Nature walk

Canopy of greens

One of the two hanging bridges

Top of the cave from the viewing deck

I just thought this looks horror moviesh 

Had a very long nature walk recently--in slippers at that, at a familiar place. I've been here countless of times before so long ago, almost like my past life. Forgot how beautiful it was some years ago when it was initially stamped as a National Park by the Philippine government. Now, it still has that appeal and it even has some surprisingly new installations (events place, Emilio Aguinaldo monument etc) but it lacks proper maintenance, lighting and thanks to Ondoy, renovation. Not to mention decent comfort rooms. 

Now if only someone from the municipal government can take the time to own this as a pet project, you have one volunteer here. 

Ever tried Lechon Pizza?

DONT. Consider your self warned.

'

To kick off the yuletide season, Pizza Hut came out with a new product--Lechon Pizza. SO after church, with room mate, kiddo and in-laws, we tried what is supposed to be the center of  every Filipino feast, in pizza form. Afterall, a lechon is a lechon, no matter what form, right. 

Boy were we wrong. 

This is what could be the saddest lechon we've ever eaten--save for the really crunchy skin. I mean, there were even lechon sauce on the pizza!! They could have neutralized it with the tomato sauce. We even tried putting so much hot sauce into it, maybe to make it work, but no, did not work either. Made us all wonder, who on earth thought of such a bad product?! Come on, they have the best Cheese pizza ever!

Of real good homecooked meals

Yesterday, at a client launch, I had one of the best roast turkey ever. Client prepared really good home cooked meals. My favorites are the salad, the turkey (of course), the mango ice cream and the lychee cloud!!!As one of my colleague said, if the client was my mom,  I would be obese.

On the job

Taken from one of my client's 1:1 TV interviews. As a consultant, we empower clients by equipping them how to answer the media, what to answer the media and most importantly, which media to answer to. 

Yes, yet another slice from a very varied life of little miss PR.

Faux Fur

Look what I got on S-A-L-E! Faux fur!!! Got a black one for myself and a gray one for my old (literally) friend who I felt will appreciate it. It felt so smooth and just like that, I fell in like :).

Now, a proper occasion to wear it please!

Pass the greens please...

Thank God for home "cooked" meals. I kinda miss this. Wink.   

Two months ago, I wanted to prove a point and  keep my officemate's teasing to a stop. I started watching what I eat and decided, I WILL LOSE WEIGHT.

I've got very few friends who thought I can do it. Mostly I was just mocked. So I stopped eating rice. I started eating greens. I started downing more than eight glasses of water a day. And I felt real sad and deprived the first two weeks.

Now, a few pounds lighter, I feel better. There are bloated days still, but thats not for over eating. Over drinking maybe. I think a bff said it best, its all about healthy food choices. After all, three years prior to getting married, I did lose weight with the same formula. And I did not look back.

Sophie's Day Out

Took us two whole weeks counting, waiting for this event. So when it was finally here, I hauled yaya and the kiddo and partied like any stage moms would. Too bad kiddo is still in her shy phase! 

Stage MOMS Unite!

Glitter Tattoos

Lined up for the Make Over! 

Not interested. hahaha

Foggy Morning!

Last night was so misty, a vampire appearance would have been in order. But this morning was way way way  scarier.

SM Fairview should have been there in front but it was all fog! 

Robinsons Novaliches

A salad a day

Quick lunch with one of my BFFs yesterday at Pancake House. I ordered their Grilled Mapled Chicken over tropical salad. As we were talking about fitness, I realized how choosing a salad over the other more delish meals on the menu gives me a certain sense of accomplishment. Akin to overcoming a big temptation. (Wink!)

Veggie Panini

Been here in the area for 6 months now and this is the first time I've tried this quiet Cafe at the Amorsolo Mansions. Ordered their grilled panini veggies. The photo looks extremely appetizing but I think I prefer grilled cheese panini more. And meat perhaps. 

Amazing plastic flower installation for Pasig River

Went out the other night with colleagues and had cocktails at MCafe. We were greeted by this amazing installation of handwoven flowers of plastic in between wood, which is right in front of the Ayala Museum, fronting MCafe. Kinda resembles the handwoven plastic bags that Charito Planas promoted some years back when she was Vice Mayor of Quezon City. 

This exhibit, (according to the huge backdrop tarpaulin) is entitled "DASMANILA: Recycling Garbage, Restoring Heritage", which is put up to educate everyone re Pasig River and the effects of solid waste on it. Notice how Pasig River is getting a lot of attention of late! 

Floral installation is up until the 21st of this month. 

For more information: http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/28/design-students-artists-collaborate-to-save-pasig-river/

This is how the plastic flower installation looks like in the morning! 

A Slice of UP Life

Room mate and I decided to have dinner before heading home last Friday in preparation for what we had anticipated as a VERY LONG drive. We live 2 hours away from our offices (two streets away from each other), so when we say long drive, it must be really long. It was drizzling and even though I was in reasonable heels then, my legs were tired, hence we opted to finally try one hole in the wall restaurant that we've been

 avoiding ever since we both got employed in this area, for what is probably our way of paying reverence to the original--Rodics. 

The well loved UP Oblation. Modeled after Fernando Poe Sr. 

Rodics along Salcedo St., Makati City is opened from 7 AM until 830PM, M-Sat.

Lantern Parade, anyone?

Rodics is a UP Diliman original. It has been operational for ever since I can remember and everyone who ever went to UP have a Rodics favorite and a Rodics experience to share. Anyway, apart from the fact that their food tasted exactly the same as in UP, we were pleasantly surprised to see a cartoon mural in one of their walls, a la Larry Alacala! Documented slices of life of every UP student--from THE Oblation, Oblation Run, Lantern Parade, UP Arcade.. Yes, all that in one wall!

Happy Third at Cafe Juanita

Room mate and I recently celebrated our third anniversary. Before we left office I gave him two options--YakiMix, which is a Japanese buffet in Greenbelt and Cafe Juanita, a romantic little restaurant, about 45 minutes (traffic allowing) from our offices, which is in Makati.

30 minutes later, we were still in Makati and Room mate wanted to just eat in any restaurant along the way. But no, I wouldn't have it any other way. And so drove he did. Finally, we reached Cafe Juanita after what seemed like ten years. The old Cafe Juanita, which was closed of course. The guard advised us that it has moved to a new street, which is, thank God, very near the old one.

The new Cafe Juanita has moved along West Capitol Drive, smacked in the middle of Shunki Matsuo Japanese Hair Salon and Bahay ni Juan Restaurant. The new Cafe Juanita  has an East Asian theme, dominantly Thai but it retrained its ecclectic feel--lace covered chandeliers, flowing chair skirtings and the grand piano! But now, it also has a bigger space, high ceiling, multi levels (mezzanine, cafe level and backyard) AND cleaner restrooms at the back!

The food are still the same, most at least--and still as good!

MRT

Yes, avoid the exclusive female coach. Filipinas can be vicious!

Lard!

One thing I sincerely adore about my job is that, I get to wine and dine with the media. During said lunches and dinners, I get to get to know them more and personally, that is where I believe I develop more strategic alliances.

So yesterday, I had lunch at Felix with one of my favorite editors eveeerrr plus a couple of clients. Felix being one of the upscale restaurants in this part of Manila. I ordered baby back ribs because I was up all night and had only 2 hours of sleep. I was also feeling really weak. Thought some meat might perk me up plus can you really say no to the hickory roast smell?

One bite and I was in heaven. It was juicy and tender and muy delicioso. But it was fat. Oozing with very thick, totally unhealthy lard. But I devoured it anyway. In fact, I almost finished it. What lard?

Farm girl goes home

I am a farm girl--grew up in the province with my grandmother and the whole extended family. Did not realize the tag applies to me though. Not until my friend validated it.

Yes, I am a farm girl. And here is the place I call home.

Rice Plant. Thank God this side of the North was spared from the super typhoon.




Rice after drying.



Rice dryer. The smell of smoke and rice grains reminds me of Christmases past when my lola was still alive.

 

Somewhere there.. is home.



Ever tried making a neckpiece out of this one?

My little black dress

I was feeling particularly sickly when I was preparing to go to work this morning that I decided I am coming in really made up so I would still look the PR part. I got my little black bubble dress, a moss green knitted cardigan and black flats. Yes, my very rosy cheeks greeted my officemates this morning.

Mid day however, I cannot control the sneezing and the runny nose. My right eye cannot control the tears. Worse, its getting chilly in the office. Ooops wrong dress. Should've gone in my pretty scarf and knitted top. The stuff I reserve for family holidays in the north.

Sunshine, where are you when I need you?  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Digital Crap

I came across an article the other day which differentiated the kinds of clutter people do and I think I am an accumulator. Accumulator simply hoard things--which, I so am--you name it, books, bags, shoes, school and office supplies, heartaches (kidding). 

Anyway, one of  my favorite hoards are digital craps. I will be honest and say that yes, I am one of those who try to abuse the seemingly limitless void that is cyberspace. Here are some of them craps I've gotten yesterday, while doing our media rounds.

Rally on going on Elliptical Street. Those are actually rallyists holding torches.
5 minutes after we passed them, it rained VERY HARD.

Interesting wall installation at ABS-CBN.
Looks like an aluminum van from afar but closer,
there is a vintage television, some parts of God-knows-what and a vintage camera.   

My colleague. He is a fashion blogger.

Laking Jollibee

It all happened so fast. We were sitting in a corner--me, kiddo, room mate and housemates, eating merienda when some guy with a red sash approached us.

Him: "Ma'am, gusto niyo pong i-member si baby?"

Me: "Anong freebie ko?"

Him: "May discounts po kayo and only Php XXX lang for a year tapos may mga iba ibang gift every month."

Me: (paid the membership--I am THAT easy) "Ay walang toy? Hindi magiging happy ang bata pag walang toy. Hindi naman niya maapreciate itong card mo e. Next time sabihin mo dapat may toy" (of course I knew what I was doing was pointless. He doesn't have anything to do with promo approvals anyway. But I was on a roll). 

Him: "Ok ma'am, next time po." (He said this nicely I thought in his past life he must have been media trained.)

Me: "So, when do I come back para i-claim yung personalized card niya?" (oooh I cant wait--kiddo's own card!!)

Him: "Yan na po yun."

Me: "Ha!! Walang pangalan? E sabi dito may silver card na pwedeng i-claim personlaized na" (I did not hide my disappointment) 

Him: "Ah yung silver card po for other consumers. Yung inooffer ko po pang kids lang. Pero sige po, pahiram po ng receipt. Iissue-han ko po kayo nung silver." 

And he did. Gave me the silver card for free! Hahahaha. Now, kiddo and I are both Jollibee members. Whatever that means.

Wordle




A word cloud of my previous posts. Yes, someone is feeling dang creative today. 

 

The Super Typhoon

Super typhoon Juan was approximated to hit Northern Luzon yesterday afternoon and we in the Metro were given only a signal no. 1. Anyway, on our way out of Makati, at about 7:30pm, room mate and I were faced with this! Almost zero visibility, water everywhere and very strong winds--yes, we can feel the wind moving the car--nothing dramatic but we DID feel it.

Earstwhile, in another place 45 minutes from where we were, there was not even a drop of rain. Yes, Al, this is indeed global warming.

Good Sunday Morning

One of my favorite Sunday papers

One of my favorite activity every Sunday is reading the newspaper from cover to cover. (My work demands that I read Saturday to Monday's newspaper every Monday, but mass reading doesn't entail much appreciating, I think) This morning, I was pleasantly surprised that instead of the usual subscription, we got my favorite newspaper--The Philippine Star.

Here is the link to the very interesting article written by my favorite columnist/singer, Jim Paredes:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=621553&publicationSubCategoryId=86

View from the 48th floor



Ayala Avenue



Manila



We were quite early for a client meeting, wow. Sooo, we had the time to appreciate Manila from the 48F of PBCom Building along Ayala, Avenue in Makati, where their office is located.

Yes, we even took photos. As my colleague said, we are cheap'os. (Wink)