its all so different
how things turned out
plunged into maturity
with eyes wide shut
grabbed your hand
grabbed your heart
said our prayers, dont look back
now we're here together
confused and lonely some days
happy and content on most
you see me through
and i do too
we make things better for each other
hold on to one another
its something to be thankful for
something to wake up for
our life together
This is my audiovisual life.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
ramblings of a writer abroad
they tell you its not easy. you don't believe them because you are a tourist having the time of your life.
you think to yourself i wanna live here, work here, die here. you relentlessly look for a job, you get one, you pack up and leave.
this time, no longer a tourist. this time, you're every waking moment is in this country so far from your own.
you get up, cook your own meal or buy from the nearby bakeshop. you run to the bus stop, just in time to catch your bus. you put on your earphones and listen to whatever playlist fits your mood. everyone else is doing so because without that music, the commute will feel longer than it already is.
you press the stop sign, get off the bus and walk to the end of the street to get to your building. you ride up the escalator and the welcoming faces of your officemates greet you a good morning. you eat your breakfast, drink your coffee, check your emails and work.
the clock strikes 6 and you prepare to leave.
you walk to the bus stop. you get off. you take the lift to your flat. unlock the door. find something to cook. watch tv. talk with your housemates. you feel sleepy.
you sleep and in your dreams you know, the same thing will happen the next day.
they tell you its not easy and you know now that its true. far from home, far from anything familiar, far from the life you know.
you think to yourself i wanna live here, work here, die here. you relentlessly look for a job, you get one, you pack up and leave.
this time, no longer a tourist. this time, you're every waking moment is in this country so far from your own.
you get up, cook your own meal or buy from the nearby bakeshop. you run to the bus stop, just in time to catch your bus. you put on your earphones and listen to whatever playlist fits your mood. everyone else is doing so because without that music, the commute will feel longer than it already is.
you press the stop sign, get off the bus and walk to the end of the street to get to your building. you ride up the escalator and the welcoming faces of your officemates greet you a good morning. you eat your breakfast, drink your coffee, check your emails and work.
the clock strikes 6 and you prepare to leave.
you walk to the bus stop. you get off. you take the lift to your flat. unlock the door. find something to cook. watch tv. talk with your housemates. you feel sleepy.
you sleep and in your dreams you know, the same thing will happen the next day.
they tell you its not easy and you know now that its true. far from home, far from anything familiar, far from the life you know.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
A Woody Quote
"In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old people's home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day. You work for 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born. And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!"
— Woody Allen
ERIK:
I don't really know what to say. He's a genius.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
singapore steals
VAL:
a couple of weeks after our vacation in singapore, erik and i both got called for an interview so we had to fly back again. this time around we only stayed for almost 3 days and crammed whatever sightseeing we could after our interviews. not much shopping was done as we had a limited budget but we managed to find a few steals.
in a video rental shop near our bus stop we found original dvd's for sale. look what we got!
i've always wanted to watch this john lennon documentary but could never find a copy and i keep forgetting to download it. so when i saw it at the shop, i instantly grabbed the copy. the other film, nine, is also very interesting and was not shown i think here in manila and there's no dvd here yet. we got both dvds for around P600 only. pretty nice!
next time i'm in sg, i'll definitely raid other video rental shops.
ERIK:
You remember those Buddha beads that you use to ware during college, even if you don't what it symbolizes? I've got one! During our unplanned trip to Singapore a few days back.
So for those who want to know what is it for, Buddhist prayer beads are a traditional tool used to count time while meditating using mantras. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions; thus some call this tool the Buddhist rosary.
It's when we passed by Chinatown after we had our lunch. (Mmm... Hainanese Chicken Rice...) Anyway, I bought the beads just for fashion and I don't have plans of changing religion but I appreciate the meaning and usage of it.
a couple of weeks after our vacation in singapore, erik and i both got called for an interview so we had to fly back again. this time around we only stayed for almost 3 days and crammed whatever sightseeing we could after our interviews. not much shopping was done as we had a limited budget but we managed to find a few steals.
in a video rental shop near our bus stop we found original dvd's for sale. look what we got!
i've always wanted to watch this john lennon documentary but could never find a copy and i keep forgetting to download it. so when i saw it at the shop, i instantly grabbed the copy. the other film, nine, is also very interesting and was not shown i think here in manila and there's no dvd here yet. we got both dvds for around P600 only. pretty nice!
next time i'm in sg, i'll definitely raid other video rental shops.
ERIK:
You remember those Buddha beads that you use to ware during college, even if you don't what it symbolizes? I've got one! During our unplanned trip to Singapore a few days back.
So for those who want to know what is it for, Buddhist prayer beads are a traditional tool used to count time while meditating using mantras. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions; thus some call this tool the Buddhist rosary.
It's when we passed by Chinatown after we had our lunch. (Mmm... Hainanese Chicken Rice...) Anyway, I bought the beads just for fashion and I don't have plans of changing religion but I appreciate the meaning and usage of it.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
daiso-cool
VAL:
what do you do when you go inside an P88 store? you stuff your shopping cart with anything and everything!
japan home center or daiso was our destination today while looking for sleeping masks. the bad part, they were out of the stock. the good part, we were able to score some items that erik needed for his house cleaning. check out our loot.
we got fixtures for the sink, closet mat, sponge, sweater storage bag and hooks for around P600. we were even thinking of buying pitchers, claypots and bedroom slippers (which fortunately didn't carry our sizes). this store has such an interesting mix of stuff that i'm already looking forward to our next visit (erik will be dropping by again tomorrow to buy more storage bags :)).
ERIK:
Shopping here is way more fun than shopping for clothes and shoes. Ok, I know you don't totally agree with that. But who does not enjoy shopping for home stuffs? Specially when you are in a store where everything you need is there (except for sleeping masks and your bedroom slipper size), everything is functional, and everything is Php 88. So when you visit the store, don't blame us or the sales assistant why your shopping cart got full all of a sudden. That's all you, man.
what do you do when you go inside an P88 store? you stuff your shopping cart with anything and everything!
japan home center or daiso was our destination today while looking for sleeping masks. the bad part, they were out of the stock. the good part, we were able to score some items that erik needed for his house cleaning. check out our loot.
we got fixtures for the sink, closet mat, sponge, sweater storage bag and hooks for around P600. we were even thinking of buying pitchers, claypots and bedroom slippers (which fortunately didn't carry our sizes). this store has such an interesting mix of stuff that i'm already looking forward to our next visit (erik will be dropping by again tomorrow to buy more storage bags :)).
ERIK:
Shopping here is way more fun than shopping for clothes and shoes. Ok, I know you don't totally agree with that. But who does not enjoy shopping for home stuffs? Specially when you are in a store where everything you need is there (except for sleeping masks and your bedroom slipper size), everything is functional, and everything is Php 88. So when you visit the store, don't blame us or the sales assistant why your shopping cart got full all of a sudden. That's all you, man.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
dreaming of seoul
VAL:
here is what happens when one has too much free time in her hands. blogging about stuff no one else cares about. :)
my delayed fascination with anything korean started earlier this year while in the throes of boredom. i picked up a copy of boys over flowers at makati cinema square and has been hooked ever since. this fascination has progressed to listening to korean girl groups and tuning in to the korean channels on cable. also, i have been planning a trip to visit seoul (in my head) within the next few months.
believe me when i say its not about the hot korean boys that make me want to go there. it actually is the weather. the fashion. the food. and the culture. their website shows how much seoul can offer a tourist. check it out: http://www.visitseoul.net/en/index.do?_method=main
korea can be a pricey city and there's a visa requirement so you cant just go there anytime you want. while i'm still saving up for this trip, i'll just bury myself in koreanovelas and egg omelette.
here is what happens when one has too much free time in her hands. blogging about stuff no one else cares about. :)
my delayed fascination with anything korean started earlier this year while in the throes of boredom. i picked up a copy of boys over flowers at makati cinema square and has been hooked ever since. this fascination has progressed to listening to korean girl groups and tuning in to the korean channels on cable. also, i have been planning a trip to visit seoul (in my head) within the next few months.
believe me when i say its not about the hot korean boys that make me want to go there. it actually is the weather. the fashion. the food. and the culture. their website shows how much seoul can offer a tourist. check it out: http://www.visitseoul.net/en/index.do?_method=main
korea can be a pricey city and there's a visa requirement so you cant just go there anytime you want. while i'm still saving up for this trip, i'll just bury myself in koreanovelas and egg omelette.
how to make a nasi goreng
nasi goreng is simply friend rice in indonesian and malay. it usually comes with either chicken or seafood mixed together with all the other ingredients and is usually made with leftover rice similar to our sinangag.
ingredients:
White rice - 4 cups, pre cooked and cooled
Peanut oil - 2 tablespoons
Yellow or Red onions - 1 cup, chopped. Small red onions can be found at most Asian food stores. Chop the onions into small chunks.
Green onions - 1 cup, sliced. The bottom (white) parts of the onions are sliced separately from the top (green) parts because they are added to the dish at different times.
Carrots - one cup. Peel two or three large carrots. Baby carrots may be used instead of large carrots. Slice the carrots into thin sections.
Celery - one half cup. Cut the celery (cross-section) into thin slices.
Green peas - one half cup of frozen green peas. Do not thaw.
Ginger - 1 teaspoon. Break off a tip of ginger from the root. Peel the ginger and chop it finely.
Garlic - 2 tbsp. Fresh cloves of garlic may be used. You may use crushed garlic in a jar.
Nasi Goreng spice mix. It can be found at large grocery stores or in Asian food markets. The spices must be squeezed out of the bag and dissolved into water while cooking.
Chicken - 2 boneless breast. Cut into small chunks. Cook in a small amount of oil.
Shrimp - 10 to 20 peeled shrimp
Tomatoes - one, cut into slices
Lime - one, cut into wedges
Hot Sauce - use an Asian style hot chili sauce
Soy Sauce
how to cook:
Add peanut oil to the frying pan or wok. Heat up the oil for about one minute at medium to high heat. Add the ginger to the hot oil and heat for about 30 seconds. Add a spoonful of chopped garlic and heat for about one minute. Add the red or yellow onions to the mixture and heat for one to two minutes, stirring often. Add the bottom parts of the green onions and heat for about one minute. Add the carrots and heat for about two minutes, stirring often. Add the peas and celery and heat for about one minute, stirring often. Have about a cup of water ready for the next step. Add one pack of Nasi Goreng spices and add about ½ cup water to the pan. Stir in the ingredients so that the spices completely dissolve. Cook for about two minutes or until at least half of the water evaporates. Note: You may need to add extra water to dissolve the spices. Add the pre-cooked chicken to the mixture. If you are adding pre-cooked shrimp to the mixture, heat for about one minute. If you are adding raw shrimp at this step, you will need to cook them for about three minutes, or until they turn pink. Add dry spices such as salt and pepper to the mixture and stir. Soy sauce may be used instead of salt. Add the white rice to the pan one handful at a time. Before adding a new handful of rice, be sure that the spices completely cover the rice in the pan. Add the tops of the green onions to the pan and heat for about one minute. Add hot sauce to the pan and heat for about one to two minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat. Spoon out each serving of rice into a bowl.
here is the nasi goreng we had in singapore, this has seafood in it and super delicious and extremely spicy!
ingredients:
White rice - 4 cups, pre cooked and cooled
Peanut oil - 2 tablespoons
Yellow or Red onions - 1 cup, chopped. Small red onions can be found at most Asian food stores. Chop the onions into small chunks.
Green onions - 1 cup, sliced. The bottom (white) parts of the onions are sliced separately from the top (green) parts because they are added to the dish at different times.
Carrots - one cup. Peel two or three large carrots. Baby carrots may be used instead of large carrots. Slice the carrots into thin sections.
Celery - one half cup. Cut the celery (cross-section) into thin slices.
Green peas - one half cup of frozen green peas. Do not thaw.
Ginger - 1 teaspoon. Break off a tip of ginger from the root. Peel the ginger and chop it finely.
Garlic - 2 tbsp. Fresh cloves of garlic may be used. You may use crushed garlic in a jar.
Nasi Goreng spice mix. It can be found at large grocery stores or in Asian food markets. The spices must be squeezed out of the bag and dissolved into water while cooking.
Chicken - 2 boneless breast. Cut into small chunks. Cook in a small amount of oil.
Shrimp - 10 to 20 peeled shrimp
Tomatoes - one, cut into slices
Lime - one, cut into wedges
Hot Sauce - use an Asian style hot chili sauce
Soy Sauce
how to cook:
Add peanut oil to the frying pan or wok. Heat up the oil for about one minute at medium to high heat. Add the ginger to the hot oil and heat for about 30 seconds. Add a spoonful of chopped garlic and heat for about one minute. Add the red or yellow onions to the mixture and heat for one to two minutes, stirring often. Add the bottom parts of the green onions and heat for about one minute. Add the carrots and heat for about two minutes, stirring often. Add the peas and celery and heat for about one minute, stirring often. Have about a cup of water ready for the next step. Add one pack of Nasi Goreng spices and add about ½ cup water to the pan. Stir in the ingredients so that the spices completely dissolve. Cook for about two minutes or until at least half of the water evaporates. Note: You may need to add extra water to dissolve the spices. Add the pre-cooked chicken to the mixture. If you are adding pre-cooked shrimp to the mixture, heat for about one minute. If you are adding raw shrimp at this step, you will need to cook them for about three minutes, or until they turn pink. Add dry spices such as salt and pepper to the mixture and stir. Soy sauce may be used instead of salt. Add the white rice to the pan one handful at a time. Before adding a new handful of rice, be sure that the spices completely cover the rice in the pan. Add the tops of the green onions to the pan and heat for about one minute. Add hot sauce to the pan and heat for about one to two minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat. Spoon out each serving of rice into a bowl.
here is the nasi goreng we had in singapore, this has seafood in it and super delicious and extremely spicy!
goreng goreng!
VAL:
the best thing to do when travelling is to eat and try out all the local delicacies. so when erik and i were in sg and kl a couple of weeks back we treated ourselves to all the nasi lemak and goreng we could eat. i like the nasi goreng better than lemak but i always end up eating the lemak maybe because the fried egg always is a tempting treat for me. anyway, here is the nasi goreng that erik ate at the central market food court in kl. it is spicy and the chicken was delicious. not oily at all.
ERIK:
I ordered the Nasi Goreng because I'm tough like that. Just kidding, I'm a fan of spicy food. Both dishes tasted good. I think all of the food that we ate during our trip were good. But if you're looking for a meal that will test your tolerance to spicy food, order the Nasi Goreng. And torture yourself in a good way.
and here is the nasi lemak that i ate:
it has chili, dilis, peanuts and chicken, rice, fried egg and cucumber. you just have to mix and match everything when eating it. its also spicy and the taste has more variety than a goreng but if you want a really delicious dish, go for the goreng.
we also had goreng and lemak in sg. but this one in kl is much better. erik and i are already planning to do our own version of this. we'll see how that works out.
the best thing to do when travelling is to eat and try out all the local delicacies. so when erik and i were in sg and kl a couple of weeks back we treated ourselves to all the nasi lemak and goreng we could eat. i like the nasi goreng better than lemak but i always end up eating the lemak maybe because the fried egg always is a tempting treat for me. anyway, here is the nasi goreng that erik ate at the central market food court in kl. it is spicy and the chicken was delicious. not oily at all.
ERIK:
I ordered the Nasi Goreng because I'm tough like that. Just kidding, I'm a fan of spicy food. Both dishes tasted good. I think all of the food that we ate during our trip were good. But if you're looking for a meal that will test your tolerance to spicy food, order the Nasi Goreng. And torture yourself in a good way.
and here is the nasi lemak that i ate:
it has chili, dilis, peanuts and chicken, rice, fried egg and cucumber. you just have to mix and match everything when eating it. its also spicy and the taste has more variety than a goreng but if you want a really delicious dish, go for the goreng.
we also had goreng and lemak in sg. but this one in kl is much better. erik and i are already planning to do our own version of this. we'll see how that works out.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The World's Most Terrible Traffic
ERIK:
Traffic is everywhere. Sex Trafficking that is. It happens on the streets, in public toilets, in the malls, and even at your favorite restaurant. This is an issue that is happening not only here in our country but around the world. And like any other global problem, it gets worse every single day. No wonder it became the third largest crime in the world.
Good thing there are a lot of organizations and groups that continue to raise awareness about this problem. Inspired by Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, the store has jump started a petition that hopes to fight this modern-day slave trade. So let's go sign our petition and stop sex trafficking.
http://thebodyshop.com.ph/stopsextraffickingpetition/SST.php
VAL:
i love how body shop always has these different campaigns. sign up now. they also have a nice bag that you can get for a minimum purchase still in line with this campaign. check it out!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
For Rain-proof Trips
ERIK:
The North Face Base Camp Hot Shot Backpack. It's durable, waterproof and looks nice. I want one. : ) It holds your essentials safe and dry while you're up in the mountains or exploring the city.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Hong Kong, I Love You (part one)
It wasn't anything like I expected it would be. The moment the plane touched down, I felt a tingling sensation. like I'm in for a treat of a lifetime.
Hong Kong. Everything about it fascinated me.
I cannot forget how amazed I was by the sights and sounds of the bustling city. I walked its streets till one in the morning. Strolling from one corner to the next. Finding myself at Temple St., Night Market. Haggling with a vendor for a vinyl toy, a bronze Buddha figure and other knickknacks.
Riding the MTR on the way back to Disneyland, I relished conversing with the locals on their way home from work. Talked about their daily commute. They asked me if I enjoyed myself in their country and I replied with a content smile.
Went to a party for the local lomography store and luckily met the founder of lomography, Wolfgang. What a way to cap my 1st visit to Hong Kong.
If only I could live there. The moment I set my eyes on her, I knew I would never forget the moment I met this enchanting city.
Hong Kong, I Love You.
VAL
Hong Kong. Everything about it fascinated me.
I cannot forget how amazed I was by the sights and sounds of the bustling city. I walked its streets till one in the morning. Strolling from one corner to the next. Finding myself at Temple St., Night Market. Haggling with a vendor for a vinyl toy, a bronze Buddha figure and other knickknacks.
Riding the MTR on the way back to Disneyland, I relished conversing with the locals on their way home from work. Talked about their daily commute. They asked me if I enjoyed myself in their country and I replied with a content smile.
Went to a party for the local lomography store and luckily met the founder of lomography, Wolfgang. What a way to cap my 1st visit to Hong Kong.
If only I could live there. The moment I set my eyes on her, I knew I would never forget the moment I met this enchanting city.
Hong Kong, I Love You.
VAL
Friday, January 29, 2010
going colonial
location: padre damaso @ greenbelt 5
starters: pumpkin soup & crispy chicken skin & tail
main course: pork binagoongan and tapang usa with omelette
dessert: sisa's dementia/coffee/tea
total cost: around Php 1,300
VAL:
i've been eyeing this resto for quite sometime now and have always been intrigued by it. and so we decided to try it. it was a rather small place but we were seated in this couch with like walls around us that made us feel like we were in a private room. the waiters were friendly and gave us water right away (which is something i look for in restaurants).
for starters we had pumpkin soup and crispy chicken skin and tail. the soup was quite good. we only split it in half coz i can never finish a bowl by myself. the chicken skin was TO DIE FOR. seriously it was that good and ganun kasakit sa batok. after about 5 or 6 pieces, i could feel my head expanding. tsk tsk. not good at all. but definitely something worth trying.
for my main course i had tapang usa, which i had 2nd thoughts about because i've never eaten an usa before. it was yummy enough. what i HATED about it was that it was very oily. Not the tapa but the omelette and garlic rice that came with it. i hardly finished the rice and the egg because i felt like my mouth was one big tub of lard already. i just finished the meat coz the meal was rather expensive- it was P450.
i also got to try erik's order, which was pork binagoongan. i didn't like it all, not that i like anything binagoongan in the first place but this one was really salty.
good thing our dessert was really good. it is chocolate heaven. we had a cake called sisa's dementia, which was chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse and almond something. supper yummy! its just how i like my cake, soft and fluffy and not too sweet.
to our surprise, we also got a freebie dessert because we answered the customer survey. they gave us leche flan, which was not really good (but of course, its free).
over-all, it was quite a good resto i may just have ordered the wrong main course.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Shabu first timers
ERIK:
Mini Shabu-Shabu, that is. We went to Bonifacio High Street to go skateboarding and decided to have dinner at Mini Shabu-Shabu. I was excited since it's my first time to try it.
I had the All Seafood Set. It was entertaining at first when you star cooking the ingredients and stuff, then I realized that I'm getting tired of it. To think that the reason you go to a restaurant is because you want to eat and not to cook for yourself, right?
The food is good, though it all tastes the same because they use just one kind of broth. I must say though, it's still quite an experience. Hehe.
VAL:
definitely only 2 out of 5. first of, the cooking made me so tired i wanted to eat everything raw. then, there wasn't anything exciting about the taste. its just fancy pochero. also, i find it pricey and for the restaurant to charge service fee when i'm the one doing all the cooking, damn.
i had the beef tenderloin set and i also ordered additional dumplings. the tenderloin was just regular but the dumplings were almost close to horrible.
thanks to nalyn ming tsai for teaching us how to eat shabu-shabu style.
however, it might be a never again for me type of place. i happen to like other people doing the cooking for me. thank you very much.
Monday, January 11, 2010
first food trip of the year: brinner
VAL:
after failing to get seats in this diner-themed restaurant last friday, we tried again the next day and luckily got seats after about 30 minutes of waiting.
mr.jones is very much like gram's. serving comfort food and all-day breakfast at fairly reasonable rates, i can see why people wait in line just to eat here.
for starters we had the soup of the day, which was luckily mushroom soup. it was about 200 bucks but was worth it because the serving is good for about 2-3 people and it was delicious and peppery.
as the main course, i had the 1/2 inch thick bacon with biscuits, sunny side-up eggs and rice. the bacon was gooooood. as all bacons are. but the biscuit aka muffin was BLAND!
over-all, it was good enough but i wasn't exactly raving about it plus it was really smokey inside the resto.
however, we will definitely come back to try the fries because apparently they are to die for.
ERIK:
When you're planning to watch a last full show that is 2 hours+ long, "brinner" is the way to go. So we had it at Mr. Jones. Just like what Val said, it's very much like Gram's, which I'm also a fan of. I also liked the Mushroom soup and almost wanted to keep the cup. I had the Tapa and Garlic Overload, which comes with fried eggs and rice. Well, the name speaks for itself.
Yes, it was a good dinner, except that the place was like a big hotbox because of the smoke (and the noisy and annoying family beside our table) . I'm still coming back to try the Crab and Dory.
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