Project 365

Week 1 and Week 2 for Project 365 has already come to pass and I would like to share with you how the first 2 weeks of 2013 has been for me.

Week 1 was filled with celebrations and starting over. It was also filled with new memories as FM and I toured Corregidor; something that I have wanted to do for the longest time. Week 1 was also filled with gifts from love ones that I will always treasure and a reminder to stop and smell the roses.

Week 2 was filled with many firsts. B's first drawing of a pig, first venture into making things happen, first Filipino to be sent to space, first meeting, first year. I love how Week 2 went by.

Now I'm pretty excited to see what the rest of the year has in store for me. :)

it's been a year ...

since FM and I met for the first time and went out on a date. Last year, I literally fell flat on my face because of this date. This year, I literally fell in love again with my date.

Since it was a rainy night, we ended up eating in one of the restaurants along Kapitolyo in Pasig. We were supposed to dine at Poco Deli but ended up at Milky&Sunny simply because there was a parking slot open right in front of it.

We've eaten at this place before and so I'm not going to be talking about the food. Also, one of my resolutions this year is to talk more about the people and the moment rather than focusing on food.

Our date last night at Milky&Sunny was very relaxed. FM had fish and I had tocino. We both ordered the big breakfast plate and I had a cup of coffee to go with mine which was perfect because there was a light drizzle going on. The only failure of the night was that I enjoyed my food so much, I did not share it with FM. He thought it was weird because I always let him taste whatever it was that I was having. I couldn't tell him that I loved my dish so much that I forgot to give him a bite.

Toink. Hahahaha.

Still, it was a very casual date yet I felt happy. We were together and we talked about the stuff happening in our lives. Sometimes, we forget to do that because he has been so busy with work and I have been so busy with a lot of things. It was nice to just step back, sit down, eat, and talk. Best part, we still hold hands even after a year of seeing each other. :)

the bartender's concoction

I attended an event last night and one of the highlights of the night were the unlimited drinks going around. Initially, there were only alcoholic drinks. I wanted to get some Iced Tea or Coke but with so much temptation going around, I gave in and had a couple of shots.

I knew that what I had was rhum, vodka, and vodka. I can handle my liquor well and have never had an embarassing moment because I drank. However, last night, it took less than 5 minutes for the drinks to have its effect and I found myself laughing like a hyena. The smallest things would set me off. I didn't know why I was affected that much when I only had 3 shots. (I could normally do more and still be sane.)

Due to this unprecedented effect, I immediately sent an SMS to FM and called him. I asked him to pick me up because even though I was 90% sure that I'd be able to go home on my own, I didn't want to take the 10% risk.

After 6 glasses of water and 2 cups of coffee, I still felt the effect and I started to worry. FM told me that what I had were the bartender's concoction. I didn't know what it was so he explained. It seems that when its a bartender's concoction, their pride would be in getting you drunk with just one shot. This is why after 3 shots, I felt like I had 12 already.

Such a mistake! It was a good thing that FM, though tired and sleepy since it was 9pm when I called him, picked me up and took me home. Yes, I got reprimanded but what matters is that I got home safely.

I'm sharing this since there may be other women who just tosses a drink here and there not knowing what was it that they were drinking. I felt safe last night and that was why I drank. Lesson learned, always ask what's in the drink and not just the major alcohol component to avoid being buzzed without warning.

Chowking Wintermelon Milk Tea

I heard on the grapevine that Chowking was launching its own line of milk tea. When I went into Chowking last Sunday, I was pretty excited when I saw that it was already available. You see, wintermelon is my base flavor for any milk tea and if you botch it up, in my opinion, you're just completely worthless as a milk tea line.

Trust me, I've tried over 20 milk teas since it became popular. To know more about it, go here.

Going back, I ordered the large Wintermelon Milk Tea of Chowking. I also got the Nai Cha to compare it to. You see, I'm not really a fan of Nai Cha though I've learned to semi-like it. My take was that if it was better than Nai Cha but not as stellar as other milk tea's I've tried, I'd give it an okay. If it was worse than Nai Cha, oh brother, that's just saying a lot and none of them would be good.

So, what I liked about the Wintermelon Milk Tea was that there was an abundance of Cream Cheese. When I say there's an abundance, I mean that almost 1/4 was Cream Cheese. I liked the Cream Cheese because it was tasty and mildly salty. It ALMOST complimented the milk tea.

Now, about the milk tea. It was supposed to be Wintermelon which meant that it should have a sweet taste. If there was any sweetness in this Wintermelon Milk Tea, it totally escaped me. It tasted more like black tea. It wasn't sweet nor was it even tasty. It was just LACKING. It was lacking in sweetness and it was lacking in taste.

In short, it was DISAPPOINTING. The Nai Cha tasted a whole lot better and coming from me, that's saying a lot already.

I hope Chowking does something about this. My take? They shouldn't go and join the bandwagon without ensuring that the products they launch are really worth launching. This milk tea is not worthy to be called a milk tea. Out of 22 milk tea brands I've tried, this would definitely rank # 22.

It's a PIG!

B drew this yesterday while I was at work. I love that even though he was at home and I was at work, he took time to learn to draw. He could have just played his video games on his tab but he listened to my feedback that he shouldn't play all the time.

I'm so proud of my son. He's growing up to be a well rounded child.

Sun Cruises: Corregidor Tour

I've always been curious to know more about Corregidor. When I was younger, I thought of it as just another island that was far away. Later on, I learned that it played a significant part in our history. It made me want to visit and know more about Corregidor. Alas, life happened and this became another item on my bucket list. Things I wanted to do but don’t know when I’ll be able to do it. 

Thankfully, fate intervened and an angel sent me gift certificates to Sun Cruises’ Corregidor Tour and it was good for 2 people. FM and I planned to do this last December but something came up and we had to move it 2x. Finally, we were able to push through with this trip last January 5, 2013. It was our first weekend together for the year and it was going to be in Corregidor. I could feel the gods smiling at me. 

Upon arrival at the dock, I was amazed at how efficient the people in the ticketing office were. There was a note notifying people that the ferry was already fully booked and what the other available dates were. The woman who was also handling the line was very fast. It took me only 2 minutes to get our name tag and there were 6 people ahead of me when I lined up. Talk about efficiency! I love, love, love it! 

On our way to Corregidor, I was able to take a nap. I was very happy about this because I get seasick. Luckily, FM was also there to hold my hand. Unluckily, he took photos of me sleeping and posted it on Facebook. Gggrrrr. 

Soon as we were on the island, the tour began. We were riding Bus # 1 and I was pretty stoked because there were a lot of other bus which meant that a lot of people was taking the tour. I was happy about this because in my opinion, Corregidor is a must visit for tourists. It is filled with history and a lot of beautiful ruins. 

I will let the photos do the talking now. 

Malinta Tunnel

where McArthur said, "I shall return!"

sad because we did not get to sit beside each other

the lighthouse

one of the suicide caves

the beach

What struck me the most about Corregidor was the fact that they were able to preserve a lot of the ruins from World War II. The caves where the Japanese hid, the cliff where the Japanese dived and committed suicide because they refused to surrender, and the Malinta tunnel where Japanese soldiers who had been trapped in the tunnel began committing suicide by detonating explosives within the bowels of the tunnel complex the night of February 23, 1945. The collapsed laterals resulting from these explosions have never been excavated. It would be safe to assume that there are bodies and bones buried underneath. 

They were also able to keep the batteries in good condition and a lot of the canyons that were used during the war. The tour guide, Nikki, was also very helpful and was able to control the crowd but not in an obnoxious way. She was in control but she was also lenient. 

FM and I had a lot of fun roaming around Corregidor and we were able to take a lot of photos. I loved that the people in our bus were very cooperative so we had a lot of unobstructed photos of the scenery. I don’t like it when you have a photo of a place and there’s a lot of people in the background. I feel that the moment captured is ruined. 

Definitely, the Corregidor Tour is one that people should avail in their lifetime. For those who want to simply visit, they have a day tour. For those who want to experience Corregidor in all its glory, they also have an overnight package. They have ghost hunting, ziplines, trip to the beach, and cave hunting. For more information on how you can avail of one, here are the packages. You can also pay online here.

Thank you Mr. Roberto Umali for this wonderful gift. I will always treasure my Corregidor Tour. Thank you Sun Cruises for being such a wonderful host. It truly was a trip worth taking. 

of friendship and fashion

I saw these pouches when FM and I went up to Mt. Clouds in Baguio. It was so pretty and eco friendly. Woven using junk food wrappers, it was perfect for small things inside the bag. I asked him as well as my best boy friend to get it for me but they both turned their backs on me. I was miffed but I soon forgot about it. After all, it's not like I could just go up to Baguio anytime I'd like.

2 months passed and today, my best boy friend sent me an SMS asking for a meet up. It seems he already has his Christmas gift and wanted to hand it over. I obliged.

We met up and he handed me over his gift. Soon as I opened it, I let out a small shriek for inside the wrapper was this.

It was the banig pouch that I was eyeing. It seems that my best boy friend got it for me after all. Eeekkk! I was so happy. He really knows what would make me smile like a fool.

Thanks dear best friend of mine for 27 years now. You made me super happy today. :)

on reading and writing again ...

Last year saw the rise of my blog from being a strictly personal blog to having some PR posts and covering events. It was very different from what I was used to. It was a novelty to be honest.

I never saw myself as someone who could be invited to cover events though I have dreamt of it at one point or another. I never saw myself as someone who could be invited to do food tasting though I definitely wanted that kind of a job when I was growing up. I never saw myself in any of these things and yet it happened.

This year though, I wish to write more post about parenting, mommy tips, arts and crafts, and tutorial materials that other mommy bloggers can use. I wish to write more about lessons I learned, wisdoms shared, and overcoming challenges. I wish to inspire others to persevere and move on. I wish to be an inspiration.

As for reading, I joined the 50Book Project for 2013 and I'm happy that on the 3rd day of the year, I am already on Book # 2. I really want to rekindle my love of reading and learning. Last year saw a decline in my reading and this year, I vow to make up for it.

2013 ... I will read more and write more quality post.

Enchanted with Enchanted Kingdom

Last day of the year 2012 was spent with FM and our kids at Enchanted Kingdom. Honestly, I didn't expect much out of the trip since Enchanted Kingdom has always been known to be overly crowded with lots of hours spent waiting in line for a ride that will last no longer than a minute. Still, it was a family tradition of FM and his kids. B and I were invited for 2012's trip so off we went.

The first thing I noticed upon getting there was that there were a lot of empty parking spaces. Next, there weren't a lot of people. When I say there were not a lot, there was less than 300 and this is a theme park that can house over 1000+ people in one given hour.

I was ecstatic. B and I could do the rides without long lines and we can go back again and again to our hearts content. Eeekkk! Look how there's no crowd in the background.

B and I rode almost all the kiddie rides he wanted to be part of together save for one where he told me bluntly, "Mommy, I'd like to go by myself. I'm big now." Mommy was proud but also heartbroken. My little boy is becoming a little man.

We also went on the Rialto and it was actually my first time to get to see this side of EK. I've been here 4x but it was a first for me. This is how crowded EK normally is so I really appreciated this visit of ours.

I loved how we were able to roam around without rubbing shoulders with anyone. It felt free and relaxing. It was how a theme park should be in my head. It seems that this was actually the reason why FM and his kids would always visit on the last day of the year.

Another new thing I got to try was the Go Kart and boy was it something. I semi drifted and I also slammed into tires. Yep, that's how badly I drive. I got into mini accidents but was gladly well cushioned by my fats. LOL.

It was truly an enchanting trip for both B and I. It was memorable and it was a lot of things that a theme park should be: magical and happy.

Truly, a wonderful way to end the year. Thanks FM!

1/365

I've decided to join Project 365 where the goal is to post one photo a day. Here's my very first entry. This is a fountain that we lighted ourselves as we are fond of doing every year. It is almost always safe and the lights are such a sight to see.

Here's to a Happy New Year and I hope that 2013 will be a year filled with HOPE, LAUGHTER, and LOVE for all of us.