- Theo and Philo are delicious, locally produced chocolate bars. Unlike the usual local supermarket chocolates, these have a rich chocolate taste. I love that their flavors are uniquely Filipino. Saw them in a Team Manila store and was immediately attracted by the nice packaging. I'm now addicted to the Calamansi one. To know more, click here. - Red velvet cupcake. My sister baked a batch of this using a Sprinkles cupcake mix. Miss Sprinkles. Still the best red velvet for me so far. - Bee Cheng Hiang chocolates filled with pork floss. The combination sounds weird but trust me it works. The light, fluffy texture goes well with the chocolate. - Ukokkei tan tan men ramen. I've been craving for this ramen for days now. Must eat here again soon. - Hazelnut flavored Yan-Yan. My friend, Kira got this for me during her HK trip last December.
Ukokkei Ramen Ron is located at G/F Tesoro Bldg., 822 Arnaize Ave, San Lorenzo Village, Makati City.
Loving Rag & Bone Jeans’ DIY project. They basically asked some of our favorite super models to wear their pieces and then take random pictures of themselves. No stylist, no creative director, no hair and make-up, no huge production. Just a girl and her camera. Love how real and raw the pictures are. Here are some of my favorites. To view the whole project, click here.
It's been weeks since my last post. You might be wondering what happened to me. Well, Sinulog happened, work happened and a whole bunch of foreign visitors happened. So I've been really busy and tired most days. But I'm back, I think, I hope haha. Another delayed post from last year.
Nomama opened to much buzz last year. I think everyone I knew tried this place as soon as it opened AND raved about it. So I decided to try the place just to see if it lived up to the hype.
Soft shell crab salad. After her first time to eat this, my sister kept on raving about it for days. Have to agree with her. This one's a winner. Crispy outside, soft and yummy inside.
Gyozas! Hmm I find their version of gyoza different from the usual ones I've eaten. The wrapper had a thick texture. Not sure if I like it or not. But it makes for some unique gyozas.
I ordered their Thai green curry ramen and I really liked it.
We also ordered the curry short ribs. This was also good. The desserts were kind of blah for me. I would rather go to other nearby dessert places.
I like the open feeling the place has. It has a very minimalist look with all the clean lines and neutral colors. I also like that they had an open kitchen which I find very LA (Los Angeles and not Lower Antipolo). So glad that more and more restaurateurs are opening up places like this in the Tomas Morato/Timog area.
Metersbonwe top, pleated leather skirt from Karma, APC tote bag, random oxford platforms
What's funny about this top is that when I bought it, I honestly thought that the prints on it were penguins. Until that day during lunch when my cousin asked me what was printed on my top and I immediately answered "penguins". My sister looked at me like I was crazy and laughingly corrected me that those were birds. And she was right! She proceeded to constantly tease me about it that day. But they do kind of look like penguins, right??? Haha. And that's the story behind this post's title.
Nomama by Chef Him Uy de Baron G/F FSS Bldg 2, Scout Tuason cor Scout Castor St., Quezon City, Philippines
Just wanted to share my favorite everyday bags of the moment. For bags I used on a daily basis, I hardly go for leather bags. I prefer fuss-free bags.
That's why I love using my ROOTOTE laminated bags. This is the Medium Sky bag which is part of our recent collection. Since it's laminated, it's so easy to clean.
And it can carry a looooot. I always have to have with me my planner, pencil case, kikay kit (which contains gloss and my favorite perfume - green tea and aloe vera from my friend's BC Fragrance), iPod Touch, wallet, random Hello Kitty pouch (where I put important documents or receipts), comb, Blackberry in a Tiny-ROO pouch (I'm mourning the loss of that pouch during Sinulog weekend), Crutto foldable bag, a tin of Rio Mints and a bunch of calling cards.
If I'm not using my Medium Sky bag, I'm using my Eleven Check bag. This is another "carry your whole house" bag. What I love about it is that it has soooo many pockets. It has 10 pockets! You will not run out of pockets to put your things into.
For my laptop and all my files, I carry this Eastpak x Eley Kishimoto bag. The print and color just grabs everyone's attention. And it can also carry a loooot. You can actually expand it if you want more space.
Just realized that the unifying factor among all my bags is that they should be able to carry a looooot.
Finally going to post about our family's Banaue and Sagada trip. I have a confession. This trip was actually made months and months ago, like last August. Talk about late. It's quite timely though with the recent unveiling of the Department of Tourism's "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign. Banaue and Sagada are definitely must-go-to places when you're visiting the Philippines.
View from the inn we stayed in, different shots of the Banaue Rice Terraces, a random house in Batad, little boy in a native attire, modern day spin the bottle, SAGADA!, hanging coffins at Echo Valley, on top of Mt. Ampacao, tree tops at Viewpoint, civet alamid and amunin coffee at Bana Cafe, dinner at Log Cabin, another round of drinks at the campfire
My dad has always wanted to go to Banaue and Sagada so despite weather forecasts saying that there was a typhoon in the area, we decided to push through with the trip. First stop was Banaue. It's amazing to actually see the rice terraces with your own eyes. It astounds me how the Ifugaos were able to build these with just their bare hands. Headed to Sagada after. Most memorable experience here was trekking Mt. Ampacao IN THE DARK for six hours. What an adventure. Imagine 10 or so people in one long line being led by a lone guide in complete darkness using a Nokia phone flashlight. Not one of us brought a cellphone. By the end of that trek, we were all covered in mud and God knows what. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do the cave spelunking Sagada is famous for because of the bad weather. Both places are definitely great for connecting with nature, clearing up one's mind and just relaxing.
Some lessons I learned from this trip. - A 4x4 is a must when going to Banaue and Sagada and there's a typhoon in the area. Landslides galore. - Don't bring your phone when you're walking in the rain with no umbrella. This means instant death for your phone. - Sagada and Banaue are up in the mountains. Bikinis, board shorts, tank tops, shorts and cardis are not appropriate outfits. - Do not continue trekking when it's 5pm and about to get dark already. This is even though the guide tells you that it will only take 1 1/2 hours. 1 1/2 hours will turn into a 4-hour trek in the dark with only your guide's Nokia phone's flashlight to lead you. Going there is also quite a struggle. It's around a 10-hour drive. In Banaue, we stayed at Sanafe Lodge. Telephone #: 09209504644. It's small but homey and you get a great view of the terraces. For Sagada, I would recommend you stay at Rock Inn or Saint Joseph Rest House. Their rooms are priced a bit higher than the other places in the area but they're probably the two biggest rest houses in the area so you get nicer, more spacious rooms with your own bathrooms. Rock Inn is quite far from the town proper though so best if you have your own car if you're planning to stay here. Saint Joseph's number: 09272360344 and Rock Inn's number: +63 920 909 5899. Little bit of warning though. If you're picky with hotels and bathrooms, this might not be your ideal vacation. But if you're up for adventure then this would be it.
I'm already planning to go back this year so that I can go spelunking and catch the sunrise at Viewpoint.
Spending the first weekend of 2012 at home with the family. Finally finished watching "Like Crazy." Tried watching it on the ride back to Manila from Pangasinan but got dizzy after 20 minutes. Glad I was able to finish it now. Won't put any spoilers here. It would be better if you just watch it and see why it won in the Sundance. You can check out the trailer here. But there is this line in the movie that stuck with me and I wanted to share it.
It doesn't feel like this thing is gonna go away. It's always there. I can't get on with my life. The things that we have with each other that I don't have with any other person, with any other human being apart from you.
Probably the no. 1 relationship advice most people give is "move on". And they say "time heals all wounds." And I've always thought both things apply every time to every one. Heck, I give that same advice to my heartbroken friends. You can move on. Your wounds will heal. But what if it won't. What if your connection with that someone was so special that you just can't really find it with anyone else no matter how hard you try? Is that even possible? Or is it a naive thought? Because I've always believed that there's more than one person in this world compatible for you. But could that just be an excuse for not fighting for someone?
I feel so close to you right now It's a force field I wear my heart upon my sleeves, like a big deal Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall And there's no stopping us right now I feel so close to to you right now Feel So Close - Calvin Harris
Trying to catch up on some 2011 posts.
Mutya Lily dress from Museum, LV Damier Azure pochette, black winged platforms from HK
Wore this to a random night at Republiq with friends. This dress might seem familiar. Yep, it's the same dress we used for the most recent Rootote lookbook. Pulled it out from Museum and subsequently fell in love with it. Decided to get one for myself after. I love how it swishes when you move. It makes me feel like a fairy especially with my winged platforms.
