Opinions, Reviews, Memories, Laughters and Tears

November 5, 2011 - A Beautiful Time of My Life (wedding, honeymoon, birthday, marital bliss)

2011-11-25T17:28:00.001+08:00

   Three weeks after that beautiful Saturday in Tagaytay, I am now formally a wife. A wife to a wonderful man, Glenn...

   I still feel like everything is so surreal. Just like any other bride, our wedding was unbelievable.

  Thursday and Friday of that week was rainy. It was raining when Dan and Melody picked me up and drove me to Tagaytay. It was raining that afternoon when we had our bridal shower in T Spa, Tagaytay. It was so great to hear the raindrops while I was having a massage. I accepted the fact that it might rain on our wedding day but I didn't mind anymore. Everything's going to be just as God planned it to be.

   Everything was happening so quickly. We all had dinner at Cafe Breton that night and suddenly all the girls were in my room trying on their dresses. I felt a sudden surge of happiness sitting with them in the bathroom and seeing all of them there. I am so blessed to have them all in there that weekend. I cannot be more thankful.

  I woke up at 6:00 am while the sun was rising (thank you, Lord for beautiful weather that day) just in time to see my Mom making coffee and about to go out to the balcony. I treasured that chance of hanging out with my Mom before the chaos begins. We really didn't chat about serious stuff but being there with her was one of the best moments of my day.

   By 8 am, I was scheduled to eat breakfast (Ate Lilian will not like it if I don't. hehehe!). Thankfully, I did because that was only 1 of 1.5 decent meals for the day. :-)

   By 9 am, Mela Jimenez, our make up artist has arrived and the craziness is about to begin. When everything was happening around me as I sit on the make-up chair, I realized.... wow! Is there a way for me to encapsulate this moment and just absorb everything and remember every single detail?!?!? That's when I remembered what Fr. Dennis said, when you release control, that's when you are most in control. So i picked up the rosary and started praying. I was so full of gratitude... tears where always in my eyes all the time.

  The only stressful moment of the whole day was when my Mom had to rush back to Paranaque to get our rings since she forgot them... Thank God for a good driver and stickers to enter the different subdivisions going to Tagaytay. hahaha! Thanks, Mom for making sure the rings get to us on time.

  By 1 pm, we were set to move and go to the church. I was so excited, to see Glenn! I haven't seen him the whole day and I can't wait! :-)

  When we got to the church, my parents went down and I stayed in the car. Excitement, anxiety, joy and peace. All of these happening at the same time.

   As I went up the stairs of Chapel on the Hill, I was joking with Jed and Randy to tell me when I should look back so I get a good photo while walking up the stairs. :-) When I reached the start of the aisle though, I saw Glenn... GRABE! Kinilig ako to see him smile when he saw me. I can't wait to hold his hand and kiss him... pero syempre, it had to wait. hahaha! Fr. Dennis even came up to us before the mass started and told us not to hold hands, hindi pa daw time. hahaha!

   Sa ikli ng aisle, I didn't get the chance to think of anything else. hehehe! When he held my hand to go up the altar though, I saw our three priests. That's when I thought to myself, I could not believe this is happening.... We are so BLESSED!!! I cannot stop smiling, I am marrying my bestfriend with our Archbishop Panfilo (our spiritual director), Fr. Dennis Paez (our counsellor) and Fr. Vester Casaclang (Childhood friend) blessing our marriage. All our family and friends were there sharing our joy... is there anything else I can ask for?

  The whole communion and offertory, I was just worshipping and praising God. Its one of the happiest moments of my life. I was floating and not wanting to forget every detail of that mass. I remembered after I opened my eyes while in prayer, I saw our three beloved priests in front of the altar, I asked "Glenn, is this really happening? How can we be so blessed? :-)"

FIRST WEDDING EXPO - Weddings and Beyond

2011-05-12T23:11:00.000+08:00

We went to our first wedding expo in PICC Forum last Saturday. Its the Weddings and Beyond expo. Its not so bad! I thought we would get overwhelmed with all the suppliers but the only area we got overwhelmed with are the photo and video suppliers.

Now, the question is, should we get a mobile bar or not? :-)

First meeting photographer - Bryan Yap

2011-05-12T23:08:00.000+08:00

Tonight I met with Bryan Yap of www.bryanyaparazzi.com. Glenn could not join me since he has a meeting. I enjoyed the meeting with him. I'll review his photos again with Glenn so we can understand further what different styles of wedding photography we like.

We really have not checked out the different styles so maybe that's what we need to look into further. Hmmm... one more new thing to learn. :-)

He asked... I smiled and said YES! :-)

2011-04-28T21:32:00.003+08:00

YES!!! We are getting ready to say I do in front of God and our friends.

Wedding preparations are on their way... relaxed and steady. I am what you can say and excited wife but a reluctant bride. Our joy is overflowing and we love sharing the good news to our friends and family. We are just really blessed and loved. God has been really good to us and we have Him and Mama Mary to thank.

I can't wait to wake up beside my husband and have a fun and loving marriage. I love my Babe.

Mini Quiche Lorraine

2011-02-15T14:35:00.001+08:00

My pack of puff pastry has been sitting in my freezer for a few months now. I've been planning to make quiches but never had the chance. This weekend, I made it my experiment.

Ate Lilian, Kuya Marlon and Rosie, visited us (minus Glenn though coz he had to set up for Ate Lally's party) and I was so happy to serve them my Quiche Lorraine with freshly ground and brewed coffee. Thank you, Rose for mixing the coffee... pang Starbucks owner ka talaga! :-)

Recipe is from Yummy Magazine May 2010 but I doubled the recipe to make more.

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (325g), thawed

1/4 cup butter

1 onion sliced

6 strips bacon, chopped

4 eggs

1 cup cream

1 cup grated tasty cheese (such as cheddar)

nutmeg

spinach leaves to serve

balsamic vinegar as sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Lightly grease muffin pans and pie tins

3. Using a rolling pin and sprinkling flour on the puff pastry, flatten the pastry

4. Arrange pastry into prepared pans.

I used 6 cups muffin pan, 4 mini tart pans

5. Fill each with either kidney beans or rice grains.

6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until pastry puffs a little bit (don't allow it to be golden brown)

7. Remove kidney beans or rice grains. Make sure that nothing is left.

8. Reduce oven to 350F

9. Melt butter in a frying pan on high. Saute onion and bacon until onion is tender.

10. Fill each prepared pastry with an even amount of onion mixture.

11. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Sprinkle some pepper. Pour into prepared pastry.

12. Sprinke with nutmeg and then cheddar cheese.

13. Bake for 20 mins or until firm and pastry is brown and crispy.

14. Garnish with spinach leaves

15. Use balsamic vinegar as sauce if desired.

Improvements:

1. I'll use kidney beans as weights next time. It was so difficult to remove all the rice grains from the pastry

2. Will bake the pastry puff longer on the ones on tart tins.

3. I won't put water in the pan while I'm pre-baking the pastry to make it puff a bit more

Notes:

1. Don't use too much salt since the bacon, butter and cheddar will give the needed saltiness.

Chicken Schnitzel

2011-02-15T14:13:00.002+08:00

Making use of left over whole wheat bread, I cooked some chicken schnitzel. My inspiration... Junior Masterchef Australia. :-) And since my boyfriend wants to eat it with rice and sauce, I made chicken liver adobo on the side.

You can find the original recipe here, For the pinoy version, check below. :-)

Good for two.

Ingredients:

4 pcs. chicken thigh fillet

3 pcs whole wheat bread

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tbsps olive oil

Directions:

1. Process whole wheat bread and parmesan in a food processor until fine crumbs. Add rosemary and season with salt and pepper, process until finely chopped. Transfer to a plate.

2. Cut the chicken thighs horizontally into thin steaks. Place in between 2 sheets of cling film and lightly pound with the flat side of meat mallet to flatten.

3. Whisk egg and milk together in a bowl. Coat one piece of chicken in flour and shake to remove excess. Then dip the chicken into the egg mixture. Then coat the chicken in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to coat. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken and crumbing mixtures.

4. Heat olive oil and fry chicken thighs for 4 to 5 minutes each side.

5. Serve with rice or salad.

Little Lemon Meringue Pie

2011-02-02T22:51:00.005+08:00

So thankful that I was able to find a Lemon Meringue Pie recipe good for two people. We would not have been able to finish the whole pie. Found this recipe in http://allrecipes.com.

Glenn and I are not big fans of lemony desserts but this was pretty good. :-) Also, the colder it is, the better it tastes. Of course, its best to have it on the same day.

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1 tablespoon cold butter (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon cold water
FILLING:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
MERINGUE:
1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 5-in. circle. Transfer to two 10-oz. custard cups. Press dough 1-1/8. up sides of cups. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown

Crust before I placed them in the oven.

2. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. gradually stir in cold water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir half of hot filling into egg yolk; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice and butter. Pour into pastry shells.

3. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg white and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Things to improve on:

1. I would have used smaller custard cups (ramekins) so its not fattening in one meal.

2. Lesser sugar for the meringue

3. Use iodized salt for the crust

** For custard cups, you can get it in Landmark, Makati at P40.00 each

Kickin' it In Korea

2011-02-02T22:51:00.003+08:00

I must admit, my friends really have the adventurous spirit in them. It does not matter whether North Korea fired at South Korea and there is an impending war that week, nothing can stop us from having a great time. :-)

I had my doubts at first but as long as there's no travel advisory, off we went! :-) The first few times in the subway, I was a bit jumpy and observing the local reaction to everything. I would even look over the shoulder of train passengers to watch the local news through their mobile tv… hahaha… not that I understood anything… hahaha!

Another crazy adventure for me, Jacky, Kat, Meme and Grace!!! To Seoul, Anyonghase yeo. Til we meet again. :-)

From Incheon airport:

Get a bus ticket inside the airport before going out to catch your bus. We were staying in Banana Packers and our drop off is Anguk station we took bus 6011 in Exit 5. As soon as we got out of the airport, we felt the 0 degrees weather. MAN! It was like a freezer!!!

The bus ride is about an hour to get to Seoul City. The bus station is around the 3rd stop. You will see an SK gas station. Get off there and walk towards the gas station. Make a right and then cross the street on the first stop sign. Walk into a small alley. Banana Backpackers is about 500 meters from the main road.

As soon as we are all settled in, we ordered food for delivery. Not bad. There was sweet and sour park and noodles in sweet black sauce which cost about Won6,500 (around P300 that can be shared).

First day:

Slept in till about 12… had late lunch and money changed.

Just walked around… first time to taste bibimpap in Korea. Yes… Its a challenge. Point and eat. hahaha! that's what we did.

After having money changed, we walked towards the direction of the main road and it led us to Insadong Market. Went around for a bit and then had coffee in a small bakery.

Even if I was still scared about the N. Korea and S. Korea conflict, I braved riding the subway to go to Dongdaedum market. From Anguk station, take the orange line, transfer to the blue line and then go down Dongdaemun station.

I must admit. I was jumpy and paranoid but I braved it! :-)

After Dongdaemun, we went back to the hostel and waited for Melody and had another serving of the black noodles and sweet and sour pork.

Second day:

SNOW DAY!

Started our day with lunch at a nice resto and then we went to Deoksugung Palace. Entrance fee is W1000 and its closed on Mondays.

The National Museum of Modern ARt is there and there was a show of Picasso's work from Albertina, Vienna. The show entrance cost W10000 but I opted to wait outside and explore the grounds. I chanced upon the changing of the guards which was pretty cool.

After our palace visit, we had coffee at Beans and Berries followed by dinner in KFC. Nothing different, just a bulgogi burger… no rice too. True to form, we really have to try out Mc Donald's and KFC in every country we go to. :-)

After dinner, we tried to catch the lights and sound show at Cheonggyecheon but failed this time since its only until 8 pm. while we were walking we felt that there are small snow flakes falling but it was not until we reached, the shops area where it really snowed.

IT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF SNOW and it was so much fun!!!! :-) I enjoyed just having the snow fall on me and although it was cold… it felt so real and I felt so lucky having to experience snow (of course being born and raised in a tropical country, this experience is quite a treat)! Photos galore! :-) The best part of it, I experienced it with Grace, Meme and Jacky! Fantastic time! Since this was a moment to capture, I bought my Seoul Starbucks mug! :-) Memories! :-)

After playing under the snow, we had ice cream in Baskin Robbins (I know, right! :-)) and then went home after.

THIRD DAY:

After starting with an early lunch, we headed to a coffee shop and then to Nandaedum market where you can find good and cheap clothes, shoes, etc. And then Mengdong for more shopping.

Street food trials galore is what I did today. From hotdog with fries waffle (how efficient right?), to crispy rice cake, to crispy sweet rice cake, gyoza that loos like a siopao to red bean cake shaped like fish… I tried them all. :-)

We finally caught the light show… you have to go to the middle of the stream to watch this 5 minute show. Dinner in the same area and again, Baskin Robbins ice cream to conclude Day 3.

FOURTH DAY:

Lotte World day. Admission price: W26,000

I was really really impressed with this place. Its no Disneyland but its obviously way way better than Enchanted Kingdom. hahaha! My favorite ride of all is the Pharaoh's Fury... the line going to the ride felt like a museum. Its suer galing!

We had chatting while in line. I think that's the best part of traveling with great friends. You have non-stop conversations about everything under the sun.

FIFTH DAY:

Namsol Hanok Village day. Its nice to be able to see the traditional houses but to be honest, there's nothing much here. Its a good park and good for an afternoon stroll.

I don't remember the sequence of events anymore... hahaha! but I do remember going to Itaewon Market and having a night out in Myeong Dong. We also went to a couple of palaces but its really nothing breathtaking. I think if you see one, then, it'll be enough for your whole trip.

A trip to DMZ was not advisable at that time unless we wanted to be part of the American-S. Korean exercises. hehehe!

Others:

Hostel: Banana Backpackers in Seoul - Nice, clean and affordable. For 8 days there, I only paid around Php 6,000.00. Not bad eh! :)

Mode of transport: Bus from airport to hostel

Train all around

Favorite meals: Street Food - chapchae noodles wrapped in nori… oh!!!! everything actually! hahaha!

There's this restaurant in Insadong Market (it has a small fountain in front - I really wish I can remember the name but just like everything else in Korea, i don't remember any names! hahaha!) which serves the yummiest Kalbi Jim I've tasted. Its pricey but really yummy. We went there twice.

Other tips:

1. Get a Hi Seoul Card. You can get this in any convenience stores and have replenish the used up cash in any subway stations. This is useful most especially if you intend to ride the train all the time

2. There are so many stalls selling clothes, bags and other stuff. They can be seen on every subway station. :-)

3. If you're going in November, bring winter clothes (especially if you are in a tropical country). Or buy shoes and clothes there. :-)

4. Bring shoes that are insulated in the foot are and above the calf area. Ugs type shoes are recommended.

5. The people will bump into you in the subway and will not apologize. Get used to it.

6. They still do not speak english well so get ready to point point in restos and have "surprise" food served.

All-Meat Hand Rolled Pizza with Home-made dough

2011-02-02T22:50:00.001+08:00

After Glenn and I had a nice date in Mona Lisa, Alabang a few weeks back, he asked me if I can make the super yummy Pannize that we ate. I said I'll give it a try... and so I did. Here's the result! :-)

I did a combination of a Yummy recipe (Jan/ Feb issue p.44) and a cream sauce recipe I found online. No pizza pans were available but used our pyrex dish. I'm pretty sure the dough would have booked better in a pizza pan but it still tasted yummy according to my siblings. :-)

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 tsp instant yeast

3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine flour, yeast, water, oil and salt

2. Mix until just combined

3. Transfer dough to a light floured surface and knead for about 5 mins until well-mixed. Cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside and let rise for about 10 mins. Punch the dough down and knead for another 5 mins.

4. Divide dough into 2 parts and form into 2 small balls. Knead for about 1 minute.

5. Dust a flat work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, flatten the 2 dough balls and slowly roll into desired shape and lay out in a pizza pan.

Cream Pizza Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

3 cloves garlic minced

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup all purpose cream

some Italian seasoning and oregano

pinch of salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat

2. Add garlic and saute for 3 mins

3. Stir in the cheese, cream, salt and pepper

4. Add Italian seasoning and oregano

5. Remove from heat

6. Spread on pizza dough

Pizza Topping

1/4 cup Pork sausage removed from skin

1/8 cup burger bits

1/8 cup pepperoni

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Spread pizza topping on pizza dough with cream sauce.

Preheat oven at 190C and place pizza for 5 to 10 mins or until the crust is completely cooked.

Toppings for a roll:

Alfalfa sprouts

Arugula

Olive oil

Chili oil

Parmesan cheese

Add a little bit of everything on the pizza slice and roll like paper. Stuff in your mouth. :-)

Areas of Improvement:

1. Use either a pan used for pizzas (stone or aluminum should be ok, I guess)

2. Make the pizza crust thicker (just a tad bit so that its easier to roll)

3. Since its a rolled pizza, maybe lesser toppings

Braised Caramel Pork

2011-02-02T22:49:00.001+08:00

The secret of this dish is cooking it low and slow until the pork is so tender that the meat and pork fat is so soft it.

Warning: This dish will make you eat a lot of rice! :-) Enjoy!

Taken from Yummy Magazine January/ February 2011 page 37.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 kilo pork belly, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium red onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup light soy sauce

3/4 cup panocha (for this instance, I used brown sugar)

1 cup water

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 pieces star anise

1 tsp five-spice powder

8 shitake mushrooms, sliced into strips

1/2 cup green onions, divided

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add 1/3 of the pork and sear for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Reapt with the remaining pork. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, saute onions until translucent.

3. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

4. Add pork, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, fish sauce, star anise and five-spice powder.

5. Mix well and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender and sauce has thickened.

7. Add mushrooms and 1/4 of the chopped green onions. Mix well and continue to cook for another 10 mins.

8. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

9. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Bibimpbap

2011-02-02T22:48:00.001+08:00

One of the highlights of our trip to South Korea is the food! Super duper good!

For Glenn's birthday, I cooked 4 Korean dishes - Bibimbap, Japchae, Bulgogi and Kalbi-jim. All (ok except for Kalbi-Jim.. hehehe!) received good reviews. :-) Too bad that I didn't take photos of those dishes but I'll try to post them as I cook them again.

Everyday and almost every meal we had in Korea, Bibimbap was part of our orders. So, whenever I want to re-live the fun conversations and the non-stop eating, I cook this dish. Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Oh... and make sure to buy the stone bowl. That makes the rice crispy. There are two major Korean groceries in Makati ave. area. Wang Mart at #37 Polaris St (in front of P&P Tatoo shop) and another one is near Hap Chan Restaurant, I forgot the name.

Ingredients:

Steamed white rice

Bulgogi (for some strips of beef)

1 carrot, julieneed

Cooked bean sprouts, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

Cooked spinach, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

4 shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, sauteed in a little sesame oil and seasoned with salt

1 egg, cooked over easy

1 tbsp sesame seed

1 tbsp dark sesame oil

strips of nori (japanese sea weed)

soy sauce to taste

Gochuchang paste (you can buy this from the Korean grocery too)

Directions:

1. Put cooked rice in a hot stone pot.

2. Place bulgogi (with juices from cooked meat) and veggies on top of rice but place seperately so you can see each ingredient beautifully placed on rice.

3. Put egg on top

4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce

When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together with some gochuchang paste to taste. The bibimbap should be moist and not dry. Add more sesame oil and gochuchang paste to taste.

Italian Chicken Burger

2011-01-22T10:11:00.001+08:00

I've been buying Yummy Magazine since they released their first magazine. I enjoy browsing through the pages and experimenting with the different recipes every month.

This is my first attempt in documenting my monthly cooking experiment using Yummy magazine recipes. :-)

Mamang gave me a meat grinder and I was so excited to use it. I found a perfect recipe on the front page of the January/ February 2011 release. These burgers are a great alternative to the fatty beef burgers but it takes some getting used to also because it's herby. I didn't cook the french fries anymore.

Makes: 6 burgers

Preparation time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (including meat grinding, and 1 hour chilling time)

Total cooking time: 7 minutes

3 tbsps fresh rosemary

1 cup button mushrooms

1/4 cup white onion

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 heads roasted garlic roasted, mashed into a paste with 1 tbsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1 kilo chicken thigh fillet - remove the skin

olive oil for frying

1. Grind the thigh fillet using the meat grinder. You can also buy ground chicken meat already. Place in a large bowl.

2. Put rosemary, mushrooms, white onion, mustard, ground pepper into a food processor until chopped and blended

3. Mix garlic paste into the rosemary mixture

4. Add rosemary mixture into the meat. Mix well until all ingredients are well blended. Using hands to mix is the best way to blend everything together.

5. Form into burger patties and chill for an hour to let the flavor settle and blend together.

6. Fry in a nonstick pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil or until the juices run clear, about 2 minutes on each side. (I cooked mine in a George Foreman grill. Its less juicier but lesser fat.

I'm not a fan of burger buns so I made garlic mayonnaise, spread it on whole wheat bread, placed cheese, burger and pressed it in a panini maker.

Pretty ok... not something I will cook often but it was a good try.

Oatmeal and Buttermilk Muffins

2011-01-21T01:06:00.004+08:00

Super yummy and healthy for breakfast. You can even prepare it a day or two in advance and pop it in the oven on a busy morning before going to work. I gave some to Glenn's mom and she liked it. :-)

Makes 12 muffins:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup buttermilk (if you can't find buttermilk, you can substitute this with 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes)

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup walnuts or raisins (optional)

1. In a bowl, combine the oats and buttermilk and leave to soak for 1 hour (I leave mine for 45 minutes)

2. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan

3. Preheat the oven 400F

4. With an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

5. Beat in the egg

6. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt

7. Stir into the butter mixture, alternate with the oat mixture. Fold in the raisins/ walnuts. Do not overmix.

8. Flll the prepared cups 2/3 full.

9. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, around 20 to 25 minutes.

10. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For more recipes, you can go to http://lyshrecipes.blogspot.com.

Is Relationship Bliss = Weight Gain?

2010-10-05T22:29:00.002+08:00

At a start of every relationship, the courtship stage is the most exciting. Dinners in different restaurants, movies, dates in different places, all these end up in different restaurants and eating places. Wanting to spend a lot of time together (unless your dates are in a gym everyday), you somehow give up working out time.... Both hands raised and shouting GUILTY!

Yes, I am guilty of not being able to work out the past couple of months... ok, ok.... I blame it on relationship bliss but... but... but... who would not want to cozily watch a movie with popcorn on a Lazy boy with the air con unit on full blast.... oh, and add that you are being cuddled by an adorable man? :-)

Ok... so I have just admitted to gaining a few pounds but I would always choose this over a heartbreak. The pounds, though hard to shed is easy to lose as long as you have someone who can make you smile, laugh and does not care if you have a few cellulites showing on your thighs.

So Relationship bliss do not always equate to weight gain but if it does, I don't mind gaining a bit (coz with diet and exercise, I can go back to my 5 lbs lighter self) because with every happiness that I feel, I know that all the tears (and the weight) I lost in the past is all worth it. :-)

First Philippine Game Development Festival

2010-09-15T18:23:00.003+08:00

I had this chance to help organize the First Philippine Game Development Festival on September 14-18, 2010 in UP Diliman.

Its crazy being part of this group but knowing that you can help a lot of people who wants to get into our fun industry is a fantastic feeling.

As I always say, there are still so many things that we need to do to grow the Game Development Industry in this country but hopefully, if we all work together, this will become a reality. I hope that somehow, I am helping in growing the seeds planted by the founders of this group. Its not easy filling in their footsteps but I hope that I can at least do my share.

I may not have been in this industry for a long time but I know that I can help create jobs for young people and that's my strongest driver to make this industry grow.

For more information about this event, please go to www.gdap.org.ph.

See you there on Saturday, September 18 for the Summit for Professionals.

Venus Raj - Ms. Universe 2010 4th Runner Up

2010-08-24T13:10:00.006+08:00

Just what the Philippines needed today!!!

After the Philippines went to bed after a nightmare hostage crisis, we wake up to beautiful news... Our very own Venus Raj has made the country smile and hope as she makes the Top 5 of the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant.

I was screaming my lungs out when I heard her name called in the Top 10... That for me was enough to lift up my spirits... and then Top 5. Wow! That made me scream a little bit more (I think my noisy condo neighbors were wondering why I was screaming! :-)).

We may have not won the Miss Universe Pageant, we have not even solved the big problem that is the PNP or changed the image that we have now in the international scene, but for one morning, for one day, Ms. Venus Raj made me hope again and reminded me of my love for my country.

Thank you, Venus... not only for winning the 4th runner up slot in that pageant but for making the Filipinos flash the sunny smiles and making us believe in our fellow country men again.

A Heartbreaking Scene For Our Country

2010-08-24T02:00:00.004+08:00

Woke up this morning and felt weak... Food poisoning has hit me bad but that does not even come close to how badly I felt when I turned on the television at around 5 pm. I caught a glimpse of the hostage drama around 2 pm but I didn't think it would end this way.

Around 6 pm, wanting to watch the news, I got glued to the events that were happening live. A man was sitting on the floor crying to police officers not to take him... relatives hanging on to him so that the police won't get to him. I don't blame him one bit for fearing for his life... the PNP's reputation does not even come close to what they are supposed to be doing... saving and protecting our lives.

With all bits and pieces of what I hear in the news, the details of the case is still not clear, but my heart broke seeing that man crying and hold on to dear life, not wanting the police to take him. I feared that he might have a stroke. I cried because if he was a relative or a friend, I will not want to see him in that situation. My heart bled for him... whether or not he has something to do with this, I fear for his life too. You never know what the PNP can do to him and that saddens me.

Watching the different torture videos and the abuse of power that the PNP does, I find it difficult right now to give them the respect that we should give to uniformed officials. There's so many changes that need to be done to fix the system.

With all that has happened, I have so many questions which may or may not be answered truthfully since you'll never know whether you get an unbiased information.

1. Why did the SPO2 Mendoza's dismissal happened when he does not have a copy of the ombudsman's decision?

2. How can a man with numerous medals of honors have a measly Php19,000 ($400)/ month salary? -- Now I understand why he wants reinstatement since he needs his benefits after retirement. He doesn't have enough for himself and his family.

3. Why does media need to exploit the father of SPO2 Mendoza? He's old and frail. He should not be exposed in such a vulnerable state.

4. Why did the PNP arrest his brother that way? I'm pretty sure they know that they cannot agitate the hostage takers?

5. How can you regulate the media in situations like these?

6. Why are Pinoys such usiseros that they need to be in a scene where they are in direct harm's way?

I will sleep tonight with fear and sadness in my heart. There's so much to be fixed in the system. I don't know how they will begin but hopefully the PNP works on their system so things like this won't happen again.

Here's a video of the suspect's brother being forced by PNP to be taken into custody.

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Life Did Move On... Thank God!

2010-08-09T22:13:00.006+08:00

Life did move on. The tears have dried and the smiles become more real as time passed.

Its been more than a year and what a year it has been. When I look back at 2009 and half of 2010, I cannot be more thankful for the experiences I have had. Friends have moved to another country, moved back to the Philippines, got married, got engaged, broke up with their boyfriends and got new ones. All in one year....

As we get older, the hope is we get wiser. Maybe that's what happened. Maybe that's what has helped me cope and ensured that I came out of the dark more radiant than I've ever been. Ok... that's self-flattery right there. :-) I gotta give myself a pat in the back though... I did pretty well.

Now, I understand why heartbreaks happen. It is not to intentionally hurt another but to give each other a chance to be with someone who can make the wrong things right. It is a chance to re-assess and re-align the direction of their lives because somehow, they know that the direction they are taking together is headed towards a lifetime of unhappiness. I guess at a certain point, you do become thankful that one or (both of you) was brave enough to admit that you can't move one step more. That doing so will just prolong the agony.

It is true too that time made me somehow forget the pain, not the experiences I went through, but the pain has gone and it has been replaced by gratitude and excitement for what the future holds. What felt like the end of the world is such a thing of the past.

We must never forget though the learnings along the way. The learning that no matter how painful, hope will help you get out of bed when you feel like the day is not your friend. The learning that your friends will never ever leave your side and you should do the same. The learning that your family is the best support system you can find. The learning that when your tears dry up, a man you never thought would make you laugh again has brought the sunshine back with the rainbow in hand.

It is not to say though, that one should just wait for the sunshine to come back. Its a lot of work to smile again, but when you see that new someone smiling back at you... you know that God has blessed your dark knights with another ray of sunshine. Hoping that this light will never leave you again even through the cloudy and gloomy periods of your life.

Yes, I feel blessed to be in love with one of my closest friends. Yes, I am blessed that life hasn't stopped surprising me one bit. Yes, I am showered with blessings because everyday is an adventure... maybe because God knows I don't like to get bored... and so, the journey continues.

New experiences! :-)

2009-09-21T21:07:00.009+08:00

I was thrown a curve ball but I am still managing to play the game really well. :-)

When memories don't make you smile yet, you create new ones with people who love you and who you love dearly, new friends and old friends who make your life always fun and interesting.

One sunny and windy afternoon in July, my friends and I wanted to visit Ocean Park but Bayani Fernando's birthday (which means they closed the whole place for him) put a stop to our planned afternoon. Blessing in disguise is what I say coz we chose to do something more fun.... We hung out by Luneta and flew a kite! YES!!! I have officially flown a kite. I've never flown a kite my whole life and experiencing it with my friends was a fantastic experience.

We even managed to go around Luneta Park which was a pleasant surprise. The place is a far cry from the dirty and unsafe place that we were afraid of. :-) The night was capped with a shabu-shabu dinner at Golden Fortune on T.M. Kalaw. Super yummy! 50% off on all shabu-shabu items after 9 pm. :-)

From flying kites to shooting guns... yes! :-) I have learned to shoot a gun and it is very empowering. The first time in the range was scary. Holding the gun for the first time was scary but it was very empowering! It is addictive I must admit. :-) Watch out! :-)

Life is pretty amazing. So many twists and turns. How can I not believe that there's a wonderful surprise waiting for me just around the corner.

Single once more

2009-07-26T21:35:00.006+08:00

The transition from being in a relationship to singlehood is tough. No doubt about that. Tears happen all the time. The intense emotional pain actually manifests in a nagging pain all over the body. I guess that's a sign that you really did love the person. It's hard to just let go. No regrets there. We loved... no ifs no buts... just because.

When something that painful catches you by surprise, the ordinary tasks in life feels like a big chore. From waking up in the morning, to taking a shower, to going home, to errands in the grocery... everything, and I mean everything, is just way too painful to do.

So, you have to work hard... make sure that your heart and mind are connected in trying to get up and live again. It's just a bump on the road. You will love again and this time maybe that man will love you back they way you deserve to be loved. But from now til then, you have to trust in yourself that you will get through this. Trust that time will make the pain heal. Have faith that God has something wonderful in store for you and nothing can get in the way of that.

In the meantime, enjoy the gift of the present moment. Learn more about yourself. Get into activities that will enrich you as a person. Meet new friends and spend time with your family and the people who love you. It's a choice between making the most of this character-building time and experience OR have the pain eat you up and make you miserable for the rest of your life.

I choose to smile and enjoy my life even if I am in pain. I choose to do things that will make me a better person. I choose to love again even if I got hurt undeservingly. I choose to enrich my life with new experiences. . I choose to love myself and not let any past experiences get in the way. I choose to allow myself to be loved because I deserve nothing less.

Break - Up Guide - Things to do after a break-up

2009-07-07T14:51:00.004+08:00

Break-ups suck! BIG TIME! It does not only make breathing hard and getting out of bed difficult, it also creates a physical pain that makes you realize that it is possible to get your heart and guts ripped to a million little pieces. OK! so I might be exaggerating a bit. The truth is, whether you are the "break-up-er" or the "break-up-ee", the pain of losing a relationship is just the PITS!

So, I just thought that I would try to help ease the pain a bit by my list of what can help. This is based from these three months of heartbreak pain and experience. Remember, as painful as it is, you are now on your own... So you have to find the strength in yourself to stand up and take care of yourself.

What to do?

a. Go out of the country or out of town immediately (of course this is if you have enough funds to do so). Meet up with friends there or bring really good friends along with you. Make sure that these are friends who will listen, let you cry and make you see the silver lining in all of these.

b. Buy books that will help you get through these times. Something to read that will make you get through by learning about yourself, giving you the boost and the energy to move on.SUGGESTION: Get the book "It's Called A Break-Up Because It's Broken". It's a witty book that will help you going through these times. :-) I enjoyed it very much.

c. DO NOT CALL HIM, TEXT HIM or EMAIL HIM! As difficult as it may seem because you're so used to calling him while driving, or telling him how your day went or just asking him what he's doing or if he has eaten... or whatever... DO NOT CALL HIM! If he misses you or wants to talk to you, he will call you. Believe me, if you think he's thinking of you, he's not... so don't call him! Especially if he breaks up with you, he's been thinking about it breaking up with you for sometime already. Thus, he has had a headstart in pulling away from you emotionally. Thus, he is relieved that he's out of that relationship. So, let him be!

Talking to him will just make you miss him and your life together. And then after you talk to him, he will still not want to get back together, it will make you more miserable... BELIEVE ME!

D. DO NOT GO TO PLACES THAT YOU GUYS FREQUENTED. Chances of bumping into him is so much higher if you go back to places that you used to go to a lot. You wouldn't want to bump into him looking like a drab! And, I don't think you would like to be seen breaking down at these places.

AND DO NOT PLAN AN "ACCIDENTAL" BUMPING INTO HIM! It makes you look needy! Even if you look foxy... the main point is, he broke up with you because there's a reason! So even if you look like the hottest thing on earth, there's no reason to go back to a guy or a relationship that's not making you feel good or made you feel like crap and stepped on your self-esteem big time.

E. Exercise... Run or do yoga.... Whatever it is, just get your ass into shape. It gives you a reason to get out of the house and fill up your time. Of course, it helps that you look great when you see yourself in the mirror. Poor guy, he lost a foxy girl in you but more than that, you feel GREAT and look GREAT!

F. CRY! CRY! CRY if you have to... but after a while, get out of bed and make yourself busy. Give yourself time to cry but don't make it more than three weeks. Geez! can you imagine how your eyes will look like?

According to the book and experience, you can choose to grieve for a prolonged time or you can face it now so that it does not prolong the agony. Do you know people who have been pinning about his/ her broken heart for years now? GEEZ! Don't they sound pathetic and like a broken record already? Of course, you don't want to be like them right? So just let it all out now than hiding it and before you know it, 5 years has gone by. OUCH! Besides, you don't want to develop cancer!

G. Have a positive thought first thing in the morning. Waking up in the morning is the toughest part! After opening your eyes, the most painful part is the feeling that there's a void in your heart. The best thing to do is to put a positive thought in your head. The Empowerment Cards of Louis L. Hay helped me a lot. Reading one card in the morning helps me through the day.

H. POST ITs everywhere. My friend Melody started this. She started posting different lines and thoughts all around my condo. From, "Its time for a new Life" on my bathroom mirror to "Ang ganda natin! (we are beautiful)" on my wall... it helps to be reinforced about yourself.

I. Create a vision board! This helped me big time...I thought that I will die after we broke up since my dreams will not come to fruition anymore... but after I finished my vision board, I realized that there are so many things that I want to do and being in this relationship will not bring me there. It does not make my partner a bad person... it just makes our relationship not the most ideal one for me.

J. Be with friends and family. This is the time you have to admit to yourself that you need people to help get back on your feet. They will be more than glad to be by your side. I have a couple of friends who stayed with me overnight to check up on me every hour to make sure I'm ok.

K. Go back to old hobbies and create new ones. List down all the things that you gave up while you were together. It is your time now to make it happen! Start doing them! From painting to volunteering teach under privileged children. The list goes on and on.

L. Change your look... Chang your hair... Take care of yourself. This way when you look in the mirror, you are always reminded that you are a new and better version of you! Or... you are still you but just Hotter! :-)

It's really painful but it's just a matter of helping yourself help your brain to think that this will bring a better you and will just open more doors for you. Give extra attention to your thoughts. If you think good thoughts, your actions will follow.

Remember that the break up happened because there's something wrong in your relationship. You might be two great people but just not together forever. The reason why you were in that relationship has been fulfilled. Move on! Who knows, the new guy that you're supposed to meet might just be waiting for you to get out of the past relationship.

Also, it is time to prepare and take care of yourself so that your next relationship will be better. :-)

Items that have helped:
a. Empowerment cards from Louis L. Hay
b. You Can Change Your Life - Louis L. Hay
c. Stillness Speaks - Eckhart Tolle
d. Moving on Songs
- Details in the Fabric - Jason Mraz
- Someone that I Used To Love
- Better Days - Juice
- Love in on My Way - D' Sound

Heavenly Sagada

2009-02-03T17:45:00.007+08:00

Another adventure for Meme, Lysh and Jacky. After traveling the world the past few years, we decided to have a spur of the moment trip to the Northern part of the country. Yes, we braved the 24 hour bus and jeepney rides to get to the Heavenly Sagada!

We were there for 2 full days and its enough to go around the place but if we had enough time, I would spend another day in Sagada to relax and enjoy the cold weather. And then, spend another 1 to 2 days in Baguio on the way back.

Our adventure started on a Thursday night. We took Cable Tours which will bring us to Bontoc. We took this route to have a chance to see the Banaue Rice Terraces. It was actually a really good choice since that route allowed us to see the beautiful orange sky while the sun was rising. There was also a stop over in Banaue to see the rice terraces.

FROM MANILA TO BONTOC

The bus of Cable tours from Manila to Bontoc takes about 8 hours (probably less since we had to stop twice to change tires). Buses everyday leave at 8:30 pm and arrives in Bontoc at 8:30 am. Make sure that you have reservations though because the bus gets full. Make sure that you call them since they don't respond to texts well. Melody sent them SMS a number of times but they did not reply. Their number is +632 774-1290.

Cable Tours' terminal is very easy to miss. It is on E. Rodriguez in front of Shakey's. Shakey's is beside Trinity College and St. Lukes Hospital. The terminal is beside Garcia's supermarket.

Their buses is a bigger version of a coaster. Enough leg room for an asian but taller people might have a hard time. Have a jacket handy. It gets cold in the bus. They show movies all through out and there is piped in music. Do not expect Hollywood movies though. We watched Dolphy and Robin Padilla and it was fun to watch them! :-) You will be sleeping for 12 hours so make sure that you are comfortable in clothing and bring a travel pillow... the one you can put on the chair as a seat pad because your butt will surely hurt! BELIEVE ME!

There are about 2 to 3 stops along the way. I'm not sure how many really because I was asleep most of the way. Bathrooms are not clean so bring alcogel and tissue paper. Also have coins ready in case you need to pay.

FROM BONTOC TO SAGADA

Cable tours will ask you if you want to take the same bus from Bontoc to Sagada for P100. This will make the trip easier since you don't have to move your stuff. BUT... then again, you will miss out on the whole SAGADA JEEPNEY EXPERIENCE! My suggestion, skip the bus and take the jeep! You're there for the adventure anyway.

The jeep costs less and you will have to wait til about 9:15 am before it leaves Bontoc but the whole dusty and bumpy ride is a different experience! :-) You might even want to ride the roof of the jeep if you feel like it. Just make sure that you hold on tight since the roads are not paved and you can fall of the cliff! GOOD LUCK!

Once you get off the Cable tours Cafe stop in Bontoc, walk two blocks down (you will pass Western Union). The jeepney station is in front of a police station or a hall.

WHEN IN SAGADA

First two things to do... register in the visitors information area and check in the hotel.

We checked in George's Guesthouse. PENTHOUSE BABY! :-) The room is clean and big (its for 8 people at Php1000) for its price. It also has a nice view of rice terraces.. and more importantly... they have hot water! :-) Check out this site for more info http://sagadagenuineguides.blogs

First Day:
After checking in and registering, we rested for a few minutes and asked the receptionist in George's guesthouse for a guide. After a few minutes, Jordan arrived! :-) You can choose to get a car to go around but we opted to walk it. Everything is so near and the weather is perfect so there's no point wasting it in a vehicle.

LUMIANG CAVE
20 minutes walk from George Guesthouse is the Lumiang Cave where there are hanging coffins. You will see some hanging coffins along the way but its too far for you to actually see it. Lumiang Cave will let you see the coffins up close.

SUMAGING CAVE

Another 20 minutes walk, you will get to Sumaging Cave. This is a must-see! Do not ever leave Sagada without going here! Your guide will lead you to a cave that is pitch black except for a kerosene lamp. You will have to go up and down slippery rocks so use footwear that will help you keep your balance and feet stable. Bring a flashlight too that you can put around your neck coz your hands should be free.

After about 10 to 20 minutes of going down rocks, hearing bats, being scared of the dark and holding on to rocks with bat poop, you will see beautiful limestone formations. Wade in the cold waters of the underground river. Expect to get wet from the knee down... you can choose to go further the cave where you will get wet from the waist down.

Second Day:

SATURDAY MARKET

I love the absence of a mall in Sagada. Everyone converges in their Saturday market where they have all the produce available. Go around streets to find anything and everything (and I mean EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF) that you will need at a really cheap price.

Enjoy the Sagada city life by walking with the locals. :-)

TOWN FIESTA

We were so lucky to have scheduled our trip on the weekend of their town fiesta. There was a parade on Saturday morning which showcased the culture of Sagada and the Mountain Province. It was an amazing feeling to be part of their tradition. We joined the festivities by walking with them around the church area and eating the street food that they were selling. We had my childhood popcorn and dirty ice cream, P10.00 each! YUMMY!

ECHO VALLEY

This is a trek that we kinda did on our own but a boy named Jason helped us to get there. I suggest that you get a map just to know the different places that you need to go to. Guides are available all the over the place... especially kids. We gave Jason P100 for helping us get to Echo Valley.

To get to Echo Valley, go through the St. Mary's church. At the back of the church is a cemetary. Cross that and walk the trail for a few more minutes. You will reach a place where you can shout your name and the echo will shout it back. Pretty cool but nothing much to do here.

There will also be some hanging coffins that you will see. If you want, you can go to the sacred burial site. Pretty steep climb but doable.

UNDERGROUND RIVER

Beside the vulcanizing shop is a small pathway that leads to the underground river. I didn't get to go to the underground river but Jacky and Melody followed the trail. Not much to see they said so maybe you can skip this.

BOKONG FALLS

Also tagged as the small falls, this is falls is situated pretty near one of the many rice terraces in Sagada. I did not enjoy the falls much but the view of the rice terraces is priceless. Also, you get to walk on the side of the terraces which is an amazing feeling... being in the middle of a fantastic creation by our ancestors. Unbelievable.

You will pass by a small house on the way to the falls. There are benches there where you can just sit and relax for a while. Don't rush... just stay there for a few minutes. Enjoy the laid back Sagada life! :-)

RESTAURANT GUIDE:

Of course my blog will not be complete if I don't write about the best places to eat at in Sagada. :-)

Yoghurt House

We ate 4 out of 5 meals in this place. I must admit that there was only one dish that I loved here but their yogurt is really good. I wish we had a place like that here in Manila.

We tried the following dishes and I wasn't impressed. Vegetable curry, fried rice with vegetable and egg, mushroom and cheese pasta. They were all so, so. What I really enjoyed were the roasted eggplant and basil pasta AND the Farmhouse sandwich. Of course the banana and granola yogurt! Super yummy!

Average price of meal: P180
Yogurt: P75

Masfere Inn

I liked the food here better than Yoghurt House. This is the place where the photos of Masfere, the father of Philippine photography, is displayed. He chronicled the life in the Cordilleras through his photos.

We ordered the chopsuey and the pancit canton and bihon. We also tried the vegetable fried rice which was very tasty also.

Average price of meal: P180

Lemon House

This place only offers Lemon Pie, Egg pie, Carrot cake and Banana Cake. All for P15 to P20 a slice. They only serve breakfast and these cakes. The breakfast served is also dependent on the cook if he/ she is not part of the fiesta. :-)

The pies are ok. Not too tasty but good enough.

NOTE: The restaurants close at 730 pm. If you want to have dinner in these restaurants, make sure that you are there by 6 pm. Remember, this is not a city. People will not stay up late just to serve food.

While there, order Mountain tea or Lemongrass tea. Oh... and the local coffee brewed fresh! Yummy!

Also, you might want to eat at the Log Cabin. They said that its good but you need advanced reservations. It gets really full so better reserve before leaving for Sagada. Meal costs about P350/head.

Third Day:

SAGADA to BAGUIO
Bus trip of Lizardo bus from Sagada to Baguio leaves every hour from 5 am to 1 pm. We woke up at 330 am to catch the 5 am bus it arrived at 530 and left at a little after 6:00 am. I actually prefer this than leaving earlier since it was still pretty dark at that time.

The roads to Baguio are zig zagged almost all the way. The trip took 6 hours but the view is breath-taking. The clouds below us and the sunrise made the 6 hour trip bearable. There were about 3 to 4 stops along the way.

I love it that we were able to buy broccoli and cauliflower at P20/kilo.

BAGUIO to MANILA

From the Lizardo bus station in Baguio, take a cab to the Victory Liner bus station. Cab ride is about P37 to P45.00. The ticketing office of Victory Liner is on the second floor. A bus to Manila (Pasay/ Cubao) leaves every 20 minutes. This costs about P450.00. This trip takes about 7 hours with 3 stops. There are also stops to pick up and drop off passengers along the way.

There is also a non-stop bus from Baguio to Manila. This takes about 5 hours, costs about P700.

These buses show movies that makes the trip bearable. Of course the buses are airconditioned.

What to bring:
a. Sweater
b. Flash light
c. Comfortable shoes for walking
d. Trekking sandals for inside the cave
e. Comfortable clothing

** Note: The locals are very laid back... no need for make up and fancy clothing. There will be lots of walking and trekking, better be as simple and comfortable as possible.

Cost:
A. Manila to Bontoc - P650
B. Bontoc to Sagada Jeep - P45
C. Rooms - 1000/ night (P333.33/person/ night)*2 = P700 for 2 nights
D. Guide - 500 for 1-4 people (Php500/3) = P170/ person
E. Sagada to Baguio - P220
F. Baguio to Manila (Victory Liner) - P450
G. Food - P1000 (or less)
H. Water - P35/ big bottle

Average spending: P3,000 - P4,000 (could be lesser if you find a cheaper place to stay and not to eat out)

Clay Pot Bean Curd

2008-12-02T00:50:00.001+08:00

Got this recipe from the book Egg and Bean Curd. There are a number of really good recipes in this book and I've been trying each and everyone of them. One thing that I really enjoy about Chinese cooking is that you can easily modify the recipe to your liking and it still will give you your desired flavor.

For this recipe, make sure that you have a clay pot ready. It's amazing how cooking with this pot actually enhances the flavor of the dish!

Ingredients:
1 pack of fried bean curd (for Phil. residents, I was able to get this from SM Makati) or 1 long bean curd fried til golden brown
3 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 carrot (I sometimes take this out... not really our favorite veggie)
4 pcs. chicken
2 stalks spring onion
4 pcs. dried oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup button mushrooms

Marinade:
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1/2 tbsp of water

Seasoning:
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
pinch of pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1/2 tbsp of water

1. Marinade chicken using the marinade mix for 30 minutes.
2. Soak shitake and oyster mushrooms until soft. Remove stem.
3. Boil carrot until done and slice.
4. Section spring onion
5. Heat 2 tbsps of oil. Stir fry shitake, oyster and button mushrooms. Add the chicken until it turns whittish. You can sprinkle some salt and pepper if you wish.
6. Add in carrot and Seasoning mixture.
7. Return bean curd to the wok and cook until the flavor of the sauce us absorbed.
8. When the sauce is reduced by half, pour the food into a claypot, add sectioned spring onion.
9. Reboil and serve with freshly cooked rice.

Note: You can also add vermicelli noodles but make sure there are double the amount of sauce. The noodles will absorb the sauce and will make the dish dry.

ENJOY!

Deep Fried Bean Curd with Savoury Sauce

2008-12-02T00:48:00.000+08:00

Just cooked this tonight and was a big hit with Edgar! The ginger and sesame oil makes this dish so tasty. Try it!

Ingredients:
4 pcs. bean curd
1/8 kg. ground beef
2 small stalk spring onion
1/4 cup ginger
2 dried shitake mushrooms
2 oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup corn starch

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

Seasoning:
1/2 cup stock
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce

1. Cut bean curd into 4 thin layers. Dry with paper towels.
2. Soak mushrooms.
3. Using the marinade mixture, marinade the ground beef for 20 minutes
3. Mince the ginger, spring onions and mushrooms
4. Combine minced ingredients with ground beef.
5. Coat bean curd with corn starch.
6. With 4 tbsp. oil, fry the beef mixture until brown.
7. Fry bean curd until both sides are golden brown in the same pan you fried the beef.
8. Remove bean curd from pan and put the beef mixture on top
9. Return the bean curd with beef to the same pan. Add Seasoning and bring to a boil.
10. Dish up and serve.

3 Amazing days in Bohol

2008-11-25T10:43:00.012+08:00

Bohol - Alona beach area, has a certain charm that not a lot of beaches have. It's quiet and a chilled, laid back kind of fun.

Ed and I spent a weekend in Alona Vida resort along the Alona Beach area. We took the 8:00 am flight out of Manila via Cebu Pacific so we got there on time at 9:15 am. I must say that we did not encounter any problems in our flight to Tagbilaran and since we opted not to check-in anything (also it takes off P200 from your airfrare if you don't have any check-in luggage), we breezed through the check-in counter and was by the gate in 20 to 25 minutes of arriving at the airport. We had a lot of time to buy some breakfast at the food stalls at the departure area. They have Jamaican Patties, Delifrance, Cinnabon and a couple of other coffee shops there.

The flight going back to Manila was delayed for about 20 minutes which is not so bad but if you are flying for business I suggest taking a more reliable airline.

NAIA Terminal 3 has the makings of a nice presentable airport for Manila. It's sad though that some parts of it is obviously unfinished. I hope that the government can get its act together and complete this project. Since the airports are the first area the foreign visitors see, it leaves quite a big impression on them.

Since we booked a pick-up from Alona Vida, our driver, Ronnie, was waiting for us already by the exit of the Tagbilaran airport. The 35 minute drive from the airport to Alona Beach was a breeze since the car is well-maintained and the aircondition of the car was working perfectly well. I suggest that you book an airport pick-up with your resort since there are no (or rare) cabs that go all the way from the city to the beach area.

ALONA VIDA RESORT
Boy, am I glad that we chose this resort and this area. It's situated in the middle of a row of resorts fronting the beach. The fine white sand greeted us as we checked in to our hotel. Alona Vida's room is cozy and perfect for a couple of nights stay. They have a bar, diving school, swimming pool and a restaurant that serves good food.

The beds are wide and the bathrooms are clean. They provide for towels but not soap or shampoo so bring your own. They have hot/ cold water for showering and cable tv. The water pressure is also strong so you can wash off the sand from your body pretty well.

The staff was great too... except that there was a glitch in their credit card payment system as we checked out and Rachel was not able to provide a better alternative for us. (On a side note, I think this is one of the weakness of filipino service... for the staff to be more proactive in providing their clients options when its their system that does not work.) The people in the restaurant were all friendly and corteous. If you want to have a good person to coordinate with in that resort, look for Fatima. She's fantastic!

ALONA BEACH DIVING HAVEN

Alona Beach is a haven for divers but since I did not dive on this trip, I enjoyed the quiet mornings just lounging around and enjoying the sun. If I had one more day though, I would have sneaked in a dive to Balicasag. I actually felt a little sad leaving Alona Beach on our second day to tour the city. Hahaha! That's how badly I wanted to just lounge around.

BOHOL CITY TOUR

The city tour was nice but not something I would want to do the second time around. Ronnie offered us his service of touring us around the city. The tour includes 7 spots but if you don't want to hit some of the spots, its fine too. The areas are:

a. The Blood Compact Shrine- This is a monument where the ritual sealing the friendship of Sikatuna and Legaspi.
b. Baclayon church - One of the oldest churches in Asia with coral stoned walls run by Jesuits. It was started in the 1500's so the old feel is so prominent. It's interesting too how they are able to preserve the walls.

c. Man-made Forest - This is Edgar's favorite area. This you should not miss! It's on the way to Chocolate Hills so you really won't miss it. Make sure though that you go out of the car and feel the cool and crisp air that these trees create. This project was started during the Marcos administration where they planted mahogany trees to 300 hectares of land spanning a couple of baranggays in the area. Great idea, Mr. Marcos! I hope there are more of these done in every area of the Philippines.

d. Chocolate Hills - Not to be missed since we've been studying this since we were in grade 3. You have to climb about 50 steps to get to the top but the view is worth it. There will also be camera men offering their services for souvenir photos.

e. Loboc River Cruise lunch - Honestly, I would've skipped this since the food was just ok (compared to the food in Alona restos) and the cruise is nothing great but it was a new thing so might as well. The most popular of the floating restos is the Riverwatch. I loved their puto so if you go on the buffet, please get more than 1. I was surprised that everything was gone when I wanted to go for the second round. You eat on the boat and they take you on a breezy 20 minute cruise and stopping for a few minutes for a show prepared by the locals. It was nice to see the lolos and the lolas dancing their traditional dances. All the river cruises costs P300/ per person including lunch and entrance at the Tarsier Farm.

f. Tarsier Farm - These creatures are so cute I want to bring them home. Don't touch them, ok? They get suicidal when stressed. We also saw flying lemurs on a mango tree. I was surprised though that it was only a small farm. I thought it was bigger but the few minutes with the tarsiers was a nice experience.

g. Hanging Bridge - We were too anxious to go back to the beach that we didn't go to this spot anymore.

You can rent a car for P2,000 for the tour. They said that you might be able to find cheaper ones being offered around but they are not part of a cooperative which can provide assistance just in case your car breaks down in the middle of the tour.

There are also tours being offered by the resort but they are often more expensive at P1,800 per person.

DINING ON ALONA BEACH

Now comes the part that I enjoy talking about. THE FOOD EXPERIENCE!!! :-)

We didn't get to eat at the city where they say the food is cheap and good... but I was so satisfied with my gastronomical experience on Alona Beach that I did not mind.

There are a number of restaurants by the beach to choose from! When its not raining, the restaurants set up tables and chairs closer to the water for a more relaxing and beach-like dining experience. Here are some of the restos that we've tried and loved. Most of these are recommendations of our friends Melody and Bing who went there a couple of weeks before us.

A. Coco Vida in Alona Vida Resort - What to order:
- Try their Banana choco shake - its good and refreshing! - P110.00
- Mixed fruits pancake - they serve two huge pieces so its really good to share
- Garlic rice - They use fresh garlic!!! - between P35- P50.00
- Pancit Canton - Its tasty but oily...
- Omelette - This is also good for two.
- Chopsuey - they used fresh vegetables and is also good for two people
Just like most of the restos in the area, they offer freshly grilled seafood at night. We liked their variety best and we ordered freshly caught tangigue which was served with a nice presentation.

B. Hayahay Pizza - We had a snack here ordering Margherita pizza with extra garlic. Boy! They did not scrimp on the garlic at all! The whole pizza was filled with toppings from the side to the center! YUMMY! - P230

C. ISIS Restaurant - THE BEST SEAFOOD TOM YUM SOUP!!!
Melody was right. If only for the Seafood Tom Yum Soup with big noodles, I would go back to Bohol!!! This is the tastiest Seafood Tom Yum Soup I have ever had! Be careful with the lemon grass and herbs though since there a lot which makes the soup really good. This dish is meant to be shared. Big serving.

We also tried their Egg in Tamarind Sauce which for me is another to die for dish!!!

The chef is Thai so no wonder their food is delicous and tastes authentic thai!!! :-)

Also one thing I noticed in this resto is they have nice dishes and serving plates. Not the plastic types that you normally see in beach restos. Interesting!

D. Pyramid - This restaurant is about two restaurants away from Alona Vida. They serve the yummiest Bam-i!!! Its so good and plenty that I brought them back to Manila and had them for lunch at the office!

What we kept on going back to is their Split-up Banana with Ice Cream. The first night we went there they served it with Chippy all around. I loved it but Ed didn't so the next time we went, we requested to have it topped in cereals. It was heavenly! The warm banana with cold ice cream topping... Fantastic!!!

Break down of costs:

1. Airfare - Cebu Pacific P1.00 promo, bought two seats and insurance - Total cost: P3,150.00 roundtrip
2. Hotel - Alona Vida (they just increased their rates) - P3,200 per night
3. Airport pick-up and drop-off - P500 one way- Total of P1,000 per car
4. City Tour - P2,000 a day for 7 spots
5. Loboc River Cruise - P300/ person with lunch
6. Food - P2,000/ head for 3D/ 2N - that's if you're super matakaw :-)

We were sorry to leave Bohol but we know we will be back! If you have questions on Bohol, feel free to email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com.

Hope this helps!!

Turning 32 with friends!!!

2008-11-24T12:14:00.006+08:00

On the night of my birthday, I was in for a treat. We had a special dinner with Bing and Melody in this new restaurant in A. Venue call Artina Gallery Cafe. The food is delicous. I tried the mushroom risotto and really enjoyed it. They really did not scrimp on the truffle oil which is great! :-) It's taste is too rich though so you might want to have a side dish.

The owner of the restaurant was so gracious that he even gave us wine. Fantastic birthday dinner!

We are (for sure) going back to Artina Gallery and Cafe. There are a few more items in the menu worth trying. The ambiance is somewhat fine dining but not stiff which is a good venue to have a quiet dinner with friends. The food is delicious and the price is reasonable for the food that they serve.

Pam also followed after dinner which was great! :-) Her birthday gift to me is priceless! Thank you, Pammy! You'll see it on my wall pretty soon!

Location: Ground Floor, A. Venue Mall, Makati Ave.
Price Range: P400 to P600 per person

2008 Birthday Trip - Bohol

2008-11-19T10:40:00.000+08:00

Yes, yes, one more year! Yes, yes, a year older! I hope a year wiser too! :-) This year, I didn't join my friends in their trip to Italy. Made me a bit sad that I can't be with them but we're meeting up in Hong Kong anyway so that makes it less sad for me. :-)

I have two trips for my birthday that I'm looking forward to. The first is my Bohol trip with my Edgar :-), the second one, a week with Melody and Jacky in HK and Macau. :-)

It's my first time to go to Bohol so I'm really excited. It's also the first time I'm riding the plane with Edgar. Should be very interesting. :-) We're staying in this resort called Alona Vida. My friends Bing and Melody went there two weeks ago and they loved the place. We've also been given a list of places to eat at. I'm looking forward to eating the Tom Yum soup with flat noodles in Isys. Melody's been raving about it.

Anyway, I'll let you know about my Cebu Pacific experience and the whole Bohol trip with costs, reviews and contact numbers when I get back.

Twilight - a 32 year old View

2008-11-19T10:19:00.004+08:00

As the craze of the movie premiere has begun, I have succumbed to the fad and started listening to the audiobook of Twilight. I suddenly saw myself wanting to walk to the office every morning rather than taking a cab (my car's in the shop). It gave me more time to listen to the story of Eduard and Bella. Yes, the story is cheesy... yes, it actually is for teens and tweens but who can resist the soft and enchanting voice of Ilyana Kadushin. You should listen to her when she reads the time in the forest and while they were doing question and answer in Bella's room. Too enchanting... to0 breath taking...

I find Eduard's looks and description too unreal, too beautiful that I am not sure if any human being can actually portray his character. I can imagine the "kilig" of Bella everytime she would look at Eduard but its so "teenish". I'm not against it and I don't think it changes the whole experience of listening to Twilight for me though.

I'm only on chapter 15 as I write this but I can't wait to listen and finish this audiobook. I wonder if the movie can depict the sultriness of Ilyana Kadushin's reading.

I might be too old for the cheesiness of the story but the enchantment of the vampire world has definitely bit me.

Mushroom Patties

2008-08-04T11:38:00.003+08:00

Since I have not eaten a burger for a year now, I've been wanting to make my own mushroom patty so I have searched the web for a recipe that will suit my liking. Unfortunately, nothing came close. So, I've decided to make my own and I'm loving it... of course Edgar loved it too. :-) It's healthy and yummy! What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:
3 cups of different kinds of mushrooms (shitake, oysters and button mushrooms) chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 tsps mushroom seasoning
1 medium sized carrots diced to small pieces
3 tbsps spring onions chopped
1 medium sized onions chopped
8 cloves of garlic diced
1 cup of spinach leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 tsps of soy sauce
2 large eggs
1 cup of breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Procedure:
1. Saute the chopped mushrooms in melted butter until tender. Add mushroom seasoning for flavor.
2. Remove from fire and let cool.
3. Combine carrots, onions, spring onions, garlic, spinach and parmesan cheese in one bowl. Mix well.
4. Pour in the mushrooms to your carrots mixture.
4. Add in the soy sauce, eggs and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until the mixture is thick enough to be made into a patty.
5. Form into burger patties. Fry or grill and enjoy with your favorite hamburger buns. :-)

I made a lot already so I can just put them in the freezer and grill or fry as I want them.

My life... NOW! :-)

2008-07-13T22:52:00.005+08:00

Two months ago, I was on a crossroad. I had to make a decision that would affect a number of things in my life. In my 31 years in this world, this is one of the pain staking decisions I had to make.

When I realized that I was not happy and that means, I will make the people around me miserable, I had to do something to re-align my life. I had to find a deeper meaning and reason in everything that I am doing.

Now, two months have passed and admittedly, I still have not found the deeper meaning I am looking. I still am trying to find my passion in life but I have come to accept that its ok not to know... It's fine to be in this situation... for "Now". In this present moment, life is teaching me something and I have to be open to. I'm trying not to fight it. I really am. It's not easy but I feel I'm learning a lot of things at this moment.

I am an eager beaver. When I want something, I want it now. That works well for some parts of my life but not always. If I ask God that I want to find a deeper meaning in what I do, I don't think He will give it to me as soon as I close my eyes and go into prayer. I accept it more than ever that this is a journey I have to take.

I'm so blessed to have this time to be by myself and enjoy the free time. I have a hard time just staying put and not planning my activities but now, I am learning to be in the "Now". When I am at home and just reading a book, I enjoy it. When I am just sitting down and watching tv, I feel the breeze or the surroundings that I have and i love it. Everyday is a different experience, not the type that I am accustomed to but I need to accept this, before I move on the next chapter of my life. I have to go through it with acceptance and the openness to learn.

People who know me would wonder why I have not lined up my days one activity, class or event after the other. That's who I am. I don't like idleness but being alone and spending time with my family is enough for me for now. I will have time again for all of those but now I am happy spending time alone and in my parents' house.

This free time is not forever! I will miss these times very much when I start working again but I think God knew what I needed at this time in my life and He gave it to me... the purpose, passion and meaning will come as long as I have once again regain and reminded of who I am inside.

Eat Pray Love

2008-07-11T08:29:00.004+08:00

I've put off buying an ipod until now. I didn't think I needed it. I was in the office all the time and I can use my computer anyway to listen to music. But now, I don't think I can leave the house alone without it.

Yes, the music keeps me company but what I found as my new companions are the audiobooks! I love reading books but I can't seem find the time to sit down and read. Now, where ever I go, I read (or listen!) as the case maybe.

My walking companion these past few days is Elizabeth Gilbert. In her new book Eat, Pray, Love, she narrates her year of travel all around Italy, India and Indonesia. Her voice is so soothing that I get sucked into the experience that she's telling me about. The way she described the pizza she ate in Naples, Italy made me melt into pieces and wished I was there eating the double cheese margherita pizza with fresh tomato sauce on a thin but gooey crust that just melts in your mouth. Ohhhhh.... That's heaven in a pan!

Her journey from being an unhappy wife to self-discovery enchants me. Her depression and sadness was described beautifully but I still can't fathom how such pain, feeling and thoughts can happen to one person... I get bits and pieces of it from experience but I really am praying I don't experience that much helplessness. I love her adventures though and how she's trying to get out of that rut.

Some of my favorite lines from the book:
SO LOVE HIM. SO MISS HIM.
Stop putting your wishbone where you backbone ought to be.
** I understand this as accepting how you feel at the moment. You don't have to act on everything that you feel but you can acknowledge them.

There are so many more that I can't remember right now but this book is something I would keep on my ipod and keep listening to over and over again.

Ed and Johann's birthday dinner

2008-07-07T00:02:00.003+08:00

After listening to The Five Love Languages for Singles, I realized that one of my love languages is Time. Yes, time spent with my loved ones. No matter what we are doing. I really do appreciate the time and effort they extend in spending time with me and the people I love. Now that puts all my feelings into perspective. hahaha! I was confused for a while.

Last Saturday, our friends took time to buy Ed and Johann's gifts all the way in Marikina and they gave them a really fun, nice and memorable dinner in Amalia's Magallanes (yes! They have opened a branch there!).

The food was good... we ordered all three kinds of paella and finished them all. :-)

After dinner, we had dessert as Ms. Melody treated us to everything that we saw in the ref! Hahaha! Too bad there was no Banofee Pie that night. I guess that's why we ordered every cake that we saw. It was one of those nights when the laughter just won't die down, at least for Ed, Johann and Meggy. hahaha!

Pam was there too... She was tired and sleepy after staying out all night in Capone's and going to work early the next day... Despite that, she spent time with us and I appreciate that very much. Drinks followed in Kublai's that night... Relaxed drinking but fun!

Thanks, guys! I know it wasn't my birthday but that night was fun! Thank you!

Ed's birthday dinner

2008-06-29T10:14:00.004+08:00

It's my Love's birthday yesterday. Yahoo! :-) For his birthday dinner, we tried the amazing buffet in Spirals Softitel. It was eating non-stop and filling our tummies to the hilt. hahaha!

We got there right before sunset but the dark clouds were looming so we were not able to try the Sunset Bar near the pool area. It's nice to just sit down and enjoy the bay. The waves were pretty strong that day and it was a bit on the rainy side so we were not able to stay outside for a long time.

Nonetheless, my honey enjoyed the sound of the waves and the nice breeze by the bay and pool side.

The buffet is so varied from Italian, spanish, chinese, japanese and korean dishes. Super yummy! Ed's favorite though is the long dessert table. He can't stop feasting on the chocolate fountain and everything chocolate there. He even placed chocolate on his puto bumbong! hahaha! Yes! That's how much he loved it.

His smile alone when he started eating his dessert plate was enough to make me smile the whole night.

Mixed Vegetables with Japanese Dressing

2008-06-28T00:05:00.003+08:00

If you feel like having vegetables with a Japanese dish taste, try this really appetizing recipe. It's healthy and very tasty.

Got this recipe from Asian Vegetarian Recipes Periplus Mini Cookbooks (of course, I've tweaked it a bit). :-)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: around 20 minutes
For 4 people

Ingredients:
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup Kikkoman
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup mirin - available in japanese groceries or in the Asian section of your favorite supermarkets
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic (add more if you love a more garlic taste)
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning - available in the Asian section of the supermarkets
1 c. of oyster mushrooms
2 pcs. medium carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch spinach
salt and pepper

1. Soak shitake mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain but leave 1/4 c. of used mushroom water.
2. Cut the mushrooms in quarters.
3. Mix Kikkoman, ginger, mirin, white sugar and reserved mushroom water.
4. Add the mushrooms and stir well.
5. In a wok, sautee garlic and add the oyster mushrooms and mushroom seasoning.
6. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Add carrots, cauliflower and bell pepper
8. Pour prepared liquid and bring to a boil.
9. Add spinach and simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Serve hot with steam rice.

Enjoy!

Avenue Q High

2008-06-23T09:23:00.004+08:00

Braving the winds and the rains, my friends and I trooped to RCBC Building to watch the Farewell Run of Avenue Q in Manila. It was so worth it! Every scene had us laughing and yet thinking at the same time. It's not often that you come out of a theater with a lot of learning and a need for introspection. It was fantastic how points raised in the play became major topics of conversation over dinner.

I think I was hooked from the first song, "It Sucks to Be Me!" and it went on to "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" to "For Now".

The play dabbles on different touchy subjects that people can easily relate to. Yes, we all are a little bit racist sometimes and if we do accept that it is there, then we can probably live with a little bit more harmony.

Also, the idea that everyone looks for their purpose in life is noble and fantastic, but sometimes it does not come easy and you just have to ride through it... or, it does not come at all but it does not make your life any cheaper or sadder. It just is, at least "For Now". :-)

It also is true that we do experience "Schadenfreude" in our lives. We do find happiness in the misery of others. Don't deny! :-) There are very few people who are spared.

Aiza Seguerra, playing the role of Gary Coleman is a revelation to me. I know she can sing but she was really good in this play. I think she has chosen one venue for her talent where she can really shine. Her voice is fantastic. I never realized how good her singing voice is until I saw this play.

Carla Guevarra- Laforteza, playing Kate Monster and Lucy Slut has a very strong voice. She can rock the place anytime. I was amazed at how she managed to change voice characters and I think she has one of the strongest voices in the cast. Great work!

Kudos the cast and production members of this play. Hope that you stage more of these so that we, who can't go to Broadway all the time, can experience the beauty of these plays and musicals in our own country. Good luck on your Singapore run! :-)

100 Things that make me happy

2008-05-24T11:39:00.001+08:00

1. Seeing the ocean
2. Sitting on a beach
3. Sunsets
4. Catching an episode of my favorite tv series on cable. One that I haven’t seen before
5. The first sip of a really good cup of coffee in the morning
6. A hand holing mine
7. Hearing a song on the radio that I haven’t heard in a long time
8. Anticipation of a trip
9. taking a nice photograph
10. Mornings that you just wake up with a smile… with no apparent reason
11. Driving without much traffic
12. A comforting hug
13. A genuine smile
14. A phone call from an old friend
15. Non-stop laughter
16. Soft bed sheets
17. Staying in bed with my boyfriend
18. Finding a lost item
19. A good sweat after a work out
20. A sip of water after a long work out
21. Really tasty adobo
22. Getting a surprise bouquet of flowers
23. Watching my boyfriend wash dishes. Imagine a big guy hunched over a small sink washing the breakfast dishes.
24. A kiss and a gentle touch to wake you up in the morning
25. Walking under the rain
26. Being quiet for a few minutes in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel
27. Writing on my journal
28. Having a chat with my mom. After the craziness of teenage years, I appreciate my relationship with my mom more and more.
29. A phone call from my Dad
30. Practicing patience. God knows I’m not the most patient person in the world.
31. Doing a favor for my sister
32. Listening to a good homily during mass. It takes a smart and non-traditional priest for this to happen. Yes, I am catholic but I don’t go to mass since there’s not much to get from the priests’ homilies. When I hear a good one, its a gold in a mine.
33. Smell of a good dish that I cooked

See more progress on: identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money)

Virgin Beach Resort- Laiya, Batangas

2008-03-26T11:05:00.002+08:00

For the first time in years, I have decided to stay in Manila during Holy Week. I needed to relax completely and rid my mind of the stress (well, that includes the stress of a long vacation too!). It was a great experience doing absolutely nothing! I haven't done that in a while and I didn't realize it was that liberating! :-)

On my fourth vacation day though, my feet were itching to go out of town so I agreed to join my family to a trip to Batangas.

After a two and a half hour ride, we found Virgin Beach Resort in San Juan, Laiya, Batangas. White sand, clear waters and a wonderful cloudless sky made me smile. The water had some jellyfish but not enough to scare me.

We only went there for a day trip and Virgin Beach Resort is very accommodating to day trippers like us. They have cottages and grills all around the area. The day trippers area is a bit far from the private area of the overnighters but our area is not bad for a few hours stay. It gets packed though so make sure that your ears are ready to hear the different kinds of music coming from every cottage.

The smoke of the grills can either annoy you or can remind you of the good old days. BRING LOTS OF FOOD AND COOK IT BY THE BEACH! :-) That means, marinated chicken, liempo, bangus, kamatis at bagoong and salted egg! UMM!!! YUMMY!!! Oh... and fruits like watermelon, mangoes and turnips (singkamas)!

You can rent a cottage for P1,000 a day. The grill has been set up so you can share it with other people within your area. I guess that's fine since there are a lot of grills all around. They also keep the grounds clean all the time with two posts of trash bins in every cottage and care takers changing the bags every hour.

Parasols can be rented with a mattress and a wooden bed. You can sleep here the whole day for P1,200.

Bathrooms. They have showers and toilet areas. Not the best that you can find in the world but clean enough. I wished though that they have a space where you can place your toiletries inside the shower.

If you don't have food with you, you can avail of their set meal for P600/head. They have a nice restaurant that serves good mango shake and mais con hielo. The restaurant is fronting the beach so just sitting down there on a hot summer day and sipping your shake is like being in paradise!

For those who wants to go on an overnight trip, they have airconditioned casitas (P6,600.00 a night) for 4 people and fan rooms called Bamboo cabanas (P4,400.00 a night) for 6 people. Check in time is 1:00 pm and Check out time is 11:30 am. Additional P1,100/ head for packaged dinner, breakfast and lunch.

If you stay overnight, the area where the lounge chairs are --by the beach-- is perfect if you want to just relax and watch the sunset.

The staff seems to be very nice and accommodating. I've read an article online with the nasty email and I was worried about their service. It turns out that they are very friendly and always ready to help you out.

I can't wait to go back and enjoy the beach and the resort! :-)

Check out additional photos at http://www.pbase.com/lysh/virginbeach.
For reservations, you can call them at +632 815-2584 or 815-2587 or visit their website at http://www.virginbeachresort.com/.

Here's the breakdown of the cost for the day-trippers:
a. Entrance fee: P100/ head
b. Corkage fee if you have food and drinks: P70/ head or Php600.00/head if you're eating at the restaurant
c. Cottage fee: P1000.00 for a whole day
d. Parking fee: P50/ car

For overnighters:
a. Airconditioned casitas: P6,600 for 4 people - (P1650/ head)
b. Food: P1,100/ head (lunch, dinner, breakfast)

*** Add around P500/ head for gas and toll fee in SLEX and Star Toll Way.

Helping the Environment In Our Small Ways

2008-03-14T16:09:00.005+08:00

Take care of the environment, print only if necessary ...

My friend Bel sent me this line in her email. She found it in someone else's email. I'm thinking of using it in mine too.

Now a days the push to help the environment due to global warming has been increasing as they use different forms of media to educate us.

Last Friday, over coffee, my friends and I started to think of different ways to help the environment. Small things that can eventually make a difference if everyone takes it on. So, let me share with you some of my friends small efforts to save the earth.

1. Melody - Collecting plastic bottles of water that you use. Don't throw them away. You can sell them (or give it to) groups or people who knows how to recycle them properly.
2. Meggy - gets the trash that she sees underwater every time she dives
3. Pam - stopped using the escalator and uses the stairs to go to work (saves on electricity and exercise pa!)
4. Bel - no more printing of emails
5. Bel - no unnecessary use of facial tissues. If towels can be used, that will be better.
6. Lyshiel - use cloth bag as often as possible. Get the foldable ones that you can put in your purse or use the cloth bags you can buy in the supermarkets
7. Edgar - refusing flyers distributed on the street or in the malls. Save trees everytime you say no.

What's your small way of helping the environment? Add it as a comment so we can have a longer list.

Photography, anyone?

2008-02-11T10:37:00.001+08:00

The timelessness of a photograph is what has pushed me to take photos where ever I go. Taking it one step further, I purchased a digital SLR. My little baby, a Nikon D40. Now, what is an instrument if I don't fully understand how it is used, right?

After 6 months, I have enrolled myself in the Basic Photography class of Jay Alonzo. It was convenient for me since the classes are held in the Filipino Heritage Library across Manila Peninsula Hotel. It runs for 3 Saturdays and I just finished my second class last weekend.

I love that I can actually understand the use of my camera and the basic techniques in taking good photos. I enjoy our exercises and assignments. It is not just taking photos now. It's taking photos that matters to me. It's capturing moments in a manner that touches my heart.

It is not a cheap hobby though. The equipment are expensive but making use of what I have at the moment is the biggest challenge I want to take on.

I'll be posting more and more photos on my pbase account (www.pbase.com/lysh)

Non-stop Christmas Cheers

2007-12-27T16:44:00.000+08:00

Nothing beats the festivities of a Filipino Christmas. Food, Family, Friends and non-stop laughter and gifts make this season merry.

This year is no exception. Ed and I have been going to different dinners, lunches and get togethers to celebrate the season with people closest to our hearts.

Christmas eve was spent with my family. Having all the people I love in roof, enjoying a good meal and laughing our hearts out while giving gifts to each other is my greatest joy!

I wish I can spend Christmas day with Ed's family but I had to go to Batangas to fulfill an annual tradition which is kind of getting old for me. Its a gift-giving, raffle and games thing that my Dad has started so I had to go.

Dinner with the SE 5 people in Tagaytay was also one of the best Christmas dinners I had this year. It's great to see all of them again especially Jo who I have not seen in forever. I think the best part of the dinner for me though was the girl talk that Jo and I had in the car on the way to Tagaytay. Women can REALLY talk! It's unbelievable!

The dinner with Patty, Jimmy, Ron , Kimmy, Patrice and Carol on Christmas night was also something new. Food, drinks and non-stop talking abound.

Last night's get together with the Friday night group has proved to be loud and crazy as we always are. Too bad I didn't get to take photos of this night but I'm sure Bing will have some.

Of course, in addition to my family's Christmas eve dinner, the highlight of my Christmas is when Ed surprised me with two huge boxes in my room when I got home. His gifts were all well thought off! He gave me all the stuff that I've been wanting to buy for myself but never really got around to getting. The two big boxes is a lamp that looks so perfect in my room! I super love this guy talaga!!!

Merry Christmas, everyone and I hope that you enjoy every get together too. Its the best time to catch up and show the people we care about how much they mean to us.

Heny Sison's Culinary School in Makati

2007-11-29T12:05:00.001+08:00

Update: As of November 2008, Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) took over the Henny Sison School in Waltermart Makati. I saw the sign outside. I'll try to call or go there get more info on their classes. I'll probably take a baking class there soon. I'll keep you posted.

For those looking for cooking classes around the Makati area, try The Maya Kitchen. Here's their website, http://www.themayakitchen.com. They also have short and weekend classes.

======================================

Henny Sison just openned her newest culinary school on the 5th level of Waltermart Makati.

I saw the schedule of classes on my way to the grocery so I decided to pay them a visit yesterday. Since I got there around 7 and there were no more classes for the day, I just looked around for someone to ask. To my surprise I met Heny Sison herself and Chef Vicky... very pleasant surprise.

They have their December 2007 schedule already and its very interesting. I can't wait to take the Brownie Collection class, The Pasta Workshop and the Introduction to Japanese Cooking. They have weeknights and weeekend classes.

Two more classes I found interesting are the Quick Classic Cafe Food for those who are thinking of starting their own cafes and their Cupcakelicious where they teach how to make different flavored cupcakes. :-)

Their school is pretty big with two fully equipped classrooms. The fees range from Php1,500 to Php3,000 per leisure class (these are the ones that last for 4 hours each class). They aslo have the Special Essential Cooking classes for those who want to become chefs.

Since they just set up an office, they still don't have a fax machine. The website is also under development. I can share with you mine. Email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com and I can fax you a copy. You can also call them at +632 3862210 to 11.

31st Birthday Treats

2007-11-26T17:34:00.000+08:00

I turned a year older last week! :-) I am a fabulous 31 year old now.

My birthday celebration started when we left for Paris in October 27. Since that's my birthday gift to myself, I indulged myself to a month long birthday celebration. My friends and I went to Prague, Vienna, Reims, Versailles and Paris for two weeks. There are so many stories about this trip and I promise to put some more blogs about it later on.

Three days before my birthday, I had the chance to have lunch with DJ and Meine. We had a 3 hour lunch just catching up in CPK Shangri-la Mall. Girl bonding always gives me a good perspective on things.

On my birthdate, my office mates gave me a cake. It was so sweet of them to do that. :-)

And for dinner, of course I was with Edgar. :-) He gave me a bouquet of flowers and we had a simple dinner in La Grotta, followed by dessert in Bizu. It was a relaxed and no worry birthday celebration that I really enjoyed just being pampered and loved by Ed. Just when I thought that the date's over, he gave me my gift. Aerosoles boots! :-) hahaha! Why? Because I had a breakdown the weekend before... none of my shoes matches any of my clothes -- even though I have boxes of shoes lined up in front of me (of course any girl who's been through a wardrobe breakdown can understand my dilemma). hahaha! It's a super nice ankle high boots. I can't wait to wear them.

Last Friday, my friends treated me to a great dinner in Queens on Jupiter St. Since Melody figured out that I am so worried about my skin aging (hahaha!), they got me the Clarins Lift Visage. It was really really sweet of them.

I wonder what's in store this year. I'm sure it's fun, fantastic and fabulous. Just like me. :-)

Racks Restaurant, Magallanes

2007-11-26T16:58:00.000+08:00

Racks... The Best Ribs In Town. Or so they claim...

Since Racks Pasay Road closed down, I have always wondered when it will open a branch within the Makati area again. When I used to eat pork, I can not get enough of their ribs, and their sauce... oh... their sauce. YUM!

So, when we saw that the Racks branch in Paseo de Magallanes was open, we were all excited to have the Racks Ribs for my brother's birthday. Well, whatever they served did not match our expectations at all.

My family is a huge meat eating group. So, when we saw the menu and all its delicously photographed food, they could not stop themselves from ordering the baby back ribs. Check out the photo on their menu. It looks really good. Big portions with a good helping of those sidings. It was really presented well and it looked like something you cannot resist.

Imagine our disappointment when they served this to my parents.

Maybe its the presentation or maybe its the dryness of the meat but the dining experience I had in this particular branch of Racks was a big disappointment. It's false advertising.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe the food stylist of the menu is really good (kudos to you!) but the presentation of the chef in the house is not even close to acceptable. The meat was even drier than I remembered it to be. The chicken was the same. Smaller than in the photo and the meat was drier.

It might also because they just opened a month or two before we dined but then again, there should be standards that should be followed, right? If the menu displayed a scrumptous dish, you don't serve one that's not been plated well nor has been cooked within the Racks standards.

I really hope they improve or the excitement of having the Best Ribs in Town is going to fade really quickly.

Barbara's Restaurant

2007-10-15T09:55:00.000+08:00

After hours of walking inside the National Museum and Luneta, we finally decided to sit down and have a snack.

Surprisingly, there's a small and cozy Spanish restaurant in the middle of a beautiful garden. Barbara's restaurant is situated inside the Orchidarium. Its homey spanish interior blends well with the relaxing view of the flowers, trees, waterfall and pond.

For snacks Ed ordered Sotanghon with mango shake and I ordered the combo of grilled ensaymada and spanish chocolate. The chocolate was nutty and tasted like choc nut. It's good but I didn't get to finish it since its nutty flavor was too rich for me. Try dipping your ensaymada in the spanish chocolate to eat the Filipino way. Pretty good! :-)

All in all our bill was about P355. Not bad for a snack for two in a nice place like that. Their entrees though are a bit pricey ranging from P250 to P450 per dish.

This place is often a venue for wedding receptions because of its romantic setting. Their branch in Intramuros is equally as beautiful with its brick walls and intimate interior. They have wedding packages as I saw in their brochures.
A different place to visit and to try out while in Manila. :-)

Location: Orosa St. cor. Finance Drive inside Luneta Park
Tel. no.: +632 5229647

Khas Restaurant, Quezon City

2007-10-14T09:14:00.000+08:00

Inside the campus of UP Diliman are several restaurants and eateries that the students and faculty enjoy. When I was working with some of the people in UP, they brought me to this small meditteranean restaurant. The flooring of the place is cement, the tables and chairs are made of plastic and there is no airconditiong in sight but I remembered how good the food was.

So, in our journey to Quezon City (It's not often that we drive to this area), we went around UP to look for this place. We were literally asking every student on the road for directions to get to the restaurant. The reactions that we get from each person we ask was hilarious. Two of them were just snickering at each other... knowing the place but not knowing how to give directions at all.

Anyhow, after about 20 minutes of going around the campus, we finally saw it. The flooring has been tiled and the chairs and tables are now wood with steel but the food is still as I remembered it.

What really struck me with this place is the variety of food that they offer at very reasonable prices. They offer vegetarian meals (either pure vegetables or with veggie meat), poultry and beef. I'm not sure if they offer pork. I didn't notice it from their menu or I might have just missed it.

Every day, they also have a dish called "Its not what you think". This is a surprise dish that changes daily or whenever the cook feels like it. You can order it with meat or vegetarian style. Interesting! :-)

Also, since its in front of the International Center, there are a number of foreign students or teachers who frequent the place. The owners, as we were told by Remy, our server, is a couple... Filipina married to a Pakistani. They started the place in the 80's and has continued serving the students, teachers and food afficionados like us.

Ed, since he's really hugry from the going around the campus, ordered a vegetable rice (P75) and Spanish omelette with chapati (P85). The lasi that he ordered is much better tasting than the lasi we ordered in Queens Restaurant. Even I liked it and I'm not a fan of lasis. I ordered a chicken biryani with basmati rice (P135). The sauce was really tasty and goes well with my wheat bread. Too bad I could not eat a lot of the basmati rice. The basmati rice was really good. I could not resist a spoon of rice so I gave in. Hay! :-)

One thing to note though, their soup is not very tasty. You might want to put a little bit of soy sauce or salt to make it tastier. It's like a bland broth with vegetables.

All in all, the experience of driving there asking for directions and finally having a good meal was a lot of fun. The price is very reasonable. The servers are courteous, friendly and very attentive. The food is yummy and worth going back to. Surprisingly, even if there's no air conditioning at a warm October morning, their ventilaion is really good since I didn't hear Ed complain that it was hot. hehehe!

If you want an adventure, try this place out. It might be worth the trip inside the campus, if you've never been there or a trip back if you haven't visited your alma mater in a long time.

Average cost per person: Around P100 to P150
Location: Inside the swimming pool compound, in front of the International center - Magsaysay St. (Not sure about the street though)

Directions: From Katipunan, make a left towards M. Guerero and then right on Magsaysay. It will be on your right side inside the Swimming pool complex. (I'm not very certain about this though. It might be better to ask the students in the area and get a kick out of their reactions. hehehe!).

A Day in the National Museum

2007-10-13T09:15:00.000+08:00

Holiday Friday with nothing much to do, Ed and I headed to Manila for the National Museum. In all of my travels, I have always been fascinated by the different cities that I have visited. My home city, Manila, has been a place I always pass through as I go to one particular destination.

Today though is a different story. I wanted to see the Spolarium of Juan Luna but ended up realizing that the whole city of Manila was strategically built (or at least they planned to) to house the important structures essential to the administration of the city and the country. It also has it's different areas of interest to boost the Philippine culture. It's sad though that this has not come to full fruition and parts of what have been completed is not well-maintained.

So, we headed to the National Museum. They have two buildings, the old Congress building which re-opened last July holds the Spolarium of Juan Luna and numerous paintings of Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo. The newer building plays host to various collection of artifacts from sunken San Diego ship to the different porcelains and vases of the Chinese era. There are also a number of collections from the numerous tribes in our country.

In my very limited exposure to the arts, I feel that they could add more collections in this building. There are 5 stories in this building and very well ventilated with cold air conditioning for each room. Since each room is named after big Philippine companies, I assume that they have been funding the maintenance of this building. Big thanks to Meralco, Ayala and the other companies that I have forgotten the names.

Just a quick observation though... since it was just Ed and myself going around the building (this is in the new building) it felt eerie. It started on the second floor hall. Ed really liked that hall area with its marble structures and its stained glasses so we were reading the history of the city and all that when I started getting nervous which is weird since I was the one who wanted to go to the museum. But the pounding of my heart went on as we moved to the each gallery. It began beating faster when we entered the San Diego hall. Ed felt it too but he chose to ignore it. I couldn't for the life of me. When it came to the Archeology hall (I've forgotten the name -the area where they show the burial rites and ways in the olden days), I couldn't make myself go in. I let Ed go inside and I waited for him outside. When he went out he said that it was eerie inside.

The tour of the Congress building though was amazing. I loved the different paintings of Luna and Hidalgo.

Take a stroll to the Teodoro Valencia Circle with the big monument of a Rajah. I think its Rajah Sulayman but I'm not sure. After all these, go inside the Orchidarium and have a grilled ensaymada and spanish chocolate in Barbara's. This is ony P110.

Ed and I know that we have so much more to explore in Manila. We haven't even began to touch the surface but it excites me that now, I can actually tell my foreign friends that there are interesting places to visit in Manila and not just the beaches outside nor the malls in the city.

Entrance fee: P100/ adult (New building)

P75/ adult (Congress building)

If you go to both buildings on the same day you get in for P150/ person

Location: Finance Rd. Manila.

Directions: From Makati, take Roxas Blvd. Make a rt on P. Burgos then another slight turn to Finance Rd. You'll see Barbara's Restaurant on your right. The two buildings are right beside each other.

For more photos, click here.

Washington Sycip Park, Makati

2007-10-13T01:13:00.000+08:00

In the middle of the bustling CBD of Makati is a little oasis on Legaspi Village. Not far from Greenbelt 1, a small garden has been built to act as a little haven and area for relaxation.

This morning, being a holiday, I decided to take my camera and shoot some photos of this park. The sun was out, there were not a lot of cars on the road and there were a few people enjoying a relaxing morning at the park.

Each entrance of the park was well planned with it's jars, rocks, and plants planted all around the doors. There are three entrances to this park. You can enter through Rada St, Gamboa St or Legaspi St. Each will lead you to a small pond with fishes and DUCKS! Yes, people! There are ducks in the middle of Makati. I was lucky to chance upon them walking from the garden to the pond.

It was great to see kids with their parents enjoying the park and feeding the fishes.

There are also benches underneath the trees and gazebos which some people use for studying, reading a book or just passing time.

There are security guards who man the place to make sure that everything is in order. The grounds are surprisingly clean. Thanks to the administrators of this park. I really hope that they maintain this little oasis for us who needs to get away from the madness of the city life. It's no Central Park but an area to sit down and read a book with green surroundings is always welcome.

For more photos on this park, click here.

Brian and Audrey's Wedding

2007-10-02T12:57:00.000+08:00

Weddings are fun celebrations especially if you know that the couple getting married are happy to be together and sincerely in love.

Ed and I attended a very beautiful wedding last Saturday. It was the wedding of our friends Brian and Audrey. The ceremony was done at the Paco church while the reception was in Le Souffle at the Fort.

The wedding was one of those fun weddings and everyone enjoyed the great food and drinks that night.

I know that preparing for a wedding, even though you are just a guest, is difficult. You need to look for a gown, shoes, accessories, make-up artist and hair stylist. I think this is the first time that I actually enjoyed prepping up for a wedding.

My gown that night was beautiful. Designer Jan Garcia created this beautiful gown for me. The cloth is a saree that I bought from India but the assymetrical mermaid style with a greecian flare is all Jan's idea. The german guests loved it and everyone in the room complimented me on my dress. Good work Jan!

Patty also introduced me to Rudy and Angel who did my hair and make up. My make up was subtle which suit my dress. Rudy's expertise is eyebrows so my eyes really looked elegant that night. Also, my hair was in a nice french twist that highligted my face.

Ed said I looked beautiful that night so that just made all my gown fitting efforts, going around for shoes and accessories all worth it.

My very good looking boyfriend wore a suit and looked very regal. He enjoyed being a photographer that night. Snapping shots at everything that was happening in the room.

I enjoyed hosting the event as well. With a fun-loving couple like Audrey and Brian, making the reception a PARTY is not difficult at all.

Best wishes to the newlyweds: Mr. and Mrs. Brian Jacob Quinn! :-)

If you want to get in touch with Mr. Jan Garcia, you can go to his shop at 2925 Alger St. Poblacion, Makati City. Near Rockwell and Soms. His mobile number is 09193373131. For hair and make up, contact Rudy L. Adriatico at 09196915841 (Please reserve in advance since they have a lot of bookings for TVCs and TV shows). They do home service.

Videoke Night Surprise

2007-09-27T14:24:00.000+08:00

I have always been amazed at how obsessed filipinos are with videoke and singing. No filipino party is ever complete without a videoke. When we were cruising the rapids of Pagsanjan, we even heard a videoke machine blaring in the midst of those greens and water. I won't be surprised if there are areas of this country without proper waste disposal but with a TV and a Magic Sing.

Well, my boyfriend and my friends are not spared by this madness. Personally, I'm not a singer. I can dance all night but my voice will make the infant next door cry till the wee hours of the morning.

One Tuesday night, after a dinner at our newly discovered Thai restaurant, Thai Pad, we decided to go back to my place to check out movie schedules. It might be laziness to walk back to the car but for some reason, Ed just pulled out the microphone and inserted his DVD Videoke in the machine. And that's where all the fun began!

Me, not being a singer, enjoyed taking photos of each of them just enjoying every note of the song. I sang a couple of songs but I finished them before the guards of my condo building start calling me to say I'm disturbing the peace. :-)

Needless to say, I think, we as a resourceful nation, has found a non-expensive way to bond, laugh, belt out and release the stress of the whole day's work.

This year, 2007--- Paris, Vienna, Prague

2007-08-31T13:28:00.000+08:00

This year's destination, EUROPE!!! :-)

Since 2004, my friends (I think this started in 2002 but I only joined them in 2004) and I have been travelling to different parts of the world. Yes, God has blessed me with this chance of visiting different countries with my friends!

In 2004, we went to Cambodia and Thailand. In 2005, we ventured into the colorful and artistic world of India and Singapore. Last year, we toured Qatar for a day and visited the exotic country of Morocco. This year, 2007, we are going to the fashion capital of the world, France and the country with one of the best architectural wonders, Prague - Czech Republic.

As of today, we have booked and paid for our tickets with Singapore Airlines. Meine, one of my closest friends and travel buddy found the "Double the Miles" promo of Singapore Airlines. Now, we have a free trip to anywhere in South East Asia which we can avail upon our return. We've already decided that we are going to Yangon, Myanmar next year for a weekend. That's going to be another exciting trip! :-)

Unlike our other trips, we are not joining any tour groups. We'll be touring on our own. This is going to be exciting but we have to do a lot of research before we leave so we can go to the best places too. I'm in charge of researching on Prague so I better start! :-)

For accomodations, we are renting an apartment in Paris and we might also do the same for Prague. I'm just checking if we can do the same for Vienna. These would make our accomodations cost about 40% cheaper than staying in a regular hotel.

Preparing for our trips give all of us our natural high. We prepare for this the whole year and now that its only a couple of months away, it's getting more and more exciting!

Filipinos unite against Malu Fernandez

2007-08-22T17:38:00.000+08:00

After reading the whole article, I felt like my blood was at its boiling point. I've always known the capacity of a human being to diss his fellow humans but I could not believe that this was published by Stargate Media.... in People Asia Magazine.

The person that I am, I wanted to find out what action has been done by Manila Standard Today and People Asia regarding this matter. So I called Manila Standard and asked if Malu Fernandez has been fired. According to the person I spoke with, Malu Fernandez is not an employee of Manila Standard Today. She is just a contributing writer for the paper (who has a column once or twice a month) so they cannot fire her. In addition, they said that the article did not come out in Manila Standard but in People Asia. The two are not connected in any way, he says.

So, the next question I asked is, "Will you still let her write in your newspaper?". The answer to me was "It would depend on the editors of the paper.". I guess the question that we are posting to the editors of Manila Standard Today is, Will you still let her write in your newspaper knowing the kind of person and writer she is?

Now, another question we post for People Asia, did you even read the article before publishing it? I hope that the editors of the magazine are not losing a sensitivity chip in their system and will make a statement not only the OFWs but to all the Filipinos who have been hurt by this article.

I think People Asia is the publication that we need to boycott for publishing this article (page1 and page2) and to boycott Manila Standard Today if they ever publish any articles by Malu Fernandez again.

If there's anyone who can give the number of Stargate Media, publishers of People Asia, that would be good so we can all give them a call and voice out our opinions and make a stand against this woman.

Walking under "Egay"

2007-08-21T16:12:00.000+08:00

It might not be obvious from the photo I posted but the rains last Friday night in Makati was incredibly strong. Egay is to blame. Egay is the latest typhoon that visited the metro and it was so erratic. It would be raining so hard one minute and then drizzle the next.

Afraid that there will again be a flood at the back street of my condo, we decided to take the car to my office basement parking at 1:00 am. YES! We took the car to my office in the middle of the storm and walked back to my condo!

Needless to say, it was a really fun experience walking under one umbrella and enjoying the craziness of it all! hahaha! We were just laughing while the rain was pounding hard on our huge umbrella and getting us wet. Yes, we looked really funny in the photo but that 5 minute walk that we did that night was one of those unexpected dates that I'm so thankful I documented! :-)

Healthy Living Update # 2

2007-08-20T12:46:00.000+08:00

I'm on my 3rd week of this new lifestyle and I'm doing pretty good. I find the weekend to be the hardest for me, mainly because of eating out and not a lot of good salad choices. I'm sure that there are good restaurants out there with good salads, I just need to find them. :-) I will let you know when I find them. If you know of any (other than Friday's grilled chicken ceasar and Cyma's Rota Salata [ugh! this salad is to die for!]) please let me know!

Here are the eating places I tried this weekend and my personal rating:

a. Indulgence (location: along Perea St. Legaspi Village, Makati)
-- My friends and I love this cozy restaurant. The owner is Ms. Ressa, who's is a super sweet lady. She (or her husband) is also very aristic and is into wonderfully created pottery. You can also buy the different pieces you see in the resto.

When we started hanging out there, the biggest come on is the tasty tinola and the super yummy desert. Those are really must tries. Last Friday, I just had a serving of their fish curry with rotti bread. It's filling but I'm not really a fan of tuna so this one is just so so for me. Their green salad with fish shreds was not available that night. For dessert, I tried their Brownie cheese cake. Very creamy but not sweet! I loved it! You must have it with a friend though coz its too rich to be eaten alone.

Not a lot of salad choices but they still have a few choices for non-meat dishes.

Rating: ***

b. Cafe Meditteranean (location: Power plant mall, Rockwell)
-- I think Ed and I indulged ourselves too much in this resto! :-) We ordered the fish kebab pizza (good for 2 people) which is really tasty! It took about 20 minutes to prepare but its so worth the wait. Ed also ordered the vegetable soup (I forgot the name of the soup!) which he really enjoyed since he's also in the vegetable and seafood diet.

We also ordered my favorite chicken kebab! It's grilled so there's no oil! Always super yummy! Eating this with the garlic sauce and extra tabouleh is the bomb! :-) Try eating it with the whole wheat pita bread! Yummy and still healthy.

Rating: ****

c. Legaspi Village Orangic Market (location: Behind the Corinthian Plaza Bldg near GB1)
-- My family got very curious about my stories of going to the Salcedo Saturday Market that they decided to go around the Legaspi Village Market and decided to have lunch there. This one is not as big as the Salcedo Market but it also has its share of interesting greens and food. If you are used to the Salcedo Market as a big grocey, this one will look like a small sari-sari store for you. :-)

One thing I like here is the fresh chinese lumpia that they are selling and the japche noodles. :-) Also, you can get the greens and bring it home for an organic lunch! :-)

Rating: ***

d. Di Marks (location: Greenbelt 3, Makati)

- Big disappoint this weekend is the meal in Di Mark's in Greenbelt. I tried their tossed salad... WWAAAHHH!!! I wanted to cry. It was full of really sour and unpalatable italian dressing. The Mushroom Pasta in Tomato sauce was not something you would want to order. To top it all, the Roasted Garlic and shrimp pizza had 5 or 6 slices (note: not pieces but very small sliced shrimps!) per slice! Never again will I go back to that restaurant!!! It might have been really good in the past but they have not been able to keep up with the restos in their same market.

Rating: 0

e. Heaven 'n Eggs (location: Glorietta 4, Makati)
-- This is my Dad's new favorite restaurant! He loves the Fish Taco which he made me try. Not bad! Not much dressing which gives more flavor to the fish and enough vegetables to fill you for a snack.

Next time, I'll try their Baja fish dish and their salads. I was too full from the lunch to eat more than the fish taco. I'll also try their salads. They sounded interesting from the menu.

Rating: ***

f. NYPD (location: Greenbelt 3, cinema area)
-- Ok! Ok! I know that this is not a restaurant but after the meal in Di Mark's, I needed something else to eat. This place actually surprised me. They have 3 to 4 choices of salad, from Steaks and Greens to Ceasar Salad! Not bad for stall in a mall. They also serve pasta which is only around P100 to P200.00/ serving.

I will definitely try their salad soon.

I have only tried their mushroom soup which was good enough to get me through the night after the unappetizing Di Mark's experience!

Rating: soon...

Since it's a holiday today, I decided to cook lunch and prepare the stuff I would need for my meals this week. I just got the August edition of Yummy magazine and I tried a couple of there recipes. What I enjoy about this magazine now is that they have a good portion for non-meat eaters and healthy eaters that I can try!

The first recipe I tried is the Pasta with Mushroom. I also used whole wheat spaghettini. (That's my find for the week!) I thought it would be grainy and very different from the regular semolina flour spaghetti but it was surprisingly GOOD! They also have penne and a couple of others on sale in SM Makati Supermarket. Check out this page to find the recipe for Pasta with Mushroom.

Lunch today had Mixed Greens with a choice of Herbed cheese dressing or Orange Zesty dressing.

I've also been able to maintain my work-outs almost daily, 3x a week minimum. Doing pretty well and excited to get to my third week!

Find for the week:
1. Wholesome Moisson "whole wheat" Spaghettini - Found it on sale in SM Makati Supermarket. P49.95 per pack.

Healthy Living Update # 1

2007-08-14T11:27:00.000+08:00

It's been a week since I really put myself into this new lifestyle and I'm enjoying it. :-) I realized that I can make it exciting for me too. Finding new substitutes for my old unhealthy food is fun! It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

The only downside of it, food is not as cheap as the normal unhealthy food. A usual rice and viand can cost around P40.00 to P70.00 from Mc Donalds or the jolly jeep. Salads from KFC, Mc Donalds and Wendy's range from P70 to P100.

Variety is also the key for me so I can continue to enjoy my new lifestyle. Different kinds of salad dressings excite me now. I've tried the Honey Mustard Dressing of Gourmet and its pretty good but I'm sure there are so much more bottled dressings out there that's equally good.

Last night I made a Creamy Garlic French Dressing which is pretty good. I've also started to prepare the salad toppings so I will have a variety of things on my salad so I won't get bored! From feta cheese to hard boiled eggs to marinating chicken... the fun never stops! :-)

The organic market in Salcedo Village, Makati every Sunday can also provide you with a lot of salad dressing choices. I noticed that they have different varieties of dressings from Gourmet that they don't sell in grocery stores. I also tried the Strawberry and Orange dressings of (Oh no! I forgot the name!), that's when I realized I'm not very fond of fruity dressings. Maybe not at the moment. I'm looking forward to Saturday so I can get the Herbed Cheese Dressing and Garlic Dressing of Gourmet!

I want to share with you my new product findings in the market that you may also find yummy, affordable and healthy!

a. Fruit Juice Yogurt -- my favorite is the Strawberry flavored one! Super yummy and gives me energy when I'm hungry in the middle of the day. This only costs P10.00.

b. Nestle Fruit Yogurt 0% Fat free -- I like the strawberry and the mango. I have yet to try the Berries flavor. This is also one of my energy food. This only costs about P32.00 each. They have different flavors too that I'm sure are as yummy as my strawberry.

c. Nestle Fitness and Fruit Cereals - I don't want to sound like a Nestle fan but it seems like Nestle's products are very helpful for people like me who are shifting to a healthier lifestyle.
This cereal is made of whole wheat grain and its really tasty and crunchy. It also has dried fruits that makes it tastier. I normally eat this in the morning with Skim Milk and chocolate syrup. Perfect way to start my day! This costs P149.50 per box.

d. Alaska Skim Milk - Yes, it's 98% fat free but its still tasty and you can still taste the creaminess of the milk without the over powering fat content. This costs around P58.00 per box.

e. Hershey's 50% Lite chocolate syrup - Yes... I still indulge on this or I won't be able to eat cereals with just milk alone! :-) One bottle is about P140.00.

f. Village Gourmet Whole Wheat Pandesal - A perfect substitute for white bread. I bring a couple of these with me to work everyday so I can snack on them. I tried it with Saranggani Bangus in Olive Oil! YUMMY!!! A pack of of 8 or 10 is about P68.75.

Partnered with yoga, pilates or lite cardio work out daily, I'm enjoying the benefits of this new lifestyle. I've also quit smoking so I can breathe better and my body feels lighter. It's a big plus that I look good in my clothes too! :-)

I still indulge in pizza, pasta and rice once in a while but I don't overwhelm myself with them now. If there's a better choice, I would opt for the healthier option. :-)

More updates later...

A Healthy Living Lifestyle

2007-08-07T13:41:00.000+08:00

Funny thing about a medical scare is that it presents different ideas for you to change your whole perspective on how to have a healthier life.

A week ago, during an unscheduled doctor's visit, my doctor felt a lump on my right breast. After a few more tests, i have decided to have it taken out by August 25. They said that its a minor procedure but this is my first operation ever so I'm nervous about it, but... it is all in God's hands. I claim that with God's grace, my lump is benign and God has a wonderful future in store for me.

Well, this early detection can be a great blessing in disguise for me. First, I've always wanted to have a healthier lifestyle but have always put it off for one reason or another but I think its about time for me to be serious about it.

All my family and friends know me as the most unhealthy eater in the group. I don't eat vegetables and I love fatty foods! A stick of cigarette and a cup of coffee kicks off my day. I love carbs, ok, ok... I love rice. I can eat two cups of rice with fried pork and a lot of fat anytime of the day. HAHAHA! Ok... so I'm pinoy. What can I say?

The change all started when I had to go through an emotional stage in my life. You know those sad, depression stages that leaves you with no appetite! OH!!! I love the effect of not eating. It made my tummy smaller and I lost weight drastically! People noticed that I became skinny which, in my eyes, is perfect!

Well, the problem with losing weight that way is that its easy to gain it back. If you don't watch what you eat, you can easily gain the pounds back. So, like what they said, eating healthier is the best thing to do.

In addition to staying fit, I'm using my medical condition to start having a healthier lifestyle. Hahaha! It really has to take one major beating for me to really decide on this. Hopefully I can keep it up.

I resolve to:
a. Excercise at least 3 times a week
b. Have salad at least twice a day
c. Enrich myself with protein together with my salad
d. Lesser rice and more of whole grain bread and pasta
e. Lesser junk food
f. Lesser soda
g. Quit smoking
h. Healthier snacks like yogurt and fruits

This is not going to be easy but if I look at it as difficult from the beginning, I know that it will be something that I will always think of as a challenge. I should think of it as a decision and a choice that I made. To live a healthier and happier life.

Ok... I will post more updates as the days go by!

100 Things that make me happy

2007-07-13T16:21:00.001+08:00

1. Seeing the ocean
2. Sitting on a beach
3. Sunsets
4. Catchiing an episode of my favorite tv series on cable. One that I haven’t seen before
5. The first sip of a really good cup of coffee in the morning
6. A hand holing mine
7. Hearing a song on the radio that I haven’t heard in a long time
8. Anticipation of a trip
9. taking a nice photograph
10. Mornings that you just wake up with a smile… with no apparent reason
11. Driving without much traffic
12. A comforting hug
13. A genuine smile
14. A phone call from an old friend
15. Non-stop laughter
16. Soft bed sheets
17. A real good doughnut
18. Finding a lost item
19. A good sweat after a work out
20. A sip of water after a long work out
21. Really tasty adobo
22. Getting a surprise bouquet of flowers
More later….

See more progress on: identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money)

Weekend Smiles

2007-03-26T21:41:00.000+08:00

I end my Sunday with a huge smile. Just got a message from Ed that he's home after spending the whole weekend with me.

Friday night dinner was more special this time. I think we've been holed up in my condo for weeks that since my Thursday night boxing, I feel much different. I realize that I do feel clucky when I'm just at home and doing nothing... hmmm... should I say not spending. :-) It does not have to cost much but I really need to do something different once in a while or my blood does not circulate well.

Anyway, after a good dinner in Market Market, we walked around Serendra to enjoy the summer night and our Krispy Kreme donuts. Shortly after midnight, we headed home. The next day will be packed so we wanted to sleep early.

Saturday started with a big smile and getting ready to go to Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal. It was a different and fun experience that I'm glad I shared with my friends and with Ed. From snakes, to birds to lions and leopard... all of it is part of a wonderful and exciting experience of this warm and fun Saturday.

After resting for a couple of hours, we headed out to dinner at the Salcedo Nights Jazz Dinner. Mon David with the UP Jazz Ensemble was playing. Its not our normal Saturday night gimmick since we normally have dinner and coffee at different restaurants. On this particularly warm Saturday nigh, we had dinner at the Salcedo Park listening and watching a good jazz concert with our friends Bing, Meine, Lindsay, Kat, Bel and Berwin. The night was capped with a drink at the place where Ed and I met a year ago, Capones.

After a whole day's activities, I was feeling sick and my body was not really being nice to me so we decided to just rest for the night. Smile!

Smile! Sunday breakfast of yummy scrambled eggs and hotdogs was prepared by my honey. He's way fantastic! After having lunch with my family in Kikufuji and hanging out in my condo for a couple of hours, we rested for a bit (Smile!) and headed out to have snacks in the mall. After an enchilada and taco meal at Mexicali, we went around to look for shoes and a top for myself. Ed is the ever loving patient boyfriend just waiting for me as I finish doing my stuff. He said that he's trying his best to be the patient boyfriend. :-)

Once the purchase of a top, a Fruit Magic Buko Pandan and waffle was out of the way, we headed back home. Stopping by the other mall to get The Holiday DVD. The weekend ended with a fun and cute movie The Holiday! :-)

It's one fantastic weekend!

Weekend Review

2007-01-29T10:39:00.001+08:00

Another weekend has passed and once again, I wonder, did I do anything good this weekend?

Since I have considered myself as the type to always to do something new, I am more critical now of the way I spend my free time. I guess its mostly because of the fear of being boring now that I have a boyfriend. True, my boyfriend is not the adventurous, let's-go-to-the-mountains type of guy but he can be invited to go to out-of-the-ordinary activities too. I also attribute it largely to comparing myself to a friend of mine who has changed much after being in a relationship.

It bothers me, really, that I am not contented with how I am living my life. I've always told myself that I will live my life in a big way. Nothing boring... always on the move and affecting myself and possibly the people around me. I can't be plain and simple.

Last Saturday, Ed and I went all the way to Los Banos, Laguna to visit a friend of mine from way back, Fr. Dennis Paez. It's very refreshing to see him again. I miss the days when he would feed us with Burger Machine while we work on the different activities of the youth in our parish. Those were my formative years. A time in my life when I started to realize that I could do something for other people and enrich myself int he process.

As the years passed, I have focused more on myself than in helping others. Thus, my travels and self-improvement phase kicked in. That's when I realized that I can be so much better in so many ways. Fr. Dennis instilled that in us, individuality, learning to know yourself amidst the craziness of the world.

Now, I feel a certain void in my life. I know its not something about my relationship or about my job. I'm happy in both aspects of my life. It's more of wanting to do something better with my life. Help other people make their lives better and enriching myself in the process. Now, the trips that I plan and take still excites me but there has to be more to life than just that.

I feel restless again... I'm not sure if its a gift or a curse that I have to be doing something new and exciting all the time. I guess exciting and new is not really the term I should use... It should be something that means to me and will nourish me as an individual.

Last weekend, sitting in the gazebo in Tabor House, enjoying the breeze and talking once again with Fr. Dennis, nourished me. I'm really looking forward to the next time we see him again. Hopefully, very soon.

Hanging out with my old friends, Cecille and Jenny also nourished me as an individual. It made me realize that I don't need to be tough all the time. That I can be an adult and still gush while I talk about my boyfriend... that its ok to share the mushy side of me and still keep my dignity. Hahahaha! It's liberating to actually hear me talk about Ed and my relationship and realize what a lucky woman I am to be with him. Reigniting friendships... That's nourishing...

Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my family. Watching the Federer and Gonzales match is not normally my favorite thing to do... but when you see the two great men in your life enjoying the same thing, you want to be there to witness and relve in it. My Dad and Ed watched the match from start to finish... both of them were just so into the game. Its nice to see them bond even while watching tv. I felt really good... its nourishing...

I miss Elaine though. I still feel that there's something missing but I cannot really force the issue of being with her. There are people who come into your life for a reason, a season, a lifetime. Only time can tell why we met each other and why we don't see eye to eye right now. Maybe one day we will understand and accept each other again completely... hopefully.

Looking back at the weekend, I think it was a pretty good one. Reigniting friendships and being with family... I missed Elaine but only time can tell what is in store for both of us.

'Til the next weekend! :-)

30 Things to do before 35

2007-01-09T11:22:00.000+08:00

Before my 30th birthday, was looking for articles with the list of things I should do before I hit 35. My list of things to do before hitting 30 looked pretty accomplished so I thought, why not have another list. Well, with the lack of good lists out there, I decided to make my own.

1. Go to Europe. France, Italy, Spain are the firsts on the list.
2. Go to 5 exotic countries
3. Scuba Dive in 3 major dive destinations in the world
4. Buy a house
5. Give my parents a free trip outside the country
6. Learn how to pole dance or take strip aerobics
7. Sky dive
8. Invest money in mutual funds or stocks
9. Buy a painting from a budding artist
10. Complete another course or an MBA
11. Have sufficient emergency fund
12. Identify a worthwhile cause that is close to your heart and help out
13. Write an article and have it published in a magazine or a newspaper
14. Learn to take good pictures. Take photography classes.
15. Host a dinner party (COOK! don't order from a resto)
16. Find your purpose in life and live life to fulfill that purpose
17. Stay at 110 lbs. at the maximum
18. Be a part of a big theater production
19. Mentor another person
20. Have a grand trip with the family
21. Learn another language (Spanish!)
22. Take a couple of months off and stay in an island
23. Be really good in baking one fancy dessert
24. Take a cruise or a trip with my boyfriend or a husband (if I get married before 35).
25. Stay happy all the time. The best way to beat the signs of aging.
26. Drive a Harley Davidson!
27. Naked sun bathing (while I still have the body for it!)
28. Meet Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II or Gandhi. (Ok! I guess just Oprah Winfrey or Nelson Mandela will do. :-) )
29. Go on a National Geographic Expedition
30. Enjoy everyday of pregnancy and make it the best experience ever. (IF... I get married before 35!!!!).

Chillin' at Christmas

2006-12-18T12:05:00.000+08:00

It's been years since I spent Christmas with a boyfriend. Not a big change but definitely brings a big smile on my face. Christmas is the same and yet different. I'm telling you... Ed brings balance into my life!

The crazines of buying presents, the Christmas rush is the same but the relaxing moments of being home and just watching tv with Ed is also a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas season. We listen (and occassionally watch) the fireworks of Glorietta every night... a perfect mark of the happy season.

I still hear the dawn mass in Don Bosco Church and feel the cold breeze of a December morning. These are the beautiful part of Christmas that I love.

Since I got my stove and oven fixed, I've been experimenting in the kitchen a lot. I made Garlic and Rosemary Chicken last Friday with potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side.

Last night was a bit of a disaster... hahaha! I'm sure my friend Elaine would laugh at my disastrous experiment. The tuna pasta salad I made was not exactly specatacular but Ed being his loving self said its still tastes ok. Hahaha! No wonder I love him tons.

The super hyper active me is thinking, why am I not going gaga this Christmas season. Yet, another part of me agrees with enjoying this time of year without the need to stress. Enjoy the company of Ed, family and friends... have fun buying gifts. Traffic and the hordes of people in the mall will still be there but there is a side of Christmas that can be easily forgotten. God is in the peace and calm. You'll hear him better that way.

There are so many things I'd like to do next year and its good to start the season right by having a calm and peaceful holidays and then starting 2007 with a bang. :-)

From the Stillness of the Soul

2006-12-14T10:32:00.001+08:00

When the sun is setting, it's light reflects on the surface of the water. The sky turns into a subdued orange with the clouds adding texture to an already magnificent canopy. I feel a serenity in my soul. It calms me. It brings balance into my life.

Balance. It's been a long time since that word struck a cord in me. Since I celebrated my 30th birthday, this word has sprung up every now and then.

As I read the word in an article on the day of my birthay, what entered my mind is that I need to start having a balanced diet and hit the gym. I felt a need to take care of my health and part of a more balance diet and excercise regimen, I lessened my smoking to the barest minimum. Thus, I am now on a healthier diet and excercises more than sitting in a coffee shop. I thought, ok... I now have a balanced life.

Little did I know that it's just the beginning. Moving out of my parents' house and living on my own, I have lesser time spent with my family than I had before. Suddenly, I found myself going back home on weekends and terribly missing the times I would sit on the breakfast table and have everyone yakking about what happened to them the night before. Time and again, I have said how important family is to me and yet I spend more time with my friends. I look forward to quality family time with my parents and my siblings now. I'm excited to see them and hear their stories. I try to spend weekends in my parents house just so I can have breakfast with them and hear the annoying high pitched and loud voices every now and then. :-)

I often equated who I am with my career accomplishments. I have worked my ass off since I started working that I am proud of what I have made of my self. Nothing wrong with that as long as it is in moderation. I have noticed though that I put a lot of my self worth with what I have achieved. To the point that I feel worthless when things are not doing well at work. I thought that how people perceive my work is how I should see myself too. I guess at a certain point, I have to accept that things go wrong even if I do my darned best. I will love myself not because of how high up in my career i have reached but because of the kind of person I have become.

From trips to my hobbies to the partying... I'm not one to settle for the mediocre. It has to be grand or extremely different for me to see the joy in it. As I see it, as long as people are amazed at it, then it makes me happy and shows what kind of person I am. Not that I have completely missed the simple things in life. I still enjoy them, but there should be something different all the time to keep it more interesting. It always has to be something new. I get shaken to the core when there are no new things happening in my life. It feels like I live a very uneventful life. Up til these past few days, I have been jolted by the fact that there are times when things can't be grand, when I have to see the beauty in the simple things, extract the beauty out of the routine, enjoy the ordinary. I will still want my grandeur and newness in things but I also need to see the happiness in simplicity without being boring.

Balanced life. As I watch the sunset and the sky becomes dark, I welcome the night time. Finding the excitement in the stillness and peace of the dark. Armed with the realization that I have a wonderful life, blessed by God, there's peace in my life as I listen to the stillness of my soul.

Destination: Morocco

2006-11-24T11:17:00.000+08:00

It took us a lllloooonnnnggg time to decide on where to go this year. When we got there though, we knew that we made a really good decision of visiting this mystical place.

Morocco is a place not often visited by Filipino travellers. First of all, it's not advertised much in our country and second, it's so far! :-) The flying time to go there is a total of 18 hours --- 10 hours from Manila to Doha, Qatar and 8 hours from Doha to Casablanca. Not included in those times are the stopovers or the time in the airport. But even though the trip there is painstakingly long, the place is just so worth it!

We landed in Casablanca... the land of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. We were greeted though by a chaos in the luggage area of the airport. People were just fighting and throwing punches all over the place. It was crazy! We really couldn't understand much about what was happening around though coz they were all speaking in Arabic. :-)

On the way to the hotel, we rode the slowest cab ever! You'll be surprised though, they have Mercedes Benz cars as cabs in this country. :-)

Being with Meine and Jacky is always a treat. From non-stop "lambing" bickering to the giggles before we go to bed, to the "you're not trying hard enough to sleep" line... it was just hilarious! We even have code names for people on our tour! Hahaha!!!

The trip highlights for me are the trip to Volubilis and the Sahara Desert Experience.

Volubilis was a surprise. Its not part of the itinerary nor do we have an idea where it was but when there were people in our group who wanted to go to that place, we signed up for it just to check it out. I'm so glad we did. Volubilis is the remains of a Roman settlement from 3 BC. It's really breath taking and its so quiet that you can relax while going through each area.

The other highlight is sitting on the sand dunes and just enjoying the breeze. When I think of how lucky I am being in the Sahara Desert, I really want to cry. Not everyone can get the chance to experience it so I was savoring every moment and ingraining them in my memory!

Being in the middle of the Marrakech square at night time is also a fantastic experience! The place is bustling with activities and you will not be able to choose easily what to look at or where to go! The energy of the place vibrates unto your soul.

Driving on the atlas mountain ranges is also one amazing high! When they said that every turn is dramatic and new, they weren't kidding! It really was breathtaking. The weather in unbelievably cold though being high on the mountains. You can see the clouds so near where you are!

When our trip ended, we felt like there's more to explore and we know that this is one place we can go back to. This time, we'll be ready to order more than just juz de orange... we'll have some french words tucked into our backpacks!

Big 3 0 !!!!

2006-11-23T17:46:00.000+08:00

I don't really expect much on my birthdays. A simple quiet time in a beautiful place usually makes my birthday complete.

This year, my initiation to the big 30, I thought of throwing a big party to celebrate my birthday. But then, I realized, at the end of the day, I really just want to spend it with people who have made my first 30 years memorable, fulfilling, loving and full of wonderful life adventures!

I believe my birthday celebration started in Morocco. In our last few days in the tour of the country, I knew that this trip is the biggest birthday gift I can give myself. Not only because of the cost (hahaha!) but also because I am in a foreign place with people I truly enjoy the company of, Meine and Jacky. The places we saw, the unforgettable experiences, the people we've met, all of these made my first birthday celebration one of the most memorable ones. For more stories about our trip to Morocco, click here.

When Meine and I were sitting on top of the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, I felt so thankful for all the wonderful blessings of the past 30 years... Really, there's no reason for me to complain or whine about anything. God gave me a beautiful life and all these wonderful, wonderful blessings. I can't thank him enough! What a way to step into my 30's!

My birthday weekend was fantastic care of Ed and God. That Saturday, Ed and I tried a restaurant in Greenhills called Persiana. We love trying different restaurants and reviewing them afterwards. They serve mediterranean food. It was ok. For more food reviews, click here.

Sunday, after watching the craziness of the Pacquiao-Morales fight, we headed to Luneta (Yes! yes! We went to Luneta! Super interesting to go there coz there's just so many fun things to see and do!) to watch the sunset! I'm telling you... God gives the best gifts. The sun, while it was setting that day, was a round ball of fire! It was unbelievably amazing! The best part of it all is experiencing God's gift to me with Ed. He is also God's beautiful gift to me for my birthday!

After the sun set, Ed and I headed to Dampa in Macapagal to have dinner with my family. Ed and I went around the market to buy fish and shrimps and everything that will be served on the table. It was a totally different experience for us since I never go to the market and we went there and bargained with the people together.

It's also my first birthday that I gave gifts to my family rather than receiving gifts from them. Our family has never been the gift-giving kind. We let birthdays and special occasions pass without giving anyone gifts. I think its a trait we got from our parents. Anyhow, on my birthday, I made sure that each one of them has a gift from me. Either a "pasalubong" from Morocco or something I just bought for them to enjoy. Another something different I did on my birthday. :-) My family is instrumental in forming my 30 years. I love them dearly!

On Monday, the day of my birthday, I woke up smiling. I knew it will be a fun day for me. It really is an extra-special day when its your birthday. It feels like the birds are chirping more and the sun is shining brighter for some reason. :-) I received sweet birthday greetings from friends and family. It feels good to be remembered and loved. It makes your being complete.

My friends organized a dinner for me... but of course, I was clueless and I didn't remember nor realize that they're planning something for me. Ed and I planned something for that night. My friends are just so loveable. They know how to show me that they love me. I don't have to ask for it nor to demand it from them. I just love them tons! Anyhow, I think our dinner is pushing through next week... or else... they'll kill me. That's how much they love me! hahaha!

The night of my birthday, I am amazed at how everything is just wonderful. God and I had a date! :-) I heard mass in Don Bosco Church while Ed was resting because of a headache. It was a blessing in disguise since I got to spend a good half hour one-on-one time with Him. And with my need to have my personal time once in a while, I went to the grocery and started my "lifestyle change" (more on that later!). After my "alone time", I was so looking forward to spending time with my honey! We had dinner at Chateau 1771. The food was great and we enjoyed listening to the guitar man playing sweet, soothing music. In the middle of dessert, it was time to open my gift! YAHOO!!!

There were three small pouches in the box that he handed me. When I opened all three of them, my eyes were tearing up so bad and my throat was so full I can't say a word. The non-stop talker Lyshiel was suddenly out of words! I felt so loved and so special. Ed is a super wonderful man not only because of the gifts he gave me but he always makes me happy. It's in his simple gestures of love that makes me realize that I'm such a lucky woman to have him in my life. His complete commitment to me without any entanglements or drama... his constant touch.. his full support in everything I do... his way of making me laugh... his confident self that he lets me be who I am and wanting me to try new things and learn new things all the time... those things and so much more makes me love him more and more everyday.

After dinner, I was looking at his gift on me on the rearview mirror and I saw another gift! hahaha! I saw the bouquet of flowers on the back seat of the car. Now, I really feel fantastic!!!

I have three more pending birthday celebrations! All because my friends are the coolest! :-)

I wouldn't have celebrated my birthday any other way. They said that 30's is the new 20's! I believe that! We are the more improved 20's. More stable and more sure of who we are... not exactly older... just more fabuous!

My Honey's birthday treat!

2006-07-03T12:41:00.000+08:00

Can feelings and thoughts be somehow disconnected? Or are they one and the same but we just need to stop denying and start accepting?
It took me sometime to accept that I am in a relationship and longer for me to completely admit to myself that I am truly in love!

The realization hit me when I was preparing for his birthday. I made it into a week long celebration of surprises and fun! :-) Everyday for the whole birthday week, he gets one birthday surprise. On the day of his birthday, he picked numbers from a bowl and each number corresponds to an event that transpired on the year of his birth. One portion of the trivia is a list of the Grammy winners and chart toppers on his birth year, with a CD of the songs. :-) There was also the card that was on his bed telling him to look underneath for another gift the dawn after his birthday. And then finally, I kidnapped him for a Corregidor trip last weekend.

The whole time I was preparing for these birthday surprises, I didn't get stressed nor tired. I was so excited and happy to get all these ready for him. That's when I realized that I really have fallen for this guy. Whether I like it or not! :-)

I may keep on denying it to myself but when I was watching him standing in front of the trees and enjoying every moment, I realized that I love making this man happy. His simple smile makes my heart melt. That's enough for me to say, I love him.

God's Wonderful Surprise

2006-05-26T14:14:00.000+08:00

When God works wonders in your life, you can't help but just step back and laugh.

When a wonderful surprise knocks at the door of your heart, and he's the package that you've been waiting for all your life, you can't help but open your heart.

I read my previous postings and its amazing how God really prepared me for this relationship. Who knew a good looking, mild mannered, affectionate, unbelievably caring man will find me. :-)

Where ever this leads, Lord, I just say, "Let thy will be done".

Unexpected friendships

2006-05-10T13:32:00.000+08:00

My trips to Boracay has given me a lot of beautiful memories. Last new year's trip, however, brought me something truly unexpected.

I met Brian and Jim and Boracay. Tanja, I met through Jimmy. The 4 of us have been the crazy bunch ever since. Partying like crazy til the wee hours of the morning. Unbelievable dancing and drinking. In the midst of all that chaos, the friendship emerged. We are four individuals who genuinely care about each other. We look out for each other every single time.

I'm so glad I met them. This is the kind of friendship to be cherished and to be enjoyed every minute of our lives.

Brian, Jimmy, Tanja, to the output while we Bitch, bitch, bitch! :-)

I love you, guys!

Adventure in Summer

2006-04-12T14:34:00.000+08:00

Summer is definitely here. Walking on Paseo de Roxas at 12 noon is like doing sit up routines in the sauna. Available rooms in the resorts all over the country are the ones farthest from the beach. Flights are booked from morning til night. Bikini clad mannequins are all over the malls. Women's skirts gets are getting shorter and shorter, to the joy of my male friends. :-)

I'm not complaining though. I love summer! I can smell the fun and adventure in the air. Everything seems to have so much energy and brightness. Every weekend is a time to go out of town to enjoy the sun and the sand.

When I was younger, summer was the time to get ready for volleyball games. Volleyball trainings from morning til night, summer leagues consume most of April and May. Since salary at that age is unheard of, volleyball games and summer leagues within the village were a perfect reason to go out of the house. No major expenses necessary except for team uniforms and money to buy fishballs and manggang hilaw with.

Summers then were also the perfect time to find a new crush. Someone who gives you the kilig and the inspiration to play volleyball like impressing him was the most important thing on earth. He's the guy who you watch playing in the summer league all the time. Someone who catches your attention and your gaze just follows them where ever they go. Oh... the beauty of young love and summer crush!

Those were the days when sitting in the middle of the basketball court the whole day and laughing with your friends is the perfect way to spend summer. Playing with the Tazies and cheering for the Marzupials!

Looking back, summer's then were very simple and yet they were all character builder for me. I learned so many things from my young summers. Through my volleyball trainings I learned discipline, perseverance, strength, courage and team work. All traits are relevant to my life now as an adult. Through the summer leagues I learned how to deal with different kinds of people, I learned that I cannot get everything I want, to respect authority. This is when I understood the saying, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

Now, with the lack of time to train and play volleyball, my summers have shifted from spending the whole day in the volleyball court to spending the weekdays in the office. Now that salary is ingraned in my consciousness, the weekends are not only spent spiking balls and watching men shoot hoops. Weekends are now spent out of town chilling on the beach or diving and exploring different parts of the country. Now, volleyball is not just the only sport on my mind, diving, wall climbing, windsurfing and white water rafting are now part of the list.

A lot has changed since I first hit the volleyball. A lot has been learned since I joined my first summer league. One thing never changes though, summer always brings the promise of something exciting, fun and a brand new learning and experience.

Keep My Vision Clear

2006-02-20T09:21:00.000+08:00

Lord God, I know that you have given me a task for more exciting and challenging than I thought. You have entrusted to me a company and the careers of 15 individuals. With these, I am extremely grateful. As much as I have fear in my heart, I accept this with all my heart. All I ask is that you enlighten me and guide me in every move I make and the You may continue to keep the vision of the company and my vision clear to me always.

The company's vision - to have everyone get a winning attitude and always wanting to be the best in everything they do. To be the "Porsche" in our field of expertise.

My vision - to be a well-rounded person trying different experiences by being an affirming and inspiring individual, grounded by the love I have for You, my family and the poeple around me.

"Everything is possible to one who has faith." Mark 9
"The kind can only come out through prayer" Mark 9:29
"And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peacefor those who cultivate peace." John3:18

Wonderful experiences

2006-02-14T17:34:00.000+08:00

In my 29 years of existence, I have been blessed with wonderful, wonderful memories and experiences.

As they say, when you want something with all your heart, the universe will conspire and give it to you. I have seen that happen in my life one too many times. Everything I have now, I have always wanted and prayed for.

When you're happy with your job, it somehow makes your days brighter! It actually sounds weird to my friends whenever I say, I'm excited to wake up tomorrow to go to work. And believe me, I really mean it. I have great people I work with and everyday is a different kind of challenge. And working with the people I am with makes me want to be a better person and team mate.

The friends I meet are outstanding. I must be doing something good that God is rewarding me with wonderful, wonderful friends. From my 4 wonderful sisters, (my blood sister Shevy, Meine, Elaine and DJ) to SE 5, college friends, Trendmicro friends , my circle has just extended in ways beyond my imagination. :-) Lindsay, Pam, Lee, Jim, Upa, Sam, etc. etc. etc... truly amazing! and it just gets bigger and bigger everyday. I love meeting new people and I am glad that I really have this chance to get to know people and be their friend.

My family has been constantly my source of strength and love. I have WONDERFUL parents. Unbelievable! The love they have for each other overwhelms me. I am forever grateful to be a part of a beautiful and loving family. All because my parents love each other! Wow!

The annual trips and relaxation times I have really enriches my soul. Learning about different cultures, travelling with friends and meeting people along the way... it gives me a chance to grow and know more about myself. So far I have been all over the US (both for vacation and work), India, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore. This year, we are slated to go to Berlin-Vienna-Prague-Budapest. I'm so excited already!

I have always dreamt of being independent and living by myself. I think everyone should experience living life apart from their parents before they get into married life. It's not easy but its worth it. There's much responsibility connected with it but that's something we need to work on at one point or another. The filipino culture is not very receptive of the moving out concept but it seems like our society is accepting this change slowly.

And with all that... how can I not be grateful for the wonderful experiences and the great love that I have been showered with. I have a million and one reasons to smile! :-)

And Reality Steps In

2006-01-05T13:00:00.000+08:00

I'm feeling a bit weird today. I can't put a finger on it but I guess its going back to reality after a wonderful vacation that's dampening my mood. I don't want to be sad though. That will not be me if I am. There are so many things to be thankful for.

Welcome 2006!

2006-01-02T12:21:00.000+08:00

I just have to write something about my 4 wonderful days in Boracay before this exhilirating feeling wanes.

WOW! Does not even begin to describe it. We partied the whole time and I don't think I ever went back to my hotel room sober. I have another reason that I smile about now a days but it might just be a one night til dawn thing so it will remain to be a nice memory for now. BIG SMILE! :D

That's Sam, Upa, Jim, Greg, me and Elaine. We downed a couple of long island iced teas while watching that beautiful sunet! It was so unreal.

This is my best Boracay trip ever. Believe it or not, I was on the ledge of Summer's Place for hours just dancing without a care in the world. That was really fun!

I met a lot of new friends and a great way to start the year!

Being on the Taj Mahal

2005-12-07T21:56:00.000+08:00

True... it probably is the grandest profession of love that I have ever encountered. Not even a night in the finest hotel compares ;).

We landed in the land of the Taj a few hours before the New Delhi bombing. I got terrified after finding out the news on the flat screen wall mounted tv in our hotel room but my friends were there so I felt safe somehow.

India's fantastic. Their culture is so rich and colorful. Made more memorable by once again being with wonderful friends Meine, Elaine and Jackie.

I have so many stories to tell but I shall post them on a later date since I am back in the grind and work is occupying my waking hours.

One Week To Go

2005-10-19T08:17:00.000+08:00

ONE MORE WEEK!!!!

I can't wait to go on vacation with my friends. In a week's time I will be on the plane to meet my friends in Singapore and off we go to the land of the Taj Mahal.

It took us a year to plan this trip and now that its here the week-long wait seems so LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGGG!!!!

This vacation is exciting for me in so many levels. First, the four awesome girls (DJ, Lysh, Meine and Elaine) will once again be reunited and partying the night away in Singapore! :-) I cannot wait to be with my friends again.

After Singapore, we will be flying to New Delhi, India. WHOA! We will be going around Rajasthan for 10 days! I'm so EXCITED! I've been shopping and preparing for our trip and I'm so excited.

My friend Meine flew to Germany last Mondays and will head to Paris in a couple of days. We'll meet in Singapore soon but I miss her already. hahaha!

Enough... I shall work out now. Can't wait to post pictures and tell you all about my trip next time.

Learning to say goodbye

2005-10-08T22:43:00.000+08:00

I realized something new about myself today... I don't know how to say goodbye!

It's a Saturday night and it is pretty unusual for me to be at home at this time of the night but running around The Fort the whole day wore me out. (We organized an Amazing Race event for our Singles Community and it was a lot of fun!) So, I decided to just stay home and rest. Luckily, I caught the movie, Tuesdays with Morrie. At the end of the movie, I realized why I keep on holding to the past... I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY GOODBYE!

When a friend leaves for another country and I will not see her for a long time, I don't really know how to say good bye so I just think that I will see her again next week. I used to be easily attached to people, things, events... After learning how they can hurt you or leave you, I have learned how to detach myself somehow but that does not solve my problem. I detach but I don't say goodbye.

I guess that maybe one of the reasons why I still have a hard time completely letting go of past hurts and relationships. I don't know how to just say good bye and let it go.

I have loved someone so amazingly that its taking me years to get over him. The funny thing is, I don't think I have been able to say goodbye completely to that relationship. How? I'm really nto sure. I can't put it behind completely.

The question now is, how do you really say goodbye? Do you say good bye by forgetting the past? Do you say goodbye by remembering what you had and then just moving on? I think I hold on to the past too much... I'm scared that it might not happen to me again. And yet, I am scared too that it might and I might be not aware that it is happening already because I have not yet said goodbye to what has been good.

The Crazy Things I Do

2005-10-03T01:12:00.000+08:00

Initially, I used this site to write about my sadness, longing, desires and pathetic feelings. I realized (after reading Sam's comments) that this site was open for everyone to read. Took me a few minutes to realize that I forgot to turn off the viewing permissions.

For some time now, I have been looking for a venue to keep a journal of my crazy activities and put photos. I am glad that there is finally this site. Anyhow, I'd like to share a few crazy things that I have done in the past through this blog. I will try to make it a point to write about much about myself... how I feel and not only when I feel lonely.

Ok... a few things about me. I love the beach! I can't get enough of Boracay! Ok... maybe not during holy week when the entire country goes to that island... but I try to visit my favorite island twice a year. The best part... happy hour at Nigui Nigui while watching the sunset.

I love boxing. It keeps me fit. I'm not sure yet how serious I am with sparring or going on the ring to fight someone but I plan to do this as often as I can. I love the work out and the sweat. :-)

I love exciting water sports and activities. I enjoy scuba diving mostly because of the peace and relaxed feeling when I am on the boat or sitting by the beach watching the waves and the water.

DJ, Meine and Elaine -- my wonderful friends

2005-10-02T20:57:00.000+08:00

Friends have come and gone in my life but when you have friends as great as these three people, you know these are the friends that you will cherish and be with for a really long time!

DJ -- Diana Jean Reyes... one of a kind person. I thought I was hyper and energetic but this person's one woman show and her ability to entertain herself is unbelievable! :-) Very smart, intelligent... a great listener and someone who can give you the best insights. Even if she is in Singapore, the distance never really put a dent in our friendship. I call her when I feel sad or when I just need someone to chit chat with. We are journeying right now in finding out more about ourselves. What makes us happy, our passions and our purpose in this life. I love being with her because she puts some sense into me. We laugh about a lot of crazy things and I enjoy her passion in trying out different things.

Elaine -- Its funny how we were college classmates and yet we only started hanging out 4 years after we graduated. We met again at a point in our lives when we needed each other most. I know that she will fight for me until the end. If there's anyone who will stand up for me and will make sure that I don't get hurt, it is Elaine. She maybe a bit crazy at times but I know that she really loves me.

Meine -- the epitome of coolness. She is more than my dinner buddy she is my great listener and she doesn't let me wallow. She sees the good side of things all the time and only wants the best for her friends... Very few things bother this girl... she loves to relax and tries to live life to the fullest. This girl hates stress, thus, she is my great balancer. Her smile never fades. She reminds me all the time how beautiful and relaxing life is. We both love to travel and meeting new people, thus, we enjoy sitting in a coffee shop... chit chatting until late at night. We will never stop building memories together and enjoying each life experience as we talk about it all the time.

I love them! Elaine and DJ are both in Singapore now. Meine and myself are here in Manila. A few more weeks and we will be hanging out again... partying in Singapore. I miss them. I miss them a lot. I love them very much.

This year... INDIA!!!!

2005-10-02T20:02:00.000+08:00

Last year... CAMBODIA and THAILAND. This year... INDIA and SINGAPORE!!!

We are truly blessed to have this chance to be able to travel around the globe with our friends. It is such an amazing experience!

After a wonderful trip to Cambodia, our group already started thinking of our next destination. We always want to try the most exotic countries and places that we won't be able to enjoy when we get older.

So, this year, we all decided to go to INDIA! Two weeks of vacation is fantastic. We're all very excited. A few more weeks and we'll be heading to Singapore and then, India!

I know its going to be crazy because of the smell and they say that its really dirty but it would be one hell of an experience just being with friends and experiencing something really awesome while learning about their culture and seeing the best places in that country.

The picture here (one of our thousands of pictures! hahaha!) was taken in Bayon Temple in Cambodia last year. This year won't be different. I'm pretty sure that we will have tons of pictures as well. More pictures of our Cambodia- Thailand trip in http://www.pbase.com/lysh/cambodia.

I can't wait!!! :-) And... Boracay in December! Whoa!

Lyshiel

Is It Really A Part of A Plan?

2005-10-02T18:53:00.000+08:00

A friend mentioned that my single status is part of a PLAN. I'd like to believe it is... but is it really true?

Having been through a number of relationships... unsuccessful, obviously, I now question what it really takes to have and stay in a good relationship. Is it a matter of timing? Is it a matter of being the right person? Is it a matter of going to the best places to meet him? Do you really work on finding someone or does it just happen? People would say... RELAX... it will happen... Easy for them to say! They are in great relationships! hehe!

When I look around, I see a number of great looking and wonderful single people. I ask myself, if they can't find a good relationship, what are my chances of finding one?

Well, as they say, better to be patient than to be in a wrong one (relationship).... I totally agree with this. I've been in a number of wrong ones to actually belive this statement. I am tired of being in relationships that will makes me bawl over a glass of wine or make me cry myself to sleep.

The pain that those relationships inflicted on me made me a bit jaded in the way I see relationships. However, I would like to believe that I am still very much a romantic. As Carrie said in the last episode of Sex and the City (yes, I cried while I listened to hear say this!), I want an all-consuming love, a can't live without you kind of love... I think, no matter how independent and liberated one is, she desires this... She desires to be treated like a princess, to be treated with respect and to be loved like nobody has ever loved them before.

Yes, I still am a romantic... dreaming of walking in Paris with the man I love... sitting down in a cafe in Italy and just staring in each other's eyes... watching a movie, cuddling on the couch... sitting on the beach watching the sun set... reading a book on a lazy Sunday afternoon... sitting on his lap while waiting to board a plane... looking in his eyes and just loving every moment of having him in my arms... wiping his sweat with my towel after a good work out... hugging me from behind while we are hanging out with our friends...

Funny, Bel -- a friend of mine, mentioned her silly dream which is my silly dream as well. Imagining the big smile of my face when I change the status on my friendster from "Single" to "In a Relationship". Silly, yes... :-) but its a start of something beautiful. Being able to tell the whole world how much I love a person and how much he loves me as well... being with someone who will be proud of me unlike my past two relationships. (Wow! Just thinking of how they were ashamed for people to know about our relationship still stings my self-esteem!). I am praying though that the next man who will come into my life will be proud of me... because I think I am worth it.

I really hope it happens to me one day. I believe its part of the PLAN. God did not let me stay in those bad relationships because He knows that I deserve better. He made me realize my learnings from those relationships so I can look forward to a much better one. This time, I will try not to be impatient and accept the things as they happen to me. I will fall in love again, and when that happens, we will be proud about our relationship because we will find each other in the right time, in the right place... because it is part of God's plan.

Learning something new about me

2005-10-02T01:54:00.000+08:00

I had a very interesting weekend.

Last night, I had drinks and dinner with my friend Chia. Over a bottle of beer and an X-rated drink, I found out something about myself that I have known for quite sometime. I realized that as I get older, flexibility in dealing with your own character tend to be a bit more difficult than before. Maybe because the younger years were really to form who you are and now that of your character is pretty much set, shifting or adjusting can be a bit of a challenge.

One thing I like about me is that I am very energetic. I'm excited and passionate about things and it is pretty contangious. The downside of it though is I need to find time to relax and to just let go. I do it sometimes but not all the time. I need to learn how to not sweat the small stuff. :-)

I have said time and again that I don't think I will have a boyfriend or get married ever. Deep down, I know, this isn't true. I know God has a plan for me and being single now has a reason. A pretty good one at that too... I should stop saying that I will never have a relationship again. I should just trust that what I am going through now is part of a plan. I need to believe that it is part of a bigger plan. Something good will happen to me very soon.

I realized too last night, that I have a problem with being contented. Although it is somehow good that I keep striving for more, I dont appreciate completely what I have at the present moment. One of my fears is being in a relationship and I would eventually get bored. I fear this... I've been there and I don't want to go back to that. I don't want the drama anymore as well (God knows how much I went crazy for a couple of years.) but I want the excitement in the relationship. I'm afraid that the guy that I will be with will be someone I will be with day in and day out and I might get tired of being with him all the time. Sounds pretty weird, huh?

Seriously, when I see couples who are wrapped up with each other and their relationship, I find them so boring and hopeless. I am praying that I find someone who will make me feel loved and we continue to improve each other by engaging in different activities, sports, classes, travelling together and by our life experiences that we have separately and as a couple. I don't want to get bored. I continue to be interesting to my partner and I want him to be just as interesting as he was on the first day we met.

Tonight, I had dinner at a really good chinese restaurant in Greenbelt. I meet a couple of new people and I really enjoy talking to them and hanging out with them. One is Cha and the other is Craig.

Everytime I go out, I get a clearer picture of what type of guy I want to be with. I think my standards are high but I dont want to settle. God made everything happen so I meet the right guy at the right time so I'll try not to screw it.

Lyshiel

Love thy neighbors

2005-08-19T11:18:00.000+08:00

It seems that the older we get, the commandment, Love thy neighbor with all your heard, mind and soul gets harder and harder to practice.

One reason maybe because we are so wrapped up and busy with our own lives that we forget that the others around us matter as well. Being single and enjoying life makes me somehow forget that loving others is just as important as loving one's self.

Another reason might be because of our painful experiences. It has calloused me in a way and has jaded my idea of love and living.

I have to get past this and be the most loving person I can be.

The past is over... It cannot hurt me

2005-07-05T12:34:00.000+08:00

There is a need to really close a chapter of your life and leave the past in the past. Never meddle with it again. Just let it sit there and be a source of strength and learning. Don't rock the boat if you are moving along well with the current tide.

I have learned that going back to the past should only be done if you are strong enough to face it and ready to leave it in the past. It just shakes me up and sets me off into a totally different direction. Its like one step forward and two steps back.

I am not saying don't look back at your past. I'm saying, learn from it but don't go back to the pains of the past and don't allow yourself to be hurt again by what has happened in the past. Heal it and face it head on. Of course, closure is very important but don't let that stop you from trying to move on and having a better future.

The past can only hurt you if you let it affect you. The past is over and cannot hurt you anymore... it will be your choice if you let it affect you still.

There is so much to look forward to... Don't let the hurts of the past dictate who you will be in the future. Life is far too precious to waste on people and events who are better forgotten in the past. Let those be good learnings and eventually, things that you can smile about.

Coping and Mind Games

2005-07-04T18:10:00.000+08:00

I am beginning to think that everyone goes through life just coping with whatever they have. That's why one has to have a healthy childhood, that they will be armored with the essentials in facing life head on.

In life, you have to be brave to face all that is happening around you... Just cope with everything that you've got. Fight with every weapon that you've got. I used to not believe this.... I have always seen life as beautiful. I'm not sure why I allowed my eyes to be opened to the reality of pain but somehow, it did open. Now, I wish I didn't get to see the side of hurt, pain and sadness. I just wish I can see life again in those colored glasses so that I can see the beauty of life and enjoy its fullness.

My friend Meine says that everything is a mind game. Yes, I believe that. I believe that a lot of things can be controlled by your mind but there are times when your emotions over rule your thoughts and this is when you say, I need to get out to clear my mind.
But what happens when your heart knows the right thing to do and yet you are sad that you are doing it. When you are making sure that your mind works with your heart... how does that really happen?

I guess I should not fret about it anymore. I guess things will be clearer once we can talk about it. If we are meant to talk and clear things out, it will happen. If not, I think I'm ready to give up on this idea that we will get back together.

I'm afraid lang that there might be no one else that I would feel so strongly for. I guess this is where my faith steps in. Just believing that one day it will happen... that one day, it will all be ok and I will see the colored rainbow of love. HAY! kakapagod ha!!!

Missing A him....

2005-06-30T17:32:00.000+08:00

Do I really miss him? Yeah... I guess I miss him. Though I don't want to dwell on how I feel... I know I am better off without my past relationships but it just feels comfortable and familiar. When I think of the fun times, I miss him but I can't go through the emotional roller coaster so I should just let this one go... Its been years!!! Man! I should always remember how tired I am of being hurt!

Ok... I admit! I can be a drama queen but this time, no more drama! I'll just take it like it is.

My friend Elaine said that I am masking a depression. Maybe I am, but I am doing the best I can. If my depression is about something I can control, it would have been so much easier! But my sadness (if I really am!) is about not having a love life, I really could not do anything about that, can I?

I am free now to face my bright future. Its just that the memories take the best of me sometimes. The learnings I have had these past years will take me out of the painful memories though. Being in pain for so long have made me want and hope for a better relationship. I deserve that and I know that God will let me have that!

I have been praying for peace and now, I am finally without entanglements. I can see a lot clearer than before and I am not in any dysfunctional relationships... Its just a matter of time before the PLAN is unveiled before my eyes. Do i miss him? Yes... But I do miss having a better "him" too.... Having someone who will truly love and care for me! One day, it will happen! I just know it in my heart!

2005-05-31T22:31:00.000+08:00

I'm in the middle of reading this book called "The Curse of Singles Table". The book is very amusing and interesting. It is a true story of a jewish girl who has been without sex for 1000 ++ days and looking for love everywhere (from Kenya to Russia to www.match.com). The story is both amusing and real especially for a single woman like me. I haven't finished the book yet but it seems that the story's conclusion is her realization that she does not need a man to be happy.

Being the modern pinay that I would like to believe myself to be, I don't want to anchor my happiness to a man. I want to be free, indpendent and adventurous. But what does it mean when the single self start to realize and once again accept that love is beautiful and that relationships, as long as it is nurturing, will not suppress you of freedom and independence?

I heard on the radio this morning that the most jaded and most cynical person on relationships are the ones who were once hopeless romantics. I cannot agree more.... I think I am one of those people who have been disillusioned by love and relationships that do not work out. I have been completely inlove twice. The colors have never been more colorful. The birds humming can never be sweeter. The flowers can not be prettier. Life can never be more beautiful.

And then it happens, he goes back to his ex-fiancee or he dumps you to go off with a married woman. Self-esteem down the drain, I tried to analyze why things happened the way they did. I tried to look at myself and compare myself with these woman. Of course, there is the classic blaming myself for what happened. I realized when low self esteem hits, it does not matter what other people say, you know how to put yourself down... and in a big way. All the bad things I sawin myself was magnified because I felt that those are the reason they left me.

Then, its time to feel loved because I can't love myself. I tried to look for love everywhere too. I felt that that's the biggest way I can regain my self esteem. I tried to check out every guy I meet and see if they can be potential boyfriends. Of course, that actually cuts down the number of men you can really be friends with since they have become or have been eliminated as "boyfriend material". Believe me, I have been to parties, clubs (both for straight and gays), social functions and every kind of sports and events.... he never showed up!

When it happens once, getting over it is difficult but accepting it is part of life is easy. When it happens to twice, then, you start to believe that there is something majorly wrong with me.

I pulled myself together by making myself as busy and as interesting as I can be. My time cannot be free to think or feel. I have to make sure that I am busy all the time. I healed myself by reading books, meditating and focusing on what I have rather than what I have lost. I realized that I am a good person, I don't look bad at all and I have something very beautiful to offer other people. Self-esteem regained not by having another relationship but by learning how to love myself and take care of myself.

I made a firm stand that i will not enter into relationships that I know will be for my detriment. I will only be in loving and nurturing relationships. If that's not going to happen, I will just be sinlge all my life.

I have been praying for this and it seems that God has been telling me that I really am not meant to be single all my life. The deepest desires of my heart has said that I will find the man that God has planned for me... but I have to be patient.... OH WOW! WAITING?!?! I was never good at that. But, what can I do? hehehe!

When did I cross the great divide of wanting to be single all my life to... I will wait for the right guy to come? I'm not sure. I think it came as a result of my prayer. BELIEVING that the Lord is working on me and one day His plans will be revealed slowly and effortlessly.

Just like what the book, Curse of the Singles Table said. I don't need to go to the ends of the earth to find my man. As long as I am comfortable and contented by myself, I will be happy... with our without a man. :-)

Depression? What's next?

2005-04-21T22:30:00.000+08:00

Depression and loneliness has struck me these past few days. It is not easy being single and having most of my friends overseas or busy with their work, I had to fend for myself.

As you know, girls love to chat and whine their blues away. I used to always be out with my friends to get away from the sadness of realizing that I dont have the last text of the day. I think anyone who has been single and longing to have a partner understands what it means to miss having the first SMS in the morning and the last good night before going to bed.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being single. In fact, I love it. I think its one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given me. Not a lot of people are gifted with this chance. An opportunity to truly live a single life! Being able to have your own money, independence, friends, parties and different kinds of life adventures. The beauty of having your own time! Being able to do what you want to do without attachments. Wow! How liberating!

Well, I can say that now after some time of reflection and reading... I can say that I embody the new Filipina woman. Independent, adventurous, fashionable, strong willed and yet feminine in more ways than one. You can say that I am the liberated Filipina. I used to be very conservative until I came out of my shell with a bang! Believe me, even that was a growth experience.

Ok... ok... let's go back to my depression and how I am slowly getting out of it... I was depressed and lonely and I knew that I had to get out of it.... and fast! I hate being sad... it's not me... I like the energetic, always on the go girl that I am... I love smiling and making people smile. I like looking good and having people look at me with smile in their faces noticing that that's one happy person.

The past few days, I just wanted to cry. I felt like I was alone. I had no one to share my successes, frustrations and stories with . So, I am out on my mission again to find something that will distract me from my sadness. I looked for new things that I can get into. I dug up all the things that I know will fulfill my passion. And there I went to the dance studio to inquire about belly dancing classes, I went to Powerbooks to get books that will empower me in my current state. I had to be inspired and I had to get my passion back.

God's so good! He showed me the book on "How to be a woman of passion -- How to be the joyous woman of God". I just started the book and it's looking good. I'm also in the middle of reading the book of Iyanla Vanzant called "In the Meantime". I think its very entertaining but I have yet to get to the meat. The book of Bo Sanchez called "You can make your life Beautiful" can really lift up your spirits. I am also reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho for the nth time.

You see... when you are depressed, acknowledge it and admit that you are but don't be stuck there. Want to get out of it and get out of it! Do everything in your power to make sure that your depression becomes your tool to achieving more and doing more. Everything exists for a reason. I think depression happens because you have to find out more about you and take one step forward in everything in your life. Do things that you have always delayed doing... Take courses that interests you... Learn a new skill... Get into a new hobby.... You are single... you have all the time in the world to do all these things.

When you have learned more, experienced more and matured more, you will definitely feel more confident... with or without a man, you have already accomplished something that a lot of people only dream of doing.

Be the best single person that you can be... meet people and have fun! Channel your energy unto things that will give you more confidence and attract the kind of man that is worthy of a fun, exciting and interesting woman like you!