September 2015 Part 2

Earlier this week, posting something on Facebook got a former officemate commenting about how much she could relate to my post. That and with her complaining about how little time I have for friends. It was just too cute to pass up so I made sure to meet up with her. [I very rarely post anything sentimental these days but I just missed someone so bad. He was someone I just met in one of my travels and we would chat every now and then on Facebook. Then late last year he asked me out on a movie date. Dunno if that qualifies as a romantic date though but he paid for our tickets.]

We met up in Shangrila Mall. The original plan was to watch a movie because Cine Europa was on and has just ended yesterday. Who would have thought that many Filipinos are getting interested in foreign films other than the ones from Hollywood. While I am happy about it I am also bothered that there will come a point in time wherein it would be difficult to grab tickets because of the crowd.

And for the first time in my life I didn't get one because I got stuck in the toilet. Times when I have to use the toilet I hate being female. It sucks having to wait for women who take so long inside the toilet. I wonder what they do inside? One can relieve herself in less than a minute!

Because I wasn't able to get a ticket, K and I agreed to just have our late lunch. Our choice was Johnny Rockets in the East Wing. Everytime I pass by that resto I would always make a mental note to save up to have a taste of their burgers. But then imagine my disappointment when, ordering their Grand Canyon, I discovered that it wasn't so grand at all. The bacon was not fried to a crisp and was badly sliced too thickly and was hard to chew. The patty had nothing special in it. The bun was soggy. I felt pitiful eating that junk and I couldn't help but miss my favorite burger place. And it's ridiculous to spend P645 for that burger. But anyway, lesson learned. I will never drop by that place anymore. Even the fries are pitifully lacking in flavor compared to Wendy's! Sigh. That's money down the drain. Seriously.

Johny Rockets' not so grand Canyon

We did a bit of window shopping with me checking out stores selling baking stuff. It's been a dream to bake and that dream got revived when I got Nestlé Professional mixes for making panna cotta, crème brûlée, and chocolate mousse. My first attempt was a flop and people at home didn´t like it. Bruised my ego big time but then again they never really appreciate anything I do so that´s no surprise. Will just make desserts for others then.

Then off we head to K´s place. MRT was down due to technical problems. ON A SATURDAY, I have to emphasize. Seriously, what the heck is the MRTA doing??? So we took the bus and for the first time in my life I was happy not to spend over an hour in EDSA.

We swam a bit that night then off we went inside the sauna room where we talked a bit about life in general but mostly focusing on love life. Because at this age, both of us are a bit preoccupied about finding a decent guy who can be with us in this lifetime. (Ugh! That's a somewhat gross topic when you write about it but it's the truth...) When a girl entered, we stopped talking for a while. LOL.

That night, we watched 時をかける少女 the animated version. It's a drama comedy about a girl who suddenly could turn back time. Every time she did, there's always at least one negative incidental consequence (love that phrase which I conjured up just weeks ago when we had visitors at the office LOL!). And if there's one thing she learned, it's that "time waits for no one". Makoto has always been boyish and was upset when a friend asked her out. Trying to evade his feelings, she turned back time many times. Yet in the end, realizing the sacrifices made by Chiaki who turned out to be the original time traveler, she accepted his feelings. Except theirs is not a happy ending because they belong to different time periods. (Awwwww)

Then more chatting. We seem to have the same view that girls who flirt get boys faster than decent girls do. Just whatever happens to boys these days? I'm not playing self-righteous here but I do believe that I am brought up with principles. I don't even let boys pay for everything when I go out with them. Do boys really need girls who depend on them? Can't they stand independent, strong-willed girls? Are boys really that insecure to ever want to have an achiever for a lover? [As a drifter, I question if I am an achiever sometimes but then again looking back, having hurdled a lot of difficulties and having faced a lot of challenges, I can confidently say that I've leveled up a lot. In that respect I can say that yes I am an achiever. People will have different notions of what it means to be an achiever. I may not be my own boss, I may not have won an important award, but I've come to the point wherein I can proudly say that I am proud to be me.]

The following day was a Sunday and we woke up before 6AM to attend the earliest Sunday mass. Then off we went to Legaspi Sunday market to have a taste of their offerings. I got to taste those awesome Polish dumplings and even talked to the Polish guy who was manning the kiosk. Very friendly guy. When I remarked that Polish is one of the most difficult languages to learn, he agreed and even let me guess how a word is pronounced. I did poorly, obviously. [And I wondered if maybe I should pursue a degree in linguistics...]

There were too many foods we wanted to try but prices are on the expensive side. A meal costs P150 on average. I wanted to eat laksa, roast duck, oyster omelette, and lasagna. In the end we settled for 6 pieces of assorted Polish dumplings. (Our fave was the one with truffle oil. I superrrrr LOVE it!) We also had takoyaki which disappoint for its lack of real squid inside. The liter of carabao's milk I bought was sad to say, a letdown. I've had better carabao's milk at a cheaper price, too. But we both agreed to go back there for the things we weren't able to eat. [Right now I drool at the thought of oyster omelette. Sigh! To think I just ate one last Friday when my sister treated me to Sincerity in Banawe which by the way, deserves a blog entry, too!]

takoyaki

Polish dumplings and Vietnamese spring rolls

We went back to her place feeling drowsy from eating [and because we had little sleep]. Since we're both feeling sleepy, we slept on the roofdeck while in the poolside. LOL. The cool breeze was wonderful but when it was time for a swim it felt cold. It was wonderful to be in the water again, though. I love how I could already swim short distances. Will just have to build up my stamina and breathing techniques. Then sauna again. I love it when I sweat a lot.

After everything we went out in search of Japanese food but all Japanese restos close from 2PM onwards til 5PM. So we bought some groceries at the Japanese store. It was my chance to buy my favorite curry noodles but I fought the urge because I was on a budget and I chose to buy some canned goods and curry powder instead. A Booksale visit was also part of the itinerary as well as eating at my favorite Thai kiosk at Makati Cinema Square. I super miss that place. It was where I first fell in love with pad thai. Too bad they don't have tom yum.

beef wanton noodles

my favorite eatery in MCS

It rained hard on the way home. It was a wonderful experience nevertheless, to catch up with a dear friend and to just relax on a weekend. 

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Despite the many bad luck I encountered, I felt lucky because I got a crush's cellphone number. He's way older than me and I think he's mature. [Okaaaay this feels like something written by a highschool student. Ugh! Pardon my giddiness.]

Food in Delta Airlines

I am a fan of airline food. For some reason, everything tastes good when you're miles up high.

Because I worry about not having enough money while in Mexico, I kept the bread and pretzels and peanuts for later consumption. The bread served me well when I was too tired to venture outside for dinner. Actually I was so into Mexican TV shows that the whole time I was in my hotel room, I just watched telenovelas. Never mind that I didn't know the whole story because I only got to watch a few episodes.

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Used my phone cam to take photos of these because I was so into watching movies inside the plane I found taking out my cam too bothersome. LOL

September 2015 Part 1

September almost always is my busiest month but nowadays it's changing because I had to offload some activities temporarily to give way to new ones which I believe will help enrich my life. One of the things that have to go for now is traveling because not only does it eat up much of my time and keep me away from my family, I have also identified it as my biggest expense-incurring activity, which is bad because since the start of the year I have had very little savings.

So the first week of September I was elated to have spent less than P600. Would you believe that I was even able to buy groceries that week? But I promised myself never to buy lunch for one whole week but it was a success that spilled over to the second week and which I am hoping will continue this week until payday comes hopefully.

Except that this last week I overspent because of certain activities. I received a meeting invite in SM Megamall which was a bad idea scheduling it on that day. It rained hard and I bore witness to the floods in Ortigas and the slow-as-snail pace of vehicles. The other party was late because of this and so I had to buy snacks for myself lest I end up grumpy because of hunger. It was a fruitful meeting and I hope that my pet projects and one big project will push through.

For someone who did not experience having an org in college, being with one right now is not only a blessing but a privilege. Here I learned the importance of passionate volunteerism. Based on observations, people would sign up for just about anything but fail to deliver outputs. This presents a problem for the project organizers and for the org which provides the funding. Can't people be serious and treat volunteer work as something at par with salaried work? Okay people will argue that you don't get paid being a volunteer. My point is, then don't volunteer if you can't deliver. Simple as that. Problem is people are so good at biting more than what they can chew. (Which, forgive me for the digression, is also a big issue in the Philippines because people do not care about wasting food. Just go to any restaurant or food court and you will be indignant at how so much food is wasted while a lot of people are starving. Makes me really angry!!!)

Anyway, I'm learning a lot in the org. Phase 2 of the project is even more exciting because I already volunteered to be part of the measures and documentation team. LOL. Okaaay no more travels until end of the year and I hope that translates to savings. That is, if I succeed in keeping myself away from theaters...

Speaking of theaters, I watched DUP's season opener "#R</3J", a modern retelling of The Bard's classic Romeo and Juliet. I was disappointed with the play, over-all. However, it must be pointed out that the kinesthetics of this pay is well played out, leaving me awed. It's the first time that I left the theater feeling like I was cheated of my P200, to think that I came in late, NO THANKS to the heavy traffic in EDSA and the extra long queue at the jeepney terminal in SM North. I really really really miss having my early morning shift. #cries

After the play, S and I walked all the way to Maginhawa, our food haven because of the many food offerings there. And we promised to meet up more frequently to be able to experience each of the restos there, before they close up without notice. This seems to be the prevailing pattern in the area but I am happy to see that favorites are still there: Ate Fe's Kitchenette, Friuli, Crazy Katsu, Coffee Way... Sigh! Now I am saving up money for more food trips (and possibly explore Marikina's Lilac Street more. YUM!!!) Our choice for the night was IndonYaki and we shared an order of their fried lumpia and pancit canton. Simple but filling, delicious, and affordable!

Just yesterday, I went out to see Heneral Luna with an archaeo boy who's always been nice to me. Anyway, this is the third time we hang out together. The first time was when he was a new student and I had just finished my first year. The second time was some two month ago or so when we both agreed to dine at Likha Diwa and it was funny because there was no electricity but so determined we were to eat there that we didn't mind.

And boy did I enjoy the film despite the gore and violence. You see, Antonio Luna is my favorite hero in Philippine History, that on my first ever solo trip which happened in his province, I made sure to drop by the Luna house in Badoc. His infamous fiery temper must have added some charm to his extraordinary wit, military excellence, courage, and bravery. It's such a shame though that he was to fall in the hands of Filipinos. Shame on traitors and cowards, they don't know the meaning of true independence. Of course not much is known about Luna compared to Rizal which is double shame because for me, Antonio Luna is the best polymath. Would Rizal be involved in war? Let's not forget that he aimed for reformation and not complete independence. We cannot dismiss the fact that revolutionaries were inspired to act for Philippine independence after Rizal's death though.

But but but, did you know that Antonio Luna is not only a god of war incarnate, but also gifted with intellectual prowess? He was a licensed doctor and he won prizes for his research on tropical diseases. He was also an accomplished writer , having contributed to La Solidarid as Taga-Ilog, and later on founding La Independencia. What's more, he's gifted with foresight, like many of us from the moon! It is because of his near-perfect characteristics that he was to meet his demise at the hands of lowly creatures who could not bear to see his brilliance. Highly principled and a strict disciplinarian, he did what he could to set the first Philippine military right earning the ire of high ranking officials whose interests lie elsewhere. It is no wonder that Aguinaldo and his men would rather have him dead than to have the Philippines liberated from the Americans under Luna's military command. Oh the shame, this social disease is still as prevalent in modern times. Just why can't people just focus on the ultimate goal and cooperate???

Antonio Luna is one rare gem, alongside Gerogorio del Pilar. You know what the bonus in the film is? There is a VERY BIG chance that they're creating a movie centered on Gregorio del Pilar!!! Why am I excited? Because Gregorio del Pilar is my second most favorite hero in Philippine history! I never get tired of reading about these two. :)

After the movie, C and I had early dinner at Shi Lin in Trinoma. I had high expectations because I enjoyed my experience at Lucky Chinatown branch but these were not met in this branch, unfortunately. The photos in the menu are misleading when it comes to size and portions. My face fell when I saw the Japanese tofu being served. The congee and noodles were okay but I could have ordered the same someplace and not spend a fortune. the xiaolongbao is still heavenly though so maybe I'll just drop by this place when I have cravings again. As for noodles, there's always Lanzhou Ramen and Shanghai Ramen.

Nestle Docello Chocolate Mousse with Banana Puree

We got packs of Docello products, one chocolate mousse, one panna cotta, and one creme brulee. Those plus a bag of Maggi mashed potatoes. Just what I need after spening money on travels this year, leaving me with almost no savings so at the moment I am trying hard to save money by bringing packed lunch to work. This is the unglamorous side of having wanderlust, sure you get to go see places but at the expense of your savings. I still consider myself lucky to get free plane fares thrice this year because of volunteer-related travels. Awesome way to savor 2015.

Soya milk, bananas already in the blender, and choco mousse mix

Tonight I finally found the time to open the choco mousse bag and make dessert. A day ago I bought a liter of soya milk at the grocery store so I used that plus some almost overripe bananas that we have. Throw everything into the blender and you're good to go.

The finished product

Since I forgot to but small cups, the aluminum pan will do for now. Still have half a pack left so I can have a second shot to make a better choco mousse dessert in case this doesn't turn out good.

On Bathing

While on my way to the airport last week for my HK trip, a few thoughts ran inside my head. First of which how busy I have always been and because of this, I have been neglecting some important aspects in my life.

For instance, I still do not have a decent love life. At this point when suddenly boys ask me out left and right, I have come to realize how my solitude has, yes, made me a strong person, but it also made me so independent I can hardly rely on another person for my happiness.

An officemate once says that one's happiness must come from within and must not depend on other people. I wonder how much weight that thought holds. Inevitably, our relationships cause help create happiness. Just a simple hello or a show of affection from a friend is enough to brighten up one's day. Or how about a distant relative whom you haven't seen in a long time and yet when you see each other it's as if you've grown up together? Things are not as simple as it looks and declaring such a statement is bound to invite endless debates.

On the other hand, what got me thinking also is how little I care for myself. The past months have been stressful with me going anxious for my yaya, getting depressed over a myriad of things--- losing the most important person in my life, feeling helpless and paralyzed at the thought that maybe it's the end... Hopping on the plane as if it were a bus, getting little sleep, being on the road, getting pensive with thoughts flying to a gazillion directions, losing in a world of fantasies and refusing to face the tough reality... There were too many to mention. One can only guess so much what goes on in my mind these days and I wonder if my yaya is happy while she looks down on me from Heaven.

I wonder... Often she shook her head in disbelief as to why I grew up being so irresponsible. She would often laugh at how as a child I took baths twice a day and as an adult I rarely do so. It's funny how, come to think of it, I would skip bath and not care about it. It just seemed so unnecessary and quite bothersome... I'd rather immerse myself in music or in a good book than bathe.

But last month I realize that bathing can have a destressing effect. I am amazed at how relaxed I am feeling clean and refreshed. So lately I have been having urges to buy soap bars, trying new things and just rediscovering the joy of bathing.

Not that I take baths twice a day now. Just that I always look forward to weekend baths where I can spend a longer time in the bathroom because I don't have to think about being tardy for work.

Hong Kong 2015

So for the third consecutive year since 2013, I found myself in Hong Kong again. I wss supposed to book a flight to Taiwan to attend a seminar but found budget inns too expensive still. So in the end I chose HK since I can stay at relatives' house. I'd also like to see my cousins again, to somehow make up for lost time. I'm afraid they might grow up too fast.

I arrived in HK at around 6PM. Bus from the airport to an aunt's house was pretty convenient. In my trip last year I already learned the art of commuting by bus since it's cheaper though not too easy for a non-local. But I took down notes on what bus to take to go to my relatives' houses last year so I'm still confident I wouldn't get lost.

My first night was spent in front of my cousin's computer since I had yet to finish my powerpoint presentation and the script that would go with it for my reader who requested to have the files sent early so she could review them.  my cousins must have laughed hard deep within seeing me nodding off sleepily while still typing away. Sigh. I still am glad to have finished the other paper last Sunday.

The following day, I went to Tin Shui Wai in New Territories with my aunt to see the Wetland Park. It's too far from Kowloon so the trip ate up a big portion of my Octopus card load. Still itbwas nice having the chance to walk around. I like Singapore's Palau Ubin more though. For late lunch, my aunt treated me to Café de Coral, the number one fastfood chain in HK. I love the fact that it served veggies, too.

The 27th and the 28th were spent in the seminar. I did get to walk around Central and Wan Chai and even saw the exhibits at the Geological Museum inside Hong Kong University. HKU now has an MTR station unlike the last time when I had to walk far just to see it. It's one of my dream universities...

Also, going around Central and Wan Chai, I found Philippine-related markers. Two were related to Rizal because Rizal lived for a time there and was even acquainted with Sun Yat Sen.

On Saturday, I had my first biking experience. It was really awesome! Thing is, I rode a bike with trainer wheels since I don't trust myself when it comes to extreme sports. It's a good thing I did otherwise I wouldn't be able to enjoy the beautiful sceneries we passed by. Did I say that it rained that morning so I got to also visit the Hong Kong Heritage Museum? But we only saw the temporary exhibit on Bruce Lee's life.

On Sunday I went to the wet market with another aunt. I love going to markets to see fruits and vegetables and fish. Everything looks perfect in HK and my aunts would joke that they inject chemicals into the fruits to make them look juicy and fresh. LOL

Then it was time to go. That afternoon, I would have loved to stay one more day and attend a concert. But I guess, that will have to be for next year. I really hope my sisters can go with me to HK so ny aunts can get busy wth them while I take off on my own. I love spending time with myself especially when abroad. I do appreciate and enjoy their company though. They teach me the real meaning of family, something I do not experience with my relatives on my mom's side.