I need a week or two off.  Three, tops.  I promise to catch up when I can! :)

Love,

A

Music Monday

I'm sharing a song I've been obsessed about these past few days.  Every time I hear it over the radio, I instantly smile and sing along.  I try not to like it, but I just can't help it.  It's too catchy and the beat was too fun for my own good.  I've seen Nicki's performance of it at this year's MTV VMAs and she's the bomb, as always.  I hope you enjoy listening to the song as much as I do. :)

This post was hurried because I'm kind of swamped with school stuff and the midterm exams.  I'll try to post a normal Music Monday next week. Please bear with me. :)

                                                                                             Ciao!☺

Thursday Thought

"She was too quiet, or she was too loud.

She took things too seriously, or not seriously at all.

She was too sensitive, or too cold-hearted.

She hated with every fiber of her being, or loved every piece of her heart.

There was no in-between for her.

It was either all or nothing.

She wanted everything but settled for nothing."

-unknown

I don't know why but I'm at loss for words this week.  So that's just it for this week! :)

                                                                                        xx

Music Monday

"Where words leave off, music begins."

-Heinrich Heine

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent."

-Victor Hugo

              

                                                                                          Ta Ta!☺

Thursday Thought

I've always thought of myself as a feminist.  I really believe that anything men could do, women could too; not better but rather equally good.  And it got me thinking if I can really call myself a feminist.  According to google, feminism is a noun which means the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.  Yes, now I'm sure that I'm a feminist but I also realized I'm more than that.  I'm pro-equality.  I stand for the women, the Asians, the African Americans, the LGBTs, and everyone who are oppressed because of who they are.  It's so disappointing that inequality is still an issue nowadays.

A week ago, I was talking to my brother asking him to learn household chores because he's already in the right age to learn how to do these stuff right, and I was baffled when he said he didn't need to learn household chores because he's a man and he believes that men don't do household chores.  I was so pissed at him, I wanted to hit him right then and there but I just composed myself then I told him, his reasoning is crazy wrong and I said we are not living in the 20s.  And if he really believes in that men over women thing, then I shouldn't drive for him, our older sister should not work and I shouldn't study anymore because I'm just gonna marry and be a housewife(not belittling, just stating a fact) eventually, anyway.  I hope he understood my sentiment, and if he did not I will forever try to instill in him that men are not above women.

This topic is something we should all be concerned with.  I know spiritual and cultural beliefs are sometimes at stake, but just try to be open.  That's all I'm asking, wishing and praying for because I think having an open mind is the first step of acceptance.  If everyone understand this equality thing(it's a big deal), I know our world will be a much better place to live in. :)

Music Monday

Lady Gaga, in my opinion, is the most eclectic artist in the world today.  I probably am not her biggest fan but I've been her fan ever since she started, and I think that counts big time.  I've seen her live twice already and she's really a great artist and an awesome performer.  I noticed that she just keeps getting better and better performing on stage and also in terms of penning her songs.  Some people are ambivalent about her because of her quirkiness and raciness, but all I can say about that is different strokes for different folks, bae.  :)

I wanna share this week my most favorite track from her latest album, ARTPOP.  I love this song so much, it's my most played song in my music library.  And I really believe that this song is MY song, I can relate to it crazily.  :)

                                                                                                Ta Ta!☺

Thursday Thought

"Just once, I would like there to be something special about being the kid stuck in the middle."
-Karen Tayleur, Love Notes From Vinegar House


Parents would disagree with me but I will still put this out; middle child issues(syndrome's too scientific for my own good.) are real.  Whether parents like it or not, sometimes they just can't help but favor a child or two more than the other.  The eldest child has the perks of the first experiences and achievements while the youngest needs protection and is the baby of the family; that left us with the middle kids.

I am the middle child of our family.  I have an elder sister and a younger brother.  I sometimes feel that I'm not needed and I'm actually a disappointment.  My sister graduated college on time and she also acquired MBA while my younger brother can do no wrong because he's still young--still learning the hustle of life, and he's the unico hijo of the family.  On the other hand, I'm the one who strayed.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't stray too far.  I finished a diploma course of Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts but at 23, I still don't have a bachelor's degree and somehow that's kind of a big disappointment by everyone's standards.

I've been reading a lot of stuff about being the middle child, the pros and cons.  I realized, nothing's absolute in life.  There's always a good thing in a bad situation or vice versa.  And after reading those articles, I remembered about a book I've read a year or two ago.  It tackled a bit about being the middle child and I loved the realizations of the character.  The book is called Just Listen, and it's written by Sarah Dessen.  Here are a few quotes that struck me when I read the book, and they're related to my blabber this week. :)


"I am the middle sister.  The one in between.  Not oldest, not youngest, not boldest, not nicest.  I am the shade of gray, the glass half empty or full, depending on your view.  In my life, there has been little that I have done first or better than the one preceding or following me.  Of all of us, though, I am the only one who has been broken."

"I am still the center sister.  But I see it differently now.  There has to be middle.  Without it, nothing can ever truly be whole.  Because it is not just the space between, but also what holds everything together."


                                                                                               Toodles!☺

Music Monday

The artists that I'm showcasing this week is very special to my heart.  I got to know them through a celebrity who tweeted a lyrics from one of their songs, then I searched for it and I found a treasure.  Ever since then, they're my most favorite duo, ever.  I've been listening to them for about 3 or 4 years now. (This is a little absurd but every time I'm in a plane and it's about to take off, I always listen to their song Big Jet Plane.)  So, naturally, I was so happy when I discovered that they released a new album!  Oh, wait!  By the way, I'm talking about the Australian singer-songwriter sibling Angus and Julia Stone.♥

I believe this is their most popular song.  They've actually won a Single of the Year award for this track.  Yes, this is the song I always listen to while the plane's taking off or about to take off, it calms my nerves and it's some kind of a habit now. :)

This is the song I was talking about.  A Filipina celebrity tweeted a couple of lines from this song.  After reading the tweet, I just had to search for the entire lyrics and the artist as well, and I guess the rest is (iTunes)history. Haha :p

Out of all their songs, this is and will always be my most favorite.  I love this song so much, I'm at lost for words to describe how much.  I didn't wanna share this song at first because I don't want someone else telling me, they love this song more than I do.  That's just not possible.  And I ended up sharing this song anyway because I want every reader of mine to know how great Angus and Julia Stone are. :)

Ending this post with my track of choice from their latest self-titled album. :)  I hope you enjoyed listening to these two great artists, as much as I always do.♥

                 

                                                                                              Hoo roo!☺

Thursday Thought

"I have realized
that the moon 
did not have to be full
for us to love it,
that we are not tragedies
stranded here beneath it,
that if my heart really broke
every time I fell from love;
I'd be able to offer you confetti by now.
But hearts don't break y'all,
they bruise and get better."

-Buddy Wakefield

Twins.

 I rarely go out.  I never even party because I don't drink and I personally think I'm an introvert.  But when I do go out, it's normally just to meet friends or relatives to have lunch, merienda, or dinner out.  Last week, some of my high school friends and I scheduled a long overdue catch up session.  We decided to meet up at Pipino Vegetarian Food to try well, vegetarian food. :D  We're all meat and dairy lovers but we wanted to give vegetarian food a chance. :)

I love how they showcased their sweets!  I'm obsessed!  If ever or whenever I put up a restaurant, I would totally copy this!  Haha :p  As I entered the shop, I literally can't help but gawk at this dessert area.  What can I say, sweetness is my weakness. :D

The restaurant is small, about 5-6 tables only.  But it's really cozy and not stuffy at all. :) 

While waiting for my companions, I opted to have Green Tea Cupcake.  It's dairy-free and gluten-free!  I was skeptical at first because I thought I'm not gonna like it but I was surprised that it tasted delicious and I loved it!  It's moist, not too sweet, and it's light and airy. :)  

Oreo Ice Cream

This is the worst ice cream ever!  My friend, Ella, ordered this and we regret it.  I'm an ice cream fanatic and I don't think I will ever like a non-dairy ice cream.  It's just not right for our palate.  I'm sorry, maybe there's nothing wrong with it, perhaps it's just us.

Banana Sherbet

This is more like a sorbet than a sherbet but it tasted fine.  It was so much like saba con yelo.  I never realized how dependent I am to dairy products until I tried eating at Pipino.  It's crazy!

We really wanted to eat at Pipino(and we tried!) but we don't think we'll enjoy the food that's why we decided to go downstairs and eat at Pino Resto Bar. :)  Bagnet is the specialty of Pino and I loved it there!  Who doesn't love bagnet anyway?  Carbs and fat galore!  The two restaurants were owned by the same man or people and I'm in awe how extremes these two are.  Pipino is full on healthy food, while Pino is crazy food indulgence.  There's no in-between, I like the idea and strategy of these sister companies. :)

I was so busy being a friend that I forgot to be a blogger. :)  I wasn't able to get the name of the dishes and their prices. When I come back(which I definitely will), maybe I can give proper comments on the dishes.  Until then! :)

                                                                                               Toodles!☺

Music Monday

This week, I decided to share two songs from two movies this year.  One has already been released last month, called Begin Again, and had an amazing reviews while the other one, called The Giver, will be shown this month.  I chose these songs to share this week because I really like the lyrics of the songs.  If you've been reading this blog, you'll notice my music choices are greatly affected by the words in the song, not the melody or the beat or anything else. :)

Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is the songwriter and the original artist for this song, but I decided to share Keira Knightley's version because I like its rawness, I love songs in the point of view of a girl/lady/woman, and it's easier to sing along with this version because Levine's voice, as we all know, is amazingly extraordinary high pitched.  This song is my current favorite!!  Cross my heart!  I listen to it every single day.  I undeniably love the lyrics, the melody, and the message.  This song tugs at the heart every time I listen to it.♥

I personally believe that Ryan Tedder is one of the greatest songwriter of this generation.  If you do not believe me, here's some of his (co-)written works outside OneRepublic's albums: Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, Do It Well by JLo, Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson, Neon Lights by Demi Lovato, Rumour Has It by Adele, Halo and XO by Beyonce, and Words As Weapons by Birdy.  That's just a few amazing songs up on his sleeve.  I'm totally geeking out so going back, Ordinary Human is a good song.  I really like it!  It's catchy and meaningful at the same time.  And I'm crushing on Tedder's falsetto. :)

                                                                                        xx!☺

Thursday Thought

"You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

-Mahatma Gandhi

"There are causes worth dying for, but none worth killing for."

-Albert Camus

"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime."

-Ernest Hemingway

"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."

-Howard Zinn

"The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them."

-J.R.R. Tolkien

"No one won the last war, and no one will win the next war."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

My heart is breaking with what's happening in our world.  It's not just about what's happening in Gaza, it's also because of North Korea's threats, those plane crashes and disappearance, and let's not forget the bombings and shootings all over the world.  What happened to humanity?  What happened to us?  What triggered us to become these monsters?  I don't know all the truths, but with what I've been reading, we're all crazy messed up.  I know this blog post isn't gonna solve our problems, but I just want to put my thoughts out and shed a little awareness.  Even just a bit.  It's crazy how some of us, including myself, are complaining about silly things while hundreds of people are being bombed at in their own home. *sigh*

Simplicity.

I always notice this restaurant in the corner of Trinoma Mall's 2nd floor North Ave side called Recipes every time I pass by there.  The area is small and really simple, but it's always jam packed.  And we all know, there's only one possible reason for that, the food might be good.  So my companions and I decided to have our late-lunch-early-dinner there. :)

"Our life is frittered away by detail.  Simplify, simplify."

-Henry David Thoreau

Adobo Flakes (Php 180.00)

Out of all the rice meals, I would probably pick this one as the best.  It's crunchy and soft.  It's tasteful and kid-friendly.  My brother loved it, and he's a real picky eater.  This one's a steal!  Look at that portion. :)

Crispy Bangus (Php 185.00)

And the 2nd place goes to this milkfish dish.  If you wanna go a bit healthier, go for this one.  I said, a bit because it's still fried food, you know. :D

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Php 175.00)

A little dry, isn't it?  I personally think you can order better than this.  I expected a little more sauce and moist, but for the price of the meal, it's still quite okay.  But reality check, okay is not good. :)

Pork Inihaw (Php 170.00)

I recommend everyone not to pick this one.  Look at that, it makes me sad just by looking at it.

All of the viands above includes a cup of plain rice and an iced tea, and with just an additional of (Php 10.00), you can have a cup of garlic rice instead. :)

Lechon Kawali with Kangkong (Php 218.00)

Crispy fried pork + stir fried water spinach = a really good balance of good and bad.  Well, in my opinion. :p  You may disagree, but you can't change my mind. :) 

Gising Gising (Php 175.00)

This is one of my favorite vegetable dish, ever.  It contains ground pork, green beans, coconut milk, shrimp paste, and seasonings.  It taste heavenly!  I can eat it everyday. :)

Their rice meals are really affordable; they're actually budget friendly with options from every possible food category.  I think their a la carte choices were better tasting, so you might wanna lean over that side of the menu in picking what to eat.  There were hits and misses but I still recommend this restaurant to everyone, especially students who are tired of eating at the same fastfood joints over and over again. :)

                                                                                       Later!☺

Music Monday

London Grammar is one of my favorite underrated bands.  I stumble upon them while I was watching random youtube videos probably around this time last year.  I still remember that Wasting My Young Years is the first song I heard from them and I instantly loved them.  Hannah Reid's voice is magical!  I initially thought Hannah Reid is London Grammar, just like Foxes or Birdy, but then I googled London Grammar and to my surprise it's a band!  An amazing one at that. :)

Devil Inside is not London Grammar's original song, but it's a cover song from INXS.  This wonderful cover was used for Game of Thrones's Season 4 trailer early this year.  I love it so much, I decided to put it here. :)

They're really amazing, aren't they?!  I love the melody, the lyrics, Hannah's voice, the instruments' combinations; everything perfectly fits.♥

I've read over the web that they're amazing live and I wish to see them perform a few meters away from me anytime soon, or merely in my lifetime would be more than enough.  If you liked them, go get their album called If You Wait.  If you didn't liked them, you need to get your ears checked.  Kidding aside, try listening to their other songs; aside from the songs shared or mentioned above, I also like Strong, Nightcall, Metal & Dust, and If You Wait.  :)



                                                                                            Ta Ta!☺

Me-time.

Pampering oneself is very important.  It relieves stress, it makes you look good, it makes you feel better, and it makes you happy.  A few hours of indulgence isn't so bad, when you think about it.  So last Friday, I decided to have my nails done at Kamp Nail Hub, one of the newly opened nail salon at U.P. Village.  If you want to visit or contact them, just click on KNH's name for their site. :)

I had their for the Ladies package, if I remember correctly.  It includes a manicure, a pedicure, a foot spa with mask, and a foot massage.  I wanna go back!  And next time, I wanna bring my friends or my cousins over for some girly time. :)

I forgot Ate's name but she's an angel!  She has the gentlest hand, ever!  I mean, in my entire life, ever!! :)

I was the only customer that time and I loved every single minute of it!  I needed that serenity.  And I also loved the temperature of the room!  It's probably 20 degree Celsius, a great escape from the 35 degree Celsius temp outside. :)

I opted for matte black nail polish just because.  If I could wear this color forever, I would.  I love love love black and recently, I'm obsessing over matte black anything.☺

Close-up!♥

                                                                                            Bisous!☺

Music Monday

There are two reasons why I decided to share this artist or this song this week.  (That's a lot of this in one sentence.)  When I first saw the video below, I literally shed a few tears!  I'm not kidding or exaggerating.  I merely can relate with what the video is portraying.  Self-esteem is not so easy to acquire.  It's something we all work on everyday.  I really commend John Legend for making this video, it's amazing, uplifting, and real.  And for the song, he never fails to make a girl feel better and feel special.

Have you seen it?  Now, how do you feel?☺  Anyhoo, another reason why I wanted to showcase John Legend this week is because he's coming back to Manila this year!  AAAAAH!!  I missed him last time that's why I want to catch him this time!  I wanna watch him perform live the song above, All Of Me, Everybody Knows, Take Me Away, Save Room, and Ordinary People.  Ordinary-freaking-People!!!  Where's a genie or a fairy godmother when you need one?  I hope I get to save money before the ticket sells out.  Or I wish for a good samaritan to give me a ticket.♥

                                                                                                                    See you in his concert!!☺ 

                                                                                                                *fingers-crossed*

Agape.

How Do I Love Thee?

by: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints.  I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.



How Do I Love Thee?, Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one of my favorite poetry, ever.  It's said that she wrote it for her husband, Robert Browning, and I find it amusing because I grew up with non-romantic parents and I can't help but wonder what if they were, what would have happened then.  I discovered the poem when I was still in high school and up until now, I still love it.  It just never gets old and whether you're in a relationship or not, you can appreciate it.  It makes you, actually it makes me, believe in love every time I read it.  Real, unconditional, loyal, and forgiving love exists.  It's never gonna be easy, it's not gonna be a walk in the park finding it, or keeping it, or sustaining it, but it exists.  And sometimes that's all I need to think or hear. :)



                                                                                         Ta Ta!☺

Upcoming.

Last week, a very good friend of mine invited me to have an early dinner in her friend's restaurant at Ampid, San Mateo, Rizal named Estancia de Lorenzo.  It's a farm to table restaurant that will be open to the general public soon; but so far, they're still on soft opening exclusively for family, colleagues, and friends. :)

Estancia's Duck Burger

This couldn't be more perfect to be their signature dish.  It deserves to have the restaurant's name on it.  I'm obsessed with their Kamias vinaigrette!!  It's tangy, sweet and uniquely refreshing!♥  And the salad matches the burger perfectly.  The patty tasted good but the seasoning was a little unbalanced, there were saltier parts and a little more binder was really needed to refrain it from falling apart but I really love that it's not oily or gamy.  The buns were falling to pieces too, so that needs to be fixed as well but so far so good.  :)

Duck Ragu Bolognese

I was told every dish were made from scratch!  I was really impressed because it could only get better from here. :)  What I love about this pasta is the chicharon-like bits.  I couldn't get enough of it! :D  Anyhoo, this dish is already A-okay, I don't have any critical comments. :)

Organic Duck Salpicao

People who like healthy organic food will really love EDL.  I would probably enjoyed this dish more if it came with mashed potato or twice baked potato or rice.  Haha! :p  The duck cubes were a little tough and chewy, probably from overcooking.  The sauce tasted amazing, it's salty with a hint of sweetness.  I personally prefer salpicao to be really garlic-y and pepper-y but I understand that some people don't like that. :)

Minted Kamias and Pineapple Basil

I was kind of disappointed with my Minted Kamias because I did not, in any way, tasted any hint of mint.  I expected it to be really refreshing because I imagined the coldness of mint and the sourness of kamias combined but I got shocked when I sipped and tasted what seems to taste like a candied kamias shake.  My friend opted for their Pineapple Basil and the combination was divine!☺

Triple Chocolate Tablea Smores

This dessert was not too sweet and the chocolate wafer won me over.  Think of champorado with a twist.  The smores were unavailable at the time so I'm kind of excited to go back and try this once again complete with smores. :)

Pandan Cheesecake

Sumptuous, isn't it?  I really like that the pandan flavor was incorporated really well in the cheesecake and the ice cream makes the ensemble burst flavors in your mouth. :)

I really believe that with a few alterations and innovations, Estancia de Lorenzo has a potential to be one of the best farm to table restaurant in the metro despite of being hidden in the suburbs of Rizal. :)  I want to thank my friend, Tweetums, for the invitation and the Lorenzo family, especially Katrina and Catherine, for the awesome dining experience, for the complimentary food, and for taking my comments with kindness and respect. :)

                                                                                             Toodles!☺