Well, hello there!

My Newest Addiction: PINTEREST

2011-11-08T20:16:00.001+08:00

Oh... the things you find on the internet!
My latest addiction is PINTEREST.

Everything is so cute and nice. Inspiring and depressing all at the same time.

Source: afewofmyfavorites.com via Sammye J on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Gail on Pinterest

Source: sixoneseven.blogspot.com via Tim N Krissi on Pinterest

Source: desire2decorate.blogspot.com via Alma on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Galina on Pinterest

Source: blossomsandbliss.tumblr.com via Elissa on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Candice on Pinterest

Source: thebeautybean.com via Tammy on Pinterest

What to do... what to do...

Christmas 2011 Wishlist

2011-10-31T17:02:00.004+08:00

Holiday season is here! So, here's my (again) no-holds-barred Christmas wishlist!

1. CUISINART FROZEN YOGURT, ICE CREAM AND SORBET MAKER

I don't care that Momon and I are on this low-card diet. I want an ice cream maker.

2. KITCHEN TIMER (CUTE DESIGN)

3. BAKING TOOLS, THE WHOLE SHEBANG

My baking tools and materials are back at my parents' house. Whatever, I just one a new set.

4. BOOTS!

5. FANCY PLATES FOR MY PLATE WALL

This is an upcoming decorating project. :-)

6. VINTAGE MIRROR/S

7. VASES - SHABBY CHIC FEEL

A Journey with Children Book Launch

2011-10-29T10:45:00.000+08:00

Finally after 6 months, "A Journey with Children (Living and Working in the Streets in the Philippines)" has been published! It was a privilege to be one of the authors of this coffee-table photobook, assisting Italian photographer Giacomo Pirozzi. The project was under UNICEF Philippines and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The launch was extra special and done with highest honor at the Malacanan Palace, with no less than President Benigno Aquino III present to accept the photobook from Lalaine Loreto, 11 years old, of Nayon ng Kabataan.

The launch coincided with the awarding ceremonies of the 2011 Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities, which is a regular affair every October to commemorate the Children's Month. UNICEF Country Representative Ms. Vanessa Tobin (leftmost) also received a plaque from DSWD for her unending commitment to help children in the Philippines.

It was so nice to see some of the children who were featured in the photobook, and of course Giacomo, Mareen, Jonas, Tito Jess Far and all those who worked in the project. The Council for the Welfare of Children and its pool of young facilitators very wisely gathered the children one Saturday prior to the event and showed them the printed book. After seeing it, they drafted a response and a call to action for President Aquino, which was presented to the audience by Lalaine.

Needless to say, the event was also a reunion of so many different organizations working on the advocacy of children's rights. Here we are doing our best to be formal during the cocktails.

These are the young facilitators from CWC who served as ushers during the event. They are (left to right) Rafael Coste, Alexander Macatual, Shane Manopol and Carlo Jagnaan; and with them are the very young looking (LOL) Ate Ros and Kuya Rex Dayao and Ate Andre Canilang. We all belong to different child-rights organizations who participated/organized in the Philippine National Children's Conference in 2009 and ASEAN Children's Forum in 2010.

And of course, I'm happy because Momon was there to support me. Pinabilib ko lang naman s'ya. Hahaha!

Here we are with the event host, 2010 Ms. Universe 4th runner-up Venus Raj. My goodness, she is a goddess! I'm such a fan, especially now that I know she has an interest in children's rights.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador--and my super fave singer--Gary Valenciano was also at the event! I was tasked on the spot to introduce him to to all the children who were part of the book. Lucky I have good memory and I was able to remember all the children's names, ages and locations, and give a brief background about their story.

During the introductions, Joshua, who is 11, from Lingap Pangkabataan said, "Ate, kamukha n'ya yung nagsasayaw sa TV" (He looks like that man who dances on TV). I responded, "S'ya yun! (That's him!).

And Gary said, "Ako yun, yung sa ASAP." (That's me, from ASAP.) Then he dance very discreetly on the spot.

Here I am with Giacomo. Congratulations Giacomo!
May you continue to inspire more people through the children's stories you capture in your photos.

Oh, what an honor to be part of the book. It was a wonderful journey with children.
Please visit www.ajourneywithchildren.com to know more about the photobook.

White Chocolate-Macadamia Cookies

2011-10-13T15:03:00.000+08:00

Ask me what I miss the most while on the low-carb diet. It's not the rice, not the pasta, not so much the fruits or candy. What I miss the most is baking--the act of baking.

Since I can not eat the sweet goodies and the sumptuous breads I used to bake on a regular basis, I have also put my baking projects on the side. Oh how I miss it, I can't begin to explain! So, just to reminisce a bit, I am sharing with you one of my favorite cookie recipes: White Chocolate Macadamia.

Best served with milk!

This is my family's favorite among the cookies I make. The dough itself is not so sweet, but when you bite into the parts with the white chocolate, it creates the perfect blend of sweetness. The macadamia nuts are also my favorite and its texture and saltiness is a good contrast to the soft and chewy dough.

Baking this recipe is not the easiest thing. The dough is huge (just look at the 2 blocks of butter below!), extra sticky and a bit heavy to handle. If you're not too careful during baking, it's also easy to pull out the cookies too early or too late and be left with a cookie that is either too soft or not as soft as you intend. Make sure to check it before pulling it out from the oven because the cookies may need a minute or two more or less than stated, sometimes depending on your oven temperature.

But don't worry about all these intricacies. You'll master them in no time. All the hard work will pay off once you receive comments, praises, smiles, hugs, tears, and all the superlatives that are inevitably on your way after sharing these cookies.

Here is the original website where you can get more excellent cookie recipes! And without further ado, here is the recipe.

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Recipe
Makes 60 cookies, using a 1 tablespoon scooper
Divide the recipe in half if needed

Ingredients:

1 pound (2 cups) butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 1/4 cup all purpose white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounce bag) white chocolate chips or chunks
1 1/4 cup (4 ounces) macadamia nuts, roasted and chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. No need to grease.
Measure flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and blend together. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, preferably a heavy-duty mixer, and using the paddle or beater attachment, beat butter until creamy.

Add brown sugar and beat again. Scrape down the bowl and add the granualted sugar. Beat until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add vanilla, beat and scrape again.
On low speed, add flour mixture 2 cups at a time, and mix well.

Mix in white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Mix only until blended.
Using a cookie scoop, place dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly to allow for spreading.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do NOT over bake these cookies. They continue to bake for a few minutes after they are removed from the oven.

Transfer to cooling racks. Store in air tight container or plastic bag to stay soft and moist.

Enjoy!

Lisa Macuja's Swan Song Series

2011-10-08T15:34:00.000+08:00

Last night, my mom, sister and I trooped to the Aliw Theater to catch the beginning of Lisa Macuja's Swan Song Series. A "swan song series" is a ballet dancer's last performances of his/her signature ballets. Lisa, one of the Philippines' prima ballerina, is set to ease into retirement within the period of three years, with swan performances of Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote and Giselle. You can read more about it here.

Few people know that I was once a budding ballet dancer myself. I studied ballet from age five to 12, and with all modesty aside (which I have so little of), I was one of the top students of my class. I was just about to transition to point shoes when my teacher in JASMS left and I was forced to enroll in another ballet school where, I guess in hindsight, I was not able to adjust very well. It was also about this time that my interest and talent in playing volleyball blossomed and so I let go of dancing ballet. Although I don't regret any of this, I find myself smiling when I imagine what my life would have been if I continued on my ballet journey. We'll never know, I guess.

So, it goes without saying that, my interest in the art of ballet is deeply rooted in my heart. My mom also took us to see Maniya Barredo's (Philippine's first prima ballerina) final performance of Giselle. I also had the privilege of meeting Lisa Macuja when I was 10 or 11 after her performance of Darna at the CCP. So, when I heard about Lisa's swan song series, I vowed to catch every performance.

I'm not really in the mood nor do I have the ability to give a full review. But let me say this: Lisa Macuja is divine in her performance of the twin roles of White and Black Swan. She deserved every second the overly-extended curtain call at the end of the performance. If there was anything to start her swan song series with, she did it right by starting with Swan Lake.

Her next performance is on October 21 and 22 for Romeo and Juliet.

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Here is Lisa Macuja's own account of her Swan Lake experience throughout her career.
Very interesting read!

Goodbye, Swan Lake... Hello, Swan Song Series

Most young ballerinas dream that someday, they would delineate the highly coveted and extremely challenging twin roles of Odette and Odile in the immortal “Swan Lake”, which has long been considered as the epitome of classical ballet.

However, the White Swan/ Black Swan character was never a favourite ballerina role of mine.

Moreover, I only got to dance my first full-length “Swan Lake” by accident – quite literally. Not an accident that happened to me, but an injury incurred by a Brazilian ballerina who was supposed to dance with Argentinian etoile Maximilliano Guerra in “Swan Lake” at the Teatro Nacionale during the 10th International Ballet Festival in Havana, Cuba in November 1990. As a result, Guerra decided not to come for the performance. As fate would have it, I happened to be there dancing several classical and neo-classical pas de deux with my partner, Osias Barroso, on the personal invitation of Laura Alonso, daughter of Cuba’s ballet legend Alicia Alonso.

I was asked by the festival director, on behalf of Alicia Alonso herself, to fill in for the injured “swan”. Of course it was flattering but here’s the catch: I had four days to learn and perform “Swan Lake” with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, partnered by soloist Ernesto Quenedit who was also dancing it for the first time! The prospect got me thrilled and terrified at the same time. On the one hand, it was a huge risk to learn a full-length ballet from scratch and perform it in less than 96 hours… but then again, I really do love a challenge!

Looking back, it certainly wasn’t the best of my “swans”. In fact, it was the worst “Swan Lake” I had ever performed in my life! But what happened to me in those four days in Cuba was that I had conquered my fears and doubts about ever becoming a Swan Queen. On the last day of the festival, a complete stranger came up to me and asked if he could kiss my hand. Startled, I asked him why. He said, “I saw your ‘Swan Lake’ and I think you will become a great ballerina!” At that time, I was still recovering from the awful performance I had done three nights before. That kind and gallant stranger made me feel better. And yes, I let him kiss my hand.

Fast forward a couple of decades into my dancing career and I find myself planning my “Swan Song Series”. What classical ballet should be the first to go? Without a doubt, “Swan Lake”.

Twenty-one years since my “Swan Lake” debut and I still dread dancing Odette/Odile. Even if it was tiny Japanese prima ballerina Yoko Morishita’s performance in this White/Black Swan role that moved me so much at the age of 14 to commit myself to a life of dance, it’s still not a role which I could persuade myself to truly believe I can deliver convincingly.

Why the unabashed insecurities? Let me count the ways. First and foremost, I’m not tall enough. I don’t have the lines. I don’t have the traditional “look” of a Swan Queen, so how can I dance her? What exactly would make me stand out in a flock of tall, long-limbed, gorgeous ballerinas that would make Prince Seigfried choose me, instead of the tall, long-limbed, gorgeous ballerinas fluttering around me?

That being said, dance the physically and psychologically demanding role of the Swan Queen I have… And on my father’s faithful accounting of all my ballet appearances, I have clocked a total of 20 full-length performances where I tackled both Odette and Odile, nine of which were were danced overseas.

All in all, if we are to include the excerpts, I’ve completed 122 performances of the White Swan, 72 of her Black doppelganger. However, it’s a bit distressing to note that if I needed to, I would not be able to name all the Prince Seigfrieds I have danced with in chronological order. But I am certain the list would include distinguished danseurs Ernesto Quenedit, Nonoy Froilan, Osias Barroso, Vasily Polushin, Charles Askegard, Oleg Shukaryov, Brando Miranda, Maxim Chashchegorov and Paul De Masson, as well as Ballet Manila’s very own Jonathan Janolo, Nazer Salgado and Rudy De Dios. The latest addition would be David Makhateli, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet, with whom I shall be dancing the last of my twin Swan roles this weekend.

I think what makes “Swan Lake” so challenging is that it is really a ballet meant to be danced by two different ballerinas — one possessing the lyrical temperament and sincere vulnerability for Odette, and the other needing the sultry cunning and seductive allure for Odile. Both roles call for spot-on technique, a steely left supporting leg, elevation, flexibility, and most importantly strength. Tchaikovsky’s score calls for impeccable musicality — the ability to sustain balances and peg those pirouettes. One has to have complete control over one’s body.

May I be completely honest? There is always a point when, while doing a quick change from my black tutu back to the white tutu, that I feel complete relief and — for the first time in the course of the entire ballet — singular pleasure at the prospect of performing with wild abandon in the arms of my prince. Every step before this point is, well, sheer terror.

Once more, fate threw me off-kilter again with this final full-length performance. If I only had four days to learn and rehearse my first “Swan Lake” in 1990, I only had a little under eight weeks to gain back the strength needed to perform tonight. My left foot’s plantar fascia ruptured while in London for a concert tour last June and since then, I had been dancing in pain for the following two months. Finally, I decided to have the surgery done in August so that I could be onstage for you tonight as we celebrate a memorable send-off for Odette and Odile.

Dancing the twin Swans may never have been my personal favorite, but the fact that thousands of people all over the world have come to watch me perform these roles over the last two decades only goes to show that perhaps I was not entirely correct about “not looking right” for the part. That maybe, just maybe, the spontaneous applause and standing ovations that echoed through the halls after every performance have woven a magic spell on this tiny ballerina, inspiring her to work even harder and dance her heart out with every show, if only so she could rise from the bevy of tall, long-limbed, gorgeous swans.

And that after all has been said and done, she knows deep inside that Odette and Odile shall be lovingly missed after this last flight.

Few people realize that there are two versions of “Swan Lake”: one which ends with the tragic suicide of the lovelorn couple hoping to find redemption in the afterlife, and another where true love finds the Swan Queen transformed into a real princess and they live happily ever after. I have performed both versions, but personally, I always prefer a happy ending.

Farewell, “Swan Lake”. From hereon, it shall always be a much-cherished “ever after”.

One Down

2011-10-02T21:54:00.001+08:00

It doesn't feel like a whole year has passed. But since Momon and I have been married, we've celebrated one birthday each, all our friends' and families' birthdays and every possible holiday. All the rest of the year was spent having a blast loving and taking care of each other.

So, it's one down, forever to go. No worries though, time really flies when you're having fun!

Turbo Fire Results: 56 Days

2011-09-27T11:50:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!

It's time to track my results for the second month in Turbo Fire with Chalene Johnson.

This month's program was focused on cardio and muscle training. So there were days on the scale when it registered that I gained a bit. I comforted myself with the thought that it's really muscle build blah blah.

SCALE RESULTS

Starting Weight:117

Current Weight: 114

Weightloss this cycle: 3 lbs

Weightloss to Date: 12 lbs

TAPE RESULTS

I measured my arms, chest, waist, hips, abductors, butt, thighs and legs.

Starting Inches Total: 259.5

Current Inches Total: 254.75

Inches Lost in this cycle: 4.75

Inches Lost to Date: 15.75 inches

The results in weight and inches are not as spectacular as before. A little bit of a downer, yes, but I'm putting things in perspective, focusing more on my regained strength and endurance, better fitting clothes, and overall better feeling. Plus I'm actually on my "ideal body weight" range so the scale results will definitely be a bit slower now.

Now, on to the 3rd month of Turbo Fire! Going back to the HIITs!
Hopefully this will kickstart my weight loss again. Wish me luck!

Sinfully at Makati Shangri-la

2011-09-17T17:52:00.000+08:00

Indulge in top quality chocolate confections at Makati Shangri-la’s Sinfully at Greenbelt 5.

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Chocolate: the perfect epitome of sinful goodness.

It is perfection in every bite, a sweet heaven, and the nectar of the gods. What else can be described with such adoration than chocolate? It is so irresistible in any form—be it milk, dark, white or bitter, it is a confection loved by all.

Discovered 2000 years ago in South America, chocolate is processed so many ways, leaving it open for creative interpretation and limited only by the pastry chef’s imagination. But in the end, it’s all the same: it is the creamy and sweet chocolate that lures us to indulge in sinful pleasures each time.

Indulge in Sinful Pleasures

There may be no better place to flirt with your chocolate temptation than at Makati Shangri-La's Sinfully. The Lifestyle Network and www.cookeatnow.com were privileged to be part of their press launch.

Area Executive Pastry Chef of Makati Shangri-La Anthony Collar knows chocolate. "Chocolate is a living organism, it’s alive. It is best consumed when it has been left for an hour sitting at 21°C to 22°C (around the same temperature as an air-conditioned room). Coco butter melts at 31°, and your body is 36°," shared Chef Collar.

“Eating chocolate is just like drinking wine--it must be enjoyed and felt by our different senses. Place the chocolate in the middle of your mouth. Don't bite into it! Just before it melts, take a deep breath and fill your nostrils and lungs with its rich aroma. Be patient and let your mouth do the work, soon it will melt and fill your mouth with a sensational taste.”

A study reported by BBC indicates “melting chocolate in one's mouth produces an increase in brain activity and heart rate that is more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity has ended.”

But Chef Collar’s creations are not only about sinful indulgence. “We also want to show that chocolate is not all bad. There are a lot of potential health benefits to eating chocolote. Cocoa and dark chocolate has a lot of antioxidants, and eating controlled amounts can help prevent heart disease. It’s just a matter of controlling your portions.”
Sinfully at Greenbelt 5

Sinfully is the Makati Shangri-la’s first offsite patisserie. It is located at the second floor of Greenbelt 5.

Sinful Attractions

A unique feature of the patisserie is the Chocolate Room. This glassed-off and temperature-controlled area, visible from the storefront, is a magnet for shoppers. From here, you can watch the pastry chefs create Sinfully’s signature pralines and cakes.

Sinfully’s signature product, the Kiss.

This work of art is made from the finest chocolate with a glossy candy-coated veneer. The kisses come in three flavors of chocolate with star anise, raspberry, and amaretto and coffee. There is a reason why this is the signature product. My descriptions would definitely fail against actually tasting the Kiss.

Emoti-Cakes

A touch screen ordering system allows you to access the world of personalized Emoti-Cakes, inspired by the emoticons and elevated to a delicious layered chocolate cake or cheesecake covered in fondant. Momon and I were able to sample the two kinds of cakes. They were the best--as in the best--chocolate and cheesecakes we've ever tasted!

Macaroons? Macarons?

Aren't these simply divine? They look too pretty too eat, but it would be a sin not to try them. They are a mix crunchy and chewy on the outside and super lovely creminess on the inside. The flavors were superb, we had to ask the servers to leave us alone, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stop ourselves! Flavors are available in green tea, purple yam (ube), mango, strawberry, blueberry, coffee, chocolate and so many more!

Wow! Need I say more?

Various bread and bakery items are also available at Sinfully—like the cookies, traditional baguettes, Danish pastries and muffins, and some more adventurous jam flavors like Mango and White Chocolate. There are also made-to-order cakes which you can fashion to almost any object you wish.

Visit Sinfully by Makati Shangri-La at the 2nd floor or Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. It promises to be the ultimate definition of decadence and delight in Makati City–a rare find for those in search of sweet indulgence and true luxury. For inquiries and orders, please call (63 2) 729 6626 or e-mail sinfully.slm@shangri-la.com.

The Master of Modern Chinese Cuisine

2011-09-10T16:01:00.000+08:00

It was June 2011 when Hanna assigned me to cover a cooking demonstration featuring Master Chef Sam Leong of Singapore. I must say I am not familiar with Chef Sam, but this is obviously because of my lack of knowledge about the culinary gods of Asia. Both Hanna and I were floored upon reading his profile and even more enthralled after meeting him at Shangri-la Makati. Here is the piece I wrote for www.cookeatnow.com.

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THE MASTER OF MODERN CHINESE CUISINE

The list of awards and recognition for Singapore’s Master Chef Sam Leong goes on and on.

He was Singapore’s representative to the Annual James Beard Foundation Awards, Friends of James Beard Gala Dinner, World Gourmet Summit, Annual St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, the Flavours of Asia in Napa Valley, California and many others.

He has had the privilege to be the official chef for the visits to Singapore of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, and His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej of Thailand.

He was also named the Best Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 and 2004, and Executive Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year in 2005. In the same year, he became the first Singaporean chef to join Singapore Airline’s International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs.

If all these awards and recognition are making you dizzy, know that Chef Sam Leong worked his way to the top the hard way. His signature technique of infusing traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern flare was not an overnight success.

“I used to work in a traditional Chinese kitchen. I remember working day and night preparing all the ingredients. The kitchens were not very big and we get burns from the very high heat needed for Chinese cooking.” At the end of the night, they also have to wash the huge woks and clean the whole kitchen. “ We never go out to greet the customers. We prepare, we cook, clean and go home!”

Traditional Chinese restaurants serve meals family-style. The dishes are served in big plates ready to go around the turning table for each family-member’s turn. Fancy presentation takes a far second place from superior taste.

At the age of 28, Chef Sam started carving a name for himself. He worked at the Kuching Hilton and Novotel Bangkok before becoming the executive chef of Jiang Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore.

Here, Chef Sam showed he was different. “I started to serve our meals in several courses and in individual servings.“ This was an unheard-of approach at that time. “I always see businessmen, those who dine in threes, debating who gets the last dumpling in a serving for four. With my new technique, no one feels guilty of having the last piece!”

Word got around and more and more people wanted to experience Chef Sam’s modern style. Unbeknownst to them, Chef Sam’s kitchen crew despised him. “They asked me why I’m making them take so much effort in plating, why do they need to wash all the individual dishes, why they need to garnish,” recalls Chef Sam. “Almost all of them resigned at first!”

His restaurant manager was also wary. “He was so appalled by my idea to serve the peking duck in portions. In a Chinese restaurant, if you want the peking duck, you get the whole thing, but I never gave up! l once served the peking duck in a 7-course dinner, and my manager was impressed!”

Also unprecedented was Chef Sam’s tour of the dining hall after service to socialize with the diners. This new approach proved effective, or at the very least, intriguing. Soon, the restaurant was getting overbooked, a new trend was established and the awards came pouring in. The rest, as they say, is history.

Throughout his 26 years of culinary genius, Chef Sam has published several books including “A Wok Through Time”, “Sensations” and “A Taste of Home”. He also had a cooking show called “King of Kitchens” and was invited to be the chef-mentor for a television cooking competition, Star Chefs.

When he is not traveling, he spends his time teaching students in his own culinary school called Sam.Leong@Forest Cooking School in Singapore.

Makati Shangri-La has recently invited Chef Sam to a share his expertise in a cooking demonstration held at the Shang Palace. A four-course degustation menu including Chef Sam’s signature dish of Prawn Coated in Wasabi Mayo and Mango Salsa was served to the guests.

Try Chef Sam Leong’s Signature Dish!
PRAWNS COATED IN WASABI MAYO AND MANGO SALSA

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 pieces           large prawn meat
¼ tsp                salt
¼ tsp                sugar
¼ tsp                sesame oil
½ piece            egg white
50 grams         corn flour

Seasoning – Wasabi Mayo Sauce
300 grams       mayonnaise
50 grams         condensed milk
30 grams         wasabi paste
30 grams         fresh lemon juice

Garnish – Mango Salsa
100 grams       mango, diced
30 grams         mint leaves, chopped
30 grams         Thai chili sauce
                        chervil leaves

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the wasabi-mayo sauce. Refrigerate.
Mix the diced mango with the Thai chili-saue and mint leaves. Refrigerate.
Marinate the prawn meat with salt, sugar, sesame oil and egg white. Coat the marinated prawn meat with corn flour.
Deep fry with hot oil until cooked for about one minute, then mix immediately into the wasabi-mayo sauce.
Garnish with mango and chervil leaves.

Expert Tips from Chef Sam

The oil must be very hot. It ensures that your coating will be very crisp and will remain crispy even when the prawn is coated with the wasabi-may sauce.
The prawns cook very quickly. You’ll know they’re cooked when they rise to the surface.
Serve immediately.

Visit:
www.samatforest.com

Food Portion Guide

2011-09-06T13:53:00.001+08:00

One skill you need to acquire when you're trying to lose weight is proper reading and interpreting of Nutrition Facts. Some gadgets/equipment such as digital scale, measuring cups and spoons are necessary to get as accurate a calorie-count as possible.

Of course I don't need to tell you that you can't bring all these items with you everywhere you go. So, often times, we need to just wing it!

Luckily, Momon came across this excellent graphic on how to measure your portions to use your God-given hands as your measuring tools. Which, as it turns out, is almost always.

Also visit my favorite calorie count/nutrition facts website, www.calorieking.com

Turbo Fire Results: First 28 Days

2011-08-28T18:19:00.019+08:00

Haller!

It's time to track my results for the first 28 days of my new program, Turbo Fire with Chalene Johnson.

Prior to this, I was in keto diet for 2 weeks and had 2 weeks of Turbo Fire prep schedule (slightly lighter workout rotation). Then, I proceeded with the proper class schedule. When I started doing cardio with TF, I allowed myself to consume more carbs, up to around 100 grams per day.

So, here are my results for a total of 2 months in low-carb diet, inclusive of 6 weeks of intense cardio workouts daily.

SCALE RESULTS

Starting Weight: 126

Current Weight: 117

Weightloss to Date: 9 lbs

TAPE RESULTS

I measured my arms, chest, waist, hips, abductors, butt, thighs and legs.

Starting Inches Total: 270.5

Current Inches Total: 259.5

Inches Lost to Date: 11 inches

I lost inches most on my waist (2 inches), butt (1.75) and abductors (1.5).

Hooray! I am quite pleased. Sorry there are no before and after photos. :-)
Now, on to the 2nd month of Turbo Fire! Cardio (with weighted hand gloves) and muscle training rotation. Wish me luck!

Turbo Fire Results Tracking set on Sunday!

2011-08-25T15:29:00.000+08:00

I can't believe my last entry was almost 2 weeks ago! Days on the second half of my birthday month (still claiming) flew by so fast with so many trips, tasks and other time-wasting activities! I won't pretend every moment was spent working on worthwhile pursuits, haha! Anyway, I'm holding myself accountable for this blog and posting is a must.

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I recently embarked on a new workout program called Turbo Fire.

Turbo Fire is an in-home workout program developed by my favorite trainer, Chalene Johnson and BeachBody. Also under her belt, copies of which I have and used, are Turbo Jam and Chalean Extreme.

Turbo Fire is a high intensity workout that involves plyometrics and cardio bursts called “HIITS” or High Intensity Interval Training. The moves are based on Chalene's Elite 11 (Turbo Jam) but the pace is much faster and the jacks, kicks, jumps and lungers are more intense. With more plyometric training and more interval training, Turbo Fire will focus on lengthier intensity bursts and shorter breaks. This kind of training is similar to the ones used by athletes--so as Chalene always says, "Think of yourself as an athlete!"

There are 18 videos altogether.

One (1) video guide on the whole program
Five (5) cardio workouts starting from 30 minutes up to 60 minutes
Four (4) HIIT varying in lengths from 15 minutes to 30 minutes
Six (6) targeted workouts covering toning, sculpting, abs, core, lower and upper body.
Two (2) stretch videos for your recovery

All these workouts are mixed and matched within a 12-week program designed to achieve maximum results. You can extend the program to a total of 20 weeks if you desire.

The video is filmed in a class setting, with Chalene leading as the trainer on a stage and lots of people on the floor following her command. This includes you, of course. According to Chalene, this arrangement inspires people to do more and workout to their maximum ability. If you're feeling tired, all you do is look to your right or left and match the energy exerted by your neighbor and keep up with them. I must say, it works. But you also have to really picture yourself in the class and feel the energy in order to benefit from this approach.

The very complete package also includes the Fitness Guide (overall manual for the program) 5-Day Inferno Plan (quick weightloss plan), Nutrition Guide, Turbo Tracker (a notebook to track your results) and the Class Schedules including one that mixes Turbo Fire with Chalean Extreme.

Did I say Chalene is my favorite? I follow her on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube etc. When people ask me who I train with or who my trainer is, I immediately say, with all pride and yabang, that my trainer is Chalene Johnson!

Anyway, I think I'm starting to sound like a salesperson for Turbo Fire. But can I help it if I'm really having major major fun with this workout?! Needless to say, I highly recommend it. If you're interested on having your copy, just follow the links I put above.

Now for my 4-week results... that's coming up on Sunday. Wish me luck and more energy for my workouts!

Beef Salpicao

2011-08-18T19:46:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!

I'm really enjoying posting the dishes I cook here. :-) Hopefully, you are too.
So, here's another recipe I recently tried, my long-time favorite, BEEF SALPICAO!

The original recipe is here. But I tweaked it a little to suit our taste. :-)

BEEF SALPICAO
Serves 2 (in keto)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin (or tenderloin), cubed
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons Worchesteshire Sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 cup button mushrooms, can be sliced if you want them smaller
1/8 cup butter
1 teaspoon garlic bits (for garnish)

Method:

Marinate beef in salt, pepper and garlic. Take as much time as possible, but 1 hour is enough.
Add the olive oil for the last 30 minutes.
Apply high heat on a pan then put in the combined ingredients once the pan is hot enough.
Sear the beef until the color of the outer part turns brown. Try to toss the beef while searing so that all sides are uniformly cooked.
Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce and Worchesteshire sauce and continue tossing and let the beef absorb the liquid, but be careful not to let it dry up.
Add the mushrooms and toss.
Put in the butter and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
Sprinkle some garlic bits on top for garnish.

The butter is lovely! It makes the sauce creamy and glossy.
For this recipe, sirloin or tenderloin is a must. There will be no time to tenderize the meat, so you have to pick the really tender parts.

This is great with rice or as a pica-pica for your cocktails. However you want it, always make sure to serve it hot!

Hope you try it!

Our Kitchen

2011-08-18T16:45:00.002+08:00

Another furnishing post!

Here's our humble kitchen where I whip up all the recipes I post here. :-) I love our kitchen, or should I say, MY kitchen. Talagang in-own ko na!

Almost all the things I listed in our wedding gift registry were for kitchen items, and almost all the stuff I shop for now are for the kitchen and for cooking! Yes, you can say I'm a bit obsessed.

Here we have the essential kitchen triangle (gas range, refrigerator and sink), as prescribed by Martha Stewart. The sizes of the counter, ref and range were all exactly measured to fit the space from the start of the construction.

We went to about 8 studies of the color scheme here, some had reds, blues, etc. But my non-negotiable was a white countertop (it just looks yellow because of the light). Eventually, we chose a creamy brown tile backsplash and the light brown cabinets followed.

The 4-burner gas range/oven and hood are my most priced equipment in the house. :-) Bought it December 2010, even if the house was not yet finished at that time. Vincent's workers had to carry it through the stairs all the way to the 6th floor, God bless them!

Notice we don't have a rice cooker out on the counter? Sitting on its place instead are my cute color-coded chopping boards!

Now that you've seen my workspace, back to more recipes. :-)

My New Toy: Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards

2011-08-14T11:25:00.001+08:00

Happy chopping! Enough said.

Thank you Mymie!

Stirfry Black Pepper Beef in Peanut Sauce

2011-08-12T13:17:00.001+08:00

Inspired by one of my favorite recipe and craft bloggers, Amanda's Cookin', here's another recipe for you!

The original recipe is here, but I tweaked it a little cause I don't like using too many ingredients (to save on money, of course) and to make sure the dish is OK for Momon's keto diet. I removed the cornstarch, sesame oil, water chestnuts, etc. I also did not use the measurements prescribed, I somehow just eyeballed it, but I still indicated them here so it can be a basis for you too.

Bear in mind that this changes the dish in more ways than one. So, it's up to you to choose however you want to cook your version.

Stirfry Black Pepper Beef in Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, sliced thin against the grain

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons of canola oil

3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 cloves minced garlic (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 pound fresh sugar snap peas

Method:

Place sliced beef in a large bowl. Marinate beef in black pepper (a good 10-12 turns) and soy sauce.
In a separate bowl, mix together chicken broth, oyster sauce and peanut butter. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
Heat wok over high heat until hot. Turn heat down to medium high and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Stir fry the beef until lightly brown, 3-4 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, swirl, then add the snap peas. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes then add the garlic.
Add beef back into vegetables in wok and stir. Whisk the peanut sauce then pour into pan and stir. Allow sauce to boil for a minute then reduce heat and simmer until sauce coats the beef and snap peas.

Our friend Hanna was dining with us the night we tried this dish, and she had it with rice! She loved it! (Wait, she loves to eat anything.) For us, it was a little to saucy and heavy on the palette--truly perfect with rice! So for keto purposes, we'll probably have to tweak it a little more to make it lighter. Maybe make the sauce thinner or something.

Anyway, hope you try it yourself so you can tell me about your version. :-)

Til next recipe!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-08-12T12:18:00.002+08:00

This is the keto (low-carb, high fat) version of the dish.

Found this at a southbeach diet site. Here's the original link which will direct you to more great recipes.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Serves 4 (if in keto diet)
Less than 1 gram per serving.

Ingredients:
    •    4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, flattened with a meat mallet, cut into two
    •    8 slices of ham
    •    8 slices of chesse
    •    1 tablespoon melted butter
    •    1 large egg; beaten
    •    3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Method:

• Pound chicken breasts to about 1/3" thick.

• Place ham on breast then 1 slice cheese. Roll up and secure with toothpicks.

• Dip each breast-roll into a mixture of the melted butter and beaten egg.

• Roll in parmesan cheese and place in buttered baking dish.

• Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned and tender.

Don't forget to get all the melted cheese on the casserole! Yum-o!

Our Living Room

2011-08-08T16:23:00.003+08:00

So, as promised here are more furnishing entries!

This is also sort of a review for our furniture provider, Mandaue Foam.

Tada! Here's our living area. Still a work in progress.

We got the couch from Mandaue Foam Furniture Store. The design is from their product catalog, called Savannah, but the size was made to fit the space we have. We wanted an L-shaped couch since the beginning and we're very happy we did.

Fabric Design

Much of your decisions on this aspect will be dictated by the available fabric with Mandaue Foam. Yes, there are a lot and it can be quite confusing to choose, but we you have to be careful and have it marry to your existing color scheme.

I think it's key to manage your expectations about the fabrics on the onset. We all have that perfect fabric design we've been dreaming of for our space. But you can't have it if it's not on their swatches. You can search elsewhere, yes, like Shell Canvas and other fabric stores. But most of them are too expensive; and Manduae Foam only takes off a P150/meter deduction on your total tab. The other fabrics are usually P1,000/meter. So, obviously it's not a very good option to buy fabric outside--unless you have lots of money!

I got quite frustrated as we were choosing the fabrics. There were some swatches in the catalog that were actually no longer available. Imagine the frustration when after leafing through so many fabrics, getting that triumphant moment, and you find out it's no longer available? Argh. I told them they should fix their catalog to prevent customers from getting frustrated.

For our couch, we decided to have a two-toned design. We chose a mid-brown color for the base so it's easy to match with other fabrics. Then, the seat and pillows just mirrored each others' colors.

The fabrics for the seats and pillows are replaceable, of course. We plan to have replacements of these done after a few months. This gives us an opportunity to have a new design element in our home just by simply changing the seat cover colors, design, etc. And not to mention we have to wash the covers too, right?

Delivery

Ordering from Mandaue Foam is easy enough after you get past the slightly frustrating part of choosing your fabrics. Different payment schemes are available too. Now comes the waiting game for the delivery.

For couches, they promise to deliver 3-4 weeks after your order has been placed. Tip: Give them a call 5 days before your promised delivery date so they are reminded of your order, and you are one of the first on the list for the delivery time on the specific date you agreed on. For us, they delivered on time, no problem.

BUT, they delivered the wrong item.

Like I said above, the couch we ordered was resized for our space. This was not done. The first couch they delivered was too big, had the wrong color on the legs and had 1 throw pillow wrong. They left the unit with us so that we have some seating, but of course we didn't use it.

Two and a half weeks later, they delivered the replacement couch. This time the size is correct, the color of the legs are correct, the pillows are correct, BUT the L was on the other side! It's much bearable than the first couch, but it was not what we ordered! We wanted the L against the wall so our space feels free flowing. And so again, the couch is incorrect.

At this point, the waiting game has been going on for 6 1/2 weeks--already twice the original sked. Good thing they managed to replace the couch (again) only after one week, due to my insistent prodding and complaining. As they say, third time's the charm--this time it is correct, finally!

I think our experience is an isolated incident, really. Hopefully this will not be the same for others. I especially liked how Mandaue Foam was very apologetic and took all the blame for their errors. There was no bickering, no blaming us and they just replaced the items until they got it right.

Despite all the bruhaha with the delivery, we love our couch. It's sturdy and the foam is so good. The fabric is great and lends itself to some wear and tear.

And yes, our decorative grill!
We got this from SM North Interior Zone.

Some books and a turtle.

And our accent light by the opposite wall. :-)

I hope you liked it!
Leave a comment if you did. :-)

Welcome to Momon and Ros'!

2011-08-06T14:37:00.002+08:00

Hey guys, just want to share with you our new home!

It's a bi-level condo unit in Quezon City, located near the very active streets of Tomas Morato and Quezon Avenue.

The turnover was a bare unit. The interiors were designed and constructed by our best friend Architect Vincent! The ideas were a consolidated effort between Momon, myself, Vincent, Rhea and Ben. Thank you Mom and Dad for helping us get our own home!

So here are some before and after photos, chronicling the construction from December to February.

We moved in around mid-April with help from so many friends, so of course, the house doesn't look like this anymore. Watch out for more entries about our evolving home in the coming weeks. More stories on furnishing, decorating and so many other stuff soon! :-)

LIVING AREA

KITCHEN
This is my favorite space!

There is a weird tint to the photo above. It's not supposed to be this color. :-)
Anyway, there was a major debate about the backsplash tiles, which I lost 4-1!

The gas range and the ref were still not in place at this point. But if you can imagine with me, the ref is on the left and the gas range is on the right, just below the range hood.

DINING AREA
So, I guess from this photo you can start to see the position of the spaces relative to each other.

STAIRS
Look! There's our kitchen with much better light!
Vincent also included some mirrors. To make the space feel bigger, as it obviously needs.

BEDROOM AREA

We decided not to close the 2nd floor but open it like a loft.

We painted it light blue, a bit inspired by the interiors of White Hat. The paint meeting was conducted there with some yummy yogurt.

CLOSET

Loving the color scheme here!

SERVICE AREA

This is the space just right outside the bathroom, sort of like an extended bathroom. For other unit owners, maybe this is where they have their washing machine, etc.

Notice my pretty floor tiles?

BATHROOM

And here is the bathroom! It's quite difficult to take a photo of the space since it's not so big.
But I love how it feels open with the blue and dark brown tiles.

Needless to say, we love our home! Come by and visit!

Happy 28th!

2011-08-01T23:19:00.010+08:00

It's my birthday month! Like always, I claim the whole month of August as my chance to celebrate my birthday. So, what are we waiting for?

SATURDAY DINNER with PADUAS

Padua family came over to Sofia Saturday night.

It's their first time to visit the house after the construction and after we moved in. :-)

SUNDAY LUNCH with HUNNIES

Birthdays would not be complete without a celebration with Compassion 5.
Kaso nga lang tinulugan kami ni Ben! OK lang Koko!

Buti na lang we have a special guest... Cheska!

BIRTHDAY DINNER with MOMON

Momon and I celebrated my birthday at Cerchio Restuarant at Sct. Limbaga, just a few blocks away from our house. It's so convenient to live just a few blocks from Tomas Morato row of restaurants!

For appetizer, we ordered Grilled Shrimp and Pomelo Salad and Singaporean Crispy Squid Heads.

The salad was a little overdressed for my taste, but it was really good. But the clear winner among all those we ordered was the crispy squid. I NEED to get a recipe of this squid heads!

For the entrees, we had some difficulty choosing because most the dishes are best eaten with rice. The grilled kare-kare was very enticing, but we'd miss rice too much if we ordered it. We also wanted to try the baked crispy pata but it was too much for two. Maybe next time when we come back with friends, we'll have them.

So we decided on Grilled Liempo with Mango Salsa and Pork Sisig. Both were so good, especially the pork sisig. But I realized, it's too much pork!

After dinner, Momon stood up on the premise of checking the dessert bar but came back with these!

Thank you Mymie! Mahaba pa ang birthday month ko!

Bicol Express Broiled Chicken Thigh Fillet

2011-07-28T11:58:00.002+08:00

Here's a recipe I got from Chef Stephanie Zubiri of the Modern Epicurean Kitchen.
The photo below is not the best. I forgot to put in the gata sauce. :-)

This is spicy spicy good! But don't just focus on the hot/spicy taste, make sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper before pouring in the marinade.

BICOL EXPRESS BROILED CHICKEN THIGH FILLET

Ingredients:
2 kilos chicken thigh fillets, skins on
60 grams bagoong (shrimp paste)
4 pcs red chilis (labuyo), minced
5 pcs green chilis (siling espada), chopped
5 pcs dried red chilis
30 grams Jalapeños in can
6 cloves garlic, pounded
1 pc large red onion
1 can coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Cilantro and lemongrass for garnish

Method:
    1.    Combine bagoong, all chilis, spices and coconut milk in a food processor. Once combined, pour this over the chicken thighs as a marinade. Transfer immediately to the refrigerator. Marinate overnight or for at least four hours.
    2.    Arrange the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.
    3.    Roast in the oven under medium heat (375oF) for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
    4.    Remove from pan, and strain all the excess oil. Before serving, torch the skin with a blowtorch to make it crispy if not crispy enough already.
    5.    Garnish with cilantro leaves and some finely chopped lemongrass.

Bicol Express Sauce
To make the Bicol Express sauce use the same amount of ingredients except chicken.

Purée the chilis in a blender.
Sauté onions and garlic with some oil in a saucepan, sauté chilis as well. Add coconut milk and bagoong.
Let it simmer for 10 minutes stirring constantly to avoid burning.
Serve it on the side with the chicken.

Birthday Wishlist

2011-07-19T17:24:00.003+08:00

My 28th birthday is on its way! Hooray!

I actually didn't realize that my birthday is only about 10 days away until my bestfriend Ben reminded me that I we are again nearing the segment in each year when I am two years older than him. Thanks for rubbing it in! Hahaha!

Anyway, birthdays are for celebrations and gifts, right? So, inspired by my bestfriend Rhea's wishlist for her birthday last June, I am making one too. In my defense, Momon requested that I make a wishlist so he won't have to think about what to get me. But then again, there is no defense necessary.

So here's my no-holds-barred, I-want-all-of-them list of wants wants wants! Walang kokontra!

This is in no particular order...

1. GLASS SAUCEPAN/POT COVERS
I have two frying pans that do not have covers. So, I need a 22-cm and a 30-cm.

2. JOSEPH AND JOSEPH INDEX COLOR-CODED CHOPPING BOARDS
Been salivating over this since I first saw it in one of the classes of Stephanie Zubiri.
Available at Dimensione.

3. SHU UEMURA EYELASH CURLER
The one I have is already busted. So, this is a much-needed replacement.

4. BRAS
Sorry, a little bit of oversharing here. But I want to get new bras, the ones with fancy fancy designs and colors. For this specific wish, I want to do the shopping myself.

4. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
I lost my EHD last year in Cotabato and I haven't replaced it since.

5. MASCARA
I want to try either of the two below, both from Maybelline's Volume Express mascara line.

Hmmm... what else?

I have another wish list of non-material things or experiences. Let me think about those some more.

Grilled Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon with Cream Cheese Dip

2011-07-18T23:01:00.002+08:00

Here's another low-carb, high fat dish that Momon and I tried. And, oh did we love it!

It's so easy to prepare, so easy to cook and so easy to eat! The asparagus were still crunchy, the bacon was crisp and the cheese dip was a perfect complement. The whole dish is quite filling too.

Here's the very simple recipe:

Grilled Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon with Cream Cheese Dip

Serves 2 (if you're in keto diet)

30 spears asparagus

10 strips bacon

Olive oil

Salt to taste

1. Lightly coat asparagus spears in olive oil and season with salt.

2. Gather 3 spears and wrap them with one bacon strip.

3. Grill for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is golden brown and asparagus strips are tender.

For the cream cheese dip, combine 1 block cheddar cheese, 1 block cream cheese and 2 packs all-purpose cream in a food processor. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. This will make a big batch which you can use for your other dishes or your usual potato chips.

I can't wait to make this again! Yummy yummy yummy!

Easy clean up too, which Momon really appreciates.

Thanks to my friend, Dea, for the cheese dip recipe. :-)

Harry Potter Comics by Lucy Kinsley

2011-07-13T12:00:00.002+08:00

Bukas na! Bukas na ang showing ng last film ng Harry Potter movie series!

So, as part of my countdown this entire week on FB, I'm posting these beautiful and immensely creative works by Lucy Kinsley. These are parody comics of the 8 films.

I love them! I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did. And please let me know what you think! Kahit pa-kilig comments lang on how you're anticipating the final film. :-)


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hatty Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

You can view the bigger images here in Lucy's page. There's also a bigger poster with all of these 8 ones combined into a SUMMHARY of Parody Comic by Lucy Kinsley. :-)

My Go-To Salad

2011-07-07T16:15:00.002+08:00

If I want something fast, simple and delicious, I reach for some lettuce, grilled meat and fruit, and make myself a simple salad. It's so easy, you can actually make it later tonight.

Ingredients
Serves 2
Quick Note: I never really know how much I use, I just prepare this based on the number of diners. So, this list of ingredients is a bit inaccurate in terms of measurement. But I trust that you sense the proportion based on what I put below, and it really depends on how much you eat and if you are pairing this with other dishes.

Greens: 1 small head of iceberg lettuce or your lettuce of choice

Meat 1: 2 halves of boneless chicken breast
OR 1 can of tuna flakes in oil, drained and sauteed with onion

Meat 2, optional: 2-3 slices of bacon, slightly crushed

Fruit: 1 cheek of ripe mango, cut into cubes
OR 2-4 tablespoons of canned mandarin oranges
OR 2-4 tablespoons of pineapple tidbits

Dressing: My favorite is honey mustard, but it's up to you.

Method:
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Grill them, 8 to 10 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Set aside to rest before slicing.
2. Grill bacon, if using.
3. Wash the greens.
4. Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing.

If you are using canned tuna instead of chicken, I recommend that you first sautee it with onion to remove the fishy/slimy feel or langsa.

You can also add some nuts like cashew, almonds or even pistachio if you want a little crunch.

It's so simple, I know! Nothing should stop you from trying this yourself.
Enjoy!

7th Book: Fish Without a Doubt

2011-07-04T21:42:00.001+08:00

All right, I decided to include cookbooks in my 30 Books for 2011.

This book has been sitting in my parents' living room for quite some time. I never really paid it any attention until now that Momon and I are going on a low-carb, high fat diet. I need to learn lots of techniques and ways to prepare fish to keep our meals interesting.

I scanned the book and saw that it has chapters and recipes on the most basic techniques for preparing and cooking fish and shellfish. It has pages on things as simple as grilled squid, grilled shrimp, garlic butter sauce, etc. Although I basically know ho to do these stuff, I would still love to really learn about the fundamentals and develop a certain level of expertise.

And of course it has the usual complicated stuff with titles I can't even pronounce. These will be my cooking challenges in the coming months. :-)

The ultimate motive: get Momon to love fish as much as I do.

Hahaha! Hope to share some recipes from this book soon.

Baked Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

2011-07-02T22:07:00.005+08:00

This is one of the recipes I tried for Momon's keto diet, which is a low/no-carb, high fat diet. I won't preempt his account of how much weight he lost, etc. I'll just stick to the recipes, for now. But I'll tell you this much: if you knew how much he lost, the amount of time and the way he lost the pounds, you'd want to try eating style too. :-) More on this topic in later entries.

Baked Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

Serves 4

1 large onion

2 pieces hungarian sausage, cut into discs

6 large eggs
6 tbsps water
1/6 cup low fat milk
3 oz grated cheddar cheese

1. Brown sausage and onion in frying pan. Drain sausage of most of the fat and spread sausage in bottom of baking casserole.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add water, milk and grated cheese. Pour mixture over sausage.

3. Bake at 350 F for 1/2 hour. It is done when the eggs are firmly set.

Although it looks like a breakfast dish, it's great for any part of the day! The spicy taste of the sausages will liven up the egg mixture. The milk and cheese will make the eggs creamy and light.

This recipe is pretty easy and does not need a lot of prep work and clean up. Enjoy!

If you're interested in the low-carb, high fat diet, visit LCHF for Beginners.

30 Books in 2011

2011-06-29T21:27:00.001+08:00

I started this "project" last February 2009 when I got this idea from Rej Rosero who promised to read 50 books in 2011. I don't think I can manage 50 books, so I'm keeping it realistic and I'm aiming for 30 instead. It's now almost July and so far, I've only read 6 books! YIKES!

I'll be posting the covers of the books I'm reading, so I can keep track and stick to my word. No excuse that Momon and I don't have budget for books--I'm reading e-books instead. Got to watch out for my eyes, though. :-)

Anyway, please join me and start your own reading projects! Happy reading everyone! Here are the books I've read so far:

1: DEAD UNTIL DARK by CHARLAINE HARRIS

1st of the Sookie Stackhouse Novels, Southern Vampire Mysteries. Inspiration for the HBO Series True Blood. Finished Feb 15, 2011.

The book was an easy read. Very entertaining and interesting. I'm so happy to know that the series was true to the books (at least this one that I read). The changes in the show were all for the better. While reading, it was like I was replaying the 1st season of the TV series in my mind.

For me, the character of Sookie is more likeable in the book. She's more level-headed and funny.

2: THE LOST SYMBOL by DAN BROWN

Read the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demos, so I'm quite excited to get into this one. Pero, grabe, sumakit ulo ko dito. Paulit-ulit! Dan Brown kept on inserting facts as if it could convince us that Washington DC is under the veil of conspiracy, possibly hoping to elicit the same buzz as the Da Vinci Code.

Robert Langdon is great, and the villian Malakh is unrelenting, the twist in the end, the chase and the suspense is superb but these were all washed down by too many unnecessary chapters and the redundant discussion of the same details.

At around the 400th page, I was begging for everything to just end, nevermind the whole shebang.

3: FIRST FAMILY by DAVID BALDACCI

First Baldacci novel for me. :-) I love suspense novels. Having said that, I say this one is good, full of cliffhangers in between chapters, protagonists you want to root for and a plot that ends in great drama.

So, I'm looking forward to reading more from Baldacci.

4: SIMPLE GENIUS by DAVID BALDACCI

This story features the same protagonists as First Family, only the events actually transpired before the other book. So may story line si Sean and Michelle na alam ko na ang resolution. OK lang rin, at least I know the real reason behind the conflict in the First Family book.

5: HOUR GAME by DAVID BALDACCI

3rd book I read from Baldacci showcasing the characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Eto pala ang dapat nauna sa sequence. :-) Although all of them can stand alone, meron lang story line yung main characters that run from one book to the other.

There's actually a 4th Maxwell and King book which I have yet to find.

6: ABSOLUTE POWER

This one is nice. :-) The story is very intriguing! It's about the President of the US being involved in a homicide and the efforts of the Secret Service to cover up the crime. The story also has very strong and easy-to-relate-to protagonists, you just can't help but root for.

-------

So now I have to look for my 7th book. :-) Are cookbooks counted?

A Journey with Children

2011-06-28T09:39:00.001+08:00

For the past one and half months, I've been going around the streets of Manila, Baguio, Olongapo, Davao and Zamboanga to search for stories of children living and working in the streets. I was contracted by UNICEF Philippines to be the writer and assistant to Italian photographer Giacomo Pirozzi on his latest photobook, which focuses on the street children of our country. Giacomo also visited Cebu and Cotabato for this assignment.

The product of 6 weeks of shooting, is a 256-page photobook featuring the lives of forty-six (46) children. Each story opens with a quote from the child and centers on his/her life story. Through their lives, we cover almost all of the issues related to a child. We have stories from as simple as teenage love, fashion and self expression to as complex as health, human rights violations, physical abuse, trafficking, sex work, migration, discrimation and so many more.

The book will be launched in October 2011.

My Journey

The addage that says, "You never truly appreciate what you have until you see what others do not have." or something like this, couldn't have been more apt for my experiences while making this book. Last Friday, typhoon Falcon brought in so many rains, and caused some water to seep into our new home. At first, I was so pissed at the incident and worried about the possible damage. But I remembered this eleven-year-old boy, Amsani, who lives in a pedicab in Baclaran, Pasay City. When it rains, he has to move under the awnings of fastfood restaurants just to keep dry. He has three puppies that he has to sell just so he and his family can rent a house for a month, even just for the rainy season. I've always known that there are children like Amsani. But now, I have someone specific to worry about.

This project has also tested my interviewing and people skills. I had to get people to warm up to me in a short span of time, and hopefully get some very insightful quotes about their difficult lives. I have proven that contrary to how we always think about street children--rowdy, drug users, dirty, uneducated--they still can be kind and respectful. Yes, they lack skills on how to read, they haven't taken a bath, they've worked day and night, and have seen and experienced more violence than most people, but bottomline, THEY ARE STILL CHILDREN.

Also, Giacomo's analysis of the different situations we encountered has shown me a different perspective. It is so often that we get used to certain situations in our country that we just accept it as is. His insights helped me realize that we still need to question things and make some changes even for things that seem to work.

I am sure that this book will go beyond being a material to raise funds and spread awareness. As early as now both UNICEF's country representative and DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman have expressed that we need to follow-up on all 46 children and ensure that they have better lives. Even just for this, I believe that the book has succeeded.

I'm back, pandak!

2011-05-24T10:12:00.007+08:00

I am officially back to blogging! I am resurrecting this old blog which I started in June 2005 before I moved to Multiply and Facebook. :-)

When I last visited, I saw that last entry was posted in February 2009--more than two years ago! I've since moved all my entries from other networks, and now, the most recent entry is from May 2011. Sayang lang I cant' move all the comments.

Anyway, I hope to do some regular and diligent blogging in the future. Lots and lots of material from the past months are waiting to be shared. I wonder why I haven't thought about this earlier! Story conference (with myself) starts in a bit!

Let me know if you're there! I'd love to visit and link your blogs too.
Please leave a comment, even just to say hi.

Travelling with Food through Spices and Herbs

2011-05-12T10:15:00.003+08:00

Assigned to attend a cooking class by www.cookeatnow.com. Syempre, go!

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Transform a simple chicken breast to something spectacular with flavors from Thailand, India and Morocco

Picture this: A spice rack filled with different spices, a bin with different herbs and a home cook who doesn’t know what to do with any of them. Is this you in your kitchen?

Don’t sweat--we’re all guilty at one point or another. We buy herbs and spices out of curiosity or to follow a new recipe, but once done, we just let the herbs wilt and the spices end up as decorations. The average Filipino home cook is not really adept with using herbs and spices. Afterall, the Filipino dishes only require the usual salt, pepper, and some dried bay leaf. Occasionally, we may come across a spicy variety that requires a little chili, but nothing else.

Stephanie Zubiri, executive chef of The Modern Epicurean Kitchen (MEK), believes we can do better. “The correct use of spices can transform any dish. Spices and herbs allow you to get creative, to change a simple chicken breast to something spectacular.”

TASTE SENSATIONS AS YOUR GUIDE

To begin to understand how to use spices and herbs, we must first understand the taste sensations in our mouths. There are traditionally four taste sensations—sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Recently, a fifth sensation has been proven to exist—umami.

Sweetness this is the most recognizable of all sensations. It brings a wellness to the mouth and satiates hunger. In contrast, saltiness enhances flavor and whets the appetite—case in point, potato chips. Sourness brightens a dish and cuts fat and oil, and bitterness cleanses the palate and makes us loose our appetite due to its association with things that are unpleasant. Umami is earthy, and mouth filling—malinamnam or savory. It is present in tomato paste, cheese and mushrooms.

“When mixing our spices, we must strive to find a balance in all these taste sensations,” says Steph, as she is fondly called by her students in her weekly MEK classes. “For example, the classic Filipino adobo is a staple in every home and restaurant because it balance sweetness, saltiness and sourness in one dish.” We must also remember that the basic tastes contribute only partially to the sensation and flavor of food. Other things to consider are aroma, texture and temperature.

TRAVELLING THROUGH SPICES
Different herbs and spices are associated with different continents and cultures. Thailand, India and Morocco are countries with cuisines made distinct by their use of herbs and spices.

Photo courtesy of www.adventuresinspice.com

THAILAND

Thai dishes are always created with a perfect balance of hot, sour, sweet and salty. They use the flavors of ginger, lemongrass, chili and cilantro to evoke a harmony of flavors. Try concocting a sauce of curry, coconut and cilantro and serve with grilled fish.

Lemongrass/ Tanglad is an herb commonly used in all Southeast Asian countries. Although sparsely used in Filipino dishes, it is the secret ingredient to the savory Cebu lechon. It is a great in salads and desserts, and complements the flavor of fish very well. The trick is to mince it into tiny pieces, or mix with your marinades in a food processor. It provides a cleansing taste and removes the fishy smell or lansa.

Kaffir Lime is the signature scent of the Thai noodle soup tom yum. To get its full flavor, use the lime zest or break the leaves and pound it. It marries well with lemongrass to flavor seafood and shellfish.

Cilantro (also known as wansoy, coriander leaves, Chinese parsely) is the key spice in Vietnamese Pho. It cuts the fat in any dish and a great substitute for the ever-safe parsley to liven up the flavor.

Mint is not just for desserts. It is a savory herb great with shimp or ampalaya salad with salted eggs. Careful though, always serve it fresh, otherwise it immediately looses its flavor and turns bitter.

Flat Leaf Parsley (Italian) is often used the same way as cilantro, but it comes with a milder taste. It is best used as a garnish in almost all types of dishes.

Galanggal is a root herb similar to ginger, but less potent. It offers flavors of mixed ginger, mint and pepper. To get its full flavor, pound it to release the juice.

Chili offers two kinds of hotness/spiciness. The strong, and sometimes painful, spice comes from the seeds and the oil. A smoked flavor comes from roasted and ground chilies. Cayenne pepper is the dried labuyo, with bright red colors; and paprika bears the smoky feel of bell peppers. Chili flakes are dried chili seeds.

Chili Powder is actually a combination of different chilies with onion, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and salt. It is a flavoring agent mostly associated with Mexican dishes.

Thai tom yum soup
Photo courtesy of www.templeofthai.com

INDIA
Indian Cuisine is characterized by extensive use of herbs, spices and vegetables as influenced by the extensive spice trade between India and Europe. Chili pepper, black mustard seed, cumin, turmeric, ginger, coriander and garlic dominate Indian flavors. Try cooking your fish with masala, cardamom, basil and lemon zest.

Garam Masala is the base of all Indian curry. It is a popular spice mix, which typically involves cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Each region—even each family—has its own heirloom recipe of garam masala.

Cardamom is a member of the ginger family. It is a small seedpod, finely crushed, with flavors similar to lemongrass. It is best paired with scallops, lamb, salmon and shellfish.

Cumin is a spice that links Indian and Moroccan cuisine. It is the spice that give curry its distinct earthy scent and warming feeling.

Photo courtesy of www.knoxvillebusiness.com

MOROCCO
Moroccan food is known for savory food characterized by a mixture of all spice, cloves and cinnamon. It is influenced by so many nations and cultures, including Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean, and Arab. Compared to Indian cuisine, Moroccans use a lot of tomatoes and tomato paste to thicken their stews.

Cinamon is the dried bark of laurel trees. It is bitter and sweet at the same time. It marries well with nutmeg, ginger and all spice; and has extensive use in baking, chicken and lamb dishes.

Turmeric is a mild herb great for coloring your dishes with a yellow-mustard shade. It is good with cilantro, dill and mint. Put a dash of turmeric in your rice to make the traditional Batanes yellow rice.

Harissa Paste is a hot chili North African condiment, which combines different kinds of peppers and olive oil. It used with shrimp, as a marinade for meat and as a flavoring for couscous.

Pink Peppercorns are berries from rose bushes in Madagascar. It has a floral taste and a great garnishing.

Moroccan Chicken Stew
Photo courtesy of www.ruralintelligence.com

“Don’t be afraid to try these spices and herbs. The best teacher is home cooking, traveling and tasting,” says Steph. “When cooking or making a menu, strive to convey a message. What memories do you want to invoke, what are you trying to communicate with these dishes? Use the herbs and spices to make your stories exciting and spectacular.”

TRY IT!
Bombay Linguini

Ingredients:
1 package linguini pasta
Olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, sliced thinly into half moons
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry
1 tsp masala
1 dash cayenne pepper
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
½ bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Method:

Cook pasta to al dents, according to directions on the box.
In the meantime, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Add zucchini and sauté in medium to high heat. Cook through but make sure that they are still firm.
Add more olive oil.
Add turmeric, curry, masala and cayenne pepper making sure everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and toss pasta with dill and pink peppercorns, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Add parmesan cheese if desired. Serve.

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Modern Epicurean Kitchen
Cooking Classes with Stephanie Zubiri
www.epicurusinc.ph
317 Lirio St., Palm Village, Makati City
384 7064 or 215 9441

Tuesday MEK Active Demo
March 1 - Mexican Fiesta
March 8 - Spanish Tapas Night
March 15 - French Home Cooking 2
March 22 - Italian Classics
March 29 - French Home Cooking 3
April 5 - Cheeses, Cheese Platters and Uses
April 12 - Easy Desserts
April 26 - Salads

Gourmet Edition
March 28 - Cooking with Truffle
April 4 - Cooking with Foie Gras

Cooking with Kids and Adults Too!
April 6 - Simple Cooking Techniques
April 1 - Gnocchi
April 27 - Say Cheese Please!
May 4 - Pasta and Pasta Sauces
May 11 - Risotto Balls

Taste with Confidence: Wine Tasting for Beginners

2011-03-31T22:09:00.004+08:00

The second of the two articles I wrote on wines.

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TASTE WITH CONFIDENCE: WINE TASTING FOR BEGINNERS
Conquer your fear of tasting wine with easy-to-follow tips from Filipina winemaker Tondi Bolkan of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

“There is no right or wrong when tasting wine. Just be open and trust your own opinion. The person’s palate is the final answer.” A neophyte wine taster cannot ask for more comforting words. This is how Tondi Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery (FFCW) in California, welcomed her guests in a wine tasting event held last January to showcase her own wine concoctions.

Admittedly, wine tasting is still a relatively new concept for Filipinos. Most people choose not to attend a tasting out of fear or not knowing what to do. But what is a better way to start exploring wine than with blends specifically created for the Filipino palate.

Six different wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California from Allejos Cellars and FFCW were uncorked for tasting, including the former’s Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine).

Cast your fear aside and apply these easy-to-follow tips from Tondi:

LOOK. Wine is always served in clear glasses for you to observe the intensity, color and clarity. Red wines lose color with age, turning from purple to garnet, while white wines start from watery green to golden yellow. To best observe, tilt your glass 45 degrees against a white background.

SWIRL. We’ve all seen how experienced wine tasters swirl their wine in the glass. By doing so, you allow the wine to breathe and release its aroma after being in the bottle for long periods.

SMELL. Poke your nose in the fume chamber and sniff deeply. Try to associate the aroma with things you encounter from day to day life, those that bring you pleasant memories. For inexperienced tasters exercise identifying if the aroma is floral, fruity or spicy.

TASTE. Sip, but do not swallow—yet. Swish the wine around in your mouth for a few seconds to allow the flavors to dance in your palate. Focus on how it initially tastes and evolves, even how it tastes after you’ve spit or swallowed.

“The key is to go out and taste wines. The only way to find out what you like is to try it. This is also why we made different kinds of wine, because everyone has a preference, and that’s good.” Tondi’s 375ml bottles or splits are ideal for tasting. It allows you to taste the wine without forcing yourself to finish the1liter bottle. “It prevents wastage and keeps the wine fresh. If you want another glass, you can always open another bottle,” says Tondi.

Filipinos can also learn to incorporate wine in their meals and festivities. Tondi recommends the Pinay Muscato to be paired with drier dishes such as crispy pata or chicken adobo. The TB Merlot may be paired with caldereta and kare kare while the Pinay Pastel, which is a dessert wine may be taken in small servings after the main entrees.

“Tasting is something you train yourself to do, you should never pass an opportunity to try different wines.” Armed with Tondi’s tips, Filipinos can now attend wine tasting events with confidence, giving Filipinos all the more reason enjoy wine.

Cheers!

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Visit www.alejos-cellars.com
Additional information from Wine Tasting For Beginners by James Elisworth

Uncorking the Pinay

2011-03-31T21:54:00.002+08:00

For the next two pieces, Hanna assigned me to cover a wine-tasting event at Pacific Place, Ortigas featuring Filipina winemaker, Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan. This is my first wine tasting ever! Who am I to talk about wines, or even write how I think of them and how to enjoy them? I had to do a lot of research for my questions to be on-point. Thanks to Tondi and her family for being so hospitable.

================================

Uncorking the Pinay
Meet Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina winemaker from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery whose mission is to uncork the Filipino’s love for wine.

Lechon, pansit, cheese, crackers and cold cuts; a serenade of love songs; friends and family abound—a classic picture of a Filipino get-together. In this feast, the centerpiece are six fine wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California by Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and part-owner of Alejos Cellars.

The gathering is a wine tasting for Tondi’s wine creations which includes the Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine), flagship wines of the Alejos Cellars; and Francis Ford Coppola Winery concoctions including Coppola’s Diamond Series Claret (red), Su Yuen (Riesling) and Sofia (a sparkling wine named after Sofia Coppola).

“My mom is my inspiration for the Pinay. I was mortified to see her drinking the Rubicon, a 145-dollar bottle of wine, and topping it with Maraschino cherries to adjust its sweetness. I promised her I’d make her a sweet wine.”

With a degree on Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis California, Tondi initially planned to take up medicine to follow her father and sister’s path. “During my senior year in college, I had my internship at the University Medical Center. Once I saw blood, I immediately passed out.” Luckily UC Davis is also known for viniculture and grape growing. She turned to her true passion and studied winemaking, and since 2001 has been working at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Napa Valley known as the Rubicon Estate.

“My family was surprised because they wanted me to be a doctor. They did not speak to me from September to November—my first harvest season. After the holidays, I sent them a case of my first wine, and they knew they have a winemaker in the family.”

Much was her family’s support that they partnered with her to open Alejos Cellars to produce her own line of wines. “I am very fortunate to be part of a company that allows me to venture outside. In 2006, we started Alejos Cellars with the Pinay Muscato, followed by the merlot and then the port. It takes a lot of patience to produce wine. It is capital intensive and time consuming.”

“September to November is harvest time and it is the busiest time for all wineries. In the summertime before harvest, we're walking the vineyards, checking the grapes, making sure they will be ready at the right time.” Winemakers, like Tondi, decide when to pick. The grapes are collected and are brought into the winery where they are crushed whole with their skins and pit. “Come October, we are in the winery everyday, creating the blends, tasting daily and making sure that the color, the aromatics and the fermentation is healthy.” From November to December, wines are aged in wooden barrels up to eighteen months. By January, they are ready to be bottled and enjoyed.

“I love the wine industry because it combines so many areas of study, you have the science side—the biology is going out to the vineyards and tasting the grapes, and the chemistry is turning the grapes into wine by fermentation. The art of winemaking comes in as you blend the wines and foresee how it would age. Through years of tasting, you understand how a variety of grape develops. Then you also have business side and marketing and knowing which blends sell.”

Tondi chose to name her brand “Pinay”, slang for Filipina. “We wanted a word that grabs attention and defines what our wines are—specially inspired by the Filipino palate.” The Pinay Muscato hints of fruity scents of peaches and lychee. It is light, smooth, and as promised, sweet. She suggests pairing the Muscato with drier dishes such as crispy pata or chicken adobo. The Merlot may be served with caldereta and kare kare while the Pinay Pastel is a dessert wine that a perfect blend of sweet and spice.

For Tondi, the rewards for creating these blends are doubly wonderful. “I've been getting emails and phone calls about Pinay, and the excitement and enthusiasm from my customer's voices is very inspiring. They say the word Pinay and they hold up a bottle.”

In the future Tondi hopes to grow her brand into other varieties like Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chenin Blanc.

“I will continue to carry the name Pinay. It pays tribute to my culture and it makes the connection between the customer and me, and makes the connection between the customer and who we are—Filipinos.”

For more information, visit
www.alejos-cellars.com

Chef Melissa Sison: Setting the Standard for Our Future Chefs

2011-02-10T09:58:00.004+08:00

Second article for www.cookeatnow.com.
For this one, Hanna assigned me to write about Chef Melissa Sison. I had to do a phone interview with her, something I haven't done for a long time. I was initially nervous, but Chef Melissa is very pleasant and our interview went very smoothly. Trivia: Chef Melissa and I were "batchmates" in Batanes, but we were never introduced. At least it's nice to know the face behind the voice. :-)

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Chef Melissa Sison: Setting the Standard for Our Future Chefs

Fourteen years since its foundation, the Center for Culinary Arts-Manila (CCA-Manila) still holds the distinction of producing the most promising chefs of the country. Over the past year, they have instituted curriculum and operational changes to forge a well-defined CCA standard that will stand out further than the rest.

Academics Program Manager, Chef Melissa Sison, spearheads these changes. “At CCA, we aim to produce not just skilled chefs but future culinary leaders and entrepreneurs. They carry the CCA name, and much is expected of them.”

A graduate of SHA Ecole Des Roches in Switzerland, Chef Melissa considers herself an entrepreneur at heart. With her experience in owning her own restaurant, My Little Kitchen, and as Executive Chef for research and development for Oyster Boy, she applied her experience and ability to lead the Center to a whole new level.

“Before, I have observed that the graduates’ loyalty was to their chef-instructors. I suppose it’s only natural. When you train under a chef, you really pick up their best habits. But what we want is loyalty to CCA, expressed in a standard that each graduate will bring wherever he/she goes.”

Chef Melissa also acknowledges the big investment parents put in for their children to study culinary arts. “Parents not only expect their children to cook well, they also expect them to earn money.” This is why discipline, personality and behavior development are incorporated in each CCA course.

In their first semesters, students come in with ultimate dreams of owning their own restaurant or becoming celebrity chefs. Chef Melissa opens their horizons in her class entitled “ProChef”. The course shows the many other avenues culinary arts can take. Graduates can enter food styling and food photography, be a food critique and writer, or work as research and development chefs of big food companies. “Whichever way they choose to go, they need to be their own disciplinarian. As managers, they will be trainers and decision makers. This is what we train them for.”

These reinforced standards have been well received by the faculty and students. “The instructors have a positive feeling.”

Chef Melissa also developed a mentoring program where they help students find their true passion and match it with career options. “If you enjoy creating things, go to a small restaurant where you can create your own dishes and pastries. If you want to be an executive chef in a hotel, start you career there. There are no templates and formula, but we will help you, and we will train you to be your utmost best.”

A Passion for Creative Baking: Artisan Breads

2011-01-27T07:57:00.002+08:00

My first article for www.cookeatnow.com is already out!
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A Passion for Creative Baking: Artisan Breads
“It is fulfilling to come up with specialty breads exclusive to client needs. It is in itself a creative process.”

Photos from www.artisanbreads.multiply.com

They say a true Filipino meal is never complete without rice. Not for Leslie Rabat, proprietor of Artisan Breads by Pan Italiano. For her, bread is more than a convenient substitute to rice. It is a universal food, which can be a satisfying and a healthy option for any meal.

Truth be told, Filipinos love bread more than they admit. Each time the price of flour or sugar rises; consumers are worried that the taste or size of their trusty bread products will be affected. The wide range of bread products in any Filipino bakery—pan de sal, monay, putok, Spanish bread, kabayan—are all testaments to the Pinoy’s love for bread.

“You would be surprised at how good bread baked with various fruits, nuts, seeds, cheeses, and even spices, can taste,” explains Rabat. This is especially true for artisan breads that are handcrafted with special attention to quality of ingredients and baking methods. Specific breads require specific baking techniques and tools, all in pursuit to create breads that satisfy any food pairing.

Rabat, veteran of the corporate world, started baking bread with “Bun Express”, a hotdog and hamburger cart business, which required they bake their own buns. In 2005, their bread production expanded to a line of Italian breads supplied exclusively to Italian restaurants. Rabat’s passion for creating breads specially customized for the client’s requirements blossomed, “We cater to the chef's imagination. It is fulfilling to come up with specialty breads exclusive to their needs. It is in itself a creative process.”

As with all true passions, Rabat sees it a challenge to craft more and more bread varieties aside from her bestsellers of garlic bread, apple-cinnamon rolls, dulce de leche rolls, raisin and walnut wheat batard, and braided brioche. “I find myself wandering towards bread stores. (When) friends and family come back from recent trips and rave about their recent bread finds, I ask them to describe the taste, texture, color, shape and visuals of breads they are craving for. Coming up with my version is personally rewarding.”

For more information:
Artisan Breads by Pan Italiano
0921 787 8378 or 912 7019
www.artisanbreads.multiply.com
artisanbreadsmanila@gmail.com

Adjusting to Chores

2011-01-26T12:04:00.002+08:00

Each week, I devote one day to cleaning our small studio apartment in Cubao.

Major tasks include scrubbing the bathroom, washing the delicates (sometimes including Momon's sweaty gym clothes), cleaning the stove and dining table, fixing the laundry, ironing Momon's office clothes, and mopping the floor. Of course tasks like cooking, sweeping the floor and washing the dishes are done daily.

Just to clarify, I am not complaining, I'm just enumerating all my new chores--chores I've acquired since becoming a married woman.

See, I lived in a house where there was always a helper. When I wake up in the morning, rice is always ready. If you need something cooked, it will be ready in a moment. When you're done eating, you just put your plate on the sink. My only participation in this whole process is the actual eating.

Now, just having lunch takes a bit of effort.
On days I don't go to the office, I am alone in the house. When I cook rice in the morning, some of it is bound to be left over. Problem is, I hate cold rice (bahaw). So I have to get a pan to reheat it and clean the pan along with the other things I used for my meal.

For the first time I was able to identify with a commercial so precisely directed towards housewives/married ladies. It's a commercial for Joy liquid dishwashing soap promising less damage to your hands, giving you a chance to call yourself "Kamay-Dalaga". After seeing that commercial, I asked Momon to buy me a pair of gloves.

Please don't get me wrong, I have been trained by my parents to do all these tasks. I know how to go to the market, cook, clean, iron, etc. I actually really do, I just don't do them often. So, I guess I'm still adjusting.

But I don't feel sad or abused, instead I feel challenged. Each time I feel tired, I'd just go back to how good it feels when the house is clean, to how everything makes Momon comfortable. My goal is for Momon to come home to a restful and relaxing place, without need to worry what's for dinner or if his clothes for the next day are ready--the same way I felt when I was in my old house.

So, anyway... this is getting lengthy. I almost forgot that today is actually my cleaning day. Off to mop the floor and iron the clothes!

In return, he brings me ice cream. Hahaha!

Joe San Antonio, Review

2011-01-12T18:54:00.003+08:00

Having your wedding gown designed by Joe San Antonio, is like having it done by a long-time friend. Aside from her beautiful designs, what really stood out is her genuine care and concern for you and all the rest of your entourage.

I came to Joe six months before my wedding. I was confused and uninterested with this part of wedding preps. See, fashion is really my Waterloo. For some people, this may be the first thing on their list, but for a t-shirt and pants girl like me, it isn't. But with Joe, I never felt that she's taking advantage of my lack of knowledge or interest. Instead, she comforted me and patiently explained what would look good, what would not. I learned to trust and give her the upper hand in our quest to glam me up on the big day.

Each time we'd visit Joe, she would always ask about our preps, my work, and my other schedules. Conversations do not only center on the task at hand, but also on the most mundane things. One visit, Rhea, my maid of honor, lost so much weight that her gown needed to be adjusted. Rhea joked that it's because she was experiencing lock-jaw. Joe and I dubbed this "the lock-jaw diet". For our next visit, about a month after, Joe mentioned the "lock-jaw diet" joke, similar to how close friends have inside jokes. With so many clients, how can she remember these nuances? That, I think, is beyond customer relations.

She, so are all of her staff, were kind and respectful. They were patient with my Lola who is so picky and slightly stubborn, as most lolas are. The two mothers were treated like brides, and their gowns were indeed the most beautiful among the whole entourage's. She designed my wedding gown, 2 mother's gowns, 2 gowns for my 2 maids of honors, 3 gowns for secondary sponsors and 1 dress for my grandmother. She also did my mom and sister's shoes. I loved how all our gowns looked like they were part of a collection, but mine still stood out above all.

All of these are above her fabulous rate and excellent work ethic. Her office is chic, clean and welcoming. Her files were neatly stacked and I love her collection of colored pens. All of these details gave me comfort that I'm in good hands. At the last minute, when I had a dilemma about my veil, she brought a second veil on the wedding day. I also had two shawls ordered four days before the wedding, and Joe didn't charge me for them anymore--a sweet gift.

With Joe, my Waterloo turned out to be one of the most enjoyable tasks of the wedding preparations. I looked forward to going to Joe's atelier and chatting with her over cups of Serenitea milk tea. I enjoyed bringing my entourage to fit their attire and see their faces light up as they try on their beautiful gowns. Our experience with her made all of us so much more excited for our wedding. Thank you Joe!

See album of my gown in Joe's site: CLICK HERE.

1st ASEAN Children's Forum

2011-01-12T12:49:00.001+08:00

Last October 19-22, 2010, KNN was very lucky to be picked as the documenters of the 1st ASEAN Children's Forum. I headed the team to produce several media outputs -- 4 videos presented onsite, newsletter, photo album and a full conference report. It was four days of hardwork and sleepless nights, and a celebration made perfect by cultural solidarity and upholding of genuine child participation.

Below are the four videos produced, featuring my voice as the narrator. Hehehe.

Wedding Videos

2011-01-06T08:45:00.001+08:00

To kick me out of the non-posting rut, let me present the two videos from our wedding. Medyo magyayabang lang ako sa mga videos na ito.

PHOTO MONTAGE
Here is the photo montage of childhood and BF-GF photos. Hanna and I spent a few hours writing the script for this and debating which photos to include among the hundreds I have gathered. Ang motto: "Hindi porke maganda lahat, kailangan ilagay lahat."

I'm also pleased how we were able to show the parallels, and make a sort of story out of the photos. Inis na inis ako sa mg photo montage na puro mga mukha lang ng couple ang nakikita. Shucks. What about activities, what about backgrounds? Mas inis ako sa mga taong nagka-caption ng "Lakeshore 2009, Palawan 2008, etc" tapos mga mukha lang naman nila makikita mo sa photo. So, kahit saan pala ko magpa-picture pwede, i-caption ko na lang. Ay sorry, I'm getting carried away. Back to the video.

I also edited the music to cut it down from 5:40 to 3:50. Para hindi boring. Kahit kaya ng materyal na umabot sa 5:40, magiging boring na. Medyo dineliberate din yung music. Tama na sa mga mushy mushy love songs, dapat fun fun fun!

John (Cinemaworks) did a great job moving the photos around and bringing them to life. He was also very patient with me sa mga pinapa-revise ko here and there.

In short, I love our photo montage cause it shows the things Momon and experienced for the past 9 years together and the other 18 years when we were younger. We were also able include our dearest friends in the mix. So, here it is:

==============================================

WEDDING ONSITE VIDEO
My favorite song. My favorite man. A most precious event.
Lagi akong tinatanong, pano n'yo ginawa yun? Sagot: Pinag-isipan namin.
Hanna and I (again) conceptualized on the different scenes. I edited the music so it can have more parts without lyrics, and to extend the length of the song. Thanks to Joseph too for thinking of the other scenes, and thanks to everyone else who were very cooperative.

Super thanks to John for doing a great job of piecing it together with his superb shot selection and editing. Though meron pa rin akong mga papabago, minor lang.

The response to the video is overwhelming. Merong nagsabi, "it's the perfect blend of sweetness and fun". Ang iba naman, "Uy, alam mo dinowload namin yun tapos lagi namin pinapanood sa iPhone." At eto pa, "Ngayon ko lang nalaman na pwede mo pala gawin yun, pwede mo pala babuyin ang kasal, pero sobra-sobrang ganda pa rin." And many more...

Wedding Banns

2010-08-02T22:07:00.000+08:00

The three weeks for posting our wedding banns are done.
Mabuti naman at walang tumutol. Hahaha! Subukan lang nila.

Sa church nila Momon, maganda ang banns, sa church namin, hindi man lang pinost.

Our Wedding Invitation

2010-08-02T19:32:00.000+08:00

Momon and I love our invitations!
We can't wait to give it to our guests. Sana magustuhan din nila. :-)

The Surefire Way to Convert Money Into Happiness

2010-07-29T02:40:00.002+08:00

This is article is such an eye opener. Although I consider myself a good financial manager, I still learned loads from this piece.

Momon says this is just the same-old wants vs needs concept, but I beg to disagree. I think what Martha Beck shows here is that wants and needs do not need to compete, and that there are ways we can still get want we want even if we do not need them. I also like how it helps us determine how much part of our income can we allot for each quadrant in the matrix.

Now, let me see how I applied the matrix into my wedding stuff, and how Momon and I can apply this to our finances as a couple. Please do read on.

=======================================================

The Surefire Way to Convert Money Into Happiness
By Martha Beck
O, The Oprah Magazine | July 15, 2010

Long ago, so long ago that I was practically still a gill-breather, I noticed a magazine ad that claimed the average person earns $700,000 over an entire lifetime. I have no idea how they came to that number, but I never forgot the words splashed in big, bold letters across the page:

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR $700,000?

I was lucky to encounter this question so early on, because it's lurked in my mind ever since, reminding me that I want to spend my life's earnings creating the most satisfying experiences I can. That might mean buying and using certain objects, paying someone for life-enhancing services, or donating to good causes.

This is a type of wealth management, but the wealth isn't money; it's happiness. And to reap as much of it as possible, I've come up with a little system to maximize the joy dividend in all my money decisions. This strategy may sound odd to actual financial advisers, but when I've ignored it—even to make what appear to be fiscally sound choices—my joie de vivre has declined. I've learned that sticking to my rules makes things turn out far better, and I'm hoping that if you adopt this system, it will work for you, too.

Calculating Satisfaction
My financial planning starts with temporarily ignoring the market value of an item and assessing its "psychic value." This isn't as mysterious as it sounds. Economists use the term psychic income to represent the satisfaction we get from a product or experience. To calculate the psychic value of an item, you just need to ask, "How would purchasing this thing affect my life?" The answer will vary wildly from person to person. For example, I've found that real diamonds give me not one whit more satisfaction than fake ones. If you're scandalized by this confession, real diamonds must matter to you. For you, wearing even the nicest zirconium may feel like a shameful lie. I don't understand this, but I accept it.

On the other hand, when my golden retriever's knees gave out, I paid $12,000 for their surgical repair without a second thought. Even a cursory financial assessment would reveal that this dog produces no useful goods or services whatsoever, and that instead of having him bionically enhanced, I should have whacked him over the head with a shovel. But Bjorn is to me what diamonds are to whoever wrote that song: a girl's best friend.

My point is that psychic value comes from our unique inner responses, which means you need to get in touch with your own heart's desires. You might learn that you value (or devalue) something simply because others do, but I think you'll find you already know what you consider the psychic value of everything—all the way from worthless to priceless.

INTRODUCING THE MATRIX

Once you've established your psychic value for an item, you need to know just one more thing: Love is not LOVE. This is the key to my financial planning system.

Allow me to explain.

I have a fabulous friend I'll call Eve, who bootstrapped herself from dirt-poor beginnings to considerable wealth. When contemplating a purchase, Eve asks, "Do I really NEED this?" Then she asks, "Do I really LOVE it?" If the answer to both questions is no, then however inexpensive an item may be, she won't buy it.

I'm using capital letters because Eve pushes the definitions of need and love much further than most people. Having survived abject poverty, she knows (as some wealthy people don't) that she doesn't actually require an indoor polo field or, for that matter, an iPod, though she could afford both. She also believes that once her needs are met, she shouldn't waste one penny or one second on anything she doesn't LOVE.

Not just love. LOVE. There's a difference.

This system has given Eve a dazzling joy dividend. Her closet contains no clothes she doesn't adore. Her history brims with people, places, and activities she is totally and completely crazy about. Every dollar of her fortune (way more than $700,000, I assure you) has been spent on things she'll never tire of. I'm not as disciplined as Eve, but to the extent that I imitate her, I find myself reaping maximum psychic return on my own investments.

When you assess psychic value as Eve does, ruthlessly culling all but the deepest needs and the highest loves, potentially complex financial trade-offs fall into a manageable two-by-two matrix that looks like this:

As you can see, I recommend you pay top dollar for things in category 1, bottom dollar for things in category 2, and all your remaining money for things in category 3. Don't spend a red cent for anything in category 4.

LEVERAGING THE MATRIX

Of course, each week you and I carefully assess our income, expenses, retirement needs, and risk of illness or accident, then draw up a judicious budget that we honor religiously. After that, we flap our arms and fly to Jupiter, where we meet with other financially competent people to discuss hedge funds.

Not.

Here's the truth: Twice a year I meet with my wonderful accountant, Gary, who loves his job the way I love breathing. Gary meticulously walks me through my finances, which I think takes about an hour. I'm guessing, because after ten minutes, I fall deeply, deeply asleep. Everywhere else in the world I'm an insomniac, but Gary's office is to me what the poppy field was to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Eventually, Gary gently shakes me back into consciousness and makes sure I have a vague sense of how much I can afford to spend each month. Then he returns me to the real world, where I encounter financial decisions not as tidy equations but as chaotic demands: "Your dog needs bionic knees! Think fast!" In moments like this, I use my four-square system to make each decision. Here's how it works:

Start by writing a list of all the things you're spending money on. If a product or service falls in squares 1 or 2—in other words, if you really, truly need it—you must budget for it before buying anything extra. (I'd encourage you to ask yourself how things like retirement savings and health insurance will affect your quality of life; they may not be exciting, but if you're honest, you'll probably find you need them.) At the end of the exercise, you'll have two categories of needed items: things you love and things you don't.

Start with category 2 and purchase the need-but-don't-love items. This is where, as Gary says, you should "care enough to pay the very least." Buy the generic medication. Use coupons. Haggle. Pinch pennies until they scream for mercy. Having saved all you can on category 2, move on to items you both need and love. In this category, buy the best things you can afford. Be lavish. Don't worry about what other people say is a great value or a waste of money; check with yourself.

For instance, I obviously need food, and of course I love it; I find there's nothing like it when you're hungry, but I don't love it the way true foodies do. So I spend very little on my meals. On the other hand, I both need and love a user-friendly computer, so I invest in deluxe, state-of-the-art, turbocharged models. My friend Sheila recently admitted she really needs to have a computer, though she definitely doesn't love it. She got a steal on a pre-owned model that's a bit slower and clunkier than mine. We both made the right choice to maximize our own amount of joy.

Discovery Weekend (Ros' Account)

2010-07-05T20:38:00.001+08:00

Momon and I attended the Discovery Weekend last July 2-4. It is a marriage preparation workshop conducted by the aptly named Marriage Preparation Foundation, Inc.

Much of what Momon and I experienced during the weekend cannot be put into words. So I acknowledge that this account is completely inadequate in sharing what we have gained in the workshop. Still, I will try my best to write down some thoughts with hopes that you will also decide to invest in your marriage and partnership, the way we did, with Discovery Weekend.

Expectations

Yes, this may be credited as the required Pre-Cana Seminar all soon-to-wed couples must attend before getting married in a church. There, you got the bottom line.

However, I think most couples who signed up for the Weekend knew that they were getting more than the required certificate. Why else would they invest P6000, and a whole weekend, if they can just get the seminar in the city hall, church, or other providers who offer it for less time and money.

Think of it this way, if you think P6000 is expensive for a marriage preparation course, ask yourself how much you are paying for your caterer, your venue, your gown. Maybe your souvenirs are even more expensive! All these things are for the wedding, for one day. The Discovery Weekend is for your marriage, your life.

I knew coming in that this workshop will require more from me, and so I expected to gain more as well. I expected lots of crying so I brought 1 roll of tissue paper! Hahaha! I also expected that I would be confronted with my issues in life, one of which is my lack of commitment to the Lord.

Our Experience

Momon’s expectations were unlike mine, he was a bit skeptical about the whole thing. But since his love for me far outweighs his lack of enthusiasm for the process, he still participated wholeheartedly. At malinis naman ang track record ko no! I’ve never brought him to an experience na hindi kami nag-enjoy. So, even if he was slightly uncomfortable with the idea, he trusted me when I said that it is a good decision to attend the DW.

Our Lay Chaplains for the weekend are Jojo and Ditsy Sumpaico. They have been married for 40 years, and have been with the DW since it’s inception.

They taught us the value of feelings, listening and partnership, true definition of love, techniques for communication, fellowship with God and so many more. All their talks draw from their long experience as husband and wife, parents, and as trainers in DW for more than 30 years.

Our Admin Couple was Joel and Sabet Aguada. They are so hilarious! The weekend was definitely made more special because of their flawless management of logistics. Joel’s talent in music and comedy is also very admirable.

Each session had guest Team Couples who came to share their love/life stories. All of the stories were very applicable to the topics. I actually wonder how DW gets these couples and draw out their stories. Hmm... this is the trainer in me talking.

Most of the sharings were well written, and well told--all were true testaments that marriage is not a bed of roses, and preparing for it is more important than preparing for the wedding. There were times when Momon and I would ask each other, “My goodness, they really went through all that?” The answer is yes, they did! But the more remarkable thing is that after all those trials they are still together and so much in love.

Our Favorites

The activities are highly personal. This is not like a traumatic high school retreat where you have to cry in front of all of your classmates. Couples are made to focus on each other, and only on each other. There is limited interaction with other couples, and no airing of dirty laundry to other people you do not know. Your thoughts and secrets are only for you and your partner.
Here are our favorite activities:

Marriage Expectation Inventory – Super helpful questionnaire on your marriage plans and ideas. Although much of what was here, we already talked about, it’s nice to see it in writing and discussed in a more formal way.
Focus on Feelings – Momon loves the “I feel _____” and “You are _______” technique. Lahat ng lang yata ng bagay ina-apply na nya yun ngayon.
Wedding at Cana/Cana Meditation – This is a personal favorite. Being that I was never a Catholic school student—JASMS was non-sectarian and focused on sports and the arts; then QueSci was all for the brains and academic achievement; and UP was for individuality, tolerance and choice—I never really knew how to read and interpret a bible verse.
Couples Dialogue – Great examples on how to resolve issues. We will definitely use this.

Our First Step Towards God

Momon and I both agree that our relationship lacks a commitment to God. We very seldom go to mass or talk about religion. What we do is pray. Maybe that’s something, but we know there are more opportunities we are missing with our relationship with the Lord.

The activities at the tail end of the workshop brought us into a quiet resolve that we will work on our relationship with the Lord. We both agreed that, just like planning for a trip or the wedding, working on our friendships and excelling in work, we need to invest in our spiritual life—as individuals and as a couple.

The Discovery Weekend was a great first step. Now I know that when Momon and I face the Lord on October 2, He will be with us, enclosing us in His eternal embrace of love and support for our union.

You and I

At the end of the retreat, I noticed that couples are sitting closer to each other, leaning on each other’s arm, holding hands. They would move their chairs so they can feel closer. When the program ended, you can see genuine love and happiness in everyone’s faces. Everyone was greeting each other good luck for the upcoming weddings and marriages.

If it’s any indication for the success of the program, then I can say it was definitely a success.

===

Stray Observations:

The exercises in DW are great practices for writing your vows.
They say DW has the reputation for breaking up couples—I can definitely say it’s wrong. All the sessions point to loving your partner more through understanding and compassion. Should the couple decide to split after DW, it is only for the best, and they are parting as friends. Don’t be afraid.
It is physically and emotionally exhausting, but it is all worth it.
Being that I’m a very social person, I initially found it weird that one of the house rules was to limit interaction with other couples. But after thinking about it, I realized that this workshop is not for teambuilding, networking, nor leadership—as I am used to conducting in our workshops. This was really a time to focus on each other.
Sobrang daming food! Grabe!

-------
For more information, please visit: http://www.discoveryweekend.org/

Discovery Weekend (Momon's Account)

2010-07-05T14:32:00.000+08:00

I have to admit that I had my doubts with DW. I felt that it was going to be a waste of time and money. There are many successful marriages that did not go through DW. I felt that we could use the money elsewhere since there are cheaper and less time consuming alternatives.

Also, guys have a hard time sharing their feelings, even to their partners. I’m not exactly the expressive type. So why pay for something that I don’t even like doing?

Another thing, Ros and I have been together for almost 9 years. What else is there to know about her? What else is there to talk about and share? I thought that this was going to be a useless exercise.

After the DW experience, I admit that I was wrong with my initial impressions. First, regarding the fee, the organization is nonstock and nonprofit. The money will be used for future DW and other outreach programs. For two night’s stay and plenty of food and snacks, the fee is reasonable. The experience is also, as cheesy as this may sound, priceless.

Regarding the sharing of feelings, you won’t actually share with the other couples. You will only share your thoughts and feelings with your partner. There is no other venue or opportunity to share your innermost thoughts like DW.

I found out that length of time as a couple is relevant with DW. Ros and I are together for almost nine years. During the weekend, we affirmed our past experiences. We revisited special moments and determined what made it special for us. We also shared with each other our expectations for our future as couple.

I would recommend DW to all couples getting married or having plans of getting married. This experience won’t change your life, but it’s a start.

--------
For more information, please visit: http://www.discoveryweekend.org/

Monthly Amortizations, Done!

2010-07-05T08:34:00.000+08:00

Finally, napuno na ang chart! Imagine, a chart that was started in December 2007--that's almost 3 years ago; a chart that we go to every month logging on payments and always making sure it balances with the bank records and keeps with the prescribed wedding budget.

Puno na! Dati we got excited that it's at 50% or 60%, now it reads 100%!

We have 3 months to go. We have also each made 50% payments to our deficit (discussed in previous entry). Pag nakabayad na kami sa deficit, all the rest we'll be earning will go straight to savings or as addition to the start up money we need. Hay, this is a nice feeling. Nung una akala namin we're in trouble, ngayon... it's looking positive naman. I am so proud of myself and Momon.

We will keep this system of making monthly amortizations. It's a great way to discipline ourselves with money, learning to prioritize savings, and living within our means. Perhaps the first months/year will be difficult since it's both our first time to live completely, as in 100%, apart from our parents and not relying on them for dinner, water, electricity, etc. But we are together, and that's what matters. :-)

Deficit

2010-06-21T11:33:00.000+08:00

I'll say it straight: We have a P50,000 deficit in our wedding budget. ARUY.

Hindi kasi namin sinama sa original budget and honeymoon, documents, additional transportation, house, choir, pre-cana seminar and DIY items.

Meron kaming savings sa wedding rings at venue. Nagsponsor din ang family namin ng guest favors, wedding attires and cake. Pero all these savings went to the excess payment for the documentation and food. At ang dumali talaga samin are the items na di namin pinasok sa umpisa. So, in essence, wala kaming deficit, ng problem ay ang items na di pinasok.

Kaso lang hindi naman essence ang usapan dito.

But no worries, kaya to: P25,000 each. I am still thankful that Momon is an accountant who can figure out our budget deficit precisely, that I was and still am very diligent in writing down all our wedding expenses since we started in Jan 2009, and most importantly, that we have savings and jobs from where we can derive the deficit from.

Isa lang to sa mga pagsubok namin. Bring it on.

Solid.

2010-05-30T20:26:00.000+08:00

It's now only 17 weeks or should I say 17 WEEKENDS till our wedding. Remove 1 weekend for a workshop our office is implementing, and another for Discovery Weekend, and possibly some more weekends for work.

It may seem like we have a lot of time, but when weekdays are spent for intense fitness regimen first thing in the morning, full-time jobs throughout the day, wedding research and tasks until we fall asleep at night, weekends are all we really have for the actual legwork.

Just this last weekend, Momon and I were supposed to be in Puerto Galera with Ben, Rhea and Vincent. But we were threatened by Friday's downpour so we decided to cancel. A blessing in disguise, I would say, cause we were able to send out our save the date cards, finalize our website for guests, visit two of our Principal Sponsor and start house-hunting.

I remember a line something like this in Bride Wars: The final weeks of wedding preparation is like a litmus test for couples. Others breakdown, while others draw strength from each other.

At this point in the preps, I'm proud to say Momon and I are the latter. Momon and I have worked on school assignments, reports, presentations, planning trips, etc. This is undoubtedly our biggest project yet, and I'm confident we'll ace it. Our teamwork is superb, our decisions on point, and our efforts focused. We don't feel rattled, but we know the urgency. We are no longer get swayed by new wedding ideas or comments by other people, because our vision for our wedding is clear, and we are confident with all our choices. And finally, we are also starting to feel not just our excitement, but also that of the people we are planning to celebrate our union with.

Save the Date: October 2!

2010-05-29T18:29:00.000+08:00

Yahoo! Finally we are ready to release our Save the Date cards.

Thank you very much to our dear friends who helped us accomplish this task. We couldn't have done it without you. Grabe, para tayong bumalik sa mga project natin nung high school!

Photos by Ben. Styling by Rhea. Expressions-coaching by Ben and Rhea. Letterings by Vincent. Layout facilitated by Hanna. Cuteness by Cello.

Thank you again! Mwah!

Birth Certificates

2010-05-12T10:46:00.001+08:00

Feel ko na talaga na malapit na ang wedding kasi inaayos na namin ang documents. This is really is it.

Here are our pretty NSO-issued birth certificates ordered through NSO Helpline 737 1111.
Very easy ang procedure:

1. Call 737 1111
2. Provide the following information:

Complete name of person to be certified
Complete name of father
Complete maiden name of mother
Date of birth
Place of birth
Info if you were registered late or if there are corrections in your birth certificate
Complete name and address of requesting party
Number of copies needed
Purpose of certificate

3. We applied for both birth certificate and CENOMAR. The customer service agent will just apply the same details to your CENOMAR application.

4. They will ask you to note down the reference number. 1 reference number per certificate. So, for us it was four reference numbers, 2 for birth certificates and 2 for CENOMARs.

5. Pay for the service in any Metrobank branch. 1 birth certificate is P330, and 1 CENOMAR is P430. We got 2 copies each... tatlo palang birth certificate para sakin dahil sa baptismal certificate issue ko (Boo!).

When filling up your Metrobank payment slip use the green slip, 1 per reference number. Use NSO Helpline as Company Name, and the name of the requesting party as the Account Name.

You can also pay in Bancnet ATM and Bayad Centers

6. Birth certificate is processed within 4 working days, and the CENOMAR within 7 working days. Make sure to provide an authorization letter in case you're not the one to receive the package. The authorized recipient also needs to have an ID.

Ay salamat, nakuha na ito. And thanks to our parents who made sure all entries are correct!

Here they are!

Monogram

2010-05-07T14:34:00.000+08:00

Parang requirement yata sa mga ikakasal ang pagkakaron ng monogram. Sige, sali na rin ako.

Actually, ang sakto:
RM = Ros and Momon
RM = Raymund Macachor
RM = Rosana Macachor, coming soon pa lang.

Pasok! So, hanap na lang ako sa mga logo and design sites ng mga monogram na RM. I wanted something na hindi tali sa wedding, at hindi sobrang feminine. We're going to use it beyond the wedding, kaya walang date.

Eto napili namin ni Momon:

In its original colors
Thank you sa original designer nito. Sorry sa aking plagiarism moment.

Just trying it out with some of our colors.

But here is what really led me to looking for a monogram--having it applied in a DRY SEAL. Parang kumpanya lang! Magagamit ko to sa mga libro, mga sulat, Christmas card, etc.

Here are possible applications in wedding paraphernalia: table napkins, place cards, missalette covers, invitation envelopes and other stuff on paper. Love it!

I have to go to Recto/Quiapo para magpagawa ng dry seal. I'll update when I finally get it. I'm sure maa-addict ako sa pag sa-stamp.

UPDATE: June 30

Yahoo! Nandito na ang DRY SEAL! And it's so cute! I can't wait to apply it na sa mga DIY namin.

I had it done sa Recto for P1,800. :-)

Hanna and Joseph

2010-05-06T08:18:00.000+08:00

Hanna and Joseph
Candle Sponsors

No, hindi sila mag-boyfriend or mag-asawa. Uma-acting lang sila dito sa eksenang 'to na parang bagong kasal sa kanilang bagong kusina. Hahaha! Ang totoo, lagi silang nagkukulitan nagbabarahan, at nagbi-bitchesahan. Sino kaya sa kanila ang mas bitchesa? Pero ang mas totoo, kami ay magkakaibigang tunay, na hinubog ng aming mga karanasan mula sa Kabataan News Network, mapunta man ng Astoria, Antipolo, Malacanan, o saan mang dako ng Teacher's Village.

So, pano ko ba sinabi sa kanila?

HANNA
Si Hanna una ko talagang naisip para maging commentator. So, sinabi ko na sa kanya yun. Mega-enthusiastic ang lola, kailan daw ba kami magpa-practice. So, one night... kumain kami ni Hanna sa Timog Food Plaza dahil meron akong ipapa-abot sa kanya sa isa pang katrabaho. Sunod kong inabot, isang card na madrama na makwela. Na-touch naman sya. Ngayon, may kapantay na yata ako sa excitement dito sa wedding na 'to. Gusto ni Hanna lagi mag-meeting sa progress, kailan daw ba kami magpupunta sa divisoria. Grabe, heaven sent!

JOSEPH
Inisipan namin ni Hanna ng gimmick. Sabi ni Hanna, gawan ko rin daw si Joseph ng card. Sabi ko naman, baka di ma-appreciate. So, katapus-tapusan, ginawan ko na lang sya ng matchbox na may magandang pabalat, na nandun ang sort of invitation na maging candle sponsor sya. E kaso binigay namin to sa kanya sa habang kumakain ng isaw, sa dilim. Natural di n'ya mabasa! Hahaha! Akala tuloy n'ya binibigyan ko s'ya ng gagaba na nasa loob ng box ng posporo. Imagine, ako magbibigay ng gagamba!

Tapos nung pauwi na kami kinwento namin kay Joseph na dapat sana card ang ibibigay ko sa kanya. Dapat daw nakalagay, "Joseph, I love you. That's why I have chosen you to be part of my entourage." Hahaha, classic Joseph 'to! Magawa nga!

SINGLE N.

2010-04-28T00:03:00.000+08:00

This is not a "vent out" moment, although it may seem like it. I just want to share my recent frustration about acquiring documents from the church.
I am a non-practicing Catholic, but still Momon and I decided to get married in a church. First requirement: BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE

We're now in the 6-month home stretch in wedding preps, and finally it's time to start working on the documents.

I went to Claret last week to get my baptismal certificate with the "for marriage purpose" seal. Lo and behold, my name is mispelled. My name is ROSANA. It is often mispelled with two Ns or two S's. I've gotten quiet used to it, actually, but I still find it irritating. I often find my name mispelled in almost everywhere when the one who types it down decides that s/he knows more than I or my parents do on how to spell my name. They always assume we made the mistake of removing one N, so they just correct it for us. Che! I usually applaud silently when new friends and colleagues spell my name right even if it's the first time I've introduced myself. Hay...

So, when I got the baptismal certificate, I think, "This is not really so bad. It's not a completely new name. It's just a typo." The church still prints out the certificate and I pay P50.

They tell me to come back with a photocopy of my birth certificate. And so I did. The church then issues me a series of documents: request for partial reconstruction, affidavit something, and attaches the photocopy of my birth certificate and baptismal certificate earlier issued. All for another P150. Then they tell me to go to the QC Chancery Office to apply for the reconstruction. Imagine, at this point pa lang, the cost of getting the baptismal certificate has quadrupled.

This morning, I called the QC Chancery Office to inquire about driving directions. Since I'm meticulous, I also asked the lady on the phone about the partial reconstruction. Buti na lang I called. She tells me that the aside from the endorsement from the church I need to submit the following:

1. Newly Issued Birth Certificate - So, di na pala pwede yung naka-attach.
2. Certified True Copy of School Records (Form 137 or TOR)
3. OR instead of #2, 3 valid IDs indicating my name and birthday. These IDs must be photocopied, and the photocopy must be notarized.

And the lady stressed, "Prelimenary requirements lang ito, ha? Pag sakaling di ma-satisfy ang magre-review baka humingi pa ng ibang proof of reconciliation." Wow. Bangko nga 2 valid IDs lang hinihingi e. This means I have to wait for the birth certificate with the "for marriage purpose" seal before I get my baptismal certificate. Not to mention the cost, of course. There's the additional cost for the notarization, transportation, and processing fees. P50 lang dapat to in the first place. Single N lang ang kaibahan. It does not change the number of syllables, the pronunciation, etc. Hay... they aim to complicate.

This certificate, which could have been easily crossed off our list may be the most difficult to acquire. :-(

I know other brides have more difficulties with documents than I do. This is just one bump in the road, nothing we can't handle. Go lang!

Joe San Antonio

2010-03-10T17:17:00.000+08:00

6 months to go, and I've chosen my bridal gown designer: Joe San Antonio

The Story:
I've already written about my bridal gown dilemma/drama here:
http://rmacachor.multiply.com/journal/item/38

So, to finally zap myself out o that ditch, I met with two designers.

Gretchen Pichay
I went to Gretchen Pichay's house in New Manila, which is also her atelier. The whole basement/silong of her house is like her shop. Dun na rin nagtatahi.

She is very warm, simple lang, very casual. Unang ginawa n'ya was to review yung mga design pegs na binigay ko. Nagandahan sya particular sa neckline and train. So, from there, nag-sketch na sya agad.

Sketch Description:

* The neck/upper part is similar to my peg, with a sweetheart neckline. In the torso area, she put drapings in X pattern. She then put a pseudo belt with beadings. Lace with abound the drapings until the upper part of the skirt.
* At the back, she will execute my peg for the train, with electropleated cloth. She will also put a flower or ribbon at the waist.

My Choice:
JOE SAN ANTONIO
www.joesanantonio.multiply.com

I visited Joe San Antonio in her atelier in Eisenhower Tower, Greenhills.
Her office was more formal, more business like. She has all these colored pens and drawing tools. There were also a lot of magazine to browse.

From my pegs, she asked me which is my favorite--of course I say the neckline. She then sketched two designs, both applying the neckline I like.

Sketch 1
The bodice kas X pattered drapings, skimming the torso and ending in a horizontal line a bit below the butt. The skirt is a two-tiered bubble skirt, with the tiers moving in opposing directions.

Sketch 2
The neckline and bodice had the same concept, but this time she didn't have the horizontal cut. The X-pattern ended at the hips. Then, the lower portion is a combination of a-line and mermaid tiered chiffon.

Initial Thoughts:
I think what really appealed to me with Joe is her work ethic. She only accepts 4 to 5 bridal gowns per month to ensure the quality. Her office is neat. She has a cleint's info sheet, sample agreement form, rate card, her swatches were all in order, etc. In a situation where she and Gretchen were almost in the same footing, these things mattered.

The "this is it" feeling brides always refer to came to me after listing down my observations both for Gretchen and Joe.

I went alone to these meetings because I felt I needed to own this process. In the end, the decision will entirely rest on me. Since I consider this my waterloo, I feel will easily be persuaded by others, and I don't want that to happen. Therefore, I really just have to trust myself to know what it is I want.

Looking for a Designer

2010-03-07T21:34:00.000+08:00

I'm trying to get a hold of the emotions I'm feeling now. Perhaps a blog entry would help me sort things out.

My current wedding task is focused on the wedding attire. For some people, this may be the first thing on their list, but for a t-shirt and pants girl like me, it isn't. Still, I know and acknowledge that the wedding attire is as weighty as one's church, reception venue, etc. Everyone will be judging--and I really mean judging--the bridal gown, right?

So, I do the drill. I research for endless nights for my, Momon's and the entourage's wedding attire inspirations and pegs. I'm not very hard to please, I think. So, for over several months now, I already have--what I think--is my dream wedding dress. Really, it's easy to choose among designs, cuts, and beaded drama when you're only 5 foot flat, not exactly svelt, and most of all, under a tight budget.

So, on to the next step: finding someone to execute design.

CORA
Our family has a trusted seamstress. I wouldn't call her a designer. She has never referred to herself as one. Her main focus in the fashion industry is office garments production, not really bridal.

Our experience with her has always been very positive. My mom and sister are both on the heavy side, and they have office tops and pants made by her. We've also had gowns for weddings and other special occasions done by her, all to our utmost satisfaction. We would gladly referred her to anyone looking for a seamstress.

Work ethic is fabulous. She comes to our house, instead of us going to her shop. She's more of a trusted colleague and partner, rather than a distant supplier.

I've been in contact with her over email. Last Sunday, she went to our house for a meeting to decide on fabric, designs, etc. She said that all these decisions will help her make an accurate quote.

Everything went well, and at the moment, I'm just waiting for her quote.

JOE AND GRETCHEN
Now... what to do next.
I feel I need to explore. Cora has mentioned that her bridal gowns start at P35,000. Hmmm... I felt it was pricey for someone who does not focus on bridal gowns. I'm sure, with all the information I get from W@W community, I'll be able to find a designer who specializes in bridal gowns, and will do it at the same or lower cost. If so all else is equal, I'll go with the latter.

Joe San Antonio and Gretchen Pichay are two young designers. From what I've seen in their Multiply portfolios, they are talented and creative. The W@W community has also showered them with good feedback. I'm looking forward to meeting them.

Managing My Lack of Entusiasm
Perhaps, meeting someone for the first time about this bridal gown, will bring my excitement up. I feel, I should start treating this as an adventure, as a new field to conquer, rather than a Waterloo.

I should allow myself to feel OK that I'm spending P30,000 ++ for a dress I am going to wear only once. I need to feel the moment, I need to feel OK about it in order to push myself to get the best option.

I need to stop over analyzing and just go with what my heart instructs. Something tells me, this bridal gown issue can not be resolve purely on reason, like I have been doing for some suppliers.

I need to own it.

The Feast

2010-03-06T20:15:00.000+08:00

An unexpected accomplishment yesterday, Momon and I finalized the menu for our dinner party with Chef Giney Villar of Adarna Food and Culture.

I'm so glad to finally hurdle this task. I went to Adarna thrice to have lunch and dinner dates with the ulterior motive of tasting Chef Giney's concoctions, once with C5 and twice with bridesmaid Hanna. Ayoko nang bumalik, because I don't want the place to feel too familiar. I'm sure there will be more visits to come to finalize more things.

 In the meantime, may I present our menu:

Almondigas Soup 
Savory beafballs with fine misua. A certified comfort food.  

Torta Espesyal
 The goodness of fresh eggs steamed with olive oil and spices on a banana leaf with ground pork and shrimp. Served with Pan de Sal.

Sulu Piassok
 Experience this exotic Sulu dish of beef chunks slow-cooked in smoked coconut cream and ten spices till tender--buttered, grilled and sliced just before serving.   

Buyabes Bicolano
Fresh vegetables and grilled seafood (fish, shrimp and squid) cooked with smoked coconut cream, spices and a hint of fish bagoong to remind one of a homespun Southern beach picnic.
 
Kangkong and Bagoong 
Stir-fried kankong with bagoong topped with sweet and spicy dilis. Two quick Chinese-inspired concoctions in one!  

Steamed Pandan Rice

  Banana Peanut Roll 
Ripe saba banana with roasted peanut cream in a crisp wrapper drizzled with old fashioned caramelo sauce.  

Softdrinks

 -------

Yay! Just a few thoughts on how we finally nailed it:

Adarna has their set menus, but because I'm a brat, I wanted to have my own menu. Haha. What we did was to read through Adarna's ala carte menu and we made a shortlist. From this shortlist, we had several food tastings and proposed a menu to Chef Giney. She advised us on certain things, but in the end made some adjustments to fit the things that we already chose. She then made a costing for us. Pasok naman sa banga.
We chose dishes based on the description, and whether they can be shared when served family-style, paired with other dishes, and the most important of all--the price.
We also decided to forego the salad and noodles. Deadma na. We are not big vegetable eaters and we want to eat what we want to eat at our wedding. As for the pancit, it was a bit expensive, and slashing it was an easy choice.
I was also agonizing about serving seafood. My dad doesn't eat pork anymore and is steering away from beef and chicken. So, a fish/seafood dish is a must. And I also think this is respectful to your guest who are similar to my dad. I am so glad that I tasted Buyabes at that exact time when we were just looking for something to complete the menu. Hanna and I had a moment.
We chose softdrinks because it is the cheapest. Kung hindi ka umiinom ng softdrinks, magtubig ka na lang. Sorry po. Excuse na rin namin na "Pag softdrink, they get to choose pa kung cola, white cola, orange, rootbeer, etc. Meron pang light options! O di mas parang feeling nila na may choice sila kaysa kung ihain na lang ang walang kamatayang iced tea." Taray.
Upon reading the menu again, hmmm... di naman kami masyadong mahilig sa smoked coconut cream, ano? Pero as long as Chef Giney said that this is a good combination, go! No worries, the Piassok doesn't really taste like it's cooked in coconut cream, basta nandun na lang s'ya. Hay... nagugutom ako.
Pero nung nabasa ko ang menu, gusto ko lang magpaka-profound, deep, analytical, etc. Nadi-dissonance ako. Napansin ko we chose pieces na hindi naman talaga fancy: almondigas, torta, kangkong with bagoong, babana peanut roll e turon lang ito! Pero, wait till you see and try them... yun yon e! Meron silang twist! Pati kanin, steamed pandan rice pa talaga sya! O di ba? Hahaha! Mutual admiration society yata ang hanap ko.
So there, we're quite pleased with ourselves. Sana magustuhan din ng mga bisita. Dami ko nang narinig na kahit anong ganda ng wedding kung pangit ang pagkain, wala rin. Kailangan daw memorable ang food. So, sige. I'm confident na kaya nating i-achieve ito. Pero ayoko na magpa-pressure. This is just one meal of their lives, at dahil mahal kami ng guests namin, kung anuman ang drama nila sa pagkain, patatawarin nila kami.

Some photos of the food HERE.

Cute!

2010-03-06T08:07:00.000+08:00

Hi Mym, this is so sweet!

Eto naman, ang concept is meron two people, from two places, taking shots of themselves na pwedeng pag-dikitin to make another image.

Although di applicable satin yung concept na magkahiwalay kasi di naman tayo long-distance relationship. Pero maganda yung part sa dulo na pinagdi-dikit nila yung photos. We can actually do this shots na meron na tayo, sa Mekong trip, or any place for that matter. Ang pagdidikit ay sa actual edting na lang. Or pwede rin natin gawin yung sa kanila, na pinakita yung paggupit, ewan.

Pwedeng hanap tayo ng mga shots na applicable sa ganito nung mga bata pa tayo, tapos yung habang tumanda na tayo, yung mga magksama na.

Ayun, at least di masyadong mahirap i-execute. :)

Trip to Kamuning for Momon's Barong

2010-02-22T12:30:00.000+08:00

Today, we zeroed in on probably the only thing exclusively related to the groom--the barong.

Momon and I went to Kamuning--Quezon City's textile and tailoring capital--to see sample designs and research on rates. I've spent a number of weekends in Kamuning with my parents when I was young. My dad had his office attires and fancy barongs made there. My dress for the junior prom, CAT uniform, bed sheets were all done there. Whenever we need cloth for school projects, it's always Kamuning.

Our experience today affirms again the classic case for weddings, where the bride seems to be more important than the groom. For girls, we scan so many dress designs on the internet until we find the one, then we spend so much time again looking for the designer to have the dress interpreted for us. We know for a fact, and we have accepted it, that the most expensive clothing we will ever buy in our lives, we will only wear once.

For grooms, they decide between the barong and the suit. Then, we learn about the different kinds of fabric, their value and their prestige. From there, we pick and choose the design and work with a tailor to have it done. Sabi ko pa kay Momon, "Pag nakapili ka na ng gusto mong fabric, bubuklatin natin lahat yan para makita natin ang buong embroidery." Sabi nya, "Hindi, pipili na lang ako kahit naka-fold."

Ang pinakamahal pala sa barong is the abaca from Aklan, then the pina, then the jusi. Combinations of two fibers fall in between. We wondered why we haven't seen so many grooms wearing the abaca when it's so elegant and expensive--sort of a status symbol. There's also the callado embroidery which has all inches of the cloth embroidered; and the raya embroidery which has the embroideries at the back and in the sleeves. The type of weaving, whether checkered or unidirectional also has a bearing on the cost.

Prices of Cloth
Pure Abaca - 12,000
Pina Abaca - 5,000

Pure Pina Raya - 6,500 to 7,500
Pure Pina - 3,000 to 4,000

Pina Silk Raya - 4,500
Pina Silk - 2,000 to 2,500

Pina Callado Front - 6,000
Pina Callado Full - 12,000

Pina Jusi - 700 to 1,500 (depends on design)

Prices of Tailoring (Labor and includes lining, buttons, zippers, etc)
Pina with Lining - 1,500
Pina Jusi - 850
Pants - 400
Barong Suit - 3,800
Suit with Pants - 3,800

Momon has decided that he does not want a barong suit. He wants it either the pure abaca or pure pina raya. According to him, the final decision will depend on the budget left from my gown expenses, and whether or not he wants to be able to wear the barong again for other ocsasions. Case in point, again.

We also saw some cloths for wedding gowns, really interesting! But my mom intiially said that she wants us to go to Lumban and buy our cloths there. We'll see. Momon and I are open to another field trip. :)

As of today, Feb 21

2010-02-21T08:05:00.000+08:00

Momon and I officially started planning last Feb 8, 2009 when we had our ocular in Tagaytay. Here's where we are after one year of preps and 7 months before our wedding day.

Many things have changed from our original plan, all for the better, I trust. We've made wonderful progress in our decision making procedures and we feel very confident with where we currently are.

I wrote down even the littlest details.

PARTNERS BOOKED/ITEMS PURCHASED:

1. Church - Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills
2. Reception Venue and Caterer - Adarna Food and Culture
2. Photographer - Redsheep Photography
3. Videographer - Cinemaworks by John de Guzman
4. Party Favors - Bai Capture Photobooth (c/o Andrea)
5. HMUA for Ros and Moms - Chickoy Vistro
6. OTD Coordinator - Special Events by the Planner
7. Wedding Rings - Regina Santi
8. Lights and Sounds - Rejectkrew
9. Entourage Florist - Angel of Hearts
10. Reception Florist - Flowers of May
11. Invitations - Printed Matter
12. Pre-cana Seminar - Discovery Weekend
13. Wedding Cord - Beautiful Bonds
14. Entourage Favors - Vietnamese embroidery products
15. Honeymoon Flights
16. Earrings - Tiger Lilly
17. Reception decor - sari sari store set-up
18. Ros' shoes
19. Nail enamel for Ros

SHORTLISTED/READY TO BOOK:
If you have some comments or feedback on these, please let me know.

1. Gown - Our family seamstress, Gretchen Pichay for Ros
2. Barong - Kamuning textile market, Rhey Casedo
3. Cake - Estrel's Caramel Cake
4. Hotel Preparations - Astoria Plaza
5. Gift Registry - Rustan's and SM Department Store
6. Church Choir - Holy Family Parish choir
7. HMUA for Entourage - Angie dela Cerna or Darvs
8. Priest - from Santuario or from Discovery Weekend
9. Meals in hotel - our usual caterer
10. Projector - from Rejectkrew, or to be borrowed
11. Screen - Adarna

I also listed down other items needed, but which I might not necessarily acquire from any specific supplier. I just wanted to check with you if I missed anything.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

1. Jewelry and Accessories
2. Shoes for Momon
3. Transportation
4. Choreographer

FROM FRIENDS:

1. Host - Jenny Orlina
2. Special Presentation - Abet Mesa

POSSIBLE DIY:

1. Printables - menu, table numbers, pew cards, missalettes
2. Save the Dates
3. Treats for guests en route to reception venue
4. Additional decor for stage

ONGOING/MONTHLY TASKS:

1. Fitness routine
2. Petitions to Sta. Clara and Pink Sisters (Dona Hemady)
3. Facials

Madami pang hindi nakalista dito. Sa ibang entry naman.

Attacking the MF 2

2010-02-18T11:21:00.000+08:00

I guess it's inevitable. There will always be things that will go beyond your budget.
No matter how strong, how steadfast you are in your finances, it will not be perfect.

Utimately, it's your fault. Ikaw naman nagtakda ng mga numerong yan. Bakit kasi di mo nilagay, bakit mo kasi in-assume na ganito lang ang halaga? At ang pinakatanong, bakit kasi gusto mo yan kahit mahal at kahit wala naman nakalaan for that?

In all fairness to me, onting onting items pa lang ang over ako sa budget. At madami ang may savings. PERO, pagkakamali ko di ko is may mga items na hindi ko nilagay. Gaya na lang ng choir, at pre-cana seminar. I think as the date nears, may madadagdag pa.

So ngayon, meron akong bagong term: ATTACKING THE MF 2.
MF means MYMIE/MARRIAGE FUND. MF 2's are savings Momon and I separately have to prepare for married life. Iba pa sa savings namin together for the wedding. Halos lahat ng income ko, diretso sa MF 2. Yung Day to Day account ko, yun lang yun kung anong kailangan ko talaga, the rest MF 2 na.

But for cases like our oncoming trip to KL and Mekong, and like what I shared above, we have to dip into our MF 2. And as a way to desuade myself... I call this "dipping"... ATTACKING THE MF 2.

So far, wagi ako. Pag pumupunta sa bridal fair, I only look at things I need. I just breeze through the other items. I stay away from malls. I always remind myself, if I give in to the temptation, wala kaming kakainin. If I find something so pretty that somehow I just NEED to have it, I have to walk around and psyche myself out. I have to recite over and over that I'm ATTACKING THE MF 2.

I'm not feeling so good at the moment. Should I prepare for more attacks?
Hay.. ako lang naman gumagawa nito sa sarili ko.

RedSheep Photography

2010-02-09T10:50:00.000+08:00

We have chosen Red Sheep Photography (Guj Tungpalan) as our photographer.

If you're a bride to be, I'm sure you've spent hours and hours online looking and drooling over wedding photos. And naturally so, when a certain album inspires you more about your perfect wedding day, you want the photographer to be part of your "dream team".

From what I've observed in W@W, choosing a photographer is second in importance to securing a ceremony and reception venue. I think this is because wedding websites always emphasize the importance of good documentation, stating that "this is once in a lifetime" and "moments will never be repeated" yadda yadda yadda. I also noticed that in bridal fairs, photographers are a natural stand out simply because photos are meant to be exhibited.

Further, like I explained in my entry about Cinemaworks, technical requirements for photography have become more accessible. New trends of retouching and post-processing also presented a new kind of art. All these contribute to a new definition of wedding photography--one that relies on the photographer's mastery of the instrument, talent and creativity.

So I guess,soon-to-weds (Ok, BRIDES only!) now have a mentality that the chosen wedding photographer needs to be top-notch, in order to immortalize and showcase in images all the wonderful things we experience in our weddings.

The Story:
Documentation was my non-negotiable. Duh, obvious naman. With my background in broadcast media production, my life revolved around recording things, making a presentation, etc. I am in fact a conference documenter. So, no brainer.

I started looking at wedding photography websites in Jan 2009. I don't need to warn you, alam mo na, nakaka-addict ito. Hindi sila nauubos, parating merong bagong photographer na pwedeng pag-aralan. Minsan alam mo na agad kung hindi mo gusto, minsan naman it takes a while bago ka ma-convince... may iba isang photo pa lang, in love ka na.

Tapos titingnan mo yung rate nila... biglang mahuhulog na lang ang shoulders mo. Ayun, wala na! Pero teka, baka naman pasok sa budget? So, ayun na, in denial ka kasi sabi mo yun ang non-negotiable mo e, so dapat pagkagastosan... hmmm... pa'no na?

In my case, sikat na sikat sa W@W sila Mimi and Karl. Magaling sila, there's no denying it. I searched all over the internet for their rates... hoping na mamakahanap ako ng info without asking them for their price range directly--- E WALA. So sige, email ako ng inquiry. Pagbalik... OK, OUT NA SILA. Ganon ka-simple, madaling madali ko lang natanggap.

So, hanapan na naman! This time very conscious na sa budget. Di na magpapadala sa kagandahan ng photos. After more lurking in W@W... I chanced upon Red Sheep Photography.

Initial reaction: UY! Promising... uy, ang ganda. Simple lang, pero glossy.

After further analysis: Ok to, walang ganong retouch, post processing. Natural ang look ng photos, onting vignetting here and there, ok na. Ang ganda ng kulay, matingkad.

After venturing into the RATES page: SHIYET! Lalo pang gumanda! Grabe, pano nangyari 'to? Email ko na s'ya, now na!

Initial Observations:
We met with Guj on May 2.

Prior to this we were in touch with him by emails. It was very relaxed talking to him. Parang magkaibigan agad kayo. Gusto ko yung fact that he answers everything promptly and very very clearly. Kasi ganon din ako mag-inquire e, talagang naka-number pa.

When we met with him, he was prepared. And I'm not talking about simpleng pagfo-folder lang ng mga photos. Naka-Front Row pa! He shared with us his concept of photography, he showed us how he covers the wedding, his style of post-processing, shots of details, and album layout. He even has a mock-up album that shows the different elements, para bang catalog. Ang contract nya, naka-Pages! E pano ba yan I love iLife!

One thing that I appreciated the most with Guj was that he didn't give our booking away. What happened was, we were already scheduled to meet, but there was also a bride who wanted to get our wedding date and pay ahead of us. Guj, the smart and professional guy that he is, didn't give the date away. Kasi nga naman, technically nauna pa rin kaming nag-inquire sa date and it was only because of scheduling matters why we were not able to meet with him to discuss. This one, I really really appreciate. I experienced first hand this similar experience with another supplier, but he gave the date to the one who paid first kahit na ako yung unang nag-inquire and we were just waiting for our meeting sked.

Needless to say, we were truly impressed. And the rate, the rate, the rate---it was a blessing.

Other Options:
Actually, we met first with Jeff and Lisa Photography.

I like their work, pero bottomline, it really wasn't fit for me. I think they specialize on the rustic, sepia feel. I also didn't like that when they met with us, they didn't have a presentation prepared. They just asked us to browse the album. I was even the one who asked them to show a sample of raw and edited photos, which they had to dig up from their computer.

We also considered Redefine Wedding by Jayson Arquiza and Photos by Ging by Ging Lorenzo. We did not proceed with the meetings because we already booked Red Sheep.

CLICK HERE to view some of their recent works.

Special Events by the Planner

2010-02-09T08:00:00.000+08:00

We chose Special Events by the Planner as our On-the-day Coordinators.

The Story:
I don't want our families to be stressed during the wedding. Gusto ko para rin silang bisita, gusto ko wala silang aalalahanin. AT LALO NA AKO, AYOKONG MALOKA. Knowing myself, hanggang sa kadulu-duluhan, mage-effort pa rin ako sa pag-aayos. So, di ko na kailangan ng mega pagpapa-convince kung kukuha ba kami ng OTD Coordinator. Si Momon... go din sya!

After researching and tallying costs, feedback and other information, we chose to meet and book Love Daligdig of Special Events by the Planner. We met at Starbucks Zapote on May 31.

We prepared a set of questions, but by her presentation alone she was able to answer everything already. I guess ganon talaga dapat ang ma-feel mo pag kukuha ka ng coordinator. Kailangan ma-feel mo na they will take care of everything even before you ask them to. They will be on top of things, and you can just take a back seat.

Hmm... sasabihin ko na naman ba "because of my experience as a ______", in this case event coordinator. YAK! Parang lahat na lang yata may affinity ako, ang di ko pa lang yata nagawa is maging photobooth!

Pero sige na nga, dahil dati rin akong event coordinator, I know the demands of the job. Judging from our meeting with Love, I trust that she and her team will do a good job. Kahit ngayon nga pag nagco-consult ako sa kanya, she always responds promptly.

Other Options:
Wala, really. Hanggang online inquiry lang. We didn't meet up with anyone else.

Other Notes:
They honor the W@W Tag, and they have lots of partner suppliers who grant them discounts.

Rejectkrew

2010-02-07T00:03:00.000+08:00

We booked Rejectkrew (Elmer Bautista) as our supplier for our Lights and Sounds.

The Story:
This is another no-brainer booking influenced by Weddings at Work. Elmer and his crew are one of the Top Ten Suppliers of 2009 and I’ve read numerous great reviews from other members. Di rin naman ako bago makipag-deal with lights and sounds supplier cause I used to work for events kaya alam ko na rin mga tatanungin ko. Nasagot rin n’ya lahat, syempre. Nagulat nga s’ya na tinatanong ko na yung mga ibang details like ingress and electricity requirements sa unang conversations pa lang namin. And of course, the most important, his rate is below our budget. So bakit pa namin papahirapan ang sarili namin… s’ya na.

Initial Observations:
As if this wasn’t enough, grabe, ang ganda ng attitude ni Elmer.

Una ko pa lang sya nakausap sa phone, na-feel ko kaagad ang enthusiasm n’ya sa trabaho at ang kasiyahan n’ya na s’ya ang napili namin. Sa lahat ng text, sobra s’yang magalang. Hanggang sa nagkita na kami… maayos s’yang kausap, marami s’yang ideas pero gusto n'ya malaman ang ideas ng couple para yun ang gagamitin n'yang inspiration. May “title” na nga s’ya para sa lighting na gagawin nya sa Adarna.

We also talked about things beyond his service. He shared his ideas about the whole reception program, mga crucial details that were truly helpful.

Soundbytes ni Elmer:

* Ako kasi Ma’am, hindi ko nililimitahan ang sarili ko sa trabaho ko lang. Na-experience ko na yung parang ako yung nagging coordinator. Ako yung tumatangap ng mga nagse-set-up na suppliers. Kasi naniniwala ako na para maging successful ang event, dapat lahat malinis, dapat nasa best form, at dapat magtulungan kami.
* Ang promise ko sa inyo Ma’am… actually hindi promise, guarantee. Ang guarantee ko sa inyo, hindi ako magpapatay ng ilaw at ng sounds hangga’t may bisita kayo.

So there, til October. Sana ma-experience rin namin ang mga na-experience ng mga nauna sakin. :)

Angel of Hearts

2010-02-06T23:54:00.000+08:00

We booked Angel of Hearts (Lawrence and Lorry Jean Dela Rosa) as our supplier for our Entourage Bouquets.

The Story:
I honestly don't know how I feel about flowers... gusto ko ba sila, prioriy ko ba sila, or willing ba akong deadmahin lang sila? I ike flowers in general, yes. I arrange flowers in our house and I enjoy looking at them. Momon only gives me flowers for special occasions, so I guess di rin s'ya big on flowers. So, wala. Di ko alam kung nasaan sila sa rank ng mga priorities namin.

Pero for sure, kailangan namin ng flowers kasi ganon talaga. Alangan naman walang bouquet? Wala rin naman akong idea na pang-substitute.

I went to Dangwa/Manila Flower Center in Laong Laan for a meeting with Angel of Hearts. Although di ko pa sila nakaka-usap, wala pang anything, decided na kami ni Momon sa kanila. They were recently named one of Weddings @ Work’s Top Ten Suppliers, and the feedback of the members speaks volumes.

Initial Observations:
My meeting with them was quiet brief, walang ganong discussion except for me asking for the names of the flowers. They were very patient, kahit minsan umuulit na yung tanong ko, sinasagot pa rin nila. Ako na yung nagsasabing, “Ay natanong ko na pala yung kanina!” I felt Lorry Jean wanted to move forward already so I just listened to her after this.

Comment ko lang is sana mas maganda ang organization ng mga photos nila. When I saw the photos, they were classified according to use (ento, centerpiee, church, etc). Maybe they can bring it further and fix it by color and by kind of flower. Kasi for someone like me who doesn’t know a thing, it would have save a lot of time kung may ganong classification.

Napadali ang decision making because of one thing: COST.

Grabe, MY GAD ang mahal pala ng bulaklak. I mean… alam ko naman na hindi mura… pero na-shock pa rin ako. Imagine, isang bouquet ng cymbidium orchids P6000; yung tulips… P8000 ba? How can it be? Tapos after all that malalanta s'ya? Nyikes!

Buti naman yung favored flower ko ay kasama sa mga “cheap” flower selection. So, ganon ulit, dumali ang decision.

Grabe din ang quote for centerpieces, nakakalula! Ang simple centrepiece in a low vase – SIMPLE, TALAGANG NAKASPECIFY – ay P500. Pag tall vase, P800. And the vase is going to be pulled out, di mo maiuuwi. Couples Table is P4000; VIP Table is P5000.

Note that THIS IS NOT TO SAY that Angel of Hearts is expensive, it’s just that it took us by surprise, mainly because of our lack of knowledge of the price range and that flowers are not our priority.

Package Inclusions:

Flower Selection – roses, carnations, astromeria, statice and buttons

1 Bride
2 Mothers
2 Maids of Honor
3 Secondary Sponsors
3 Female Principal Sponsors

Package Cost: P8,000
Freebies (although I don’t think anything is really free, haha!): Tossing bouquet, car bouquet and petals

Next Steps:

We’ll have to come back around a month prior to the wedding to make the mock-up and finalize all the details.

I have to research some more and finalize my idea about my bouquet. Kasama na rin sa research and paghahanap ng simple and cheap centerpieces. Kung DIY, open rin kami dyan, pero kung for a small price may mao-offer ang Adarna, dun na lang.

Side Kwento:
Nung dumating ako sa shop may mga madre doon. Ang sweet nila. Bago sila umalis, mega greet sila saking ng best wishes, good luck. Yung isang madre, nag-kiss pa sakin. Hehe.

Ayan, for something na paulit-ulit kong sinabing wala akong true interest, ang dami ko pa ring sinabi no?

Grooms: The True Decision Makers

2010-01-17T23:50:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I don't understand how I'm feeling about these wedding preps...

Minsan gusto ko nang magtuloy tuloy, ayusin na ang lahat... pero I also constantly remind myself that there is a time for everything. I have to prioritize my work and there are more urgent things to do.

Minsan din we read/hear/see something that seems so fabulous, so nice to have for our wedding... tapos sa moment na yun sobrang decided ka na, kahit pa mahal gusto mo pa rin, sinasabi mo sa sarili mo pasok sa budget, merong paraan!

Meron din namang time na wala kang gana, or simply wala kang time even to think about the wedding preps...

I always look to Momon in times of confusion, and he always quotes Michael Clayton, "I said to myself as clear as this may be, as potent a feeling as this is, as true a thing as I believe that I have witnessed today, it must wait. It must stand the test of time. (And Michael, the time is now.)" Madalas, when I'm completely stumped---wanting too many things at a time--Momon presents a decision that seems so logical I wonder why I never thought of it.

I guess grooms stand at a great vantage point. They are involved, no doubt. We may even be underestimating how much they think about the wedding. But they maintain a certain distance from all the details, therefore seeing things more objectively.

This is a bit unusual for my groom whose motto is "Indecision is the key to flexibility"--which I hate, by the way! But for this case, Momon has proven that he doesn't only tell me the things I want to hear, or agree to my suggestions for the sake of ending the discussion, but he truly helps me make a good decision.

So, I guess I'm not going to rant that my groom is not so involved with the preps. I'd say, he's involved enough--allowing me the freedom to plan my dream wedding with all the drama of doing so, and coming in during crucial times, like a rock I can always lean on to steady myself and keep me on track.

CINEMAWORKS by John De Guzman

2010-01-12T19:54:00.000+08:00

Our Videographer:
CINEMAWORKS by John De Guzman

The Story:
Dati akala ko ayoko ng video coverage sa wedding. Minsan naiisip ko... sino bang manonood ng video? Yung mga video ko naman na nagba-ballet dati, inamag na; mga family travels, nanganganib nang amagin! Ganon din ba mangyayari sa video ng wedding namin?

Pero... iba na ngayon. Videos are uploaded, more easily accessible. You can easily replicate with a DVD burner. It's not just a documentation tool anymore, it's a tool for sharing your wedding to those who were not able to attend. Video equipment is now relatively cheaper, and getting a fabulous-quality video is no longer as expensive. Tapos may konsepto pa ng same-day edit/onsite video... ay iba na talaga. Dati editing suites are mounted in rooms, ngayon laptop at external drive, buo na!

Ay sus... all these coming from a person who works in video production. So, you can just expect how tedious my search was for our videographer. Sabi ko kay Momon, kung magpapa-video tayo, let's not get someone whose bread and butter is still photography--those two disciplines are definitely different. For me, pag photo, photo, pag video, video.

Ang tagal na nitong na-achieve. April and May when we started contacting and setting up meetings with them. We only met with two--Playback Productions by Pheoben Teocson and Cinemaworks by John De Guzman. It was July when we finalized our booking with the latter.

Other Option/s:

PLAYBACK BY PHEOBEN TEOCSON

PROs
1. Good clean lines, nice videos cut to the beat of the music.

2. Creative

CONs
1. I asked him if I can have a viewing of the output prior to him making it final, and if I have changes sa mga transitions, comments on the chosen videos, can he change it? He said no. Sabi nya ang pwede lang daw palitan is yung mga wrong spelling na pangalan, etc. Pero on the creative side, wala nang pwedeng gawin.

2. He does all the design of the album cover, and will also not revise.

3. I feel he does not capitalize on the natural sound.

4. Overuse of dolly and moving shots.

Our Choice:

CINEMAWORKS BY JOHN DE GUZMAN

1. Clean steady shots. - This is one of the primary reasons why I chose him. I'm not a big fan of handheld shots. I like the camera on the tripod cause it's easier on the eyes. This is the big difference with amateur and professional videogrpahers, they use the tripod.

2. Uses natural sound well. If you visit John's site, the SDE entitled "This Side" had a lot of the natural sound: the priest talking, people clapping, the guests laughing during the preps, etc. I think people tend to forget sometimes that in a video presentation, the audio is as important as the video. I find it really weird--irritating even-- when I see a person on screen, with his/her mouth opening but I can't hear the voice. I feel that a lot of emotions are lost when the voices of the people are muted.

If you watch docu's or the news you'll find that the audio is often two layered--the natural sound (voices, background, etc) and the music. Sometimes there are even sound effects, if needed.

3. Uses dolly and moving shots with purpose. This is my pet peeve. I watch some SDEs of W@W members, made by some other videographers, grabe... hilong hilo ako. Dolly (camera moves towards or away from the subject), tracking and other camera movements must be used with a purpose. Hindi lang for the sake of magamit. And this what I've seen in John's work. He's a filmmaker kasi e, and he knows the meaning of shots, and how to use them properly.

Additional things that swayed us to John's side:
1. The packaging of his video is a lot better than Pheoben's. He offers it in a leather or native case. Meron din crystal (plastic) case.

2. Time table of final video is also faster. Si Pheoben sometimes inaabot daw ng 6 mos kasi sa dami na rin ng kumukuha sa kanya.

3. John is open to revisions, basta lang hindi complete overhaul.

4. And of course, the cost. Pero at this point, the cost is just a bonus. More than enough na yung reasons I stated above.

***

Overall, they are both good videographers. They are very creative, have great composition of shots and very clean editing. What matters is how they tell the story, how they interpret the videos they gather into a clean narrative of your wedding. For me, this is where the natural sound/voices come in: to enrich the visual story.

The scenes we find on an SDE without voices is just like the scenes we'll find when we browse our photos.So para kalang nanood ng photos na gumagalaw. Our videos will have to go beyond that. Often times we just forget what we said, the vows we recited, the tone of voice, the laughter and reactions of the whole party. If the audio is in place in the videos, I believe that we can truly feel and relive that moment each time we watch our SDEs.

Here's a sample SDE by John.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW HIS WEBSITE.

Anna and Roddy / Same Day Edit from John de Guzman on Vimeo.

My Gown Inspirations

2010-01-11T23:09:00.000+08:00

Ay Mym, grabe ang habang research nito!
Masaya pag nakakita ka na ng gown design na gusto mo talaga, kahit papano di ka na lost. Minsan kasi maganda pag nakikita mo sa model, pero pag iniisip mo naman kung OK ba yun sa katawan mo, naku, ewan ko na lang.

So, here are some of my wedding gown inspirations. Actually, halo halo. I labeled the photos here according to the item na gusto ko with that specific dress.

1. Neck and Back

Medyo favorite ko kasi sa pananamit itong si Jennifer Love. Lalo na sa mga outfit nya sa Ghost Whisperer, lagi s'yang fabulous don with the vintage lace, the very delicate designs, ang ganda. And I think we have a similar body type, somewhat, wide hips and small waist.

I like the design of the neck here, yun bang parang sort of popped collar. OK din sakin yung itsura ng sleeve, parang nakapatong lang. But the neckline, medyo itaas syempre kasi pupunta tayo sa simbahan. Haha.

The rest of the dress, OK lang sakin, pero hindi sya masyadong bongga for a bride.

2. Skirt

Sabi sa research, A-line daw ang bagay sa mga gaya kong vertically challenged. Tama ba? Haha!

So, ito below is like an interpretation na of the sort of same design as above, may mga slight changes lang. Pero what I'm looking at here is the skirt. I like the cinched waist because I want to emphasize my waist. I think the skirt here is nice, just enough grandeur, but still simple, and easy to walk with.

3. Train

I don't really want to have a long train, as in hindi talaga.
I'll need the help of my designer sa pagtranslate nitong train inspiration sa aking two thoughts sa taas. Hehe. Gusto ko kasi parang tie-in sa lace design sa taas.

4. Veil

I want a short veil lang, longest na yung sa waist, shortest is yung is sa between ng shoulder and elbow. I want a mantilla veil. :) Something like these two below.

5. Color

Gusto ko sana talaga is super pale pink. Pano ko kaya ipapasok?

Ayan, ang haba di ba?! Sana ma-achieve ko.

Adarna Food and Culture

2010-01-10T23:04:00.000+08:00

We have chosen our reception venue:
ADARNA FOOD AND CULTURE, Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City

The story:
Like I said in my previous blog entry, we initially wanted Sonya's Garden for our wedding reception. Pero Adarna was really the thing that convinced us to move the wedding to Metro Manila. When we dined here, I somehow felt the same awe as I did when we went to Sonya's Garden.

I love love places that are themed, yung bang hindi half-baked. Both Adarna and Sonya's are like that. They have their personality, they have a character na lutang na lutang pero hindi naman nakakaumay. Every corner, every decor is well-thought of, and the execution is a work of art by its owners and managers.

"Adarna Food and Culture is a restaurant that celebrates Filipino culinary heritage by serving historical, regional and heirloom recipes in a warm, elegant and homey setting," says their FB fanpage.

The things we like:
For me, I just like the fact that it's not the usual wedding venue, a place na hindi lang ang bride and groom ang pwedeng makita, but also the things exhibited in the restaurant. I like the thought na "unique" kahit papano ang wedding namin.

The menu is not the usual that we see in buffets, something that we can really explore and play with.

Also, we don't have to hire an event stylist to make the place beautiful. It's already pretty on its own.

I'm thankful that we're dealing directly with the chef and the owners. I love how they share their artistry to make our wedding a success.

Finally, I like that this place is a bit known to be a haven for NGOs, progressive civil society workers, and the like, being that the owner is a women's and girl child's rights activist. Haha, the NGO worker in me!

Still to do:
Since it's not one of the more popular venues, we have to make an extra effort to bring our coordinator, florists and lights and sounds suppliers for an ocular. Hindi pwedeng masabi na nakagawa na sila ng wedding doon. No problem, though.

More photos: http://rmacachor.multiply.com/photos/album/6/Adarna_Food_and_Culture

Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills

2010-01-03T19:47:00.000+08:00

We have chosen our church for our matrimonial ceremony:
SANTUARIO DE SAN JOSE, Greenhills

The Story:
We initially decided to have our wedding in Tagaytay. Ang habang deliberation nito, meron pa kaming forms, kinompute pa namin ang travel time, advantages and disadvantages for our wedding party and for the guests. We went with C5 on an ocular trip of churches and reception venues last Feb 8, 2009. We visited San Antonio de Padua Quasi Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes, Chapel on the Hill and Caleruega. For reception venues, we visited Gourmet Cafe and Farms, Colossian Gardens, Josephine's, Ville Sommet and Sonya's Garden. We already booked suppliers with the premise of having our wedding in Tagaytay, with out of town fees stipulated in the contracts.

We were already negotiating with Sonya's Garden and San Antonio Quasi Parish, very ready to deposit our down payments. Then in July, my dad celebrated his birthday at Adarna Restaurant. Ay! Ang ganda ng place, all of a sudden namuo ang doubt sa mind ko kung gusto pa ba namin sa Tagaytay. Then, after talking about it, moving the wedding to Manila came like a natural choice for us.

SO... grabe ang haba ng intro...
Ayan, hanap na naman ng church. This part madali na lang, di na masyadong in-OA ang effort.

Other Options:
We looked at three churches.

First, TWIN HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY, West Triangle, QC

This is a nice church, very simple and humble. Pahiga ang layout, with very open sides, allowing the breeze to come in freely. The altar is also pretty, with a nice elevated sort of gazebo-dome.

The rate is very fair P15,000; and the time available is 3PM. May resident priest na rin, so OK.

Problem lang is walang parking.

Second, OUR LADY OF LA CONSOLACION PARISH, Mira Nila, QC

This is a pretty church tucked inside the village of Mira Nila, which is also tucked inside the Tierra Pura subdivision. Ayun ang problem... it's tucked inside so many things. The accessibility is not fabulous!. :( Haha!

If you're the type who loves hidden gems, this is the place. The purple altar and the nice wooden beams are so elegant. The parking is vast!

But really, it's the accessibility factor.

Both of these churches are beautiful and we have no doubt any wedding held in these churches would be equally gorgeous.

Our Choice:

SANTUARIO DE SAN JOSE, Greenhills
I first encountered this church when I attended Agatha Galang's wedding to Shinji Yamada. I was the mass commentator. :)

The church has exquisite interiors, long aisle, ample parking, kumpleto sa special na upuan for parents and principal sponsors, sa gamit, may flowers na, lahat. Sanay na sanay sila sa wedding.

The real clincher is THE AIRCON. Momon is willing to pay an additional 10K for the air conditioning. So... who am I to object! Gusto ko rin ng aircon!

The only available slot for that day is 2PM, pero sige kahit mas gusto ko ang 4PM... ok na rin. Pray na lang ako na for some reason, hopefully not to the detriment of the couple who booked first, that I get the 4PM slot.

Here are some photos, not mine though.

So, there. Til October SSJ!

Footing the Bill

2009-12-31T19:46:00.000+08:00

I still remember the night when Momon and I sort of officially agreed that we are getting married. On a piece of yellow pad, we wrote down some thoughts on the wedding ceremony, the entourage, the date, etc. That was around October 2006, when Momon just finished the CPA Board Exams.

Fastforward about 2 years. We decided to finally put our wedding plans in motion last January 2008. With the help of my best friend, Benedict, we visited a bridal fair in Megamall to gather leaflets and brochures to use as basis for our wedding budget. Eto rin ang the same day that we ate at Aysee's Sisig. Haha!

Ayan, ginamit namin ang math skills in Ben, he and I managed to read through all the leaflets and establish a reasonable budget of 300K. From here, Momon and I computed a monthly amortization of 4,000 pesos each over a period of 32 months, with an initial cash out of P60,000 each.

To make the money earn a little more, we have opened two time deposit accounts, both with one-year maturity. The second is due to mature on Jaunary 5, 2010! Yey! As of today, we are on target.

This experience of managing our combined finances has given us a certain level of confidence, knowing that we are not completely lost about money matters, and that we know how to save diligently and prioritize our expenses. I'm sure we will be proud to say that we spent for our own wedding. :D We hope to keep this system of saving through our marriage, when planning to buy our home or a car, etc.

ARCHITECT VINCENT

2009-02-18T08:35:00.001+08:00

----------------------------------------------

PRC January 2009 Architects (Architecture) Licensure (Board) Examination Results

The result of the Philippine Architects (Architecture) Licensure (board) Examination which was held in Manila on January 16 & 18, 2009 has been released by the PRC. See below for the full list of passers:

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 372 out of 942 passed the Architect Licensure Examination (ALE) given by the Board of Architecture headed by its Chairman, Arch. Armando N. Alli with two other members, Arch. Angeline T. Chua Chiaco and Arch. Marietta B. Segovia. The results of examination with respect to two (2) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examinations. The results were released in twenty-two (22) working days after the last day of examination.

January 2009 Architects Board Exam Topnotchers:

1. CERISE ANNE ABENOJA MINA, MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 80.20
2. ANGELLO CUBOL ADRIANO, MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 79.30
3. VANGIE CHERYL CIMAFRANCA ULILA, UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS 78.60
4. VINCENT JO BAGAY HIPOLITO, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 78.10
5. ARSENIO BAGARES WAJE JR., COLUMBAN COLLEGE-OLONGAPO CITY 77.80
6. ALEXANDER ZAMUDIO ADIOVA, FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY MANILA 77.60
7. KAREN ANNE URBANO NAGUIT, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS 77.40
8. CRIS JAN MUTIA BANAAG, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 77.20
9. MARC LAWRENCE PATONGAN AQUINO, SAINT LOUIS COLLEGE OF SAN FERNANDO 77.00
9. DIANE FAYE ATIENZA GAPAS, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINESDILIMAN 77.00
10. NHEIL TUMULAK CRISOSTOMO, UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS 76.80
10. JADE RAFALLO OCOT, SAINT JOSEPH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 76.80
10. JUAN CRISOSTOMO RAVAGO OLIVEROS, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 76.80

Ben's Valentine Greeting

2009-02-15T08:39:00.002+08:00

Happy 14th of Feb to the two dearest couples I hold close to my heart: the Mymies and the Hunnies. Thanks for showing me what love is everytime we're together. I hope it won't be long til you meet the new couple... the Brownies. Hehe. Joke lang! Happy hearts day!

- Ben

-------------------------------------

We love you Ben!

KNN is a FINALIST IN 11th PHILIPPINE WEB AWARDS!

2009-01-27T16:20:00.004+08:00

WE'RE a FINALIST IN 11th PHILIPPINE WEB AWARDS!

Hey Kabataan! Thanks to all your votes and support, KNN is now officially a finalist in the 11th Philippine Web Awards! From 10 semifinalists, the list has been narrowed down to 5, keeping us in the running for Best Web Site in the Entertainment Category.

Please continue to vote using the following channels:

To vote VIA TEXT, type:
WEBBYS VOTE 61

Send to the following numbers:
2973 for Globe and Touch Mobile subscribers
2955 for Smart and Talk and Text subscribers

To vote online:
Register here. Click on to vote for a site at the Member's Lounge page. Online voting is Free!

SMS and online voting will run until 11:59 PM of February 26, 2009. The entry that receives the most number of votes in its group will win the Peoples Choice Award for that category.

The complete list of the 2008 finalists can now be viewed in the official PWA site in the Member's Lounge of www.philippinewebawards.com.

VOTE NOW!

Numerology for Me

2009-01-26T22:37:00.000+08:00

Was in Astoria Plaza today for an ocular. Had a festive Chinese buffet lunch and free consultation with a numerologist. The results...

My birthday: August 1, 1983
8 + 1 + 21 = 30 or in essence = 3

According to her, 3 is a lucky number. Very lucky daw.

According to her, I have varied interests, high mental faculties, often misunderstood because I tend to go ahead of everybody, jack of all trades and must try to specialize. She says that 3 is a number for showbiz and self-expression.

-------------------------
In 2008, starting from my birthday of August
8 + 1 + 10 = 19 or in essence = 1

Sept = 19 + 9 (being that Sept is the 9th month) = 28 or in essence = 1
Highlight of the year, maraming ginawa
Oct = 29 or in essence 11
Lagare, had to juggles in between choices
Nov = 30 or 3
Completion of work, feast, celebration
Dec = 31 or 4
Conflict of interest
Jan = 2
Turning point of life, lots of decisions to do
Feb = 3
Trip or travel
Mar = 4
Doors are opening
Apr = 5
Contracts, changes
May = 6
Harmony, success in ventures
Jun = 7
Sudden decision to leave or travel
Jul = 8
Karmic, influential people, mentors or helpers
Aug = 2
Turning point, decision

In 2009
8 + 1 + 11 = 20 or 2

Sept = 11
Highlight, choices, use mental faculty
Oct = 30/3
Completion, luck, travel
Nov = 4
Di ko maintindihan ang sinulat nya
Dec = 5
Victory over odds

---------------------------------

Hehehe! Kakaibang experience. We'll see.

Manny vs Oscar

2008-12-07T00:04:00.000+08:00

I like this one the best. It's a simple Round by round from ESPN. I really don't need all the analysis and I won't pretend to know more about boxing.

May mga funny hirit din ang sumulat nito. and I super admire his/her skill in coming up with descriptive and succint sentences that truly fuel your desire to watch the match.

If for some reason you were under a rock this last Sunday, here's how, sabi ng nga ESPN, "Manny turned The Dream Match into a nightmare for Oscar":

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DARIUS ORTIZ: Ladies and gents, The Dream Match is upon us!

DARIUS ORTIZ: National anthems under the way.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Chants of Manny! ring through the arena.

DARIUS ORTIZ: That scent you smell in the air? That’s a shirtless, steaming mad De La Hoya pacing back and forth in his dressing room like someone hid his boxing rope.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Manny Pacquiao saying a prayer. Now he makes his way to the ring.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Manny walking to the theme of We Will Rock You. Didn’t De La Hoya walk to that against Fernando Vargas?

DARIUS ORTIZ: Hope he’s got the song on loop; he’s taking his time getting to the ring.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Longest ring walk ever.

DARIUS ORTIZ: I called it. We Will Rock You plays again.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Through the casino, down the escalator, quick stop at the buffet…and he’s in the arena. Filipino crowd goes wild!

DARIUS ORTIZ: Pacquiao saying a prayer in his corner.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Oscar De La Hoya making his way to the ring.

DARIUS ORTIZ: The Golden Boy walks to Mariachi music.

DARIUS ORTIZ: De La Hoya is in the ring and saluting the crowd. Tomas Mendoza waves the flag from the corner.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins looking swanky in suits.

DARIUS ORTIZ: Let’s hear it Michael Buffer: Let’s get ready to rumble!

DARIUS ORTIZ: Pacquiao introduced first. He looks calm and even breaks a smile as he’s announced.

DARIUS ORTIZ: How can you not love Pacquiao?

DARIUS ORTIZ: De La Hoya introduced next. Boos ring through the crowd.

DARIUS ORTIZ: The Golden Boy looks stoic but intense.

DARIUS ORTIZ: The men touch gloves.

ROUND 1

ROUND 1: And we’re off!

ROUND 1: Oscar dishing out his jab. De La Hoya pressing forward.

ROUND 1: De La Hoya looks gigantic in front of Pacquiao. PacMan looks like a boy.

ROUND 1: De la Hoya doles out his jab. Pacquiao picking his spots.

ROUND 1: Pacquiao unleashes a combo then moves out quickly.

ROUND 1: De La Hoya is raking the body.

ROUND 1: Pacquiao grazes Oscar with a hook.

ROUND 1: Pacquiao is finding his range. He stays outside, finds an opening, leaps in and strikes.

ROUND 1: De La Hoya wobbles Pacquiao against the ropes.

ROUND 1: Pacquiao is using solid lateral movement. Pacquiao wobbles Oscar with a left.

ROUND 1: Pacquiao finishes the round on his bicycle.

ROUND 2

ROUND 2: De La Hoya backs Pacquiao up with a left but Pacquiao fires back with his own left.

ROUND 2: De La Hoya isn’t moving enough and is getting caught flush with left leads.

ROUND 2: PacMan now has De la Hoya backing up.

ROUND 2: De La Hoya throws a three-punch combination but Pacquiao blocks the majority of it.

ROUND 2: Pacquiao lands another left lead. His speed is overwhelming Oscar.

ROUND 2: Pacquiao is potshotting. A body shot forces him to lower his guard.

ROUND 2: Pacquiao lands an uppercut to a stationary De La Hoya.

ROUND 2: Oscar’s feet are in sand. De La Hoya is a much more elusive target.

ROUND 2: Manny hooking with his right. You don’t hook with a hooker, Manny.

ROUND 2: Manny lands a jab just before the bell.

ROUND 3

ROUND 3: Dan Rafael puts it perfectly: The difference in hand speed is amazing.

ROUND 3: De La Hoya lands a thudding jab but Manny Pacquiao walks through it.

ROUND 3: Pacquiao lands a head-snapping left lead. De La Hoya waddles forward.

ROUND 3: De La Hoya seems frustrated. He’s throwing bombs but most miss.

ROUND 3: Pacquiao working his jab. De La Hoya looking to hook off of it.

ROUND 3: Finally, De La Hoya is utilizing his jab.

ROUND 3: De La Hoya lands a right to the body. Manny responds with his own body shot.

ROUND 3: De La Hoya works the jab then follows it with a hook. Better round for Oscar.

ROUND 4

ROUND 4: De La Hoya lumbering forward to begin Round 4. He leaps in with a combo but misses wildly.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao lands a pair of left hands to De La Hoya’s exposed chin. De La Hoya’s hands are way too low.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao, the smaller fighter, is outjabbing De La Hoya.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao has lost all respect for De La Hoya as he leaps in with uppercuts.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao is on his toes, peppering De La Hoya with hooks and crosses.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao digs in and unloads body punches. De La Hoya seems stunned.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao is handing circles around De La Hoya.

ROUND 4: Pacquiao is dropping his hands but he can’t pull the trigger. Freddie Roach called it!

ROUND 5

ROUND 5: Round 5, Manny on his bicycle.

ROUND 5: De La Hoya’s guard is higher and he’s pumping the jab. He looks a little better now.

ROUND 5: A two-punch combo wobbles Oscar.

ROUND 5: Oscar looks downright old.

ROUND 5: Forget pull the trigger, De La Hoya doesn’t even have a gun.

ROUND 5: Pacquiao leaps in with a left. De La Hoya sees it coming but he can’t get out of the way.

ROUND 5: Oscar trudges forward, right into incoming fire.

ROUND 5: Oscar lands a body shot and follows it with four hooks.

ROUND 5: Both men trade at the bell. Oscar looks extremely frustrated.

ROUND 6

ROUND 6: Both men trading jab to begin Round 6.

ROUND 6: Pacquiao coming forward but he looks a little winded. He’s expended a ton of energy in the first five rounds.

ROUND 6: De La Hoya moving back now. he’s waiting for Pacquiao to move in.

ROUND 6: Both men trade body blows. Pacquiao raises his fists.

ROUND 6: Pacquiao just misses with a right hook. The follow-up left doesn’t miss its mark.

ROUND 6: Pacquiao lands a thudding right hand to De La Hoya’s skull.

ROUND 6: Pacquiao blitzes De La Hoya with a four-punch combo just before the bell.

ROUND 6: Dan Rafael says Oscar is totally shot. I’m not so sure. Obviously, this isn’t the Oscar of 10 years ago, but Pacquiao’s just the better man tonight.

ROUND 7

ROUND 7: Pacquiao using his jab beautifully now. De La Hoya just can’t find his feet.

ROUND 7: De La Hoya putting his jab out there. Pacquiao waltzes around it.

ROUND 7: A hook/uppercut combo backs up Oscar. Pacquiao is trying to finish him!

ROUND 7: Pacquiao’s punches are landing with authority. Oscar looks pathetic.

ROUND 7: De La Hoya has no legs underneath him.

ROUND 7: Oscar has stopped punching back.

ROUND 7: De La Hoya waves him in. Bad idea.

ROUND 7: De La Hoya throws an uppercut but misses badly.

ROUND 8

ROUND 8: Pacquiao working his jab. De La Hoya still not punching.

ROUND 8: Pacquiao lands a left, then a right.

ROUND 8: De La Hoya comes to life but Pacquiao responds with his own fire.

ROUND 8: Pacquiao lands a four-punch combo to De La Hoya’s ribs.

ROUND 8: This is Oscar’s last stand. he has no answer and looks out of his league.

ROUND 8: Pacquiao looking for one more left hand to finish the fight.

ROUND 8: Oscar lands a half-hearted combo. Pacquiao mocks him. Pacquiao tries to finish the fight just before the bell.

ROUND 8: Lots of discussion going on in the corner.

ROUND 8: De La Hoya quits!

ROUND 8: Pacquiao crying in his corner!

ROUND 8: Total devastation, as Dan just put it.

And the Philippines rejoice! Hahaha!

Birthday Celebrations

2008-08-04T06:06:00.000+08:00

It's August... and it's my birthday month!
Ahahaha! Talagang month talaga ang inangkin! Feeling game show host na kapag birthday ay buong week ang mga kaibigan ang naglalaro!

So far, masaya naman ang mga naging celebrations ng birthday ko. :)

July 31
Lunch at Bagoong Club with PMFI family
Ate Yas, Tita Nancy and Danz joined me for a sumptuous lunch at Bagoong Club (Scout Area). We had sinigang na salmon sa miso, pork inasal, kare-kareng gulay and bagoong rice. Sarap! We also had 4 different desserts which we shared.

Karaoke Dreams
After lunch we went to Crossroad 77 to watch a play called "Karaoke Dreams". It's a production of PETA sponsored by The International Organization for Migration. Syempre free lang ang tickets kasi partner din namin ang IOM sa ibang projects nila.

August 1
Circles Buffet with family
We spent the evening of my actual birthday at Makati Shangri-La trying to conquer the Circles Buffet. Yes, kainan talaga to! Nag-team up pa kami ni Momon para matikman namin lahat (ng gusto namin) without stuffing ourselves too much!

Hmmm... though we must say that we enjoyed Spiral Buffet better, nagenjoy pa rin kami sa Circles. We liked the duck, japanese dishes and super creamy vanilla ice cream and our favorite crepes!

Syempre masaya kasi may bouquet pang bigay sakin si Momon. :)

August 3
Although hindi naman talaga to celebration... aangkinin ko na rin.

Lung Center Sunday Market
Ben, Rhea, Vincent, Momon and I visited the Lung Center Sunday market. Kain kaliwa't kanan. If you've been to these market, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, naku pumunta na kayo. Super daming pwedeng kainin, na gusto namin lahat. Madami ring pwedeng bilhin--halaman, fresh goods, damit, aso, furniture, etc, etc!

Unfortunate lang kasi medyo umuulan-ulan kaya kailangan naming magpayong habang kumakain, at maputik ng onti ang daanan. Kumain kami ng tuna belly, binagoongan, palabok, ilocos empanada, sisg, crispy crablets, stuffed crab, pancit habhab at buko-lychee sherbet.

Trinoma
Duoma! Although napaka-ordinary na para sa kanilang tatlo, super baguhan talaga kami ni Momon sa Trinoma. Wala pa kong 10 times nakakapunta dun, for sure. Naglibot-libot lang, bought some things for myself and my camera. Then went home to rest.

Upcoming Events:
Aug 10 - ASAP '08 guesting
Aug 14 to 18 - Hong Kong Trip with Momon and Ben
Aug 19 onwards - pulubi mode

Snow World for Rhea's 24th Birthday!

2008-06-16T23:55:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Rhea's birthday at Snow World, Star City last June 14.

Umeffort talaga ako dito. E sabi kasi -15 degrees! So, ako naman, ang worst kong naranasan e -6 degrees. Sabi ko, naku, haggard ito. Kailangan maghanda otherwise masasayang lang ang money at baka mag-give up kami agad sa lamig.

Nasad din kami nung una na di pwedeng magdala ng camera, pero ok na rin pala kasi mada-damage ang camera sa super lamig.

So... come Saturday... ang dami kong dala!
3 bonnets, 3 sets of gloves, 2 scarves, sweatshirt, extra pants, North Face waterproof shoes, toes socks, and 2 winter jackets for me and Momon.

Pinagtawanan nila ko! Pero sabi ko, "Ako ang tatawa sa inyo pag nanlamig na kayo sa loob! Hahaha!"

Si Bennet, super excited, sa ticket booth pa lang naka-full attire na. Mukha tuloy kaming mangho-holdap, with red gloves! Alam na alam tuloy ng mga tao na sa Snow World kami pupunta. Sa sobrang excited din ni Ben, pumasok sya sa closet, akala nya yun na ang entrance.

Brr! Pumasok na kami! Malamig, duh! Pero it's more of ICE World than Snow World, really. Feel ko di naman yun -15. May mga ice sculptures pero pasira na at madumi na.

Ang pinakamasayang part ay ang slides na paikot. Kukuha ka ng board at magsa-slide ka. Nakakagulat sa una, muntik akong mapa-slide na walang board kasi ang dulas. Aray! At pagnagre-race kami nila Momon and Ben, ako laging talo. Si Momon may technique na hindi ko alam kahit na saan slot sya mag-slide, sya pa rin nauuna. Tinulak na nga ako ng ng isang staff gamit ang walis kasi sa bandang end ng slide e natitigil ako.

May isa pang slide na diretso lang at uupuan mo lang ang jacket. Corny to, pero naging nakakatawa kasi hindi kami umaandar ni Momon. Nakakahiya tuloy.

Isa lang photo namin kasi P100 per photo, yak! Tinulungan ko pa ang photographer magframe. Ok ba ang kinalabasan?

Nakapag-batuhan din naman kami ng snow, kasi kuniha namin yung mga naipong 'snow' sa mga puno. Ginaya kami ng mga bata, pero sila ang napagalitan. Hahaha!

All in all, masaya sya. Mainly because kasama ko ang C5 (naks!). Medyo matagal kami sa loob, mga 1 hour at masasabing kong nasulit namin. Punta rin kayo!

Happy birthday Rhea!

Another 90 Days

2008-06-12T09:31:00.000+08:00

I finished my 90 day fitness regime last April 25.

Between April 25 and today, I've had an erratic workout routine. Super taliwas sa naging fitness plan ko through the first 90 days. I played volleyball every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights; 1.5 hours of Yoga every Saturday; and some workouts during the week.

As for my food intake... I didn't have any difficulties caused I'd like to believe that I've trained myself to stay away from fatty and processed food. Pero I had some slip-ups, syempre. I baked cookies, and I ate some of them.

I didn't weigh myself weekly.

***

Fortunately, though, I did not gain. I take this as an indication that I'm ready for another 90 days of intense fitness activities. Finally, my body is comfortable with my new weight and can actually give up some more weight. I'd also like to have more muscle definition, in the arms and abs, specifically.

I'm embarking on this second 90 days because I want to lose 4 more lbs. I also crave exercise and I feel so much more inspired when I have a schedule and a goal. But more so because I'm slowly feeling myself slipping back to my old eating habits, and I want to stop it right now.

So, good luck to me! Day 1 is on Monday, June 16.

Goodbye Justin

2008-05-15T10:07:00.000+08:00

I don't know how to start this entry. I feel like crying again. I'm so sad, I'm so angry.

If you've been reading my entries since I started blogging, you'd know that I adore and follow the career of Justine Henin. Today, she announced her retirement from professional tennis--effective immediately. She is rank number one in the WTA for over 100 weeks, with those in rank two trailing by a thousand points.

I was actually thinking about her just this morning. I was thinking about a blog entry about my anticipation for the French Open--na maga-absent na naman ako, na si Sab e magpupuyat, at maloloka na naman kami sa YM, na si Justine na naman ang screen saver ko, na lalampasuhin nya lahat ng kalaban nya, na for 4 years running she will rule the French Open. Nagka-countdown na nga ako sa French Open.

Then, I hear about this news.
Hindi ako makapaniwala. Why? Bakit ngayon pa with the French Open coming? Naiyak talaga ako. I just can't believe it. I really feel bad.

Justine said na she can't find the desire to play anymore, and she doesn't worry that her injuries take longer to heal. She's finally contented with her life, that she can let go of playing tennis.

When Sab and I talked, lalo pa kong nasad. Sab said na sana inantay ni Justine ang French Open. Parang si Sampras daw nung nagretire, sya pa rin ang nanalo sa US Open. Maganda sana kung inannounce nya ang retirement tapos malalaro pa sya, tapos todo support ang fans, standing ovation and all, farewells and tributes. Go out with a bang.

I think the reason why I'm so sad is because I'm really gonna miss watching her, the superb backhand, the precise shots, and the immense concentration only a champion athlete can show. I'll definitely be very sad watching the games this year, and I'll have to find a new player to root for.

Hay... good luck to your new life, Justine. I will really miss you.

Results - 90 Days

2008-04-28T09:29:00.000+08:00

It's now officially over. I've conquered my 90 day fitness regime. Yeah! Clap clap clap!

Day 61-90
2 lbs
Total of 4.5 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

For the whole 90 days:
10 lbs
Total of 16.5 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

I'm quite pleased with the results of this whole thing. I knew within myself that I can finish it and get the results I want.

I was quite afraid that I'd hit a plateau for this last part, but I didn't let that bother me. I think, right now, my body is still adjusting to the new weight.

After the last workout rotations, I had my recovery days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). But those days weren't exactly 'workout free' cause I had yoga and played intense volleyball Saturday evening. Nonetheless, I didn't go in front of the TV to workout.

Starting today, I'm continuing with my workouts, days 91 to forever. But this time it's more for weight maintenance and toning. It's a program of 1 workout a day, stretching and eating right. If you ask me, I'd still like to lose 4 more lbs, but any weight I lose at this stage is a bonus. I don't want to pressure myself, nor do I want limit myself. I'll just do my thing and let it come.

***

Now, please give me a few moments to reflect:

This one, I really did it for myself. Not for anyone else--not for Momon, not for friends, not for people who may have said I'm a little fat. It was really a journey I took alone. That means, it is I and I alone who was a factor in making this program work. If I flunked this program, there is only me to blame.

That means, I didn't wait for others to workout with me--I did it on my own. I don't point at others for tempting me to eat a lot as reason why I actually did--I tell myself I won't let them bother me, and they can tease all they want. I take care of myself (stretching, supplements, sleep) so I have enough energy to workout the next day. Sure I had days when I skipped workouts (although very few) due to soreness, sickness, whatever, but I move the workouts I missed to other days when I'm feeling better--I don't make excuses.

I say this because I feel that this is really the key to my weight loss. When Momon and I wanted to lose weight two years ago, we had designed somewhat similar programs. We'd check on each other, try to eat less together, etc. But when we both felt that we didn't want to workout or eat less, we'd let each other off the program. Our commitment to lose weight was to each other, not to our own selves. If someone doesn't deliver, we both get disappointed and depressed.

If you're reading this and want to lose weight yourself, I hope I inspire you. I'm not a fitness trainer, but I'll be happy to share what I did to anyone who's interested.

Momon's 24th Birthday

2008-04-22T15:26:00.009+08:00

A prelude to Momon’s birthday was a Saturday evening dinner at Kimono Ken (Petron Macapagal). We had a satisfying meal of miso soup, california maki, bowls of rice toppings and tea. It was so nice to feel the cool breeze from the Manila Bay as we walked lazily from and to our car.

For the first time in months, we’re able to be together without rushing and counting the hours. Momon just finished another busy season at SGV and is still catching up with sleep and rest. So really, everything we’re doing for his birthday is for relaxing and recharging.

***

The next morning, we headed for Tagaytay. We woke up at 6am and left the house at 7. Our destination: Sonya’s Garden .

Sonya’s Garden welcomed us with a soft breeze as we walked to the Bed and Breakfast section for a much anticipated meal. Immediately after we entered the gates, we saw a full garden of flowers in different colors and sizes soaking in the sun.

Just like I read in other blogs and reviews, the place was really a treat. The fresh white linens with small embroidered flowers give a feel of sheer cleanliness and calm. The ocassional gentle wind hugs and cools you down, and conducts the chimes to play their sweet songs for you. You don’t need to remind yourself to relax, you just do.

Breakfast

For our breakfast, we were served daing na bangus, chicken adobo, cheese and mushroom omelet, fried rice, hot tsokolate, and fruits. Inside our water glasses was a single leaf of mint.

Momon and I took our time with the food. We ate for an hour and a half, just enjoying each other’s company and the whole feel of the place. I wouldn’t say though that the food is the best I’ve tasted. I’m sure it can be improved in many ways, but the service and the experience makes up for it.

After breakfast, we took our time walking around the garden.

Bed and Breakfast

Let me tell you, this is place for photographers—beginners and professionals alike. The colors, the sunlight, the textures are superb. I, of course, was prepared! I brought camera and my tripod so Momon and I can take some photos together.

Ay, ang saya. I think naingit pa nga yung ibang mga tao na nakakita samin with the tripod. Hehe. Momon was just posing away, habang ako pabalik balik sa tripod para magframe, rushing to pose, then showing him the photo, then setting the tripod again, then running to pose again. Whew! Nung sabi ko “Kunan mo naman ako ng solo.” Sagot ni Momon, “I-timer mo na lang rin.” Hahaha!

While I was taking photos of flowers, Sonya herself passed by us. Of course we really didn’t know that it was THE Sonya. I just had a suspicion, cause she was in all white, with the hat, and she looked like she was touring some people. And then all of a sudden, she talks to Momon in a loud voice, “Are you staying for lunch?” Momon answered, “No, we already had breakfast. We’re going to have a massage.” And that’s it. Immediately after that, we were so disappointed that we didn’t even compliment her garden, or that we didn’t joke that we want a discount. Haha! I was more disapponted that I didn’t get to talk to her, or even look at her and give her a smile of appreciation. Sad. Next time na lang. For sure, merong next time.

The beauty of Sonya’s garden is in the details. There were nice nooks in the garden where you can lie down for a moment and rest. The paths are lined with small stained glass houses which I imagine light up beautifully in the evenings. There’s all the the panaderia with the best spanish bread I tasted.

After relishing the garden’s treasures, we went to the spa to have a steam bath and a massage. This is the part where we really relax and recharge.

It was Momon’s first time to have a steam bath, I think it’s my third. They set up two portable steambaths side by side in our room. They infused the water with a very relaxing essential oil. In no time at all, we were dripping with sweat, and releasing the toxins from our bodies.

After about 20 minutes, I took a bath first while Momon continued with his steam bath. You’d think that the bath is just a bridge between the steambath and the massage to come, but it wasn’t. It was one of the nicest baths I’ve had. The water was warm, and the shampoo and soap had strong scents that filled the bathroom. It was so refreshing after being under the sun outside.

Then we were finally ready for our massages. We chose a special massage where each patient had two therapists—the Four Hands Massage. Hay… four hands down, this is the best massage I ever had. Truly truly divine.

The secret to the massage is the synchronized strokes of the two therapists. You won’t feel that there are too many hands touching you cause they’d put their hands on you and remove them at the same time. They would also have specific choreography to complement each other’s strokes. For example, one therapist was by your head, and another was by your feet, then they’d make their way to the middle of your body with long strokes meeting at the glutes. If the therapist by your head is working on your left shoulder, the one by your feet is working on your left foot. When they do your arms, they’re both beside you and executing the strokes in complete unity as if there’s just one therapist. Their equal pressure was also a key element. I peeked at them once and saw that they were looking at each other’s hands and signalling each other with their eyes. And because they cover so much of your body in a short time, they are able to really give each body part full attention. Hay… I was so pleased with the massage that I clapped in the end and said, “Bravo” even in a hushed voice.

For Momon’s massage, he had two male therapists. I was quite apprehensive at first, cause they’d be in the same room with me, right? But my therapists made sure that I was well draped at all times.

To finish the experience, they served us a cup of hot dalandan juice with a basil leaf. Oh my, oh my, oh my. I immediately fell in love with the drink. It was tart and sweet at the same time; and the basil leaf infused it with a beautiful scent and taste making it so unique.

We didn't take any photos during this part cause we didn't want to bother ourselves! I want to sleep right now as I’m writing this, cause I keep remembering the whole relaxing atmosphere of this day.

We left Sonya’s Garden with a promise to come back soon. For our next visit, we’ll try the lunch and maybe get another massage. Hay…

***

It was already 2pm when we started our drive back.

We passed by Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm. It’s not that easy to get to but this place is quie known to people who love organic soaps, shampoos, and the medicinal power of virgin honey. We walked around the farm, saw the bee boxes, and shopped a little. I got carrot soap, spearmint and honey soap, honey and mint shampoo and a small bottle of bee pollen. Momon got eucalyptus and ginger soap for his psoriasis. Can’t wait to use them.

Organic Soaps

***

In the evening, we had a nice dinner of gambas, pancit, and chicken lollipop with his family.

Happy birthday My Momon. May you have all your birthdays with me.

Results - 60 Days

2008-03-26T10:27:00.000+08:00

I've got the results for the second 30 days of my fitness regime! Now, I've finished 60 days of working out and eating well. I lost:

Day 31-60
4 lbs
Total of 6.25 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

For the whole 60 days:
8 lbs
Total of 12.25 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

Now, I'm gearing up for the last 30 days of training. I'm still following an intense workout rotation which includes daily cardio and strength training at least 4 times a week. I also have to eat well to lower my body fat and be careful now to hit a plateau.

This is the part when my body is most resistant to give up lbs cause I'm now in my 'ideal weight zone'.

Oh yeah!

Random Entry

2008-03-05T11:36:00.000+08:00

Isang walang kwentang pangyayari, pero bino-blog pa rin. Bakit kaya? Hahaha!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nakakainis may tumatawag dito sa office na 4 times na hinahanap ang Wilkins!
Syempre sa first time, wrong number. Sa second, nakikiusap baka alam daw namin ang number ng Wilkins, sabi ko hindi. E bakit daw yung number namin ang nakalagay sa truck? Ewan ko po, pero hindi po dito yun.

Third time, sabi ko hindi po ito talaga, hindi rin po namin alam.

Fourth time, inaway ako! Pucha!
Sino daw ang manager sa office namin? Sabi ko, kahit sino po ang makausap ninyo, ganon din po ang isasagot. Hindi po talaga namin alam kung anong number ng Wilkins, at kung bakit yun ang nakalagay sa truck. Hindi na po namin pananagutan yon.

Tapos sabi pa, ano bang posisyon mo dyan?! Sabi ko, irrelevant po yon (in a very calm voice). Pero naiinis na ko talaga. Kaya sabi ko, kahit sino pong kausapin nyo e ganon din ang sasabihin. Tatlong beses na po kayong tumawag, na hindi po namin alam so, ganon pa rin po, hindi po magbabago ang sagot namin. Alam nyo po, hindi kayo ang unang tumawag samin na naghahanap ng Wilkins.

Tawag na lang po kayo sa Bayantel. I mean, by this time di ba, nag-eexplore na sya ng ibang means mahanap ang Wilkins kung ganon talaga sya kadesperado mahanap ang Wilkins!

Bwisit! Tapos binabaan ko na sya ng telepono. Sabi ko ok po, babay po, maraming salamat! Babay! Sabay baba. Habang sinasabi ko yun, sabi nya, "Ay bastos ka miss!" Paulit-ulit. Come on! Look whose talking. Kung narinig mo lang, alam mong mas kaya ko pang mambastos kaysa sa ginawa ko. Mabait pa ko nang lagay na yun, kung gusto nya ng bastusan, tumawag sya ulit! Makakatikim sya!

Marami pa kong gagawin no!

Results - 30 Days

2008-02-26T15:30:00.000+08:00

I've got the results for the first 30 days of my fitness regime! I lost:

4 lbs
Total of 6 inches (arms, waist, hip, butt, thighs, etc)

Not the amazing results we always see, but I'm not complaining. I'm very happy and inspired! I also feel so strong, and I can complete the workouts with high intensity all throughout.

Now, I'm gearing up for another 30 days of training. I'm following a more intense workout rotation which includes daily cardio and strength training at least 4 times a week.

I need all the support, guys!

Measure Day No. 1

2008-02-18T10:23:00.001+08:00

February 24, Sunday, marks the 30th day of my fitness regime.
And it is on that day that I measure myself again after 4 weeks of daily cardio, stretching, a little bit of weight training, and watching my food intake.

I'm doing a minimum of 90 days for my well-researched-but-self-designed system in order to reach my ideal body. Naks naman! How professional kunwari!

Kaya from today until Sunday, I will be doing intense 40-50 minute cardio every morning before I go to work. I will also supplement it with fun-relaxing cardio activities that are 20-minutes or less when I get home.

Good luck to me! Kakaka-kaba naman!
Saka ko na lang ipo-post ng before and after photos, pag nakarating na ko sa 90 days.

Michelle Williams' Statement

2008-02-03T10:07:00.000+08:00

FROM The Superficial...

Michelle Williams released the following statement today regarding the death of Heath Ledger. It is the first statement she's made since Heath's body was found last Tuesday in a New York City apartment, according to Reuters:

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him."

The Winter Explorer, part 11

2008-01-03T14:30:00.000+08:00

The last leg of our trip is a drive back to London.

It was a long trip but it's a bit interesting cause it was snowing in Calais when we got down to meet with immigration officials.

At this point of the trip, marami nang may sakit, and my Dad had a very bad cold with recurring slight fever. But because we wanted to see London--and because we paid so much for the London visa-- we dragged ourselves and braved the wet, cold London night to see some sights.

This is totally different from the rest of our trip cause we no longer had a tour guide. We took a local bus-yung double deck-- to The London Eye. But London is not as well illuminated as Paris, that's why the only famous building we can see from above is the House of Parliament.

Since we're so tired, wala na kaming pakialam. After the ride, we just got dinner and went back to the hotel to rest and pack.

-------------------------------------------

The next day... I woke up very early and walked the long halls of our hotel to pick up our breakfast. Nakakatakot nga kasi medyo luma yung hotel at naiimagine ko na bigla na lang may multong haharang sakin! Kumusta naman!

Pero deadma na. Hay... this is the final part. Uuwi na kami! Yehey!

Our flight going home was smooth sailing, no delays or anything. We really enjoyed the nice entertainment console of KLM and the abundant orange juice. I watched Philadelphia (ibang level si Tom Hanks), played Sudoku, Tetris and other games.

Whew... what a trip!