Ayala Triangle Gardens Christmas Lights Show, Golden Spoon

In the last couple of months I've lost my urge for frozen yoghurt, perhaps due to the emergence of Serenitea . However, due to some Facebook posts, I've noticed the growing popularity of the Christmas Lights Show in a new place called the Ayala Triangle (which is actually the field behind Makati Stock Exchange). After Christmas, I went with J and some friends to check the area out. We were supposed to eat at Wee Nam Kee. Sadly we were No. 45 in the waiting list, and after an hour the queue has moved from No. 11  to No. 15! So no dinner at Wee Nam Kee for sure! To think we were there by 6PM!

Anyways, here are pics of the Christmas Lights in the Ayala Triangle. It shows every 30 minutes form 6-8PM everyday, until when in 2011 I'm not too sure. It's really nice to watch, laser and fog and music are involved, though nothing super fabulous. But it's really great for photo ops! Check it out!

It's much prettier in person =D

My friends and I were able to take a lot of nice shots with that as the background. A lot of people were there, and most of them walked from Glorietta (it's about a 10-minute walk. I walked there a few days later with our staff). But not uncomfortably full. Near it, at the center of the Stock Exchange Building, was a ginormous Belen, also great for photo op purposes!

Anyways, let's talk about Golden Spoon. As I was saying, I haven't had Fro-yo in a really long time. While waiting for a table at Wee Nam Kee, we walked the restaurant lane along Ayala Triangle.  Restaurants there include Omakase, Bfast by Chef Laudico, Bon Chon Chicken (I'm dying to try this!), Banapple, Kanin Club, Momo, Cara Mia, Pho24, and Amici. And of course, Golden Spoon! The only place that had a free table at that time was Golden Spoon. I mean, come on, who has fro-yo at 6PM when you're starving right? *Raises her hand.*

Golden Spoon is the first stall you'll see, because it's right by the Christmas Lights. In fact, if you have some Fro-yo, you can watch the show from inside (sans the music). This is actually great for girls who die in their heels, like me.

At first I thought that Golden Spoon was your typical fro-yo place, because the counter makes it seem that way. Apparently, the specialty of Golden Spoon is the yoghurt itself, not the toppings. "Cake Batter" is their best-seller.

Calorie Info

I got the kiddie size (P85) of the Simply Tart and Cake Batter. With the Cake Batter I added Candied Pecans, which is like Pecans with caramel syrup. I just wanted to check if the Simply Tart was good compared to the others. Here are the shots (excuse them for sucking, I couldn't help myself, I ate from both though I was supposed to share.)

Notice the "Golden Spoons"?

The Simply Tart was okay, it was as good as the other fro-yos, nothing super duper. But the Cake Batter is another story. So good! So good. So good. If you're not into it being super sweet though don't add the candied pecans because it's really sweet. But I really loved it, hubby too!

The place is small but very clean and nice. It's really a great place to chill out in. They sell Golden Spoon merchandise, in case you become a fan =D

Simple Setup and Signage

A couple of days later I chanced upon the newly-opened Golden Spoon in BF Homes, Paranaque. It's located at Pergola Mall at Phase 1, beside Via Mater. I wanted to check out if the quality is the same. It was! The Cake Batter was equally delicious. And for P85, not bad! So here's your chance South people! Go give it a try!

Cebu Pacific PISO Sale 2010

Oh Cebu Pacific, why make me paasa like this? LOL

For those who don't know, Cebu Pacific had their Piso Sale from December 23-25. I, however, being busy wrapping a bagillion gifts, found out on the eve of the 24th of my brother. By the time I got home (Dec. 25 1AM) let me assure you, there were NO seats left for the sale. Trust me. I checked even the most non-visited places, for all the dates of November 11-December 11 of 2011 (Travel period) and there were nooooneeee. This is why some people say this promo's "panloloko" but I think the travel agencies just snatched it all up. Sucks to be us! But either way I was tempted to book for Hong Kong for November 2011. Ah. Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtuem, patiece is a virtue. Tsk tsk.

Booking Hong Kong Flights and Hotels on a Budget

Oh, so many ways to get to Hong Kong! Though my friends only fly Philippine Airlines, my family and I (being cheapos) prefer Cebu Pacific. I mean, come one, what are the chances that we'll be doomed? Nevermind, moving on. Anyways, for the tickets a travel agency took care of this. Two-way ticket was approximately P7,500/person (yes, even children have this rate, I know some of you aren't sure). Foreigners, that's approximately $168 for you.

As our families would be separated from the beginning (though we meet up in 5 days to spend 3 nights in Butterfly on Pratt Hotel together), J. and I booked our hotels early on to try to get the best deals. From all the research I did online (obsessed, I tell you), I was able to gather that Agoda.com was one of the easiest, cheapest, and dependable ways to book a hotel. It's a London-based company, according to my credit card bill (hahah....ha). Seriously though, that website has got some SKILLS! Though later on I had some trouble rebooking one of the hotels (my friends decided to follow us to Hongkong so we had to change some dates), I would definitely use Agoda again and again and again... actually I used it again on our last 3 days there! More of that later if I still have the will to type that far about the trip.

For your info, I booked the following hotels using Agoda.com:
1. USA Hostel, Nathan Road, Hong Kong (Total of 4 nights)
2. Royal Hotel, Macau (2 nights)
3. Walden Hotel, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (2 nights)

Let us start with USA Hostel (Approximately P2,500/night, or US$50)
If you are a seasoned traveller that prefers clean, spacious accommodations, please do not choose USA Hostel. However, if you are totally Gung-Ho about travelling, and would rather spend your money on things and not your hotel because you'll barely be in it, then by all means, this is the place for you.

We got the Deluxe Room I believe, which had a queen-sized bed and a single bed. The bathrooms are part of the room, separated by a plastic divider (okay, it's not as bad as it sounds), with the toilet inside as well.

Towards the end of our trip, we stayed at Walden, where the rate was the same but the accommodation was by far more luxurious. However, USA Hostel has every right to charge what it does, regardless of the simple and tight accommodations, for the following reasons:
1. The building it's in, as soon as you go down, it's the MTR. Literally. Like, I can trip, and boom, there's the MTR. I can't tell you how great that is considering Hong Kong runs on it's MTR system. EITHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING has an MTR entrance. Insange.
2. It's a 10 minute walk to Harbour City, one of the best malls in Hong Kong, as well as the port for the cruises. I lived in Harbour City, it's really fantastic there.
3. It's a relatively safe place. When you first enter, you may be mortified to see that the 1st level is a like a Mall/Bazaar with money changers, and, pardon my frankness, Indians. Not the Native Indians, just people from India trying to sell cellphones and Ipads. But in all seriousness, it was really safe! In fact, so many people shop there. Nathan Road is one of the busiest shopping districts in Hong Kong.

If your husband is paranoid though, I suggest you find a more suitable hotel. My husband almost made a run for it, if I didn't ask him to give me a chance. When he figured out we'd be out most of the time, he decided to stay. Oh yeah, elevators are quite slow because it's shared by a whole building, so if your kids and husband aren't into that either, you know what to do. USA Hostel is only 2 floors of the building, I believe.

Be polite to the owners, who man the entrance. They speak enough English, but if you have any miscommunication problems they're not "malambing" so to speak. They were very kind to us but I've seen them having trouble with other Filipinos who don't speak English well. Should this happen, they have Filipina maids, and please talk to them so they can properly translate to the owners.

Would I stay here again? My husband said probably not, but there's really something special about that area of Hong Kong where Nathan Road is (Tsim Sha Tsui). It reminded me of New York.. almost all stores were open until 10 or 11, the Restaurants and lights open until 1AM. It's really a special area, worth the discomfort  in staying in USA Hostel for a bit.

Oh yeah, if you have kids who aren't very patient with these kinds of things, book another hotel for sure. The TV only has 4 channels (yes, my kids were very much alarmed). Plus, none were in English! But it's alright, they had their PSPs so they didn't mind so much.


Free wifi BTW, and it worked perfectly while we were there!

Royal Hotel, Macau (P3,500/night, approximately P$75)
I had no idea Macau accommodations were so affordable, considering this was a 5-Star Hotel! And it was really really beautiful. The staff was so accommodating (mostly Filipino, I think). This was not the same side of the Island as the Venetian, but the area around the Hotel was simply wonderful. This was a great find in Agoda! See pictures below of the Hotel to see see why we were so pleased. McDonalds and bakeries are a ten minute walk, and the fabulous casinos were about a twenty-minute walk away. You could literally walk everything! more of Macau in a later post. Wifi is free, and there's Internet cable provided inside the bedroom table. Sweet.

Walden Hotel, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (P2,500 a night)
Chamba is the correct word for this hotel. I found this hotel on Agoda on my 3rd to the last night in Hong Kong because my family hadn't booked hotels for the last 2 nights. We were feeling adventurous and decided to move to the other island of Hong Kong, and I made the decision to stay in Wan Chai! For the rate, the rooms were clean, though the bathrooms were quite old (don't expect to be able to use the bathroom!) However, there was TV with cable, beds and rugs were clean, spacious room. It was pretty good, and the rate was excellent. However, it's between Causeway and Wan Chai exits, so it's a 15-minute walk to the nearest MTR station. Otherwise, it's a great deal! Wifi is free, but you have to bring/buy your own Internet Cable.

On a side note, we also stayed at the Butterfly on Pratt hotel, but since I did not book the rooms I can't really give a detailed account. The rate is about P8,000/night or US $200. The rooms are quite small, but luxurious. It's a Boutique Hotel (so expect it to be small) but the rooms and rugs are clean. If you are staying in the same room as people you can't be naked around, please request a room with bathroom doors that aren't clear, because their bathroom doors are clear. As clear as day! Outside the hotel, there are a lot of bars if  you like those kinds of things, and small eateries. It's a 10-minute walk away from MTR. A block away is a cheap laundry place that can do your laundry if you're struggling with that on your vacation. Staff are EXTREMELY hospitable. There's free wifi but I heard some rooms don't have great working wifi, so you'll have to go to the lobby where there's free wifi and 2 computers for your use.

More pics to follow! But as you can see, Agoda really provided excellent choices for my booking, and even when I booked the night before, I had no problem! Hope this helps you out!

Serenitea

Before I post more about Hong Kong love, just want to write a little about my new fave drink place - Serenitea!

Much has been blogged about this place. I'll admit, at first I wasn't too hot about it. Serenitea had been in BF Homes for a while and I would just pass by it and wonder what they offered.

My friends told me it was realllly good so I decided to give it a try (because I'm a sucker like that). It wasn't really love at first sip though. I asked the counter lady what was good and she suggested Wintermelon (though they do have a list by the counter of their bestsellers). I got it in Large (P105), because if your drink is large you get a stamp on the loyalty card. Then I chose to have the "pear balls" sinkers (think Zagu).

The cool part is you get to choose your sweetness level. I gave mine at 100% (I'll work out the diabetes later). It was pretty good, but nothing big for me. See instructions below on how to create your perfect drink!

The snacks there are quite cool too, if you're not paranoid about vetsin, salt, and pepper. They have grilled corn covered in pepper (P60) and chicken chops also covered in pepper (P60). Really easy on the budget. Tasty.

When I returned from Hong Kong (oh land of the milk teas), I found myself craving more and more for milk teas. My friends and I had milk teas regularly in Hong Kong, and having some here brought back nice, fond memories of the vacation. Cravings were intense. Like, daily. I would find reasons to visit it's branch in BF (woooh, free wifi kase) or pass by it in ATC (for this reason, it took me longer than usual to collect stamps for my Starbucks planner).

I was hooked on Hokkaido for a while (same sinkers, 75% sweetness). I tried the egg pudding, which is nice and soft an good if the balls kinda choke you up (ahahahha...ha).  But right now, I'm super hooked on Okinawa (#1 Bestseller my friend, and with good reason!) I've tried the Yakult drinks, it's worth checking out. I feel more alert after having the teas (psychological perhaps?) but I really like it. It's a great alternative to coffee addiction.


I suggest you go out and give it a try! Branches and contact info below:

Serenitea branches:
♚ Little Baguio, San Juan
♚ Aguirre Ave. BF Homes Paranaque - my favorite. Look for TonTon Massage, Serenitea is right across. For the mildly obsessed like me, this branch delivers. Ta-da!
♚ N Roxas St. Banawe, Quezon City
♚ Cinema Area, Alabang Town Center - nearer to where I live. However, only 8 chairs, so not a practical place to hangout if that's what you're hoping for!
♚ Adriatico Wing, Robinsons Place Manila

*Note - If you plan to go to Serenitea BF or ATC, for some, well, serenity, you'll have to do a take-out. BF Branch if full of High School kids (and we all know what we're like in High School!) and ATC is by the Cinemas/Timezone area. Go to the Spa instead for that kind of serenity haaha (baduy).

*Shots taken from Serenitea Facebook Page.

Hong Kong High & Macau Lovin' (Introduction)

For years I have longed to go back to Hong Kong. However, early pregnancy, finances, college and business have kept the Hong Kong dream at bay. But, oh joy, this year our clan decided to go to Hong Kong together, and the dream became a reality! I know for a lot of people, a trip to Hong Kong is as easy as a trip to Baguio. However the Hubs and I are a little weird in the sense that we equate everything to equipment we could purchase for the company. Raise your hand if you have these thoughts:

A plane ticket to Hong Kong = a brand new oven....
A ticket to Hong Kong Disneyland = repairs for the truck....
3 nights Hotel Stay in Nathan Road area = dear God, salary of 2 employees for a month.

So yeah, we're stingy in that sense. However, since this was no longer a matter of choice (Mom gave me an evil death stare when I told her that the whole trip looks like the equivalent of Child 1's tuition), it was a mere matter of how we could budget everything. And how we could fit everything into 10 days so we would never have to come back (I laugh out loud as I type this, because.. well, you'll see why later.)

The elders and most of the clan took the cruise (courtesy or Royal Caribbean) while Hubs, Kiddos and I decided to live out 10 days in Hong Kong. Yeah, you read that right. Ten days. When I told my friends this, we all laughed and said we would be bored out of our mins after 5 days. Oh, oh, oh, you apparently can be so wrong about so many things.

I'll divide this into several parts (a million actually...just kidding), for all you moms or teenagers who are wondering about the costs in Hong Kong now.

Seriously, this is going to be an epic writing, in full detail with photos because I was that obsessed. FYI, we travelled from October 30, 2010 - November 9, 2010. I may not be accurate with some of the rates (it's called memory gap) but I hope it helps you in making certain decisions before travelling and staying in certain places (i.e., may my mistakes gain you wisdom, and may you not err the same way I did, hahaha).

Good luck!

34th Milo Marathon

For photos and results please go to this link:

http://takboph.wordpress.com/2010/07/05/34th-milo-marathon-race-result-and-photos-2010/

For official website (and registration for other legs)
http://www.nestle.com.ph/milo/

Hahahahah. Best OBSTACLE COURSE RUN ever.

Not that there were any obstacle courses... perhaps I should rephrase. Best Human Obstacle Run  LOL. That. Was. A. Lot. Of. People.

Similar to Nature Valley Run. But The whole Nature Valley Run. In the 5K Fun Run. Hahahaha!! Mobs at every water station. HOT. You could barely run because you would slam into someone if you ran straight.

I had blisters from this run. Why? From all the braking and swerving to avoid being human roadkill, and to avoid tumbling over other people.

Worst part - thinking that you were near the finish line (presuming is more like it) and slowing down and pacing, only to find out that the finish line was about 1 km more away. Hasta la vista PR! LOL.
Seriously that was the hottest race. I saw some people collapse from the heat. The heat was mostly from everyone jogging so near each other, as well as the overhead sun. And lack of water. If you saw the mobs at the station, you would probably just pass it by too.

I did NOT appreciate all the pedestrians crossing while we were running. Also those people who stole the red halfway ropes and gave it to the people in the other side so they could cut. PEOPLE! You're just cheating yourselves!

But still an enjoyable run nevertheless, because it was for charity. But still, holy moly.

5K singlet
What is says on the back:

Back of Singlet

P.S. No results so far for the 5K Fun Run. I don't know if there will be results, but I don't know what they took our stubs for if there wouldn't be any time results for it!

Rock and Run (and a whole lotta Rain!) - June 19, 2010

This has got to go down as the most EPIC run ever!! Bwahahaha!!
I barely ran this run, for so many reasons:
1. Woke up from a short nap at 3:45 (had to nap as I only had 4 hours of sleep the night before) and was running really late. Not to mention I didn't even wake up from the nap.
2. Traffic at South Super, in front of Metropolis, was horrennndoouuss.
3. One huge, big-ass, black cloud was above Metro Manila by the time I was on the road (ironically, it was soooo hot that morning though.)

Called my bro up to check if it was traffic near Fort and if it was raining. He said, "well, it's raining now." I asked if there were still people going to run, and he said, "yeah, coz, they're all wet already." J, who was driving, warned me that he wouldn't run in this weather because we might get injured and sick.
FYI, this wasn't cute, sprinkly rain. This was big, fat-ass, CHUBBY rain falling on our car man. I told him that I was actually thinking of running in this storm, just for the experience.

When we got to Fort about 15 mins before the start time, the rain was just terrible, with matching lightning.
We parked near the Spa and ran for cover. By the time we reached cover, we were quite wet. We took a peek at the start line but couldnt see anything -- just heard loud drums and a huge roar from the crowd (the 10K crowd perhaps?) I realized that I left our bibs in the car, and we ran back. At this point, we were still undecided, as were the thousands of people standing by the covers of Serendra with confused looks on their faces ("shall we, or shall we just stay here in the shade?").

By the time we ran back with our bibs, we were soaking wet. Hundreds of people were huddled in the shades of Brothers Burger and Krispy Kreme. I looked at the dry crowd with their Ipods on their arms, then looked at J, and we just knew that we would rather be with the wet, roaring crown in the unseen Start Line. So we sprinted towards the line along with a few other people, and before we knew it, we were a whole crowd sprinting towards the start line.

Unfortunately for us the 5K left already while we were putting our bibs on, but no matter, we caught up with them. Damn that was strong wind and rain! First 1K was excruciating. We could barely see because the rain was in our eyes, our shoelaces kept untying themselves from the weight, I saw a lot of people stop before the 1K mark, I'm not sure if for good. But honestly, despite all those problems, I felt good. I stopped several times to tie my shoelaces, because OBVIOUSLY we weren't going for PR here. The crowd was really good, there was a great vibe going on.

I think the best part of the race came after the 2K mark. The stages set-up for the bands were rendered useless (lest we might run risks of electrocution) but there were crowds in them cheering the runners on. It was actually hilarious. Random JCI members or organizers were standing in the rain with the marshalls cheering the runners on and leading us to the drinks. It was entertaining. PLus we saw a guy in KISS costume running the rain, sticking his tongue out and making hand gestures (I don't think he won but he really brought such fun to the race too).

Traffic was horrible as the marshalls really refused to let the cars pass. The whole Fort was filled with beeps of angry drivers (sorry guys). But it really couldn't ruin the spirit of fun in this race.

Honestly, I love running in Rio-organized races, but just because of the rain and the support of different people at different corners, this was just one of the best runs ever. It was definitely the most MEMORABLE run ever.

Positives:
1. Safe. Daming marshalls, daming police. There were complaints daw of people getting lost. Really? J and I ran in parts between the 10K and 5K since we caught up, but we never got lost. Those marshalls were pretty loud. And JCI members were also ushering us in the correct paths and drinks. Grabe daming police, for 4000 runners. JCIs kase, I guess.
2. Such effort. J and I noticed about 20 cars on different corners and different sides of the road at 45 degree angles with lights on, parked. Obviously cars of organizers and JCIs, just monitoring and lighting the road. We really felt safe even if the whole Fort was so dark from the rain.
3. Singlets were so well made. They were light even when soaked, and puzzling, when I finished the race, they were just mildly damp.
4. You could really see the attempt to have an original event. Several media vans were present, and the band setups looked nice and expensive. They spent a lot for the setup, which was a shame that it wasn't used for the original intention.

Negatives:
1. Next time, we would like to get our singlets during registration, not have to go to Fort just to get our singlet. Frankly I think that pissed a lot of people from the get-go, just because it's not the norm.
2. Bigger signs for the Loot Bags area, and the different areas. And more personnel because I heard there was a huge mob in front of it. Please pack the bags before the event next time.  I guess most of the race personnel went to assist in the race itself, which is understandable. But also understand the obsession of runners even for the suckiest of loot bags.
3. According to other runners there were problems with the bag registry too, which was caused by the race director. Huge no-no.
4. Sucky loot bags (didn't even bother to get one, just heard). But this is for charity, and I really don't think they promised loot bags, so that's fine.

Can't say anything about the bands not performing. Hey, that's the rain man, that's nobody's fault. No contingency plan can make sure that it's SAFE for us to be watching the bands in the wet puddles. Duh.

We were super happy after the rain. I did not SMACK into anyone from overaccepting of runners, AND I really felt safe. I was NOT killed by oncoming cars of drivers with murderous stares as I slowly trudged across intersections.

Biggest surprise of the night - finishing at roughly 41 minutes. Had I not leisurely tied my shoelaces and waited at intersections, I would have beat my PR! Amazing!

Congratulations to the organizers, for the good attempt for an orginal concept. Perhaps it should be a yearly thing, to hope for rain on their race date. Hahahahaha.

Yahoo Philippines using Microsoft Outlook

Epic Headache of the Year.

I've always prided myself as a quick techie learner. Even after losing half my brain to pregnancy anaesthesia (yes, it's true!) I was pretty good in learning HTML stuff and computer stuff.

But my epic struggle of the years is getting my Yahoo email to coordinate with Microsoft Outlook. OH MY GOSH! I tried it again this time because J and got Blackberrys and would love to coordinate emails with staff via Outlook instead via a Browser.

What a headache. I swear. I tried using alllll kinds of setups BEFORE I figured out one IMPORTANT THING.

Guess what? Yahoo Philippines Email can't be used with Microsoft Outlook. Jeez. I had to change my region to Yahoo Asia instead of Yahoo Philippines, then downloaded a program called Ypops! just to be sure. Follow the steps below. Admittedly though my Yahoo email seems screwed now. Due to the change of location/region, some of my emails (during the time difference) disappeared! And now I keep getting Error 5 and can't access my inbox (though I think this is because there are 5 of us checking one mailbox simulatenously).

Hope this helps. Otherwise, I'd just do it the old fashioned way - via a browser. *sigh*

Steps to Outlook Sanity:

From the Tools menu, choose "Accounts."

Select the "Mail" tab.

Click the "Add" button.

From the Add menu, click "Mail."

In the text box labelled Display Name, type your name and click "Next."

In the Email Address box, type your Yahoo! Mail address (be sure to include "@yahoo.com") and click "Next."

Under "My incoming mail server is a…" select "POP3."

Type "pop.mail.yahoo.com" in the Incoming Mail (POP3, IMAP, or HTTP) Server box.

Type "smtp.mail.yahoo.com" in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server box.

Click "Next."

In the Account Name box, type your Yahoo! Mail ID (your email address without the "@yahoo.com").

In the Password box, type your Yahoo! Mail password.

If you want Outlook Express to remember your password, check the "Remember password" box.

Do not check the boxes labelled "Log on using Secure…"

Click "Next."

Click "Finish."

Select 'pop.mail.yahoo.com.' under 'Account,' and click 'Properties.'

Click the “Servers” tab.

Under “Outgoing Mail Server” check the box next to “My server requires authentication”

Click the 'Advanced' tab.

Under “Outgoing mail Server (SMTP)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL). Enter port number “465” in the “Outgoing mail (SMTP)” field.

Under “Incoming mail (POP3)”, check the box next to “This server requires a secure connection (SSL)". The port number in the “Incoming mail (POP3)" field should automatically change from 110 to 995. If it doesn’t, make sure the port number is set to 995.

If you find a cooler way to do all of that, and it works, do let me know!!

Army + Navy (Visit #2)

Together with my balikbayan cousin L, J and I went over to Army + Navy (Alabang Branch) to have a late lunch. For the life of me I don't know why I agreed, as I was actually dreaming of having a Sango Burger, but since J was quite insistent that L try it I agreed.
This time, J and I both ordered the BURGER.

BURGER (P135)

Classic single quarter-pound beef patty, topped with fresh crispy lettuce, tomato slice & onions, mayo & ketchup on toasted sesame seed kaiser bun.
 
J wanted to try the burger with just a single patty instead of two patties with bread on top and on the bottom =D

L polished it off in 5 minutes flat. Personally, it was okay. For P135, I don't know, I would rather have had a super large Coke, cheeseburger from McDo, and fries. Sorry! So next time I go to Army Navy, it would definitely be for a burrito or a Bully Burger, nothing less. Because for roughly the same amount, I would honestly go for a Sango Burger with Japanese mayo (a.k.a wasabe).

Nature Valley PhotoVendo Pictures

Are now available here - http://free.photovendo.ph/index.php?eventID=2010053001

Sad to say, several of us (including I) didn't have pictures. I tried checking with the people I finished together with, and most of the pics were out-of-focus. Like I said, parang konti lang photographers relative to the number of people in the event.

Still, congratulations to the organizers for a great event!

Sex and the City 2

Verdict - C-.


Actually it would've been a D, if not for my loyalty to the series, and a lot of nice dresses that caught my eye =P

I won't go into the plot so much anymore, as well, there isn't much to it. Our four girls get the chance to go to Abu Dhabi, all-expenses paid. Like my cousin said, it's pretty much an advertisement for Abu Dhabi (which is ironic, because the movie was filmed in Morocco!) Some of the clothes and hats are extreme, while others (esp the off-the-shoulder and one-shouldered dresses) were to die for. Some storylines had barely began, and totally didn't end (Aidan + Carrie, Samantha + Smith, Samantha + her Abu Dhabi love interest). Plus what was up with Miranda's storyline? It's like, total imbento, we were never given any idea in the series or 1st movie that she was unhappy with her company, and just because of 1 guy she leaves? Super imbento man!

Other parts of the movie were really dragging too, like Liza Minnelli's cameo and dance no. Oh my gosh, and I thought the girls' karaoke part of  "I am Woman" was completely horrible. Couldn't they have sung some other cool song, even "I'm Every Woman"would have been better than that! I was cringeing the whole time.  Other parts were a bit out of place, like Penelope Cruz's teeny tiny cameo (would have like to seen more of her than Liza if you asked me!) And Smith had like a total of 5 mins screentime!! Raise your hand if you wanted to see more of that hunk!!

I wasn't really into the storyline either, like where Aidan shows the pictures of her 3 boys, then they kiss within the next few minutes. That does not leave me with a great last impression of Aidan, who was a well-loved character from the series. I mean, come on! We loved Aidan, and now thanks to this movie I think Aidan's a s***thead!

There were highlights to the movie though, worth mentioning:
1. The storyline of Charlotte, wanting her kids for so long and now having a difficult time, was very touching. I'm sure a lot of mothers could relate to that storyline.
2. Samantha's hilarious antics with the Australian Rugby Team, her "scandalous" scene towards the end, and the scene in the marketplace. Classic Samantha all the way. She was the reason for most of the "laugh-out" moments of the movie.
3. Stanford and Anthony's all-white gay wedding, the singing gay choir was just hilarious.
4. Carrie's mini-breakdown towards the end where she realizes that she was a crazy girl trying to win Big's heart for so long, and now that she has him and he just wants to spend time with her on a couch, she kissed Aidan and might lose Big *phew*
5. The scene where Charlotte and Miranda are drinking and talking about their problems was hilarious for me.
6. The butlers, especially Abdul, Samantha's gay butler. Super cute storyline.
7. Miley Cyrus' cameo, hahahahhaha, that was funny.

So, two hours , AND a half, of all of that. My oh my.

I can't say I'm disappointed though, as I was already warned.

If it's your first time to watch anything Sex and the City related, watch the 1st movie first because in my opinion, that was an excellent movie about love and friendship, whereas this one, I can't even place what it is exactly.
I'd advise anyone reading to watch it anyways, for the sake of watching it. But if you miss it, no biggie either =D Happy watching!

Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

Verdict - surprisingly great movie. B+
I was totally geared up for "this-is-so-silly-it's-entertaining" feeling I would get when watching this movie, for the ff reasons:
1. It's a game movie. Cue in Street Fighter, Silent Hill movies. Sucky sucky sucky.
2. It's another "epic" movie. Clash of the Titans was just plain RIDICULOUS. And sorry Avatar fans, I totally thought Avatar was exaggeratedly enjoyed by the world considering its ridiculous premise. Sorry. Too many "Eh, bakit?" questions during and after the movie.
3. Not a Jake Gyllenhaal fan. Not even remotely.

However, I was resigned to watching the movie, as J was very much interested in the trailer (and any "epic" movie for that matter. Must be a guy thing.)

So, I piled up on Fish and Chips, Wendy's Biggie (but Lite) Iced Tea, and Sebastian's Ice Cream (on a last minute whim). Oink oink oink. Anything to get me thru this movie.

As not to give out spoilers, I'll just give the movie's premise. Prince Dastan, as played by the macho Jake, is the 3rd Prince of Persia, the strongest country of it's time (6th Century BC). He was adopted by  the King  as a child because of his fearlessness, loyalty, and kindness. Years later, Dastan's eldest brother, the next King, invades the sacred city of Alamut, and they meet the beautiful Princess Tamina, who is protecting a mythical Dagger.

Mmmmmmacho.

If I say anymore I'll spoil it, but honestly this movie has a lot of interesting twists, good dialogue and acting, and incredible graphics. Seriously. And I'm quite harsh when I watch movies, I always call them lame. This one really had a good plot!

If you google the movie it will say the critics gave it bad reviews, but honestly online and in facebook you'll find that a lot of people enjoyed it. Very few negative reviews (I found this out after watching the movie, so no bias). Seriously, worth watching.

After watching the movie, I sheepishly turned to J, and said "I'm embarassed to admit this, but that was an excellent movie."

Go watch it, go watch it, go watch it. It's a movie both you and your loved one (of the opposite sex) would enjoy. Surprise surprise!

Trivia-- I saw this myself --- the poster of Prince of Persia premieres in a scene of "Confessions of a Shopaholic". Was shocked myself because I watched the movie again last week and saw it, had to google to make sure I wasn't going insane.

Mary Grace (Restaurant) - Alabang Branch

Aahhhhh... how does one explain how she came to live in a restaurant?

Okay, well, not SERIOUSLY live in one. Just have it as a second home.
Mary Grace (the Cafe/Restaurant) at the Alabang Town Center, for the past few months, has been my home away from home. At least twice a week, I eat dinner/merienda there while the kids are finishing up at their learning center.

And my oh my. Let me enumerate my favorites. Actually it may even be easier to enumerate those that AREN'T, so don't be surprised if you find 3/4 of the menu below:
1. Classic Ensaymada - what was Mary Grace first known first? Their oh-so-fluffy ensaymadas topped generously with queso de bola toppings that spill over on the plate. Baked fresh everyday.

All Pics taken from Mary Grace Official Website - http://www.marygracecafe.com/
2. Cheese Rolls - More beloved actually than the Ensaymada, personally, because of the solid queso de bola cheese middle, which I adore.

3. Salmon Pasta - Carbonara with Salmon Bits. This I always have for dinner or lunch, when I'm looking for something heavier.
4. Sangria Iced Tea - Super refreshing, when it's really hot and I'm looking for something cold that isn't a Wendy's iced tea, this is what I crave for.
5. Raspberry Iced Tea - my first love actually, before discovering Sangria. Also fantastic when you're looking for a more robust burst in flavor.
6. Hot chocolate - super thick, this doesn't disappoint. My friends order this every single time they come here to meet with me.
7. Quesong Puti Appetizer - I forgot exactly the name for this but it's crostini bread with garlic quesong puti that you can slice and spread on the bread.
8. Mango Bene- a light dessert similar to that of contis Mango Bravo, minus the nuts and other heavy elements. J actually prefers this. I like it myself but I still look for the nutty taste of Mango Bravo.

9. Apple Pie - I'm a harsh critic of Apple pies, but this one's pretty good. The crust is so... I don't know, home-made tasting? Not frozen, it really tastes fresh always. Always request heated .

10. Chocolate cake- simple but the good recipe. Not too heavy. It reminds me of the chocolate cakes in Magallanes, so if you're a fan of that you should try this.

They also serve breakfast on weekends, 8AM, that are worth trying because the ambience is really just so homey. My kids love the butterfly touches all over the restaurant, but for me it's the Christmas lights on the windows and the lamps that really give the restaurant that merry feel. Bathrooms are ALWAYS clean as they check every 15 minutes (just so you know) =D

And best of all - plugs and Wifi. Free. Need I say more? Oh well, I will become I'm just obnoxious like that.

Oh and I can go on and on about their wonderful staff. Their waiters and waitresses are really super kind and patient. Plus attentive and friendly. If you use your credit card once, chances are they'll greet you each time by name already (similar to Starbucks).

My different barkada groups have grown accustomed to meeting me here instead of just a regular cup of coffee in Starbucks (though I still heart Starbucks). It's just a great place to bring family or friends to. And judging by how it's always filled to the brim now, I'm sure other Alabangers feel the same way now.

MARY GRACE CAFE
Alabang Town Center Muntinlupa
10am-10:30pm (Mon-Thurs), 8am-11pm (Fri-Sun)
Ground floor, Corte de las Palmas Tel: 828 8476 | 0917 515 7524

Rock and Run (and Rain)

Registered yesterday! This Saturday, J and I will be Rocking and Runnin' at the Fort! I'm so glad this is a 5PM party again, which will allow me to work in the morning and party in the afternoon! It's been 3 weeks since my last run, and official about 2 months since I stopped working out thanks to my bad knee

I've actually been looking forward to this, as bro is part of the organization that's preparing this.
This is the official poster (taken from their FB site)

The singlet is super cute!

We'll be getting it this week in the Fort area (unlike in other Runs, where you get it as you register).
We registered for the 5K, hope my lack of running won't super affect it!
According to the posters, we'll be, erm, listening to the concert, while running! I'm assuming the concerts will start as soon as the runs start, and we'll be running around the areas with wide-screened tvs. Here's hoping to something new and exciting!

Army Navy Burger + Burrito - Alabang Branch

A lot of you have probably eaten at this place by now, in particular, the Tagaytay Branch near Starbucks. But being a die-hard Antonio's and Buon Giorno fan, I rarely find space in my stomach to try anything new in Tagaytay. So it was great to see a new Army-Navy branch open at the New Commerce Center along Commerce Ave. in Alabang. Everytime I would pass by it though (it's along a very important main road) it would be full to the brim.
That's a FANTASTIC sign in my opinion!
Today, as I was pondering where to have our late lunch, J suggested we try it now, which I thought was a great idea! We headed over to the Commerce Center and parked in the super tight parking underneath (I can't imagine parking there on a packed night). Though not a peak hour (about 2PM) the place was loosely full (and by that I mean each table was taken but not full).
Eagerly J ordered the Bully Boy Burger (P235), which is a  Triple Quarter-pound beef  buger (and described to be "Made Big to Beef Up a Batallion."
Oh my, J.
I reminded him that I would NOT drive him to Asian Hospital if he had a mini-stroke eating this burger, as I would like to leasurely enjoy my meal. Sorry.
I ordered something that was not on the flyer (and the menu, I think), but was advertised on a poster by the menu. It was called "the Starving Sailor" (which I was, seriously, by 2PM) - (P225). It was made of thin strips of beef, cheese, jalapeno, onions, and looked a little bit like a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Yumyumyum. I ordered their Libertea (P45, Large)to go with it (I'm a huge huge fan of Iced Teas).
While waiting for our sandwiches, I peered into their kitchen. It was very clean and full of expensive, expensive equipment. I think I failed to mention that it was adjacent to Yellow Cab (I think they're linked), which is also known for their expensive kitchen equipment. Impressive. The store interiors itself was very clever, with cement blocks and other army and navy paraphernalia worked into the ceiling and walls.
After a 5-minute wait, our orders arrived, and we were not dissappointed with the size of these babies. My oh my. Check these pics out.

Starving Sailor with Libertea

the Bully Boy Burger

My sandwich was Huge, like, a good 8 or 9 inches I think. Yeaaah I like em Big. When I had my first bite though, I was a little disappointed, but really just a little. I think I was looking for a stronger jalapeno taste. The sandwich itself was really great, and the meat was very soft! But ultimately I was looking for that "kick" which I didn't really get, I had to add mustard to find it. But you know, it's really different tastes for different people, and I know I tend to lean towards stronger and more extreme tastes.

 Pic taken from Official Website.
Their Libertea was refreshingly good too. I'm a harsh critic of Iced Tea, and refuse to eat in restos with sucky iced teas (yeah I'm crazy like that), but Libertea was okay. Not super, actually not super tasteful and could use more ice, but pretty good (and pretty cheap too). Not too sweet, that's for sure!
I also tasted J's Burger, it was smoky good! Good bun, well cooked patties (yes all three of them!) In my disbelief, he polished the whole thing off then ordered a Chocolate Milkshake (P99). Nabitin pa? I tasted the Milkshake too (yes I taste everything he orders, I know that's what you're thinking) and THAT was really good. Small though, 12 oz. cup only for P99, but I know Milkshakes have really expensive ingredients so it's forgiveable.
 
Pic taken from Official Website.
I would love to try other things next time (I'm definitely coming back for more). Steak burritos (P155), Fearless Fried Chicken (P135) and Chicken Quesadilla (P135) look promising. Nomnomnom.

 

Right in all aspects. See you soon Army Navy! Probably tomorrow.
ARMY NAVY Burrito + Burger
Bridgestone Building, Commerce Avenue
Alabang, Muntinlupa City

How Now, BROWN COW??

So I guess your first question is... why "How Now, Brown Cow??" as the title of this blog?

I think the better question would be..... "Why Not??"

Aaaaaaah... the silliness of it all. Or yes, the silliness of me.

(But how silly are YOU to be still reading this? Hahahha! Just kidding!)

Okay, anyways, for the real answer...

The world is such a serious, problematic place to live in right now, it seems. Reading blogs, (or writing them) is a great escape, don't you think?
What more reading SILLY blogs like MINE?
(kidding again.)

So join me and my brown cow as we blog about random things in my silly, silly (but happy) world.

So....How Now, Brown Cow??

P.S. Please don't ask me why my cow is brown. It's a saying. I didn't think "How now, Pink Cow??" would have the same silly impact. Or perhaps it would... Besides, I couldn't find a ready pic of a pink cow. Perhaps in the future.
P.P.S Please don't take my grammar and critiques seriously. Give me a brake people. Oh, I mean, break. Crap.
P.P.P.S No, a brown cow didn't write this. And NO, I wasn't drunk when I wrote this. Hiccup.

Transferring...

Please bear with the dates and the broken links right now, as I'm transferring my entries from Wordpress (Blogger is soooo much easier, to anyone who plans to Blog out there!)