Discovering Binondo

After getting inspired from a blogger's post about his food adventure in the world's oldest Chinatown, I, along with few friends, troop to Binondo on a cloudy Saturday morning. We have agreed to stay (as much as we can) on our 300-peso budget for our food expenses.  

Life Update: Ethan's Christening

I am back after a long hiatus. I feel so ecstatic after PLDT resolved both my landline and internet issues 2 days ago. Now, I am demanding REFUNDS! Having said that, I believe it is time to update this poor blog with events that occurred recently. :)

I am officially a "Ninong" to this cutesie! #YAY

Sunsets

Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven.

-John Lubbock

Burot Beach: Silent Sanctuary

This trip to Burot beach has been long planned like we all gonna die if we cannot have it fulfilled. How would you feel if you are planning a trip for a very long time but seeing the day of fulfilling it is like a camel going through the eye of a needle. Frustrating, honestly.

Many have already gone to this place and most share it to their blogs which i religiously visit to be familiar of what to expect. I've been to a lot of beautiful beaches my life but this should not be an excuse to not appreciate this little gem.

Capones Island: The Charmer

i woke up early the next day despite having uncomfortable sleep the whole night. i dont mind sharing the tent with six friends. IT.IS.THE.RAIN. being the early bird, i decided to just drag myself and made coffee for myself and for those who are already awake.

Anawangin Cove: The Right Decision

"My dream is to have a house on the beach, even just a little shack somewhere so I can wake up, have coffee, look at dolphins, be quiet and breathe the air."
-Christina Applegate 

the recent trip to Anawangin cove was one of the trips i haven't put too much effort on when it comes to planning. it was just out of curiosity, the need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and stresses at work that pushed me to search random getaway on Google. the initial plan was Puerto Galera. then Batangas. just when i thought we agreed on Antipolo, a search result of Anawangin cove made it all change. 

few keyboard clicks later, kaladkad tours came on my screen. i made a quick chat with friends, inquiring their thoughts and approval. then a decision was made, F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

after an arrangement with kaladkad tours, we were set to leave by 6am on a Saturday after our shift. our van picked us up and the three-hour trip to zambales began. we bought food for breakfast from the nearest fastfood and ate it in the van so no time's wasted. after a few asaran and hagalpakan sa tawa moments, lack of sleep and the smoothness of the trip, we dozed off. thank God for the wonders of NLEX.

'chura ng mga tulog!heheh

Hidden Garden, Vigan

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.” 
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly


after our short stop at the Pagburnayan pottery, we had our lunch at the Hidden Garden Vigan. when we arrived, we were welcomed and i can't wait to order. i thought at first it was just some ordinary marriage of karenderiya and garden but i was wrong. its plants/flowers on display(also for sell) are beauties on their own right. they have an altar, a lover's corner, swing, birds on display, some animals and their powder room that amazes me.

Ilocos Trip in Pictures pt. 4

“The farther you go, however, the harder it is to return. The world has many edges, and it's easy to fall off.” 
― Anderson Cooper

we sleep like a babe the whole night. our feet may hurt a bit, sunburns on the side however we all knew that we are not like we are before. we have few stories to share now to the world and how good travelling is for everyone. big travels. small travels. does.not.matter. 

like what we did on our second day, we rose early to check on the rising sun. its as if catching the last train to nowhere. how could you afford missing this?

Ilocos Trip in Pictures pt. 3

our second day officially started by waking up early hoping to take a glimpse of the rising sun in the east. we hurriedly went down, trailing on rice paddies and marvel at the vastness of the fields which the community have cultivated for maybe good years.

after having a hearty breakfast and some last minute preparations, we're all set to start our day and we know its gonna be a long one. we made a short stop at the community's parish with its bell tower proudly standing and braved an earthquake in the 80's as told by our tour guide/driver. So strong that some of its tip made its way to the ground.

we then proceeded to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse located in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. a couple of tourists were already there when we arrived. from the top, you will be treated with a breathtaking view. lush greens as a  backdrop and the stone wonder fronting south china sea.

Movie Feature: The Impossible

do you watch shows like Wish Ko Lang or The Locator? i do. my eyes well-up in tears whenever a big reunion is happening. who doesn't? one reunion for instance, makes it to news headlines last year when a facebook photo attracts netizens and even local media to help find lolo Luis Matias.

what are the odds?

that's the same question i had last night after watching "The Impossible". Watch the trailer here.

Of Diet and Boodle fight

i had a very tough week of late. i don't know if its because i'm being too hard on my self especially when it comes to eating. "Ang hirap magpapayat!" are complaints we always hear from a friend, colleague or from a family member who wants to stay fit but resisting "temptations" never comes to play. i guess i am guilty hence this post.  

i've been on a personalized diet for over a year now. being a self-confessed carbo maniac, i find it very tedious at first. your normal breakfast-merienda-lunch-merienda-dinner and not-so-late night merienda chain is broken. like.definitely.for.real! blame it to the physician's advise i got over a year ago for being a stage 1 obese! i know, right?! i was told to stick on low-calorie diet program which i have maintained a good relationship right now. heheh! I guess love then is just about patience,no?

but allow me to share photos taken on my "cheat days" where my couple of friends and I decided to do a not-so-fancy boodle fight.

we headed to plaridel, bulacan to meet up with our friend who's gonna be our host for the day and decided to make a quick stop at the Barasoain church to hear mass have our pictures taken! lols for the turista shot.

Ilocos Trip in Pictures pt. 2

we had a great time so far and we're all hungry since it was already 2pm. when you're in Ilocos, the easiest way to visit one place to another is by a van (l300's and the like). mostly, families here turn this into family business. some owns a van or two or maybe more and organizing their own itinerary since they are familiar of the place and post 'em online. when we arrived, we're all in awe adoring St. Augustine church (or Paoay church) since it is hard to miss.

this beauty was completed in 1710 and still stood centuries after.

Ilocos Trip in Pictures.

i had the chance to travel up North last November 13-16, 2012 along with few friends in tow. i am very ecstatic about this trip as we have planned it way ahead since the first quarter of the year. each one has his/her task to research our personalized itinerary as we chose to not purchase package tours we've seen online or in any travel agencies we know in the area - we want FREEDOM! haha. it also helped that some of my peers were able to visit Ilocos few weeks earlier thus i didn't let it pass to ask them for tips good places to visit in Ilocandia, gastronomic finds, necessary stuff to pack, etc.

it is around 11pm when we arrived in Cubao bus station where we bought our tickets which roughly cost us p550/pax, one-way. our bus left at about 12mn and we have set our minds that we will embark on a very long road trip. coats and blankets on, played music on my iPhone and tried to close my eyes and sleep... and tried again and nothing happened. I.AM.WIDE.AWAKE. darnit!

we're glad we had a very smooth trip and we arrived around 8am,Wednesday. i managed to get some decent naps from time to time but the scenery outside the window won over that shuteye is impossible. we were invited as house guests to my colleague's abode(he happens to live there,yay!), and we are tad grateful. free lodging means less expenses for us. winner di ba?

their family van waited for us and his(colleague's) older sister served as our driver/guide. she's the sweetest and she took us to their place which is literally beside a vast rice field which probably belong to them and to their neighbors. i love the simplicity of the place and even compared it to an amorsolo painting.

we were served with native chicken tinola and a veggie dish for breakfast that we all loved until no trace of it left. patay-gutom lang talaga! and were set to start our day.

these are taken in Fort Ilocandia. this is where we first went.

American Idol 12

How can we forget this performance?

Bad Hair Movie?

Why is Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina fond of using terrible WIGS in her movies? She should know better.

Director Cathy Garcia-Molina

Tagaytay, Volcano and Bulalo

Last Saturday, my friends and I decided to take a short trip to Tagaytay. We almost had it cancelled few hours prior due to heavy rain which lasted all night - at least. So, off we go and we braved the gloomy morning and took the bus with piping hot bulalo in our minds.

Taal volcano, the volcano inside a bigger volcano.

The trip took almost 2 hours and I only had nothing but prayers in my mind that we'll be given clear blue skies at least. We hailed a jeepney from Olivarez terminal, asked the driver to take us to Leslie's where people rave about their famous bulalo to satisfy our hungry selves.  When we got there the place was already packed and couple of guests were already waiting by the entrance. We're #9! :(