Category: Celebration

  • Celebrating Our Parents’ 26th Wedding Anniversary at Gumbo (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

    Celebrating Our Parents’ 26th Wedding Anniversary at Gumbo (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

    Our reservation at Gumbo for dinner was only 30 minutes away, after work hours. Desperate to catch it on the quickest time, I walked briskly (almost ran) until I reached my first stop: Chocolat, SM Mall of Asia, where I bought a red velvet cake for my parents’ wedding anniversary. The night, after all, was all about celebrating this wonderful occasion.

    My parents hit their 26th this year. *Big congrats!* It’s our first time to dine in at this branch of Gumbo (read review of Gumbo at Robinsons Place, Manila). Funny it’s located exactly beside Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant, where we celebrated our parents’ silver anniversary last year. We were led to our seats and before we knew it, the food arrived.

    Celebrating Our Parents’ 26th Wedding Anniversary at Gumbo (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

    It’s already more than a decade when Gumbo opened its first branch in the Philippines, but it already feels like longer. Featuring New Orleans cuisine, this restaurant is considered as iconic an institution as any of the high-low, smart-fusion, upscale-casual restaurant archetypes that have redefined how we eat. Its menu reflects a melting pot of different cultures. A decade later, the crowds are still here. Gumbo branches are all spacious and thus serve as great venues for celebrations and parties.

    For the food, we opted with the tried-and-true classic, Gumbo’s Spaghetti Puttanesca (PHp 375, Petite; PHp 575, Grande). It consisted of spahetti pasta, tossed in pomodoro sauce with fresh basil, capers, balck olives, artichoke and anchovies. With flavorful and aromatic sauce, this version of spaghetti is a comfort food favorite that’s rich and satisfying. The best thing about it? It’s free from meat and is completely vegetarian! At least for our family, it’s a timeless dish that’s ideal for any day’s supper.

    Like Burgoo American Bar and Restaurant, which is also owned by Specialty Restaurant, Inc., Gumbo gives customers the liberty to choose up to four pizza flavors on the menu and make them into an order of one pizza. We had the following:

    • Jumpin’ Shrimps – all fresh-shrimp pizza with pomodoro and mozzarella
    • Quattro Formaggio – mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar and bleu cheese
    • Pomodoro and Cheese – pomodoro sauce topped with mozzarella cheese
    • All-Meat – a hearty combination of pepperoni, Italian sausage, grilled chicken cube and andouille sausage

    Gumbo’s pizzas are so good that I’d want to eat a slice every day, but then my diet would be doomed.

    Lastly, this wedding anniversary celebration wouldn’t be a feast without us ordering the Family Feast (PHp 795, Petite; PHp 1395, Grande) plated with the best of everything. It had the combination of honey-grilled chicken, Bourbon-style barbecue ribs, batter coated cream dory and shrimp kebabs and grilled skewered veggies (zucchini and mushrooms). We generally agreed that each viand was a pleaser. The balance between the seasoning, sauce and smoke of the seafood, meat and veggies had captured the subtle complexity of what we regard as good food.

    After eating, our attending waiter quietly offered to serenade us with a song and at the same time serve the cake. I said okay and they waited for my signal. Shortly, all of Gumbo’s staff (yes, including the chefs and kitchen assistants) arranged themselves in a horizontal line and sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in front of our table. It was such a joyous moment that we wholeheartedly appreciated.

    My sister gave my parents a handmade heart-shaped letter and personalized couple mugs with prints of their name and faces. These things are not anything monumental or life-changing but enough to make my parents that know and feel they are loved and cared for. We then exchanged sweet nothings, enjoyed wearing Gumbo’s hats and took pictures with their lovely background and cozy ambiance for the rest of the night. 🙂

    Every year since I was in secondary school, I make a self contemplation about marriage. Looking at how my parents live life together, I learned that seriously loving someone is not much about having butterflies in the stomach or having extravagant gifts to exchange every day. Rather, being together is more about the day-to-day co-existence. It’s more about living simply—smiling when a message is received from the partner, laughing at inside jokes, cooking meals, serving food, watching shows, telling stories and setting directions.


    When one is sad about life, unmotivated to wake up in the morning or when one is ready to give up on everything, the other should give purpose and excitement over again. I told myself I should remember all these. I must take pictures and write about them, so I’m reminded how great my parents are with everything that goes on around them.

    Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary, Mommy and Daddy. We love you, always. ♥

  • The Launch of PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2

    The Launch of PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2

    Where to eat? What to eat? Where to travel? What to see? All these questions can be answered perfectly and enthusiastically by Philip Abadicio, the jolly and humurous man behind PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! This lifestyle show, airing in TV5 every Sunday from 11AM to 12NN, features episodes with exciting segments about the latest trends, newest restaurants, hangout places and other great finds in the metro.

    As a result of the success of PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 1 (13 episodes), it was set that the program would have a whole new season for everyone to catch this February 2014! 😀

     Philip and me : )

    Who is Philip Abadicio?

    Last Saturday, we celebrated the launch of PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2. I arrived early at the venue, Chef Laudico Guevarra’s, with my sister and familiarized ourselves foremost with the setting.  Then suddenly, I was approached by a man.

    “Hello, I’m Philip.” was all he said as he introduced himself humbly. Half starstruck and half embarrassed, I nodded slowly to acknowledge his presence and spoke my name in turn with a smile. I gotta mark my calendar: February 8, 2014 — the day I finally got to meet Philip Abadicio in flesh and upclose. Hey, this guy is inspirational, the best at what he does!

    
    Bloggers at the Event

    For years, Philip Abadicio has been writing about the newest, the most delicious, the best dressed, the ultimately exclusive, and the lives of the rich and raunchy. His bio states that “as a PR man, he established RPA & Communicate where he mastered the ropes of the lifestyle industry.” Philip has hosted a lifestyle news program for the Global News Network, “Style RPA TV,” and a lifestyle magazine talk show called “It’s More Fun with Philip.”

    With growing number of viewers Philip calls as “lifestylers,” his contract was renewed and he was given another break. Thus he now continues to provide more inspiring things in his show. The latter quarter of 2013 was when PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 1 came about.

    PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2 – Real, Personal and All-that Style

    In this new season, you can expect to learn more about art and style of living with loads of fun. Media Maven Philip Abadicio explains that it’s a program that will educate, entertain and inspire all of us at the confines of our living room. Produced by Style RPA Media, directed by Dave Hukom and Tootoots Leyesa, and written by Rod Divinagracia, PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2 will show you how to celebrate and live a good life in whatever status, situation or circumstance you have right now.

     Philip and Miss World Philippines 2012 1st Princess,
    Mary Anne Ross Misa

    If given a chance, I would also want to have a lifestyle show on TV. After auditioning for Chinoy TV and backing out because of a better opportunity, I realized that it’s a dream that comes only for a selected few. I might as well concentrate on my career as an IT professional and attend colorful events during weekends as a blogger on this site. Nyahaha okay enough of me… 😛

    Remember to turn your TV on and stay tuned to PHILIP Lifestyle Guy! Season 2 every Sunday from 11AM to 12NN on TV5. Viewers can interact with Philip by commenting through his Facebook page and tweeting or replying to his posts on Twitter. Everyone is invited to join online contests where cool prizes await. Visit his website for more details and updates! 😀

  • Celebrating Chinese New Year 2014 (Wooden Horse)

    Celebrating Chinese New Year 2014 (Wooden Horse)

    Gong xi fa cai, everyone! January 31, 2014 marked the first day of the lunar calendar for 2014, the Year of the Wooden Horse. Since it was a Friday, most of our family members had to work and were not available for partying. Hence, we celebrated Chinese New Year on the nearest Sunday (February 2, 2014) instead, with Yan Family Association (中山会馆 Chung Sun Woi Kwon), at Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant, Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila where we occupied the entire second floor. 🙂

    新春會員聯歡大會 + 新屆理事就職典禮

    As we gathered with friends and relatives to feast and spread goodwill for 2014, we also witnessed the induction of the 85th batch of officers of our Cantonese multi-clan association. These officers are responsible for organizing charitable projects and social services which benefit the Filipino-Chinese community. They are also responsible in preserving the customs and traditions of the Chinese living in the Philippines.

    Although most of the association’s activities are not transparent to me (aside from celebrations like this), I heard that they offer free classes during summer for those who are interested to learn the Chinese language particularly Cantonese. The sad fact is that most people in our generation already don’t know how to speak in Cantonese. Conversed and taught in school usually are the more common ones such as Mandarin and Hokkien. We’re just lucky to have been trained to speak in all those three since childhood.

    Celebrating Chinese New Year 2014 (Wooden Horse)

    During the CNY celebration, we had games, raffle draws and prizes, song and dance numbers and giveaways for everyone. Still, the best and central part was the food! 🙂

    Typical Chinese New Year food carries meanings. For instance, fish is associated with wealth because in Mandarin, fish is 魚 (yu) and the term for abundance is 餘 (yu). Regardless of the type of cooking done to fish, it symbolizes a positive year from start to end. 代表有足夠的東西可分讓出來(年年有餘).

    Another food that’s probably the most popular during Chinese New Year is 年糕 (nian gao) or sweet sticky rice cakes in English. In the Philippines, this is referred to as “tikoy” (actually should be pronounced as “ti kuih”). In Chinese, the term 年年高生 literally translates to “every year higher and higher.” Does it make sense that way? Let me rephrase: raising oneself in each coming year. People believe that eating tikoy will make them advance toward higher positions and prosperity (讓人們逐步晉升到更高的職位與興旺).

    – Mommy –

    Because we’re not too superstitious, we’re okay to not follow every single one of them strictly. For lunch, we were served with random Chinese food which did not necessarily have to convey any prosperous meanings but nonetheless were festive:

    Cold Cuts Platter

    Steam Suahe

    Wintermelon Soup

    Japanese Crabmeat with Corn Roll

    Yang Chow Fried Rice

    Peking Duck Golden Fortune Style

    Buns

    Minced Duck with Lettuce

    Pata Tim

    Steam Yellow Fish

    Desserts

    After taking small bites of each except the meat, I felt pleasantly full but not bloated, thank goodness. Then like always, we were given hong bao by the eldest members of the family association. 新年快樂! 😛

  • Gifts to My Sister’s 21st Birthday – Dinner at Silk Road Thai Bistro and Shoes!

    Gifts to My Sister’s 21st Birthday – Dinner at Silk Road Thai Bistro and Shoes!

    Last two weekends ago, I took my family to SM Aura. After window-shopping, we headed out to Silk Road Thai Bistro (Bonifacio Global City) for dinner in advanced celebration of my sister’s 21st birthday.

    At her age and with her limited interests, I wasn’t sure what to give as a gift. The safest present must be FOOD and bonding time, so I treated them to dinner in a place I consider one of the best now in the metro. For the material thing that shouldn’t be missed, I got her a pair of shoes and you’ll know more about the story below. 😉

    Treat to My Sister’s 21st Birthday – Dinner at Silk Road Thai Bistro

    Gosh, I didn’t want to turn this post into another food review, but the thought of sharing my descriptions of the taste and presentation of the food just can’t stop the food blogger in me. So this is to share how we found Silk Road’s offering for the night, briefly:

    I didn’t make any reservation but we were lucky to find free seats at once. The restaurant staff still recognized me as one of the bloggers who dined in there last time. The manager was extra helpful still in giving us recommendations of food from the menu. We occupied a smaller table and later transferred to a more spacious set as the previous customers left.

    While waiting for our orders, we watched the crowd ebb and flow in the room and took pictures with the enchanting backdrop. I’m glad my family liked the place as much as I do. Silk Road Thai Bistro is where beautiful people spend money to nibble and drink. 😛

    We started with Tom Khai Gai (PHp 300) which consisted of chicken, coco milk and galangal soup. The taste was something that resembled laksa—sour, a little spicy but really good. As an appetizer, it deserved a gold star.

    The next dish—Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab (PHp 395)—was something I wanted to try for the longest time. The caramelized soft shelled crabs were cooked with tomatoes, onions and spring onions. Every part of the crab was edible so you don’t have to worry about chewing and swallowing everything into your mouth. Layer upon layer of delicate seafood it’s a winner, even though a teeny tiny bit of extra chili in the mixture might have made it even better. Maybe a sip of wine will make all ails go away—and have you coming back for more! 😀

    To complement the strong taste of the crabs, the Silk Road Signature Rice (PHp 330) made with mixed vegetables, lemongrass, egg, pork crispies and Thai chorizo came fittingly through the table. The ingredients did not stand out though, so it was like eating plain white rice. Anyway, the rice was fragrant and I have no other complains.

    For Daddy, we skimmed through the Vegetarian section of the menu tons of times until the restaurant manager told us those viands still contained a bit of meat and eggs. He suggested the Tofu Wrap Vegetarian (PHp 320) which originally was “Siam Chicken Wrap” on the menu. The kitchen staff amended the star of the recipe from “chicken” to “tofu.” And the result? A reasonably tasty, reasonably healthy, and reasonably priced alternative.

    Lastly, we had the Chiang Mai Khao Soi (PHp 305), a pride of North Thailand. We didn’t realize that it was another soup. Although made with different ingredients (chicken curry with two types of egg noodles) as compared with the Tom Kha Gai above, we thought they were very much alike so we should not have ordered it. Oh well, at least now we know.

    It can be overwhelming walking into Silk Road Thai Bistro again, staring at the bevy of yummy options on a spread of their menu, and finally ordering. Any self-contained dish seemed palatable and okay in my book. 😛 Everything was well worth the money for the effort of this restaurant and it’s virtually impossible not to leave full and happy.

    Other Gift: Celine Shoes

    When we were back at home, my sister opened her presents—shoes (from me), shoes (from my mom) and shoes (from my dad)! And they’re all of the same brand: CLN. 😀 (The shoes are meant to be shared as my mom, sister and me happen to have the same size.)

    A Sole-ful Birthday: Why Shoes for Someone Who Turned 21?

    Obviously I’m not following our Cantonese feng shui when I bought the shoes from Celine. FYI, shoes in Cantonese is “hai” which sounds like a sigh. Some people depict giving of shoes for a birthday as giving sorrow in life and expecting the recipient to have a great deal of bad luck or “sha chi.” In other Chinese belief, giving shoes means breaking up or ending friendship. 😯 Aiyoo, I don’t care about these and I had to stop thinking about the meanings because my intention was way different.

    Since she’ll be working as a corporate trainee next term (hopefully after passing her thesis at the end of December 2013), I figured one of the best things is to introduce items from the corporate wardrobe. We got her platform heeled shoes to make her feel comfortable; the colors (black and brown) are versatile enough to be paired with any clothing.

    The good thing about these shoes is that they’re not classified as “designer shoes” that probably won’t last longer than a season. At the same time, they’re not made from cheap materials that could leave our feet blistery and sweaty. CLN shoes are the perfect compromise.

    Best of all, the price is just right. At PHp 800-1500 per pair, we know we got solid, well-made kicks that will last well for the next two to three years or until we get tired of wearing the same design. Our shoes at home do not have a “shelf life,” but if we do decide to ditch them, we won’t feel like wasting a fortune.

    Wrap Up

    For most people, turning 21 is an ultimate birthday, a commitment that is taken seriously. Why? It’s a coming-of-age milestone that marks that a person is now “all grown up.” But no, it’s not going to be the best and biggest birthday of one’s life—because every birthday could be celebrated in whatever grand way you choose.

    We celebrated my sister’s birthday with a rather simple but happy family dinner and loaded her with shoes that fit appropriately to the career life that optimistically would be meaningful and productive. 🙂

  • Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节庆祝活动 2013

    Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节庆祝活动 2013

    Per tradition, Chinese and even some Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunisolar month in the Chinese calendar. This year, the date landed on September 19.  The moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest, and so we gather to feast on the moon festival.

    In celebration of the mid-autumn festival, we attended an event hosted by our Cantonese family association (旅菲南海九江同鄉會) at lunchtime in Mandarin Sky and another one by Everbest with family at dinnertime in RoyalView Seafood Restaurant last Sunday.

    The irony was that mooncake (the heart of the festival) was not served, yet we were more than satisfied with large servings and scrumptious portions of Chinese food and cash prizes won from the dice game. In the end, everybody went home happy and thankful for another year of harvests and sweet yields.

    FOOD

    Food from both restaurants showcased avant-garde tasting set menus that led on a wild romp into molecular gastronomy by way of 10 courses:

    Mandarin Sky Seafood and Shabu Shabu Restaurant (Banawe, Quezon City)

    1. Wintermelon with Assorted Meat Soup (Large, PHp 410); 2. Steamed Shrimps (Suahe); 3. Deep Fried Oyster with X.O. Sauce (PHp 500); 4. Yang Chow Fried Rice (PHp 420); 5. Fish; 6. Braised Efu Noodles (Large, PHp 400); 7. Sea Clam with Eggwhites (Large, PHp 560); 8. Peppercorn Spare Ribs (Large, PHp 560); 9. Sesame Balls; 10. Red Bean Dessert Soup (Tong Shui)

    RoyalView Seafood Restaurant (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

    1. Assorted Cold Cuts Combination; 2. Seafood w/ Spinach Soup; 3. Steamed Shrimps; 4. Braised Abalone Mushroom w/ Vegetable; 5. Noodles; 6. HK Style Fried Pork Leg; 7. Steam Crabs; 8. Golden Crispy Chicken; 9. Steamed Lapu-Lapu; 10. Mango Sago


    How to Play the Dice Game – Mooncake Festival

    The objective of the Mooncake Dice Game (Pua Tiong Chiu) is to get as much prizes by throwing the dice and getting the winning number combinations. To prepare, you need six pieces of dice, a wide-mouthed bowl and prizes in any form (can be in cash, gift certificates, mooncake, or kind such as school or office supplies, candies and snacks, appliances, gadgets, furniture, car—basically, sky is the limit).

    Prizes:

    Each player has a chance to win a piece of each prize per round or until prizes for a place run out. Prizes vary from 1st place to 6th place winners, by count:
    1st place prize: 1 piece
    2nd place prizes: 2 pieces
    3rd place prizes: 4 pieces
    4th places prizes: 8 pieces
    5th place prizes: 16 pieces
    6th place prizes: 32 pieces

    [box type=”info”] Example: (Cash) 1st place prize: 1 X PHp 1000 2nd place prizes: 2 X PHp 500 3rd place prizes: 4 X PHp 200 4th place prizes: 8 X PHp 100 5th place prizes: 16 X PHp 50 6th place prizes: 32 X PHp 20[/box]

    Rules of the Dice Game:

    1. Gather the players and decide the order in a table. You can write the numbers on paper and ask the players to draw one. Arrange them by their numbers.
    2. Explain the dynamics of the game to get everyone on the same page and make way for clarifications.
    3. The first player throws all 6 dice into the bowl.
    4. Take note of the numbers face-up on the dice, as certain combination of numbers on the dice entitles the player to a prize.
    5. Pass the bowl to the next player and repeat step 4 until all prizes are taken.

    Special Rules:

    1. If any of the dice fall outside the bowl, the player loses his/her turn for that round.
    2. If all the prizes for a given dice number combinations have run out, then future appearances of that configuration win no further prizes.
    3. “Ultimate throw” – The best combination is composed of either 6 fours, or 6 ones.  If you get this combination, you win ALL prizes, even those already won. Some families just give the 1st prize to ensure everybody gets to take home a prize.

    Winning Dice Number Combinations:

    1st place (状元):

    Winning Hierarchy: (1 being the highest and 5 being the lowest)
    1. Six 4s (i.e. 444444)
    2. Six of a kind except 4s (e.g. 3-3-3-3-3-3)
    3. Five 4s + any number (e.g. 4444-3-1)
    4. Five of a kind except 4s + any number (e.g. 5-5-5-5-5-1)
    5. Four 4s + any 2 numbers (e.g. 4444-6-1)

    [box type=”info”] Note: When there’s a tie, for instance, check the “any number” (in #3 and #4 above) or add the “any 2 numbers” in #5. Whoever has the greater sum wins.[/box]

    2nd place (榜眼 / 探花):

    Straight 1 to 6 (i.e. 1-2-3-4-5-6) or Two Trios except 4 (e.g. 111-3-3-3, 5-5-5-2-2-2)

    3rd place (进士):

    Four of a Kind except 4s (e.g. 3-3-3-3-2-1)

    4th place (会元):

    Three 4s + any 3 numbers (e.g. 444-3-2-1)

    5th place (举人):

    Two 4s + any four numbers (e.g. 44-5-3-1-6)

    6th place (秀才):

    One 4 + any five numbers (e.g. 4-2-5-6-6-3)

  • WU Fest 2013 by What’s Up Manila (Makati City)

    WU Fest 2013 by What’s Up Manila (Makati City)

    What Happened in the WU Fest 2013?

    Partnering with Wazzup Pilipinas, What’s Up Manila Magazine has launched an event last July 6, 2013 at the A. Venue in Makati Avenue, Makati City called WU Fest 2013. There were over 50 booths which participated in providing food, drinks and a wide variety of entertainment and activities.

    Our Favorite Exhibitors and Sponsors

    1. Sprinto

    Founded in Hong Kong, Sprinto has long been established as an expert in creating extraordinary watches. Now it has extended its market horizontally as it began to also offer top of the line quality eye wears that are equipped with both practical and aesthetic functions.

    The brand believes in “bringing utmost comfort and safety to all its customers, sparing nothing less than the best colors, design and quality, while still making it unbelievably affordable.” The good news is that this collection is available in major fashion hubs in Manila! Other places where you can find these shades are: Dubao, Singapore and Hong Kong.

    2. Bistecca

    Bistecca prides itself for having the finest steaks in the metro, specifically at the Joya Lofts and Tower in Rockwell City. I personally have not heard of this restaurant before but it might have been creating much buzz in other foodies’ world. Inspired by the traditional Italian way of eating steaks, this establishment aims to offer customers what they feel is the best way to have a steak – shared among friends or family, accompanied by great sides, and a few bottles of wine. In the WU Fest event, Bistecca generously provided the lunch for the bloggers.

    3. Bayani Brew

    Direct from the Gawad Kalinga farm at Angat, Bulacan, Bayani Brew is the social enterprise that produces all-Filipino, all-delicious, all-nutritious iced tea. It originated from the native brews introduced by the nanays (mothers) of the Gawad Kalinga community in the GK Enchanted Farm. It advocates the use of indigenous ingredients such as lemongrass, pandan, and sweet potato tops which are the main ingredients of “Bayani Brew Classic” and “Bayani Brew Purple Leaf.”

    Bayani Brew wants to be remembered not only for its refreshing beverages, but also as part of a movement brewing a new breed of Filipinos crazy in love with our country.

    4. Eat My GF (Garlic Fries)

    Wah liao. Looking for scandal ah? Probably a lot of attention has been caught by this stall named Eat My GF (Garlic Fries) that served burgers and potato chips. This one offers lasting taste and lasting experience. To confirm this, let us visit their two restaurants located in Alabang Town Center and in Little Baguio in San Juan.

    5. Bear Beer Philippines

    Bear Beer Philippines gave away free booze for the bloggers who attended the event. These beers are the best-selling ones that came a long way from Germany. It claims to be “the most affordable imported beer in the Philippine market.” But don’t just take my word for it, come on and try  their different variants of beers!

    6. OK Quench

    Bloggers should have left home hungry to take advantage of the numerous free samples given by the distributors of OK Quench: thirst-quenching sparkling juice drink made with Natural Fruit Juice Concentrate.

    7. Naughty Ninja

    Naughty Ninja is a modern brand aimed to bring out the naughty, sarcastic, evil genius side in all of us. They just recently launched the wrist band as their first product of their accessory line. These are silicon wrist bands with motion sensors and LED blinkers which proved to be quite popular among concert and party-goers.

    They will soon be in the business of producing witty, fun, and satiric t-shirts and undergarments for men and women. The shirts designs (Ninja Tees) will be released soon with references incorporated to movie or TV quotes, parodies of movie posters, word play, wit and humor, and day-to-day events. The fun in being naughty is that it’s low key, subtle and discreet, just like a Ninja is.

    Wrap Up

    There were simply a lot of fun, wild and crazy things that happened in the WU Fest 2013 event, and these could only be best appreciated if you were there! So boohoo to those that did not make it, and cheers to the many people who joined us in the celebration. 😀

  • The Dice in the Board’s Birthday Giveaway (CLOSED)

    The Dice in the Board’s Birthday Giveaway (CLOSED)

    It’s odd how every year seems to go faster as you get older. Here I am, almost a year later feeling blind-sighted by the entire 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8765 hours, 525,600 minutes and 31,556 seconds that made up this year. Amazing how a day becomes only a blip in our lives!

    So I just turned 24. I can’t believe it. When I was in my early teenage years, I thought 24 were far too old to be having fun in life. But now I feel like it’s just the beginning of my enjoyment. I get to travel, pig out and experience the world – without worrying about school assignments and deadlines left behind.

    More Blessings, More Joy

    I remember last year when I defined “greetings by colleagues” a bonus. It was my eighth day at my new workplace, and I had lunch alone on my birthday. Oh, scratch that. The truth is, I shared a table with people I don’t know and pretended I was with them so I won’t feel much alone, in our wide-spaced office cafeteria. I quickly finished my food, held hands and prayed. I knew that moment that loneliness would not creep in any longer because in any moment I try to escape sadness, I sing praise songs in my head – and I see Jesus. 😥

    Lunch arrangement was the same this year; I was alone at my table. However this time just got better. My teammates surprised me with a birthday cake and a gift after high noon.

    I realized more blessings come my way as I begin to open up to more circles and let other know what I can offer. I have the people whom I share laughter with and receive hugs and kisses for all nourishment. I have great jobs that pay the bills and get special invites to events while enjoying the perks of being a blogger. So despite that there are occasions where road blocks fall on the map of my dreams, I’m still pretty well-off with joy in my heart. 😀

    Where I Celebrated My 24th Birthday

    One of our favorite buffet restaurants in SM Mall of Asia is Buffet 101, and Mom thought it’s the best place to celebrate the occasion. This was my third time to eat here so I’m already quite familiar on how to go about eating almost everything I want without feeling too heavy and full easily.

    My sister and I usually scout the buffet together and get food by section while considering healthy choices that won’t put guilt right on our chests. On a clean canvas of plate, what we get all the time are mini-tasting proportions of the expensive stuff. We don’t take even a small portion of rice, bread, pasta or potatoes and drink lots of liquids because these are guaranteed to take up valuable real estate in our stomach. We went home feeling so full. Obviously, we had a blast.

    Moment for Gratitude

    To everyone who’s been a part of my twenty four wonderful years, I cannot be thankful enough.

    多謝晒. 非常感谢. Thank you so much. Maraming salamat! 😛

    I look forward to making more memories, deeper friendships and meaningful existences with you.

    And yes, it has been a very happy birthday today. 🙂

    Also, since it’s the half of the year, I’m done with warm-ups! I’m more prepared to dig my claws into treats and adventures worth blogging for, especially now that I’m driving. Only one question: Which restaurant or travel destination would be in line for my next review and which reader is next to get inspired?

    The dice in the board rolls.

    The Dice in the Board’s Birthday Giveaway

    To give away a token of appreciation, I’m glad to announce my first-ever giveaway here. 🙂 Prize is a PHp 3000-worth of gift certificate that’s good for four (4) people, for a lunch or dinner treat at Hacienda Isabella.

    How to Join

    1. Be a fan of iHeartSpills on Facebook
    2. Follow me on Twitter: @rochkirstin
    3. Tweet this giveaway by using the plug-in at the bottom of this post.
    4. Add me to your circle on Google Plus
    5. Comment below your name, email address, Twitter handle, link of your tweet and reason why you want to win (can be a simple short sentence).

    Notes

    1. This is open for Philippine residents only.
    2. The giveaway raffle will run from today until July 4, 2013, 11:59PM so this gives you three weeks to stand a chance and win! 😀 The winner will be chosen via Random Picker and will be contacted via email on July 5, 2013 (the following day).
    3. Failure to do any of the above requirements will be subjected to disqualification.
    4. Failure to reply/acknowledge the notification email sent to the winner within 48 hours upon receipt of notice means forfeiture of the prize and Random Picker would be ran again.

    Good luck to all! 😀

    ***
    Updated July 5, 2013: Winner is Nicole de Dios! Congratulations to you! Hey Girl, I sent you an email. 😀 Please respond immediately!

  • Top 100 Reasons Why I Love My Mother

    Top 100 Reasons Why I Love My Mother

    My mom asks many times in a day why we love her so. My sister often jokes, “because you tell us ‘I love you’.” I try to give the same answer. Unfortunately, my mom says it’s invalid as it was already given. So I have to think of unique replies only to quit her questions.

    I came up with a list of the top 100 reasons why I love my mother (and I better write this as if I’m speaking to her). As you read them, you can probably relate to some. Maybe pick one or a couple that struck you most and share your thoughts in the comment section below? (。◕‿◕。) Anyway, here goes…

     Top 100 Reasons Why I Love My Mom

    1. I love you because you prepare breakfast for us every day. This may sound simple to readers of plain text, but this means so much more when done. Included here is the act of waking up early at 6AM without fail only to make sure that everything is ready before I leave for work.
    2. I love you because you prepare lunch for us every day. Again, this may look like it’s easily done, but the thought is really what counts. Apart from cooking for breakfast, you have to think of creative recipes that are both eye-appealing and mouthwatering to serve for our meals. Thank you very much for this because then I can save my PHp 20 to buy lunch in our canteen.
    3. I love you because you prepare food for my afternoon snack. I am blessed to be born to you. #FrugalityPays
    4. I love you because you prepare dinner for us every day. After a long and tiring day’s work, I look forward to food. Know that I think of you as soon as I exit through our office building’s main door.
    5. I love you because you always think of buying food for us whenever you’re in a grocery store and you endure to carry groceries even if they weigh more than 10 kilograms. For someone who stands 5″3′ and medium-built, that’s tough.
    6. I love you because you slice fruits for our desserts.
    7. I love you because you cook something up very quickly when we suddenly crave for food at night. You never allowed us to go hungry.
    8. I love you because you research and watch YouTube videos of new food recipes to try and cook for us.
    9. I love you because you are not getting tired to take calls and messages from my anonymous buyers who are also not getting tired to haggle and ask for more discounts and for information that’s already posted on my ads.
    10. I love you because you tie my laces or fix the straps of the shoes or sandals I’m trying on in a store.
    11. I love you because you subscribed to my RSS feeds and are updated to each of my blog post. That’s what I call support from a mother who’s an avid reader and fan of my writing.
    12. I love you because you promote my blogs to our friends and relatives. Your words make me sound like I’m a big/celebrity blogger when I’m not.
    13. I love you because you cry with me and empathize with my sad feelings thus making me feel understood. You always comfort me or give me a shoulder to cry on when I need it.
    14. I love you because you buy me new variants of powdered milk tea and they’d magically appear in our kitchen cupboard.
    15. I love you because you pay the fees charged by customs and post office on my behalf and claim items I bought online.
    16. I love you because you spare a slice or two of pizzas for me when you order pizza for dinner and I was out somewhere during the day.
    17. I love you because you have pictures of me in your wallet.
    18. I love you because you still want me to be accompanied by wushu friends who can walk me home after training at night, and if they cannot, you would always fetch me from the place.
    19. I love you because you came to my first running event at Rizal Stadium and cheered for our team. #StageMom
    20. I love you because you speak praises of me in events and parties and introduce me in good faith to new people we meet.
    21. I love you because you bring life and light to our home. Seriously without your lively voice, we would only hear dead air (and probably the beep from the aliens).
    22. I love you because you always allow yourself to be pranked or made fun of.
    23. I love you because you arrange family trips and in addition plan for our budget for all our convenience.
    24. I love you because you follow my workout routines and enjoy the exercise even if this means looking weird especially when clad with your usual workout outfit. (Let’s keep the appearance of the outfit hush-hush.)
    25. I love you because you spend painstaking efforts in bidding for items on eBay just to win the “best buys” for our family’s use. Add to this are the nerve-racking moments and feelings when you open multiple tabs loading the same page to monitor the status of the winning bidder by the second.
    26. I love you because you follow my advice not to cut your hair because it’s long and nice as it is. This means respect and trust for my opinion.
    27. I love you because you rode the car when I first drove it and experienced my driving style as a beginner.
    28. I love you because you buy vouchers from online merchants to avail of items at a discounted price for us to try out different things we have not tried before when we could not afford them (e.g. food, services, products, and travel).
    29. I love you because you took persistence in collecting Globe reward points for bill rebates and for us to get movie tickets for free.
    30. I love you because you spent time finding me the car I want. This means walking in car selling centers through the long thoroughfares in QC and commuting to the BDO warehouse for foreclosed automobiles that was too hard to locate.
    31. I love you because you bargained for the parking space for me.
    32. I love you because you clean the toilet every time we get it messy.
    33. I love you because you take effort in calculating the prices of shampoos, conditioners and liquid detergents versus the volume and choose the winning items to save money. #WiseBuyer
    34. I love you because you entertain my curiosity when I ask how it’s wonderful that we can understand each other while speaking even when our eyes are closed, how it’s amazing that a baby is formed inside the mother’s womb, and who would have thought that we’ll grow and change appearances, like this for example: ◠‿◠ Ta-da!
    35. I love you because you understand my randomness.
    36. I love you because you wash my bedtime gal pals and keep them clean and nice-smelling.
    37. I love you because you stick with Daddy through the rough times, help him be a sane person during those hard days, and never back down from a challenge.
    38. I love you because you are not so much of a kiasu parent. You let me go and allow me to explore the world and learn about myself.
    39. I love you because you taught me to be independent and autonomous, two traits I hold to dearly today.
    40. I love you because you participate in role-playing with our dolls and imitate our little voices as well like kids under five years old just having fun.
    41. I love you because you encourage me to strive to get what I want and make me believe that I can have everything I deserve in due time.
    42. I love you because you have always come to support me in my hosting gigs, especially on the time when I was ill and still have to do the job.
    43. I love you because I feel very much appreciated whenever you thank me for finishing tasks to write mails, translate documents and explain letters.
    44. I love you because you have a great conviction that our incredible dreams and visions for our future will come true — one day. “We just have to help each other out,” is what’s instilled in my mind.
    45. I love you because you choose clothes that you think will fit me. This means that you think of me when you go window-shopping. I deem you now as a slight expert when it comes to judging designs which match my unique preference in style.
    46. I love you because you found a way to fix my broken epilator after going to several hubs and asking technicians what’s wrong with it.
    47. I love you because you’re like BDO. You find ways. And you’re Nido, because you’re my number one. 😛
    48. I love you because you process my papers and documents that are required for employment, for travel, for joining a corporation, for opening accounts for investments, for applying for credit cards, for registering my car and student driver’s permit, etc.
    49. I love you because you help me think of gifts to buy for my friends and wrap the presents because I can’t do it myself.
    50. I love you because you give me good advice, even when I don’t exactly think that it would work.
    51. I love you because you heartily donate reliefs to the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation to help other people. This means collecting “trashes,” arranging them in neat piles and waiting for the foundation’s representative to arrive at our door every month.
    52. I love you because you listen intently to my stories related to work and try to understand them no matter how complicated they are — and I hope this is not only to score high in the “graded” recitation that comes afterwards.
    53. I love you because you are never too busy to make yourself available for me and push the other million things you have to do aside.
    54. I love you because you pay for transportation fare when we’re out to adventures together.
    55. I love you because you make us laugh when you tell jokes that originally come from the person who shared it first. If laughter is medicine for the soul, then we in the house must be a few of the healthiest living people.
    56. I love you because you take my photo at least two to three times until you get it clear.
    57. I love you because you massage my back longer than I massage your back in return.
    58. I love you because you shave my eyebrows into good shape and insist to draw them before I go out.
    59. I love you because you water my ashitaba plants every day.
    60. I love you because you wait for me before you watch a movie or ask me first if I want to join you before starting on a new Koreanovela.
    61. I love you because you put our shoes and slippers back in the shoe cabinet in order.
    62. I love you because you kill the cockroaches that bother me in the bathroom and bedroom.
    63. I love you because you drink the water and eat the food I can’t finish.
    64. I love you because you can juggle everything you do at the same time and accomplish so much in a day.
    65. I love you because you get medicine when we’re sick and take care of us until we’re well — even if this means taking away some sleep time for you.
    66. I love you because you carry my things inside your “wonder zebra-print bag” which can fit almost anything.
    67. I love you because you think differently about your potential in the world and act in shaping outcomes in our spheres of influence.
    68. I love you because you have the heart that burgeons with inexpressible joy with every milestone we reach.
    69. I love you because you listen to the things I dream of no matter how weird they sound like. I really appreciate that.
    70. I love you because you are still tracking the scammer for me and hunting the person down with your incredible investigative skills.
    71. I love you because you push me to wear makeup for special occasions when I don’t want to — and I only realize later that indeed, it was appropriate.
    72. I love you because you know what’s best and what’s right — except in pronouncing some words such as “badminton” (patminton), “spinach” (spenaK), “fish” (fes), “change” (cheinz), “challenge” (challenz), and your favorite expression “buwisit” (boysit). Mistakes in pronunciation happen once in a while, but I admire you for correcting and changing lifestyles for the good as this matters more. You know how to live life. Thanks for seeing things now through optimistic lenses.
    73. I love you because your tongue finds it hard to differentiate between “L” and “R” and you can’t successfully speak out “ruler roller rural” more than once at regular speed — and you just laugh about it. “Girl” becomes “gir.” Likewise, you think that there is no difference between ㄓ (zhi) and ㄔ (chi), ㄕ (shi) and ㄙ (si), ㄗ (zi) and ㄘ (ci) and ㄐ (ji) and ㄑ (qi). Wa liao! You are hilarious. It’s a good thing that I didn’t turn out that way. 😛
    74. I love you because you queue up and save us free taste of food and drinks being offered in stores during promotions.
    75. I love you because you instantaneously hate those we hate.
    76. I love you because you would let me wear your new clothes, which I decline. Why? I know that being the first wearer of your own new clothes means so much to you, and I didn’t want to take that sentiment away because you rarely buy new clothes.
    77. I love you because you are efficient in being a full-time mom, a full-time wife, a full-time employee, and a part-time runner/delivery girl for our business. If you ever want to stop working, you might want to consider being a standup comedienne as an alternative.
    78. I love you because you can answer almost everything. This makes our house like a call center as people trust you with their problems and inquiries whether it be regarding real estate, loans, deposits, accounting, relationships, food recipes, housekeeping, raising a child, homework of primary to secondary school students, news and current affairs, etc. So who’s the real nerd? #NotMeThisTime
    79. I love you because you daringly tried anything that we find exciting. We will be surfing and playing frisbee soon!
    80. I love you because you are an epitome of dreams coming to life.
    81. I love you because you are selfless, especially for your family. You are always thinking about other people and how you can help someone else out. You live how 1st Corinthians 13 tells us how: by showing selfless love.
    82. I love you because you are fearless in confronting things and people head on. If something doesn’t work then you try to find a new way to make it happen right mostly by bringing out your tongue and speaking out  (e.g. complaints for intermittent Internet connection, errors in credit card transaction, wrong orders in a restaurant, etc.)
    83. I love you because you can piggy back ride me until now and hug me till you carry my whole weight.
    84. I love you because you always remind me to put on sunblock lotion and moisturizer before going out in the morning and before going to bed at night.
    85. I love you because you have your agenda set for every day. You serve as a living example of how we should manage our everyday life living with drive and purpose.
    86. I love you because you have raised us in a secure home. Yup, we don’t live in a mansion or in a luxurious home yet we always felt safe and at ease.
    87. I love you because you have the ability to make us smile and/or laugh in simple ways. The most recent one was showing us your “witch teeth.” WAAA 😛
    88. I love you because you wrap sushi, shrimps and cupcakes from a buffet restaurant while “no one is watching” to save them for another meal or to bring home for Daddy. That’s a thoughtful gesture, yes.
    89. I love you because you are willing to exchange shoes, slippers or sandals when ours are broken while walking in the streets. The time when you wrapped your feet with plastic bag to move to the nearest mall and buy new shoes is really unforgettable. That’s major humiliation yet one you didn’t mind because you’re okay to take it than your child. May we never forget it. Amen.
    90. I love you because you sweep the floor many times in a day for cleanliness. You know that my nose is allergic to dust.
    91. I love you because you know me. More than anyone else in the world, you know me and you accept me just as I am; flaws and all.
    92. I love you because you are “the hope that moves me to courage again.” Oh yeah. ♫
    93. I love you because you are bold to share your weaknesses and humble enough to find and learn how you can be better and stronger.
    94. I love you because you gave me something that cannot be bought and taken away: great memories.
    95. I love you because you have been very instrumental in all of my successes as you gave me the right foundation for a good future.
    96. I love you because you supported me in almost every BIG decision I made in life.
    97. I love you because you fill in the missing gaps and make me more complete.
    98. I love you because you are you, my mother. Thank you for being every bit of you that you are.
    99. I love you because you are the best.
    100. I love you because you first loved me.

    Happy Mother’s Day! I love you. ❤