Spontaneity on a Roll

To hop on the bus on a whim, leaving everything behind for a few carefree hours, is just what I deserve after a very long week at work.

And to find one self in a situation in which PATIENCE is the basic currency makes the experience more difficult to dismiss.

It being Friday might have caused the unusual volume of night travelers but boy, the wait that I had to endure on getting a bus was something that I have only been subjected to when coming from the big city. An hour has passed before the bus left the terminal and I was not seated, having elected not to join the surge of passengers determined to go home on time.

The objective was to catch the last full show while waiting for Omil to get off from work, which of course, didn't happen. By the time we got to the terminal, Omil has left the office already. It was some time past 10 pm already. As an alternative, we went back from whence he came and grabbed a late meal (as if we haven't indulged already earlier in the day).

I had dessert which we metabolized later walking around the New Government Center. We ended our madness at the break of a new day, catching the first trip to Hinigaran.

Some Christmas Date

For a change from the usual Christmas Party at the beach, it has been decided (by some minority vote...lol) that we will have something like a group date. You know, lunch, movie, coffee and bowling. Well...

I had to break off from the UPV Chem people with whom I spent the night at Mambukal to meet LST peeps at Wara-Wara for a very extended lunch.

I must have ingested half a kilo of meat that tea seemed necessary (that a self-confessed reluctant drinker helped finish  ;).

Nevertheless, before leaving Wara-wara, Glen and I had each one of those Korean ice candies.

Then off to Calea's we went for coffee and cheese cakes before finally convening at Lopue's east for the unplanned tournament.

The match was between boys  and girls. We won ;) by one player. Hell!

Since most of the guys couldn't wait to go home, we had our exchange of gifts after the game. I picked my own package. Bummer. So I went to pick another number and got this 8-in-1 screwdrivers set which Glen for a discounted price at the mall. Now all I need are some big allen screws for J the bike.

Of Baby Back Ribs and Vietnamese Coffee

Alice's Recipes

A year or so after hearing about this eatery for the first time, I finally set foot in its smallish interior for a celebratory lunch by the one who repeatedly advertised the place for serving noteworthy baby back ribs.

At 2:30 p.m. the roll up door was half-closed and the place was deserted. On one corner, a lady was making some entries in the journal while the bus boy was busy with refilling tissue holders. The thing is, they're open 10:30 - 3:00 and 5:30 - 10:00.

Maybe we looked hungry, as we really were (we waited for our sponsor
 that they allowed us in, took our orders and let us finish our meal in a leisurely pace.

Xin Chao

It must have been four-ish when we arrived at the Circumferential road having tarried with lunch and commuting by PUJ going to Hi-Strip. JM and I had drip coffee while KZ sampled a Viet version of halo-halo which to me, tasted more like a chilled linugaw.

I've seen a drip cup from Mae's which she got from her Chem Conference in Vietnam earlier this year but I have never used one so the experience was a novelty. Regular strength tasted strong enough for me and with condensed milk for sweetening, that afternoon brought me back to a place far away.

Note: The initial plan was to witness a reenaction of Negros Revolution against the Spaniards in Bago City but due to a lot of changes in the plans, we made do with this afternoon food trip.

Senti Sunday

Based on my account, I haven't been to Starbucks for ages now and so "vowed" to visit the next time I get to be in the big city.

Business was slow which is unusual given that it is a Sunday afternoon. It was a Java Chip venti for me.

It's disappointing though that the cashier did not give me internet access for WP. She said they no longer have internet connection when their network appeared on my phone. On top of that, when I checked my old phone, it connected automatically and has notified me of seven updates. That is quite a downer.  Yet, having a bad day was something that I did go out of the house for so when I was halfway through my drink, I headed out.

Starbucks is quite a long way to Robinson's. Yet with company and small talk, the distance was of little consequence.

Very much the same can be said about walking alone and think about the have been. It may sound pathetic but I beg to differ. Letting go may be easy for some but I'm not some people. Sentiments stick to me like second skin. I love them as much as I value my college notebooks in engineering science. The memories it inspired surprisingly brought smiles rather than regret.



Walking also provides an outlet to ease guilt from ingesting junk that does little for the body (that cream topping on my java chip venti) and prepare the stomach for another strenuous exercise set for dinner

.The weather cooperated. With skies overcast with clouds, high chances of rain, and the gentle breeze that whisked petrol fumes away from the sidewalk, sweating and smelling like smoked wildlife did not present a problem.

 I wormed my way into some intimate family dinner by the Maits at Bar 21. We had gambas for starters as spicy crablets were out of season. It was followed by stir-fried vegetable and Kare-kare and baby-back ribs. Everything was to my liking. So far I liked everything I was served at this restaurant except for their batchoy.

Great escape from my power-deprived city.

Making Each Trip Count: Museum Cafe

Friday has always been a day to look forward to. Last week was even made special by the fact that it fell on the day that the local parish celebrated its annual fiesta. For us, it meant an extra day to do something personal.  

Despite conscious efforts of hastening with routine, still it was already 11 am when I found myself at the bus terminal.  

Gaisano was our first stop. I promised sis to help her look for crib, bassinet and other baby stuff. Their furniture were obviously old but the place was heaven for baby clothes. I helped myself with a few articles before I got myself a white pair of Sneakers (and got KZ to do the same). We forgot the time, it was already past 3 pm and KZ still had to catch DFA. 

We dropped by SM for Bills Payment. I thought that nobody has discovered yet the Customer Service. Well, I was wrong. Not only was there quite a queue, the clients were problematic as well. One lost her card, and the other had to fill out an application form for license renewal. Our stopover lasted almost an hour, we too a taxi going to Robinsons. 

To finish early, we split up. KZ went to DFA and Philhealth while I paid my Mobile Network. While waiting, I sat and read a little bit.  

Kz's transactions went well, she rejoined me and we had our follow up treatment at Salon Uropa. 

For dinner, we tried something new: Museum Cafe. 

Their main dishes were so costly. I spied a "Dorado" dish priced at P320 when that morning I bought I kilo of the same for a measly P180. And so, we opted for their salad and sandwiches, which didn't disappoint.  

I had Kape Candoni which tasted so much like my favorite House Blend, tempered with whole milk and muscovado sugar.  

For starters, we had salad with tomato salsa, greens and some pickled vegies. I had roast beef sandwich in baguette while Jing had pork and Kz, chicken with their fruit shakes. The food was filling and made a hell of an impression. No wonder GMA hailed them best resto in Bacolod. I  just got to try their main dishes soon.

Living my Resolution: Salon Uropa

A night of inspired writing was lost because I found out just this morning that windows required software update. 

It has been a very long Saturday. I went to work after my weekend chores which meant mucking canine cribs and cleaning the yard. What I thought to be a three-hour engagement turned out to be more than that. I worked through lunch until the sun has set. It resulted to a three-page transcript of the Summit I attended the previous day which I emailed to the bosses before I called it a day.  

To reward my industry, I made plans to spend Sunday in the big city.  

First stop was at Mae Grace's to claim the second installment of my Christmas gifts. This time, she got me a glass French Press. 

I was already late for church service so I  thought of going together with KZ instead of my going ahead. 

Our first stop was at Casa Mait to fetch my boots (among other things). Like last week, the boys occupied the living room and Mimi was still in bed. This time I offered to buying chicken for lunch but Mimi insisted on paying. She was excited and worried at the same time about her trip to Manila. The airline has not sent yet their itinerary. We contacted Customer Chat Support and had to wait an hour to get served. It didn't help that I pressed the refresh button that brought us back to the end of the queue. Lol! 

Us girls went out together and found ourselves inside Salon Uropa. We all opted for the intense treatment which involved a lot of pain. I was a bit disappointed about my attendant but nevertheless, she made my previous facial trips look wasted. Even during dinner, my nose and chin still smarted from pain.

The process took an hour to complete and another 30 minutes for Kz. 

Before our turn, we had to wait an hour as well. So it's no wonder that we almost finished two platters of rice. We had an oriental feast of yang chow, shanghai rice, roast duck, barbecued pork and chicken, a selection of dim sum and soda.

We lost track of the time that we had to run to get to the movie. Sis gave me four passes and we used that to watch Bride for Rent. The cast was good, but I saw no spark between the leads.  

A Day After New Year's Day

Last  night I was occupied with chatting among other things. Volts asked about rephrasing the letter he composed for their supplier regarding a new equipment.    What he came up with sounded good already so I  only did some minor tweaking. 

Besides that, it took me a lot of time to upload today's pictures online. Since the native FB app doesn't work yet, I had to share them first to A500 (which battery was in critically low level already and I left the charger at mother's) or HP (which do not have editing apps like photogrid). 

Earlier in the day, as planned   KZ and I went out. She was scheduled to claim her new ATM card and buy some spray paint for her room while I 'needed' to buy casing for my windows phone, claim planner from Starbucks and pick up camera (I left at Pats' in Cebu two months ago when I attended Maddie's wedding) from Mama Sen at the clinic. Sis also had me enquire about flying ticket rates for next week. 

Since its just along the way to Robinson's, Ordonez Clinic was our first stop. It was some time past 1pm and they were closed for siesta. Peeking throughout the tinted walls, I caught the attention of a girl lounging on the couch mouthing that it was mamasen I went there for. After a few exchanges through closed doors, we finally understood each other and out  came mamasen with the camera. Flattering that she mistook me for a much younger sister exclaiming that I looked like a teenage girl. That went on for a spell with her recalling us with her frequent mistaken age as well. She turned down my invite for coffee at Bisogno (just a few paces away from their building). Instead she advised me to take mucoangin for my persistent cough and cold.

I had an espresso that I know tasted good. Even with my non-functional taste buds, I could feel that distinct coffee taste in my mouth. I promised myself to have the same bevy the next time I happen by.

the (unofficial) graduate

The day was met with a lot of oppositions.
I went to school and stationed myself in the server room hoping for some peace and quiet while preparing for the assessment of my last module. Thinking that if I stay in the office, people stopping by to chat or paying their accounts would be inevitable. One thing I did not count was the presence of a very chatty colleague who decided to chat me up that day. So, my session ended with my having been able to print some portfolio materials but never get to finish the video I intended to emulate during my presentation.
I left the house at sometime past 1 already. The trip to the big city was fine until we got to Manville area where we got stuck for a good 30 minutes. An immobile PUJ has unfortunately blocked one lane of the narrow bridge separating Sum-ag from Tangub.
On the PUJ drive from the terminal to Burgos, a hearse went before us. So we arrived at the center two hours later than planned and presented two hours later to finish some documentary requirements.

I had to do my demo twice. The first time I did it, transitions from various stages weren't emphasized. I reckon I should be a good actress to get better at this. Ed's input are well appreciated. I know it will help me greatly in bagging that NC next month.
To celebrate my unofficial graduation, I ordered a roast beef set meal from Pancake House with refillable brewed coffee tempered with fresh milk (from a carton...hahaha) and brown sugar. Sweet!

date with mom

it's always a joy taking mom shopping. she's easy to please and doesn't care for brand at all. if something comes in her favorite color and it fits, she buys it. for herself, she bought underthings and a pair of slip-ons, shorts and pjs for her hubby, tees for her tricycle drivers and more underthings for me, sis and cuz. shopping was over but not without endless queues to incompetent cashiers which left us tired and hungry.

she agreed to go japanese so we sat inside the rather empty rairaiken. i ordered beef yakiniku and california maki which became instant hits. she enjoyed her meal as much as having her pictures taken.

CNY 2010

Feb 12 - As preparation for future action, I took the trip to the NBI office and got a copy of the clearance that would be one of my tickets to getting a job offshore. About where that is, it remains unknown yet. And I thought 7:30 a.m. was early enough. It's a lesson learned, especially that waiting meant killing time, mainly eating. The heat that early was already unbearable so having a halo-halo a Chowking seemed fair. For lunch, it's lechon macao and drumsticks at apollo.

chinese new year preparations by the lagoon

Feb 14 - The group met at 7:00 p.m. at the A/C room of South Grill along Lacson extension. Dinner was uneventful as everyone seemed keen about getting the main event over (or was it just me?). Changes on the job description were discussed as well as new management rules re Reliability and so was the assignment of admin tasks.

Food was good yet the crabmeat was a suspect for some inexplicable itch which surfaced just after dinner. The Dragon Dance was a surprise. It was a novel experience. That most of the customers that night were Chinese was realized belatedly. They all knew about the Dragon Dance and that they were actually there to see it.

crispy pata...finger-lickin' good!