Theatre Night

It was awesome!!

Details to follow.

Circuit Breakers

It was all very sudden.

I was standing in the middle of the kitchen dicing potatoes and slicing wedges of cabbages, while keeping an eye on the simmering pot on the stove. It was a bit dark, and I reached over and flicked on the light switch, when I heard a pop and the bulbs on the counter went out. I quickly turned off the light switch and unplugged the mixer, blender and toaster.

When Nards arrived, I let him look at the non-functioning counter overhead lights.

"The bulb shorted." He was examining the bulb closely.

"I agree with you."

"I'll fool around with the circuit breakers and see if we can get the other light." He opened the panel and started flicking the switches.

This is where the fun began.

Switch #1, turned off all the electricals in the living room including the computer. (There goes torrent. *Sigh*) Obviously not that one.

Switch #2, turned off the stove exhaust, and half the lights in the kitchen.

Switch #3, turned off all the electricals along one wall of the living room. (TV, radio, DVD player, playstation)

Switch #4, did nothing.

Switch #5, did nothing as well.

Switch #6, turned off the exhaust and the lights in the bathroom.

Switch #7, turned on the other bulb over the kitchen counter. Bingo. I was offering Nards a Sharpie and masking tape, so that the circuit breakers could be properly labeled. But he declined.

After all of that was taken cared of, I told Nards that the beef stew is simmering and we'll have dinner after I take a shower. I went in the bathroom, turned the knob that would activate the heater in the shower, and turned on the water. The water was cold. The heater wasn't working. I asked him to look again at the breaker box.

We repeated the circuit breaker exercise. Again, I offered the Sharpie and masking tape, but it was declined once more.

When we couldn't trace which circuit breaker to switch on to power up the water heater, we transferred the socket where the heater was plugged. It was back to normal.

We ate dinner, and after the dishes were cleared, Nards went to the laundy area on the balcony, to put on a load. The washing machine won't turn on.

Again, we repeated the whole circuit breaker exercise. After several attempts, Nards plugged the washing machine to another outlet.

I wonder if we have to repeat this whole exercise, when I turn on the stair lights to go to the second floor....



* Just realized this is my 200th blog entry*




*

No Good Plan Goes Unpunished

Needless to say that I woke up at ten am stressed out to the roots of my hair. When I got down to the kitchen to start on the first order of the day (measure out ingredients for cookies), I was wont to enter the kitchen. The smell of the last batch of chocolate chip cookie was still in the air, and I warily sat down on the couch where I promptly dozed off.

I was in no mood to bake at all. Or to even run the errands I've mentally listed. So instead, I bailed on the Lantern Parade. The grade sheet can wait until next year and they paycheck is something to look forward to on the new year. I was so lazy and incapable of doing anything remotely related to a cookie that I holed up in the bedroom instead.

I will not be attending the party later.

If there's anything I've learned in running a sideline like a cookie business, a lot of your leisure activities (i.e. attending parties, hanging out with friends) take a backseat. Instead of eating, dancing and listening to Noel and Vin sing tonight, I will be holed up in the kitchen, baking. I don't think I'd make good company anyway, I'm exhausted, and my body just wants to crawl in bed and sleep.

I want to wrap Christmas presents, but that too has grudgingly slouched off in the backseat.

Stresssssss.

Must Sleep

It's 4:30am and I can hear the church bells. It's Simbang Gabi time. I haven't attended dawn mass for the Christmas novena since 1992. For a few seconds, I was actually tempted to take a quick shower, dress up warmly and join people walking in the chilly morning to go to church. But I stay put, and just listen to the bells.

I've been up since 2am and haven't been able to go back to sleep. This is such a drag, especially since it's going to be a full day today. There's a new batch of cookie to be measured out and mixed; a trip to the Apple store to buy something for Papa; a trip to the college to sign the grade sheet and get my paycheck (very important); dropping off of receipts to the office for my reimbursements (again, very important); watching the Lantern Parade in UP - and if there's time, a quick turn at the bazaar; and the Rock Ed year end party at mag;net cafe (Gang is wondering if we can all be there early for a family/class picture).

Must sleep.

Bi-Polar As Opposed To A Manic Monday

This morning I woke up early to put together my brother's cookie order. He ordered 30 half-dozen boxes of chocolate chip cookies, which he'll be giving away to his work colleagues. The original plan was for me to go to his office Tuesday (that's supposed to be tomorrow) morning to drop off his complete order. So what I did was market for all the ingredients (including the other cookie orders) last week. Then I spent Saturday morning doing baker's math (i.e. multiply my recipe originally for 24 servings to the amount I needed for the week. Divide it into manageable batches, relative to my available mixing bowls and fridge space.) Sunday, I mixed ALL the cookie dough: chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, and white chocolate chip oatmeal. (Would you believe it took me the entire day? I missed Sunday Silence!! Shet.) I would work on the oatmeal raisin cookies for Nards' family next week, since he was planning to give it to them on Christmas day. Then today, spend all day baking (marathon baking that is) and packaging them in dainty Christmas boxes.



Leave it to my brother to derail my well laid plans. What I thought would be a leisurely baking pace today turned to a frenetic one. I had to do marathon baking for two hours straight just so I can deliver half of my brother's order today. (I need them today, Te, they'll be on leave tomorrow.) Then I had to drive to his office and drop them off so that I can return home before the coding window closes at 3pm. (I can't pick it up because my car wouldn't start this morning so I had to commute to work.) On top of that I have to measure out, mix and bake a whole lot of additional cookies today because he increased his order. (Te, sorry, I miscounted and didn't update my list until this morning. I'll order 10 more boxes. But I might still add more tonight.) WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!



Now, it's the calm before the storm. I have to rest and regroup myself before I start mixing another hefty batch of dough and baking. I need to finish everything tonight. So that I can work on the other orders tomorrow. I desperately need to talk to someone to bounce off my thoughts and to de-stress from this morning's agitated baking. But everyone is busy at work because it's a Monday. Twitter is offline so I couldn't text Mitzie who's not on YM.



And my heart is going haywire with palpitations. I need to unwind and take it easy. My doctor said I shouldn't get stressed out because of the whole your-left-ventricle-is-weak business. It's quiet and I need to talk. I know I should start on those cookies now. Or else I'll be up all night. And I have to get up early tomorrow to deliver cookies. (One order, all the way to Fairview. I asked my Dad to deliver it for me, but I wasn't comfortable asking him to do it, so I told him thanks but I'll do it instead.)



AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!



Breathe in deeply. Count to ten. Exhale slowly. Repeat process several times. Put on the first two episodes of The Starter Wife. Watch and relax.



After that, go back to the kitchen and start on those cookies. It'll be better after this week.



There. I feel just a tad better.

My New Addiction

Click here to find out what it is.



Photo by Aggie

Tanga

That's what I wanted to scream at her.



I just keep remembering that it's not nice, and that's what stopped me. Otherwise, not only would I be screaming that but I would also throw in a few expletives as well. I wanted to smack her at the side of her head to knock some sense into her.



She was on her cellphone, yapping away with this stupid grin on her face, while driving. We were all at a busy intersection. Two lanes only, and all the vehicles, including tricycles converged at that place. I was one car away from the intersection, where I was planning to make a left turn. She was coming from my right, in her huge space wagon, and she was making a left turn to go into our lane.



I was watching her (no tints--so you can see her fashionista flygirls-kind-of shades, her huge mouth talking on her cellphone held on her left hand, her right hand on the steering wheel) make that turn. She wasn't able to turn that wheel as she should have, because (duh!) she was only using one hand. So her fender swiped the sidewalk. We (and I'm talking about being in an air conditioned car with the cd player's volume cranked high) heard the sickening sound of metal as it scraped concrete. She stopped. I saw her one free hand put the car in reverse and, without looking at her rear view mirror or her side view mirror, backed up her car. And she inevitably crashed against a tricycle, who got pushed so far back by the strength of the impact that he also crashed into the other tricycle behind him. In addition to that, she also nearly amputated a guy pedaling on his bike. Please note that she HAS NOT STOPPED talking on her cellphone THE WHOLE TIME. She quickly parked the car and hid. She waited for all the angry drivers to pass. Or she was finishing her phone call.







Ironically, she was at that corner where there was a sign that says "don't use your cellphone while driving."



My sister summed up the whole thing in three words: "Gaga Dat Gurl."

Coca-Cola Commercial

Who remembers this? :)

Breakfast

There's nothing better than eating breakfast that comes with a side of shock and indignation. This is what happens when you haven't been inside a Starbucks for more than 10 months, and the baristas are all over you being absent for such a long time.

It was a crummy morning: gray, rainy and cold. I wanted to stay under the warm blankets, but we had to go out for an early appointment. When I got back near our place at around 9am, I drove to the nearest Starbucks for a quick breakfast and something to warm me up. When I got there, I got caught up with the baristas whom I used to see daily, and they wanted to catch up. So my order of bagels and coffee flew out of my mouth. I handed over my payment distractedly. It wasn't until I got in the car, and I saw the sales tape, that my jaw dropped at the exorbitant price I paid for my breakfast.

Tall, Decaf, Non-fat Praline Mocha with My Bagel Sandwich

I ordered a tall, decaf, non-fat praline mocha--whopping Php150!!! Plus a mozzarella, tomato and basil multi-bagel sandwich--Php90, pretty reasonable given the size and the "healthy" side of the sandwich. But the coffee! Holy cow! I remembered the last time I had coffee at Starbucks it was less than Php90!

When I got home, I moodily sipped my coffee and munched on my scrumptious and filling sandwich. The side of shock and indignation left a bitter aftertaste, and I wouldn't recommend that you take it with any meal.

Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato on a Multi-grain Bagel

Photos by Aggie

Akyat Bahay Huling Huli!

How to Break Into A House:

1. Go out with all your roommates.
2. Make sure you lock the front door and each of you conveniently forget to bring a house key.
3. Party all night (Or maybe work all night).
4. Go home past four in the morning.
5. Talk and laugh loud enough for the entire building to hear you.
6. Realize no one has a key to the front door.
7. Start making enough racket to wake all the neighbors.
8. Drag step ladder near your front door, while irritable neighbors watch surreptitiously from their windows.
9. Elect the girl, with the shortest shorts, and skankiest top to scale ladder, rip open the screen from the second floor window. (Landlord will have a fit!) While neighbors, laughing their assess off, watch.
   
10. Watch, heckle and take photos of her, while she struggles and eventually gets stuck in the window. Again, with irritable-neighbors-who-are-gleefully-watching-the-noisy-and-inconsiderate-girls-next-door take photos as well.
11. Elect a second girl to push the first girl's legs in the window. Laugh harder and louder. Wake up more neighbors if possible.
    
12. Finally, first girl, unlocks the front door, and everyone gets in.
13. Slam the door that can be heard all the way to EDSA.
    
14. Leave step ladder in the hallway to cause accidents to other residents.

*click on photos for larger image

Edna Mode in Person

When I saw this photograph at Trash the Dress! on their Trick or Treat Contest Finalist post, I was laughing uproariously. Cindy Cheng is brilliant!

I can almost hear her say, "Edna Mode. And Guest."

Crazy Thursday

I woke up to colds yesterday. The kind that makes your nose stuffy and your throat painful. But I got up, still in my pj's, turned on my laptop and started to work. I was also fixing my schedule for this weekend, because I've got some cookie orders, the new cookie recipe I wanted to try, plus the photos I wanted to submit to this contest, the thing with my parents, and the photo shoot with Men's Health. And in between hitting the space bar and jotting notes on my notebook, I was sneezing and blowing my nose.

Then my sister (who was on her way to a weekend at the beach to set turtles free) called.

"Ate, your classmate did it again!"
"Classmate?" Sneeze. "Are you talking about Sonny?"
"Yes!!"
"He's not my classmate." Sneeze. Sniff. Sniff.
"He's not? Oh! he's my classmate."
"Right."
"He was your student once."
"Uh-huh." Sneeze.
"Oh never mind! He did it again! An Oakwood thingee!"
"WHAAATTT!?!?!?"

These are the times when I sorely wish I had a TV reception even if it's just the local channels. (I won't elaborate on what happened, but for full story just search for it on any local broadsheet website.) I listened to the AM radio over the internet, while I got ready to run errands for the day. I wanted to stay in bed, my colds were demanding that I do, but I had to buy ingredients, and get meds and fruits. So after lunch, I left, the radio tuned to DZRH, and started on my list of errands.

I got back home at 5:30PM. I immediately put on a heavy sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, and crawled under the covers. I drank my meds and plenty of water, and tried to sleep. But my phone kept ringing: my Dad asking about my essay, a friend who wanted to inform me of his new number and email, and my Dad again asking where the hell I was because there was a curfew.

That woke me up instantly. Curfew? Apparently to quell anymore "disturbances to the peace," everyone is expected to be indoors between 12MN and 5AM.

My alertness was quickly replaced by sleepiness. I didn't really care at that point. I just wanted to succumb to the meds, and sleep. I'm not the alleged corrupt one who was so panicked over a closed-door meeting with twenty armed soldiers in attendance that emptied an entire five-star hotel (okay, so it qualifies as holding it hostage); and who over-reacted by sending tankers and battalions of soldiers to break up so-called "meeting." It's actually flattering to have all these attention given to this so-called "meeting." Who holds that kind of a meeting anyway?!? Normal people sit around a table, talk, sip coffee, munch on pastries and don't require every other guests to leave, having your armed friends escort them out of the building every ten minutes.

Don't mind me, my head is still swimming with cold and flu medicine.

ROCK THE RILES 2007

The 3rd Rock the Riles is on! An annual gathering of artists to uphold Human Rights! Abangan! Salihan! Ipamalita.

Imbitado ka na naman.


RtR Icon design by: Acky Ferreria. copyright2007 (PLS NOTE: this poster is still undergoing revisions for the add'l participants in Riles. Buendia has rakista.com bands, Quezon Av has the photographers of LomoManila, North Edsa has the M4 collective and a DJ set up, etc etc etc)

Text by Gang Badoy

I Shouldn't Have Gone Out Today

8:30AM. Woke up. Stretched.

8:35AM. Reached for my phone to check messages that were sent while I was sleeping. Foremost was Beng asking if we were still going to the Neil Gaiman event at Fully Booked. Texted back, yes.

8:40AM. Stretched some more.

9:00AM. Went downstairs, turned on the computer.

9:03AM. Closed the Word document (that I'm supposed to be working on because laziness took over).

9:04AM. Clicked on Sally's Salon.

11:10AM. Roomate woke up and found me still playing Sally's Salon.

11:30AM. Started researching again for wedding photography.

11:43AM. I stumbled on a goth-obsessed wedding photographer. Photos very ordinary and we didn't like her lay outs. (In Nards' words: PANGIT!!)

11:50AM. Started to outline our rates for our wedding photography business, and other people we can tap to provide supplementary services (layouts, videos)

12:00NN. Beng called, confirming our Neil Gaiman thingee. (Yes, for the hundredth time, partnered with eyes rolling)

12:03PM. Still surfing.

1:05PM. Beng sent a text message saying she was five minutes away.

1:06PM. Panic!

1:09PM. Showering frantically.

1:10PM. Beng knocks on the door.

1:12PM. Showered and dressed.

1:17PM. Frantic again. Shutting down the computers and unplugging ALL the electricals. (Global warming!!)

1:20PM. Driving on EDSA.

2:00PM. Arrived in Bonifacio High Street.

2:08PM. Browsing (and hating Fully Booked)

2:45PM. Standing at the left side of stage where Neil Gaiman will speak.

3:00PM. No sign of Neil Gaiman.

3:02PM. Started taking photos of Beng and Nards, the audience, the stage, anything and anyone to alleviate boredom.

3:15PM. Still no sign of Neil Gaiman. But I see two men tuning a guitar on the stage. (What are they doing there? Is Neil going to do a song and dance number?)

3:18PM. People in Wushu costume carrying long drumsticks sneak "backstage." (Backstage is a flimsy tent.)

3:23PM. Still no sign of Neil Gaiman.

3:30PM. Consensus of the group: Leave. No patience to sit through a front act. (Especially when all we want to hear was Neil! Neil! Neil!! Haay.)

3:33PM. Pulling out of the parking lot.

3:35PM. Made a left turn on 32nd St from 9th Avenue.

3:37PM. Got flagged down by traffic enforcer for making an illegal left turn.

3:38PM. Doing my I-shouldn't-have-gone-out-today mantra.

3:50PM. Got off with a warning.

4:00PM. Went to S&R to buy board shorts for Beng. They were out, so we bought shirts instead.

4:17PM. High tailed it out of The Fort and went to meet Maan to buy a camera flash.

4:40PM. Got the flash. Tempted to do an impromptu photoshoot, but opted to go home instead.

5:30PM. Had an early dinner.

6:20PM. Home.

Free Turtles!

Punta kayong Morong beach stretch. Pawikan Conservation Center.



Great day trip.

Sunrise of Nov 30 -- assist these baby pawikans to the shore.



Sunset of Nov 30 -- groove to the music of CHILLITEES and SOUND together with the artists of Locked Down Productions. (event powered by Rock Ed Philippines -Environment Project Group)



Acknowledgments: Province of Bataan, Center for Environmental Awareness and Education and the musicians of Rock Ed Philippines who like turtles.

--Text by Gang Badoy

The Most Complicated Oatmeal Raisin Cookie in the Wurld

Exactly what ingredients does one expect when one bites into an oatmeal cookie? I would say, the usual: butter, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, vanilla, oats and raisins; maybe even walnuts or almonds.



My Mum, however, saw this recipe in her new cookbook. And like title of this post says, it's the most complicated oatmeal raisin cookie in the wurld. Here are some of the ingredients:

Sifted dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

Lemon zest

Molasses

Molasses with the creamed butter, muscovado sugar and lemon zest

Dry ingredients mixed with the dark (thanks to the molasses) wet ingredients

Rolled oats

Raisins

Walnuts

Before it went into the oven

After it was taken out of the oven

I may not be baking these cookies again, but I certainly enjoyed baking with my Mum. :)





Photos by Aggie

In Memoriam

Maan Gale Bustali�o.

Died in the Bomb Blast in Batasan.
Classmate, Friend, Public Servant and a true Filipina.

"Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you there." ~ Isla Paschal Richardson

Filipino Sunday Silence

11-11-07. 164 private citizens of the Philippines watched the sunset in silence. All wearing a shade of blue. No placards, no megaphones, no poetry, no songs.

Whatever it is you think we're protesting about, you're probably right.

www.rockedphilippines.org
www.dakila.org.ph

Imelda The Maid

And speaking of shoes....

Another Pair of Shoes

I'm so glad slingbacks are back. Couldn't resist buying this pair.

A Three Day Old Infant and An Obituary

Yesterday, while we were waiting for our meeting to start, Gang saw an obituary for a three day old infant.



"Shet, nakakalungkot naman ito. Three days old lang siya," sabi ni Gang. I agreed. Although there was a familiar name in it, but I wasn't sure if it was the person I knew. We didn't think about it anymore, because the conversation turned to other things. The urge to text passed because I don't have Brian's number on my phone.



Until today, when I got an email from Brian. His baby nephew, Miguel Paulo, passed away. He also attached a scanned clipping of the obituary. The same obituary we saw.



And I feel so sad. He was born on 29 October and he passed away on 1 November. He was cremated last Monday, 5 November.



I can't imagine the grief that the parents are going through.



Photo Source

Undas

My mother lighted these candles. She placed it on the sidewalk in front of our house. In most of the houses, up and down our street, there are lighted candles either on the sidewalk or just outside the gate. Every half hour, my siblings and I take turns making sure they are still lighted or if one or two of the holders need a replacement candle.

We do this every year, for our loved ones who have passed on; for Lola Angela and Lolo Periong.

Wake Up Call for Cat People

I miss Figaro.

Robin William's Scottish Definition of Golf

I watched Robin Williams Live on Broadway DVD at Meah's. This segment made me laugh so much, it gave me stitches. :P

It's About Time

Nards has been urging me for the longest time to set up a photoblog. I finally did today.



Link.





Photo by: Nards

Mrs. Fields Cafe, Trinoma Mall

38 Qs

Tagged by Bambi. :)

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Nards
2. What were you doing at 0800? Waking Up
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Blogging
4. What happened to you in 2006? I moved out of my parents' house
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Whoa, pasta
6. How many beverages did you have today? 9 glasses of water, one cup of tea, one glass of milk, one glass of cold milk tea (I like to drink)
7. What color is your hairbrush? I don't own a hairbrush
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Dinner at Grilled Tomato
9. Where were you last night? Home
10. What color is your front door? Green
11. Where do you keep your change? In a kitten jar.
12. What?s the weather like today? Sunny during the day, drizzling at night
13. What?s the best ice-cream flavor? Vanilla
14. What excites you? Sunny days, road trips, new toys
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Yes
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes
17. Do you talk a lot? Uh-huh
18. Do you watch the O.C.? Used To
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Nope
20. Do you make up your own words? Not anymore
21. Are you a jealous person? Hmmm. Sometimes.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ?A?. Arvin
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ?K?. Kris
24. Who?s the first person on your received call list? Beng
25. What does the last text message you received say? "Facebuk" from my sister
26. Do you chew on your straw? No
27. Do you have curly hair? No
28. Where?s the next place you?re going to? GMA to meet with Pie for lunch
29. Who?s the rudest person in your life? Markcasious
30. What was the last thing you ate? Lansones
31. Will you get married in the future? I think I might
32. What?s the best movie you?ve seen in the past 2 weeks? My Fair Lady on DVD
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Two nights ago
35. Are you currently depressed? No
36. Did you cry today? No
37. Why did you answer and post this? was tagged by Bambi
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. Beng and Mitzie

Withdrawal Symptoms

Shet. 72 hours of no DSL after my arrival from Davao. Followed by 120 hours of intermittent connection. (Read: 3 mins of surfing then 15 mins of no connection, then another 3 mins of surfing, followed by another 15 mins of no connection...this went on and on for the next five days. Enough to make me pull the hair out of the inept technician's head, who replaced our cable modem.) No email, no multiply, no blogspot, no wordpress, no picasaweb, no inquirer.net, no friendster, no twitter, no facebook. Terrible withdrawal symptoms for 7 days.

Thank heavens it's now fixed.

It's good to be back online.

3AM, A Pre-Pre-Halloween Story

Wednesday, 10 October 2007. It was our second night in Malagos. I woke up at 3am (technically thursday morning) to go to the bathroom. I lingered a bit at the sink, washing my hands with warm water and to check if my duck loofah was dry. I went back to my bed and crawled underneath the heavy blankets. Our AC was cranked up on high. I turned on my side and faced the wall. I could hear Carol snoring softly on the next bed.

Then I heard a loud and audible whisper. Just behind me.

"San na kayo?"

My heartbeat kicked into high gear because Carol's snoring never stopped. I did a 180 on the bed and peered at her. She was fast asleep. I called out her name softly, but she kept on sleeping and snoring. I went cold all over and sweat broke on my forehead. My hands went clammy.

Who the heck whispered?????

Unnerved and totally freaked out, I couldn't go back to sleep. I plugged my ears with the earbuds and turned on my mp3 player. Then I shut my eyes, and concentrated on the lyrics of each song I heard.

The next night, I changed hotels.

Food For Thought For Today

Desperate Housewives Racial Slur Against Philppine Med Schools

Looks like the Desperate Housewives writer and Teri Hatcher should have been thinking in the lines of "what would happen if i pop this balloon...."

Move over Mr. Kabab. Grilled Tomato is here.

(Pansin ko puro pagkain ang bina-blog ko lately ah..)

I remember Gabby telling us that a classmate of hers from ISCAHM was opening a little persian restaurant in the Tomas Morato area. We chanced upon it yesterday; it was a few steps from the corner of T. Morato and Scout De Guia. The food is really good. The menu is divided into six: favorites, starch, short order, gyros, sidings and drinks. (They don't have dessert, but they said that they're still working on the menu.) It's flavorful but not overpowering, which made me thoroughly enjoy every spoonful, forkful and handful.

Their prices are so reasonable. Each meal (rice with viand) ranges from Php55 to Php90. (Cheaper than Mr. Kabab.) And the servings are hefty! If you add a small amount, you can even opt to have all the rice you can eat. They add Php20 for drinks if you're getting a meal. They serve the usual: sodas, yogurt shakes, beer (sanmig and coors) and ice milk tea (my favorite so far).

The restaurant is divided into smoking and non-smoking areas. Because it's also located just a bit off T. Morato, it's quieter, which I like.

Iced Milk Tea in a very tall glass (Php55)

Our appetizer, pita bread (you can order as many pieces as you like; they charge Php15 per piece) served with curry dip (Php25). Curry dip is okay with me, but if you're looking for something substantial, then you might not enjoy it.

Keema with Rice. (Daming rice!) Yummy. (Php90 with drink)


Chicken Tikka
(Php55, for two pcs it's Php90) One piece is enough, but I was soo hungry, I ordered two.

I had the beef kebab before (Php90 for two servings) and it's much better than the special chelo at Mr. Kabab. I look forward to trying their gyros next time.


Photos by Nards & Aggie


Grilled Tomato
100 Scout De Guia St.
Quezon City
http://grilledtomato.multiply.com

Comfort Food

The drive was long. It was stormy, I almost couldn't see beyond the two feet in front of the car. It was a wet and miserable day. And chilly. The fog rolled in early, and even though it was only six pm, it felt like it was ten. We escaped the cold sharp wind and took refuge in the cozy dining room of Bag of Beans. After a lot of seesawing on the menu, this is what we ordered.


The apple pie was warm, and topped with heavenly vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whip cream and half a cherry, and then drizzled with caramel syrup.



Hot Chocolate. This one really hit the spot. Rich, creamy, chocolaty and sweetened just enough.

Can't wait to go back there after our Davao trip. In the meantime, I have to content myself with apple pie from Good Shepherd with frozen vanilla yogurt.

Photos by Nards & Aggie

Better Not Knowing

Ever had those moments when you regret that you know something the minute you know it?

While we're both bent over our respective laptops, Nards and I have Sex in the City running on the DVD player. (White noise) We're on season five, episode 7, entitled The Big Journey. I look up and who do I see? Gordon (aka Roscoe Orman) of Sesame Street! He was a waitier. And I felt so sad!

I don't know how to explain it, but I just felt so sad! I regret looking up at that particular second.

Quick Weight Loss

This is the quickest and easiest weight loss program ever. In the Wurld.

No diet, no exercise. No pain.

UP Pep Squad, 2007 Cheerdance Champion

Congratulations! High tosses, quick and efficient execution of tricky pyramids and awesome dance moves!

Part 1

Part 2

The Vegetarian Ad that Offended American Viewers

For a country with scandalous music videos and trashy television shows, I'm surprised that they found this offensive. Offensive enough to have it pulled off the air.

David's New Snail

Saw this first at David's Dad's Site.

Sesame Street Unpaved

One good way of spending a lazy sunday afternoon is watching vintage sesame street. My best friend, Claire, sent me Volume 1 Sesame Street Old School (1969 - 1974), plus a book entitled Sesame Street Unpaved. And lately, my free time has been spent watching educational clips that I grew up with; and reading interesting facts about the show that dominated my life from age 3 til 8. (Voltes V was a distant second to it.)



It's interesting the way I react to it. I'm filled with nostalgia. And giddy! Absolutely giddy! the delight and excitement I felt when I was 3, I felt it when I saw the lady bug's picnic or the alligator king or the king of 8s or the two little girls and the little doll house or.. (I could go on and on here.) But now, it's more like seeing an old old dear friend.



I love Sesame Street.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is one of our favorite quick and easy dinner fixes.

A loaf of bread, some juicy tomatoes and slices of quick melt or mozzarella cheese.

Slice the tomatoes. Slightly thicker than the cheese slices.

Lovely color!

I always put the cheese first (making sure that every space is covered) and then a layer of sliced tomatoes.

Hmmmm. (Mouth already watering.)

Melt some butter. (Kitchen gets filled up with an appetizing aroma.)

Make sure that the skillet is well covered with butter.

Carefully put the sandwich on the skillet. (Sometimes, they just fall apart!)

Make sure that both sides are golden brown in color.

Slice diagonally and serve with a handful of unsalted potato chips.