Bring in the Pansit and Inihaw Please..

Office mate just turned 30ish yesterday (I think he looks more 40ish! I AM KIDDING), and he treated THE OFFICE to a heavy lunch--pansit canton, pork liempo and chicken inihaw. He ordered the pansit from Starbecks (some pansiteria near Amorsolo St., Makati City) and everyone loved it. Except my friend who Becks personally delivered the pansit to, because he said he found it too salty for his taste. Becks also ordered everyone's favorite Andok's lechon manok and pork liempo! There is nothing better than free lunch and good company.

Yuuuum!

Happy Birthday Becks! Guess who becks is here? :) 

We are now officially 8 pax in the office and this is as office-y as any office can get. Its a lot more fun, more people to talk to and more interesting things to talk about. 

I mean, we wanna kill each other at times--often too much, but hey, we like each other a lot too. =)

Attack!!

Pancit Canton for 14 pax!!!

Andoks Chicken is LOVE!

Switchfoot in Manila 2011 (DELAYED POST)

So, last Saturday, the hubby and I went out--after what seemed to be a part of our past life, and watched a concert. But not just ANY concert. We watched SWITCHFOOT!

It was such an awesome, awesome night. Switchfoot did Stars, Learning to Breathe, Meant to Live PLUS Only Hope, Hello Hurricane and DARE YOU TO MOVE! 

Hay if only they can sing that closing song forever ;) 

Happiness is.. a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee!

Yesterday, the team and I, thanks to the invitation of our boss, were able to attend this  event to celebrate the awesomeness of coffee.

Dubbed as Coffee Art Exhibit, Cafe Alamid Express, in partnership with R.O.X and Victorinox, the event was an exhibit of beautifully painted pictures using coffee as paint and coffee beans for mosaic. The event featured works of eight fantastic artists: Ella Hipolito, Mike Melchor, Lito Ballaran, Brando Bati, Jerel Limayo, Kathleen Lei Limayo, Dante Palmes and Jennifer Romulo. 

The team and I were quite hoping that they will serve cafe alamid, but they opted for the regular brew. It would have made the event more interesting. Like a coffee tasting of sort :) Anyway, cafe alamid is apparently, the most expensive coffee in the world! It is basically coffee beans eaten by a local cat called alamid, fermented in the cat's digestive system and then, pooped, collected and processed. 

So how do you use coffee to paint? According to a website, you have to be steeping coffee grounds in water, so the longer it is there, the darker the paint. But compared to regular paints, using coffee can be tricky and hard because it can be sticky. 

Below are some of my favorites from the exhibit :)

yes, happiness is a cup of steaming hot coffee

don't you just love the artists' style?

coffee bean mosaic

this made me ultra happy!

Christine, Cosette, the very amicable Swiss Ambassador and Mike, the artist

Running on empty (credits to Jackson Browne)

Some days, don't you just feel like running? But how do you run when your love tank is empty? When you have no idea how to re-fill it? 

Some days, you just want an escape. Sojourn? Roadtrip? Soul search? Whatever you want to call it. 

This is me, one Friday afternoon, running on empty. 

Aptly named, Pamana (meaning inheritance)  is a Filipino restaurant owned by Happy Ongpauaco,
where all the "pamana" recipes of her aunts, lolas etc are served. 

After ten years or even more, (no kidding) I finally got the chance to go back.
This time, it was all different, even myself. 

this way to...

I like tall grass....

... and bricks.

Some of the friends and relatives of the Pamana restaurant  owner.

Pamana Soup. 

I wish i have fish-eyed lenses!

Flowers are always, always, always beautiful!

I like how this reminds me of Tuscany.  

For the flies.. ;)

Condiments Rack

This is their menu.

Lenten Feasting (and lazying around)

What's left of the second batch of lasagna. yum yum yum! 

Yes, this is what we had today. Basically, the appetizer. We had so much food it did not feel like its Lent. I'm so full with mangoes and potatoes and cheese I can explode anytime. Lenten what, you say?

I really should have gone to the province. Maybe (definitely) next year when kiddo's bigger.

The pigs are not quite alright

In fact, i don't even feel like going back. Bad bad bad sausage. One of the worst I've ever had in a while. And this used to be my favorite place when I was working in this side of town. 

Oh how fast preference changes. 

Random Thursday

Its not always that I get the chance to really go out and do fantastic things that I very much like, such as taking photos of  seemingly ordinary things and oh, walking aimlessly amidst a sea of indifferent people. 

And so, because I had that unusual chance last Thursday (after what seemed to be the longest work day ever), I must show the photos randomly taken. Thank God for point and shoot and photoshop, they all look a bit decent :) 

Can you sing... "Cloooosing time..."

"Closing time..time for you to go out to places you will be from.."

"I know who I want to take me home.."

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."

So, MIAS, I went there for this and for another brand which will not be named.
If you know me, you'll find my loyalty amusing. 

Can I take this home?  

So, finally we meet...