) - I write this every year, i would like to claim that this is a done deal this year.  as they say, if you really want something, the universe conspires to help make that thing happen.  Hoping the universe is not so busy this year and it will be my turn to be conspired on ;)

So, on to 2013!  and since this is a very late post, let me greet you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Happy Three Kings, Happy Valentine's Day, Kung Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai! :)

See you soon!

- M 

what happened to my photo a day challenge

okay, so i started doing the photo a day challenge a few months back and i was quite excited and a bit successful at first, but then things keep piling up at work and time off became sort of a luxury.  Thus, my photo a day challenge became a REAL challenge since i can't find the time to do it anymore :(

anyways, i'll try to make a comeback (i hope) or set up a new challenge for myself aside from trying to trim down my TBR list and my weekend cooking projects at home :P

till then!

October TBR List

My reading pace slowed down a bit the past two months, so what I am going to do for October is to set up a TBR list.  This might help me from getting distracted (by other books :P) and of course to catch up on my reading :)

Here's the list I came up with:

1.  I Am Number Four (Pittacus Lore) - I have been wanting to read this for quite a while now, but I haven't been able to grab a copy.  During the last MIBF at SM MOA, I got the whole set including The Lost Files :P  I am halfway through the first one and I hope to finish it this month.

2.  The Power of Six (Pittacus Lore) - being the OC that I am, I need to read this book right after the first one :D  Plus the fact that I read a number of good reviews for the Lorien Legacies.

3.  Creep (Jennifer Hillier) - since I read the synopsis at Amazon.com, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book.  I was really happy when I saw a paperback copy at NBS.  Its been a while since I read a psychological thriller, my last being Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, so I am really excited to read this.  A plus factor is when I learned that the author is a Filipina (or part-Filipina) and she had a book signing during the MIBF.

4.  The Best of Archie Book Two (Archie Comics) - yup, you read it right, Archie :D  I couldn't stop reading the first compilation so when I saw Book Two at Fully Booked, I just got to have it :P  I also plan on getting the Will you marry me Archie compliation hehehehe.  Sooo reminds me of my childhood :)

5.  An Abundance of Katherines (John Green) - i really, really want to read this book since I read the synopsis!  Though I don't have a copy yet, I am trying to get my hands on one hehehehe :) ... This just in, Fully Booked said they have this on stock! Yay!  will try to get a copy this weekend :D

6.  Fifty Shades of Gray (E.L. James) - due to the hoopla surrounding the book, curiosity got the best of me.  I just want to find out what the fuss is all about.  Some of my friends read all 3 books and yes, I was challenged, thus the inclusion in the TBR list :P

7.  The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) - I was intrigued by this book.  when I looked it up online, there were a number of good reviews.  I recently got copy from the MIBF and I can't wait to start :)

Sooo, that's my October list.  I hope I can read all of them or at least half of them before November comes in.

I Failed

I failed -

to tell you how much i appreciate everything you did for me

all the patience, help and advice, even all those times you told me off

just to make me listen and to let me know that i am wrong.

to let you know how happy i am that you are proud of me,

though i do not know exactly how you always knew what i did, small or big

you never fail to tell me how my accomplishments made you feel.

to tell you that going home to your home cooked meals

has always been something i look forward to everyday

i wasn't even able to tell you how proud i am when people tell me

how much they love your cooking

to make the most of the times when you were with me,

i guess i just assumed that you will always be there

a permanent presence in my life, someone who i never thought would leave so soon.

to tell you how much i love you,

there are no words that can convey how much i do.

i cannot even begin to express how thankful i am

that you were such a huge part of my life.

I failed to even see you one last time before you went away,
and until now, I cannot let go of the fact that I missed that. 

A void now exists in my life, and I guess that can never be filled by anyone else.

I just hope now that you are with our Creator, you know how much you mean to me.

- for Tatay Joe-

Looking Back : Habagat's Wrath

Habagat - a seemingly natural occurrence reared its ugly head early this month and left several provinces, Rizal included, submerged in water for days.  Some areas in the metro were under flood waters for around 2 weeks.  According to Pag-Asa and other government agencies monitoring Habagat's progress (of destruction), the rains were more than Ondoy's and that is a LOT.  The only difference is that Ondoy was faster, in 6 hours or so, a lot of areas were already flooded.  With Habagat, the rain came in steady streams, giving people, including us, more time to prepare and evacuate.  However, that still doesn't make things any better.  Our house was submerged in waist deep waters before lunch time of August 7 and on the next day, waters were already neck deep.

On September 27, it will be exactly 3 years after Ondoy ravaged the country.  Three years after I saw and experienced a helplessness and a shattering heartbreak like no other: seeing your own home, with everything in it: all your memories, everything you worked for, submerged underwater and afterwards reduced to a mud pit.  All I can do during that time was just to watch and wait and pick up the pieces left after Ondoy. The experience of swimming out of our house and towing  my parents to safety and seeing the expression on their faces the first time they saw our house and everything in it literally caked in mud after the typhoon will forever be etched in my mind.  Things like that leave scars, and I am no exception.  I tried to write about Ondoy a few times and I cannot get past a paragraph without breaking down in tears.  Until now, I cannot bear to recall that memory in full and write about it.

Habagat, though a milder version of Ondoy, was still heart wrenching, though we were more prepared this time and flood waters were not that high compared to Ondoy.  Our area was submerged in neck deep waters, while inside the house, it was waist deep.  We managed to save a majority of our stuff and thankfully, the only damage was on the walls and on most wooden fixtures.  All the rest are okay.  The next step now for me is to save up for a second floor, and I guess at this point, that needs to be prioritized. 

dining room 

living room 

another view of the dining room 

 front door

 kitchen with floating refs

outside our gates

My major worry that time were my dogs.  We made a makeshift shelter for them before we evacuated to our neighbor's house next door, but when the rains became stronger on the second night, their shelter toppled.  When I saw Bambi, one of my dogs lodged in between our fence grills, I panicked.  I was thankful she was okay, but I cannot find my other dog, Queenie.  Queenie is a survivor, she survived Ondoy by squeezing herself on top of the aircon.  I was so scared while I was looking for her in chest deep waters that I was crying.  When I heard a whimper, I went as fast as I could to the back of the house, mindless of floating debris and other what-nots.  She was standing on top of a pile of floating wood, a really smart move.  She swam to the back of the house where she was saved the first time a flood this magnitude hit us.  I got her and she won't let go.  Mama and I made a sturdier shelter for them, but Queenie was scared, she won't let me out of her sight.  It took a while before she calmed down.  But thankfully, both of them are fine.

Just to give you an idea how high the flood was, here is another shot of Queenie and Bambi post Habagat:

We just finished cleaning (and drying) the house and most of our stuff just last weekend.  Though there were two long weekends this month, I wasn't able to enjoy it since we were occupied with the house.  Now that that's done, we can relax the next weekend and start fixing things up and planning what we have to do next.

I am a bit of a control freak and when things get out of hand and there is absolutely no way for me to turn things around and a feeling of helplessness sets in, I start to crumble in silence.  That is one thing I have to work on. 

But one thing is for sure, my family is a survivor.  And it is true what everyone was saying during that whole ordeal, that the Filipino spirit is waterproof :).  Resiliency is a national character and through it all we can still  manage to find something to smile about and be thankful for.  Me, I am thankful that my family is safe and that my dogs are well.  I am thankful for the family that took us in and for everyone who sent me messages of support.  For family, friends and co-workers who prayed for us, called or posted through FB and Twitter and sent messages through SMS; who helped us clean the house, for sending us supplies to help us start over since most of our food and house supplies were out, I cannot thank all of you enough.  For JB, who never fails to lend a helping hand to their people.  I am proud to be a part of the JB family, thank you very much for looking after us.  Lastly, for the Man Upstairs, thank you for watching over us all during this whole ordeal.

I know there is a lesson here somewhere, and I would come to terms with it sooner or later, but for now, I think my family (again), needs to pick up the pieces, heal and move on.  Though the wounds are not as deep as before, re-opened wounds still need time to heal.

one rainy afternoon

This day was supposed to be the start of a hectic week for me. Monday was a holiday so I only have 4 days left to do all the stuff i needed to do for work. Unfortunately, the weather woke up on the wrong side of either the Pacific or the Atlantic and ended up bitching the whole day. As early as 8 am our streets were already flooded and I can't leave daddy home alone. So I ended up spending the day at home, while waiting for the flooding to subside and the bitchy weather to say bye-bye.

So what did I do today? i was supposed to cook up a frenzy in the lab for my projects and do some number crunching but i ended up doing these instead:

1. Caught some shut-eye - yup, after I realized that I am not going anywhere today, I just slept in. Besides, the weather was good for snuggling under the covers, and the day was just dark and gloomy.

2. Read books - and I am still reading :) currently juggling my reading time between Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Fifty Shades of Gray and re-reading The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel).

3. Made Fruit Salad - weird, but yeah i did made a batch. I was really planning on celebrating the departure of the flood by dinnertime :)

4. Changed my bedsheets - not the most ample time to do so, but hey, the rain has stopped and the flood was receding nicely and I have a lot of time on my hands.

5. Gave myself a pedicure - tipid mode ON, plus the rains are not gonna stop overnight so I might as well give my feet a bit of pampering since i might be walking on flip flops and sandals for the rest of the week. Plus going to a nail salon during this kind of weather is not actually practical i think, since i will most likely be walking in the rain.

6. Updated my games - by updating I mean playing some of my iPad games that I haven't played in a while :p

7. Wrote on my blog - i just discovered that I can now actually create new posts on my iPad! This is sooooo awesome! :). the last time I accessed my account thru my iPad, viewing my blogs was the only option available, but now.... Hmmm, seems like i can blog more often now :) yey! :)

Well, the rains have finally stopped (hopefully) and the streets are clear of flood, I just hope it stays that way. I hope the sun makes an appearance tomorrow, too :)

My Photo A Day Challenge Relaunch

I have been on hiatus for 2 months for my Photo A Day Challenge.  I haven't been able to complete my April challenge and have not taken any photos for May :(... Oh well, anyways, moving on, I hope to get back on track and starting June will TRY to complete this daily challenge.

wish me luck :)

Avengers Hangover

One word comes to mind when I am asked to describe the Avengers movie : AWESOME.  it is absolutely one of the best films I have ever seen.  No exaggerations.  I want to watch it again. and soon.

I got to watch the movie premiere last April 25 (one of the perks of working for the bee), and i was just soooo amazed by the movie.  Plus, we got to meet and chat with Gino Quillamor of Monster Radio RX93.1 for a bit...cool di ba? :)  I was also in good company, with Yna, Chubby and Irma and her friends.  Gen and Ayie were there also but they were seated away from us.

Super duper thank you Irma for the tickets ... mwah hugs! :)

daddy and j.co

My dad developed a strong liking for J.Co's Donuts.  Period.

Let me explain why this is a big deal.  My dad dislikes (or so he says) sweets.  He says its because of health reasons, which is true.  But my mama and I know that his disliking for sweets is overrated (or should I say overly stated haha :P).  True, he doesn't eat that much sweets since he really is monitoring his sugar intake, but when he does come across something he likes, sweet or not, it immediately becomes an exemption.  After one bite of Alcapone, my dad is a goner.  Though J.Co. is kinda sweet, for daddy, it is an exemption.

It started when I brought home half a dozen of Alcapones.  He was hesitant to try one at first because, as usual, matamis yan eh!.  Mama and I asked him to try just one, and he did.  After a bite, he said "Hmmm, masarap pala! Di naman gaano matamis eh! Penge pa nga isa".  

When I was able to bring home a dozen, before I even got a chance to take a picture of the donuts, there was already a missing piece.  One donut seemed to magically appear in my dad's hand as he was watching his tv show :P.

A dozen (minus 1) J.Co Donuts :)

He loves Glazzy, Oreology and of course, Alcapone :).

His doctor is going to kill me :P

how j.co stole my heart

It was a Saturday afternoon and I just kinda got off work (yes, on a weekend) when a newly opened store in the Megastrip in Megamall caught my attention:  J.Co's Donuts and Coffee.  Actually, my friend, Chubby, brought me a cheesy donut sandwich from J.Co a few days days back and I really, really liked it! :D.  So, with a smile on my face and a grumbling stomach I went inside the store and lo and behold! I was in donut heaven :)  I was taken aback by the lay-out of the store and the variety of donut flavors they have.  I was kinda expecting a Krispy Kreme lay-out and format look-alike but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't the case.  I have nothing against Krispy Kreme, mind you, but their space in Megamall is kinda cramped and seats are just few and the atmosphere is not exactly relaxed. In fact it has a kind of frantic air, like a fastfood restaurant sort of vibe, so one can't exactly lounge around or hang out there like most of us do in coffee shops (or maybe its just me) :P  Anyways, moving on, J.Co has two counters: the drinks and desserts counter and the donut counter.  Their drinks are quite similar to your Starbucks fare ranging from hot to cold coffee drinks to more specialized ice blended drinks.  The donut counter displays the array of flavors available for the day. So after a few minutes of thinking what I wanted to get, I got myself an Alcapone and a JCoccino.  The Alcapone being the specialty of the house and the JCoccino, as the barista explained, is similar to a Frappuccino.  Both tasted great.  After my first bite of the Alcapone, I instantly regretted getting only one piece (takaw).  Going back in line to buy another piece is out of the question since by that time the line was insanely long!  The donut has a white chocolate frosting topped with almond slivers.  The dough itself is soft and not dry.      I then told myself that I need to buy a dozen of these to bring home.  I waited a while for the line to shorten and when it did, I went to the counter only to find out that there were no donuts left.  I was shocked! one moment the counter was full and then barren the next, all in under 30 minutes.  Everyone in that insanely long line must've bought a dozen each. I missed my chance to get a dozen myself. Darn!  Oh well, since I work in Ortigas, there would still be other days to get my hands on a box (hehehehehe :P).  But by then I knew, my heart (and my tummy) has been ensnared by J.Co :).

 

donut counter 

I love their napkins :) 

since I wasn't able to buy anymore donuts, I just sat back and relaxed a bit with 

John Carter: A Princess of Mars.  I was taking my sweet time eating my donut hahaha :) 

The Weekend Project (April 8, 9 and 15)

The Weekend Project is a chronicle of sorts of my kitchen adventures at home.  How did this start?  well, it started during the holy week.  I put it upon myself to run the kitchen so the parentals can relax for a few days.  I looked for recipes on the net (all my cookbooks were drowned by Ondoy) that I can cook at home and then went on a supermarket frenzy prior to the holy week break.  I opted to try some Thai dishes and experimented on a homemade version of Charlie Chan Pasta.  I realized it was fun :)  I realized I kinda missed how fun it was to cook and just play around with the flavors without all the technical considerations I have grown accustomed to (since my job as a food technologist requires me to do so).

I got so inspired I told myself I need to do some cooking at home more often, thus The Weekend Project was born.  At home, there are no constraints, no limitations on creativity, except of course when ingredients are absent :P, at home, time is not limited and there are no deadlines. Although the pressure is still there to make it taste good since both my parents know how to eat well and are quite critical when it comes to food.  I was born in a family of food loving people.  The Barnachea Clan (my mother's side) prides itself in either being a good cook or a good food taster (a connoisseur if you will :P), so food is in my blood (and literally in my bloodstream, since I eat a lot :P).

So, here are some of stuff I made the past 2 weekends and some comments from the panel of judges (daddy and mama).

Charlie Chan Pasta

I tried my hand in concocting a homemade version of Yellow Cab's Charlie Chan Pasta.  I got a recipe from the net and did a few tweaking on the recipe and voila! However, I wasn't really successful on this one, the sweetness is kinda high and can be toned down a notch or two to bring out the spiciness of the dish.  The parentals have the same thing in mind.  Daddy said it was sweeeeeet.... but he ate like two platefuls of it, so I guess it wasn't all that bad :P.  Will redo this recipe in the next week or two.  I want to perfect this one since I really love Yellow Cab's version of it.  At the same time my ego is screaming for redemption hahaha! :P  We had this pasta with Raisin Bread from Shopwise.  Their Raisin Bread is really good, it isn't sweet and all that raisin-y, except of course when you bite into one.  

Thai Chicken Fried Rice (Kao Phad Gai)

This dish I soooo love! :D  not because I cooked it but because I was able to remember my Bangkok days when I tasted this.  The recipe was great and so easy to follow :).  The secret? Thai Fish sauce and Cilantro!  I love the combination of flavors plus I love the fact that I can eat this on its own.  Will definitely cook this again.  The seniors liked this dish.  They even had the leftovers for breakfast the next day paired with fried eggs :).

Sweet and Spicy Fish and Tofu

I used Creamy Dory fillets and Tofu for this next dish.  I got the recipe from www.casaveneracion.com.  It tasted great! :) I was kinda scared of the spiciness level at first but when the sauce was poured over the fish, the strength of the chili was toned down considerably and the whole dish just came together.  As a testament to how much my parents liked this dish, there were only 3 pieces of bite-sized fish fillets left and some pieces of tofu but my dad kept it in the chiller for him to eat the next day.  Either he really liked it or he was just being a sweet dad.  I think I prefer to believe that it was the former for my ego's sake hahaha!

Pork in Thai Holy Basil Sauce

I made this at the last minute.  Since we had some pork lomo in the freezer, I decided to just whip something  up like this.  Plus the fact that I bought a Thai Holy Basil Sauce in the supermarket.  After my re-entry into the wonders of home cooking, I have this sudden interest in the oriental section of the supermarket.  Robinson's Metro East Supermarket has a good selection of Thai and Singaporean Sauces :).  I sauteed  the pork slices with some garlic and onion and added some of the sauce and kinda played with flavors a bit, adding a dash of this and a dash of that and then I added some string beans to have some greens as well.  Voila! dinner was served :)  However, I kinda got carried away with the spice level for this one.  My dad literally needed to drink cold water to take the heat off his tongue.  So, next time, I need to tone down the spice level and constantly remember that my tolerance for hot foods is higher than most people :P.

Fish Fillet in Lemon Butter Sauce

Last Sunday I did Fish Fillet in Lemon Butter Sauce.  I got the recipe off the Cooking Diva (Chef Melissa Deleon) from the net.  The recipe was easy to follow and the final product was good.  The butter sauce was not too rich, the lemon juice provided the break it needed so as not to render the dish too oily.  The garlic and green bell pepper gave the sauce the flavor oomph, marrying the sauce with the fish fillets nicely.  I still need to do a few improvements on this dish on my end, but it was a good first try nonetheless (*pats self on the shoulder*)

Sauteed Spinach

This last dish was requested by my Dad.  Not actually requested, but I was kinda expected to cook this dish since they bought spinach from the supermarket earlier that day.  I just sauteed the spinach in garlic and added salt, a dash of sesame oil and a bit of soy sauce.  All that's left after dinner was the plate ... so I guess they liked it :).

Well, that's it for now.  I want to be able to keep this up and do some more dishes in the coming weekends. Will try to do another pasta dish this weekend if not will try to make another meat dish.

Cheers!