Wala Lang...

Mama and I have been going to the Mall of Asia (MOA) for two consecutive weekends now. Last weekend, we went there to look for an ink refilling station which we managed to do. It is actually great to explore the MOA, because you will be presented with a LOT of choices. It has a hypermarket (but I still like the one we have here at SM Sucat), a lot of nice shops, and a lot of variety if you want to go on a food trip.

Earlier, since Mama admitted to being bored to death with SM Sucat, we decided to do our grocery shopping at the MOA. I had to swing by the office first since I needed to do some things. This means that by the time we got there, I was already a little tired and very very hungry!!! (Nahuli pa ako ng MMDA and I was issued a ticket on our way to the MOA. Magbabayad pa tuloy ako sa bank.) We had lunch at David's Tea House and it was pretty good. Then Mama and I walked around which worked us up. The mall was just too big for us. I managed to get a few things from La Senza, only because they were on sale. Hahaha! Afterwhich, we continuously walked with hopes of finding the hypermarket. I was soooo tired by the time we got to the North Wing where the hypermarket was since we parked at the South Wing!!!

The hypermarket was too crowded for me and I really started to feel sleepy. Then Mama goes "Anak, may sexy dun sa aisle 3." Hahaha! To those who do not know us really well, we like checking girls out. Imagine Mama and I braving the horde of people just to check this girl out. Mama was so amused with the girl's outfit. It was like the girl was doing her grocery shopping in lingerie. She probably looked hot just with her back profile. But oh my gosh! It was such a waste of effort when I actually saw her. In Mama's words..."Sorry anak, chaka pala!" Hahahahaha!

Anyway, it will be another long week ahead. I hope to feel better tomorrow since I started having the sniffles again. Have a great week ahead:)

I will just think of my pick me uppers last week which would include Bellevue's crispy pata, Pancake House's steamed bangus, Kanin Club's turon kc ala mode, and chocolates.

I had a dream...

A song to sing...

Hahaha! No, this is not one of those songs sang in Mama Mia:p I really had a dream, albeit a weird one.

In my dream, Papa, Mama, Mean, and I were in the living room watching TV...I was on the floor, when all of a sudden Mike Enriquez (yes the news anchor in GMA-7 who got famous for SAKSI!!! and EXCUUUUUSE ME POH!!!) came into the room, exchanged pleasantries with my parents and sister and then rushed to my side, kissed me on the cheeks, and then used my lap as his pillow...End of dream...

What the heck was that about?!? Hahaha...Please do not ask me because I really have no idea.

Interpretations please!!!...(I already got one from Pothead which involved my laptop and losing it, taxi cabs, and Mike Enriquez of course ) For the benefit of those who do not know who Mike Enriquez is (paging Ela hahaha!!!), below is his photo.

Source: Google Image Search (http://media.photobucket.com/image/mike%2Benriquez/irenecara/a80170db.jpg)

I Am Bummed Out...

Because I have been nauseous for the past couple of days...
Because I am tired and the dark circles around my eyes are proof that yes I am really really tired...
Because I was called "churchy" by someone...I thought I could brush off the bothered feeling I had...turns out I was wrong...call me all the names you want, "snob", "anti-social", "masungit", "mataray", but please don't ever EVER call me "churchy" for the simple reason that I am not...The term churchy for me connotes an imposition of ones beliefs and values, and again, I never do that. I have my values but I always respect other people's values and belief system. So yes, if you want to bum me out and piss me off, call me "churchy" and you might not see the light of day. Hahaha!...The thing that bums me all the more was the fact that the person who called me churchy was someone I really really liked...He, of all people would call me churchy?!? Hah! I know I am being "pikon" about the whole thing (I even cried over dinner and I really had my moments hehehe)...but I don't effing care...this is my blog...Hahaha!

Despite me being bummed out, I do not want to end this post on a sour note.

I am thankful for Kanin Club's heavenly turon...a must try and a winner...
I am thankful for friends who take the time to go out with me and listen to my inanities...
I am thankful that I got home safe despite my physical challenges within the day...

I hope everyone enjoys the coming weekend!

Six Years

Today marks my 6th year with the company. This is probably why I felt nauseated and throwing up.:p Enough said...

For Osangga

Since I stopped blogging at the other networking sites I maintain accounts in, I am posting my reply to Osang's note right here and hopefully, some of you might want to do the same for me:p Hahahaha!

To Osang:

How well do you know me? Comment on this note with your answers! Tag friends and see who knows the most about you!

1. Where you and I met? - at the ISS office International Research Division, 28/F, Philamlife Tower:p

2. How long have you known me? 6 years this march 17

3. The last time we saw each other? last February

4. Your first impression of me upon meeting/seeing me? sweet...pa-sweet hahahaha!!! eto...popular oh-ha:p

5. Am I funny? yeah...fo shoo hahahaha!

6. What's my favorite music? willy garte...aegis...hahahahaha!!!

7. Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else(what)? hippie na punk:p

8. Have you ever hugged me? countless of times

9. If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be? bugnot:p kabatak (dahil antisocial ka na rin :p)

10. If you and I were stranded on an island, what would I bring? your personal journal...so that we would have something to make chika about hihihihi

11. Where do you think I will be in 20 years? in the US with your family...maybe with 5 kids (para di sayang yung balakang mo:p)...magka county na tayo nun sa San Diego yiheeee! hahahaha

12: Will you re-post this so I can fill this out for you? Eto na nga:)

My Pick-Me-Uppers

I have replied already to the thread my sister started the other day in her blog about pick-me-uppers. I said that in addition to the ones she has posted like music, coffee, and chocolates, I added in there my daily fix of Chico & Delamar's Top 10, and my chat sessions with Big Bob.

Now I want to share my favorite pick-me-uppers with my very own visuals:p Feel free to share what yours are...

Top Most Row (L-R): Mango Tapioca of North Park, a new pair of shoes, Big Bob's window popping out

2nd Row (L-R): Georgetown Cupcakes, my laptop (Ford), UCC's Japanese Halu-Halo

3rd Row (L-R): a nice view of the moon although my camera failed to capture it, memories and pictures with good friends I have not seen for quite a while, Boudin's famous Clam Chowder on sourdough (yum!!!)

Bottom Row (L-R): a nice and heavy breakfast, fresh flowers, ROYCE chocolates

Saturday in Binondo

To make up for the very hectic schedule at the office which I came up with for Taketoshi last week, I asked him if he wanted to do anything on Saturday just so he could experience what it is like to be outside of Makati. Taketoshi, being the nice guy that he is, simply said that whatever available tour there is which would not require us to go outside of Metro Manila (because I thought of driving him to Tagaytay) should be good.

Having heard him say that, the Binondo Wok Tour came to mind. I looked it up and managed to find Old Manila Walks. I also thought of the Intramuros Walk. Unfortunately, it was not available on Saturday. On Thursday, I called Ivan Dy, the main contact person for the Binondo Wok Tour and asked for particulars on this tour. He got my contact details so that he could send me the tips and specifics. After depositing the fee on Friday, we were all set for Saturday.

On our way to Binondo, I realized that it was not that difficult to get there. Finding parking space might be challenging but finding your own way was not that bad. This is what a map is for:p Anyway, Taketoshi and I got there earlier than expected since I had to give an allowance had we gotten lost. We tried to walk around the area but then Eng Bee TIn's shop was calling out to me. We went in, looked around and then bought some hopia. There was also some free taste going on which at that time were peanut balls. It looked weird because it was like your usual squidball submerged in hot water. At first I was scared to try it, but then I did not have anything for breakfast so I tried anyway. To my delight, it actually tasted good. After looking around some more and securing my purchases, we just decided to go inside the Binondo Church (also known as Basilica de San Lorenzo Ruiz) for some pictures and to seek shelter from the sweltering heat.

It was actually cool talking to Taketoshi about things other than governance issues and JVAS policies. I learned a lot of things about him and from him. After waiting for what seemed like half an hour (since we were very early), we noticed a bunch of people gathering in the lobby of the church. There the tour guide stood with several people who will be joining the tour. I was really excited about this because what better way to spend the day than exploring new territories and getting to try out everything it has to offer along the way?

From the church entrance, our group crossed the street to stop at Plaza Calderon dela Barca where the tour guide (not Ivan Dy) gave a very brief et interesting history as to how Binondo came to be. The next stop was this store where tablea was being sold, LA RESURRECCION CHOCOLATE. We were asked to sniff on packs of tablea and it was realy so good, moreso for a chocoholic like me;) I am quite familiar with tablea because my family used to receive supply from our dear Lola Madre. I learned though that there are two ways of drinking tsokolate tablea. One is tsokolate-E (espresso?) and the other is tsokolate-A (watered down). I was not able to take a picture of the establishment since my batteries started conking out on me.

Our next stop was the Eng Bee Tin Mezzanine Fire Fighters Cafe. It is under renovation but the ambiance would definitely tell you that this is a firefighter's cafe, which was established by one of the owners of Eng Bee Tin. This was located on the 2nd floor of one of the buildings. They served us Kiampong rice, fishball soup, and their signature iced coffee. According to the tour guide, this cafe serves traditional hokkien fare and not the usual chinese fare that we are familiar with. I really loved the fried rice garnished with peanuts and garlic and the fishball soup. Gastronomically heavenly I am telling you!!! Taketoshi liked it as well. I was almost done with the fried rice when I remembered I should have taken a picture of it. But heck I was too hungry to even care. I am sure there are pictures out there taken by some other tourist who had the presence of mind to take a picture before devouring the fried rice. If this is how peasant food tastes like, deng!!!

After that hearty meal (I was supposed to ask for a second serving of rice since it is an eat-all-you-can tour, pero nadyahe ako bigla haha!!!), we stopped by a chinese drugstore. The owner was kind enough to give us free candies. Yay! Then the tour guide emerges from the store with two dried lizards on a stick. It is supposed to be a medication for asthma. There are two lizards because of the yin and yang roots of Chinese traditional medicine. The dried lizards on a stick will serve as the "tea" bag as you dip them in hot water. Very interesting yet scary at the same time. There is no way I am drinking the essence of geckos!!!

After the drug store, we made our way to Dong Bei Dumpling. It was your typcal hole-in-the wall food stop. It probably could seat around 20 people max. However, the dumplings they serve are so good, you would want to keep coming back for more. We were served with the fried stuffed pancakes and two types of dumplings. one was plain pork dumpling and the other one was pork with chives dumpling. The pancakes and dumplings (the pork with chives) were hands-down winners! They were served with a special dipping sauce and every bite is worth savoring. I noticed that the wrap of the dumpling was so thin and fine that you actually see through the stuffing. However, it is strong enough to hold everything together and the dumplings here are boiled in water. The beauty of cooking dumplings this way is that you can let the dumplings stand for so long and the dumplings will not dry up, unlike when you steam it. At Dong Bei, they actually make the dumplings in front of you so you can be assured of its freshness.

After a very satisfying dumpling-session, we were led to the Santo Cristo de Longos Shrine. This, according to the guide, exemplifies the Chinese peple's adaptability since it demonstrates how Christianity meets Chinese culture. There was a cross adorned with flowers, and there were incense signifying how distinctly Chinese the shrine is.

We then went to the fruit street, which is Salazar Street. This is where I used more of the action sampler my dear sister EA gave me. I managed to kill time taking pictres here since some of our companions had to get something from one of the establishments. We chatted, took pictures, chatted some more and then off we went to the next food stop. We had fried siopao (which did not look fried at all) and Binondo's answer to Krispy Kreme, bichu-bichu. I liked the fried siopao's bun, as it was oh so soft. The filling was all right, maybe beacuse I was used to Asado or Bola-Bola kind. The bicho-bicho is a different story though. It was deep fried, crispy on the outside, yet inside the bread was soft, the kind that melts in your mouth and it was surprisingly light. After deep frying it, the manong drizzled it with sugar. Y-U-M-M-Y!!! I just had a piece since I had to make room for the remaining food stops. Bicho-bicho reminded me of something like Spain's churros. Taketoshi, being the light-eater that he is, was surprisingly adventurous and tried out all the fare made available to him.

The next food stop was the fear factor segment of the tour. The tour guide asked for volunteers to try out the next offering. Turns out, the star of the fear factor segment was the Tea Egg. Apparently, eggs were marinated in tea for three days and cooked in it as well. The star-anis injects a very different flavor to the egg. I asked Taketoshi how it tasted like and the way he described it was(please do not quote me on this)...It's good. Something like the roast pork, only there is no pork but just the egg. It's sweet and salty at the same time. In short, parang inasadong itlog siguro:) I managed to take a photo of Taketoshi and his egg. I was just too glad he enjoyed it.

After the Tea Eggs, we made our way to the last stop. We traversed Ongpin Street with its traditional chinatown shops and restaturants. There is also the Carvajal Alley Market, one of the more famous sidestreets (esquinita) in Binondo. At last, the final stop!!! We went inside Uy Su Bin Building (an art deco building) to get to New Po-Heng Lumpia House. We were served with half a spring roll each but it was so filling (and refreshing) that it was more than enough to cap off a great food tripping experience. The lumpia was different because it has a seaweed flavor to it. It was sweet, salty, slightly bitter and all the flavors you an imagine come to play in this dish that is usually dismissed as very ordinary. We ate the lumpia with peanut sauce and hot sauce and it was really good. After some picture taking, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the car which I parked near the church.

Taketoshi said that it was good that he did not need to grab dinner anymore since he still had to pack. He needed to hit the bed early since he had to catch a 7 am flight the next day. I drove him back to his hotel, said our goodbyes and I headed home. I was tired but all too happy having shown someone around and I finally got to do one of the things I really wanted to do in a long while. Exploring the places I usually take for granted is one of my life-long goals and the Binondo Wok Tour is a fitting start.

TGIF

Funny how I started to type on the title field for this blogpost and came up with TGIF, only to find out it is already 12:04 am of Saturday. Hahaha!

I am just ever grateful that this week is finally over. I have no idea how I managed to get through the entire week. Tons of meetings, classroom-type of training...but like what I told Mama when we were having dinner earlier, God is really gracious

As I sit on Beau (my chair) right now, I remember having told someone I might call and I will try to irritate the hell out of him. I am saddened by the fact that I failed to do so...but then I am having a lightbulb moment now...I still might be able to do it...

Happy weekend everyone!

Gee!!! My Hair...

When I woke up this morning, I decided to take a picture of myself to see how wild my hair has become. The effect of rebonding has started to wear away and the best way to measure it is to see how my hair looks in the morning.

You see the tendrils that are all curled up? These just get worst in the afternoon because at the office, I no longer have the time to comb and fix my hair. So I come in to work, all fixed up somehow looking like this...

Notice how the tutyangs start showing up, and I have not even gotten out of the car yet. Hahahaha! Anyway, this is just not about me being vain or anything, because in all honesty, I really could not care less how I look like, so long as do not have a breakout, and my hair is all neat and in place then I am all right (My clothes have to be appropriate too.). I am just trying to build up and put emphasis on my hair because something really creepy happened to me in the elevator which involved my supposed crowning glory.

Sometime this afternoon, I needed to get my caffeine fix so I went down to the 9th Floor, walked to where the side of Dunkin was and got some brewed coffee. Since Dunkin served their coffee scalding hot, I was really careful with it as I walked towards the elevator lobby. As I was not wearing my eyeglasses at that time, I did not notice the people inside the elevator. Besides, I do not like looking at other people's faces in such a confined space. But what was evident was one of the people in the elevator kept his stance quite close to me despite the available space inside. Then I felt it...he sniffed and smelled my hair!!! I knew it was a mistake when I decided to let my hair down while I waited on my order of coffee. I did it because I saw my silhouette and the curly hair was distracting me because it was weird seeing it that way while the ponytailed part was "contained". So I said, "Heck, if you are going to have your own mind and decide to be wild, then I'll let you be."

Going back to the guy who smelled my hair...what the hell was he thinking?!? When I told Pothead about what happened, he said "Baka may sipon lang at suminghot lang." But I really felt it since I got goosebumps on my forearms out of nowhere and I heard him sniffing in a different way which creeped the hell out of me. I should have told him off, but it happened all too fast which made me ask myself "Did that actually just happen?" I was the first one to get off the elevator and I never looked back. I was too annoyed and a little bit scared to even take a glance at him. Somehow, I blame my shampoo and conditioner, and the Blueberry Bavarian lotion I was using all day to moisturize my hand. My scent probably wafted through to him. But still, it is inexcusable to say the very least. So sa lahat ng mga kaparehas ko ng building, be careful since there is a perv on the loose.