Duty in Manila Part I

This post should've been made a long time ago but I really didn't have the time to transfer the files from my phone to my PC. Anyways, better late than never...

Filipino time means not on time. We were one of the first to arrive.


Where the hell are we?


Luisita was our first stop and nothing screams fast food more than Jollibee


As Irish binged on her crispy chicken, I demurely licked swirly bits off my spoon. (I look anemic... really!)


Time for some camwhoring!


Here's my first and only new found friend from the whole experience, Lovely. (I wish I could say the same with that forehead)


Yes, another pair of sunglasses with newly trimmed side-swept bangs

Over and Out!

Is it really that big a deal?... Good photography if you ask me

Is it really that big a deal?...

The Board!

The word is just torture to my ears!

My mom and i had been arguing about the board for a couple of days now and she pulled my last string this time around.

Okay, you might be asking yourselves WTF am I talking about?

It's the board exams. What every self-confessed nursing student must go through to be a certified and registered nurse. Apparently according to her, I must have it too.

Maybe it's better if I put it into scripts.

Mom: Let's talk shall we. What are your plans?

Me: I wanna cut hair.

Mom: You just want to stay this way forever?

Me: Stay as what?

Mom: Don't you want to earn 2.8 million a year?

Me: I don't care if I earn that much or nothing at all. I find it a waste

Mom: Why would it be a waste?

Me: Why should I go through all that when I won't even practice that profession?

Mom: It's not that I am against cutting hair, but I just want you to have options.

Me: Then what is your problem with me cutting hair?
Mom: I don't know who you are anymore. I don't know what you want to do with your life

---walkout from Mom---

What's up with that?!

She left with nothing resolved. How immature!

I did the walkout thing with my friends and/or classmates before but grew out of it somehow. I've learned that the best way to handle a situation is with open communication and and open mind. I can't believe that my mom would just walk out on me like that and leave me fucked up!

First of all, I'm okay with the thought of having options in life, but hello! I gave up my passion for singing just because she wasn't okay with it, saying that it's a temporary job with no shelf life. I won't do that again to my passion for cutting hair! Never!

The thing is, the last time we've talked regarding my future, and God give me another blood clot in the head if I'm lying, she told me to just give her a degree and I can do anything I want. And now what? A degree is followed by an exam that is way too expensive that we could hardly afford?

Secondly, she keeps on saying that they could make ways in giving us that money for the review. I'm no blind, but I am fully aware of what we can afford and I'm done with them borrowing money just so they could do these things. I appreciate the effort and all, but frankly, after all the review and exam I'd be doing? What is it all for? I have, over the years, learned the value of education, but is my choice saying it isn't? Why not just spend it on something that could help me in the future with the career of my choice, right?

Lastly, I believe I am old enough to make personal decisions such as this on my own. My boyfriend has always told me that you should always fight for your beliefs especially if it's what's right, and i know THIS is what's right.

Final decision: I'm not taking that board! A stylist could never use it for anything.

Good photography if you ask me...

Here's a couple of amateur photographs I took with my Sony Ericsson P990i. Great quality I believe!





Over and Out!

Delectable Edible #002: Nena's Garden (Pork Sinigang and Sizzling Boneless Bangus)

Nena's Garden is very famous for their catering services, but when they decided to open up restaurants, people now have a taste of their dishes in very affordable prices.

They specialize in home cooked meals and well known Filipino favorites.

We tried out their Arellano Branch just beside Giorgio's Pizzeria and Dior Village. You won't miss it. They have available parking spaces for their customers with wheels unlike most restaurants here in Dagupan.

Ambience: Having a spirit of Christmas this early, was a good decision. A combination of oriental designs with unique Christmas lighted balls is perfect while you're sipping on your broths. One huge problem...

With the temperature here in Dagupan, how in the world could you enjoy your broths if good AC isn't even available? I don't think this yellow electric fan (it's bad enough it's an electric fan, they had to buy one that's in this color) could ventilate all their customers simultaneously. Thank God it was a bit cool when we visited, but still, I saw an AC, better put it to good use.

Food #1: Pork Sinigang



Once again, the perfect taste of broth thanks to some broth cubes giving the instant sour taste. Seriously, no sign of tamarind or camias which is an "instant" giveaway that they've used such cubes. Nonetheless, it tastes great! just pretend it's not MSG-rich and you'll surely enjoy.

This dish contained several delicious half cooked vegetables such as okra, eggplant, Baguio beans, lettuce, and a lot more. A lot better though if the vegetables were well done.

The meat on the other hand was hard as a rock and sadly, because of the broth cubes used, the sour taste of the broth didn't seep into the pork's meat.

Judgment: 3 out of 5 stars

Food #2: Sizzling Boneless Bangus




Bangus is what Dagupan is known for! It's the Eiffel tower of Paris, the pyramids of Egypt, the Britney Spears of Hookerville. Haha just kidding!

The Bangus festival here in Dagupan even has this 100 ways to cook Bangus thing which I believe, this meal is one of its variations.

Okay, I know you could barely see the bangus in the picture, but it's only because it was hidden underneath all those toppings like carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onions.

The sauce is garlic-rich blended into this creamy concentration which goes very well with the vegetables.

The only problem with this meal, is that it's too good you can only have half of it and the rest is just puking!

Judgment: 4 out of 5 stars (serve only half of it or share with someone special then its a 5)



While waiting for the food, we did some camwhoring.
















Over and out!

Reunited and it feels so good!

I can't even remember the last time I've been with my high school friends. All I can remember was a time of bonding spent in a coffee shop here in Dagupan till 11pm, and that was it. The rest was just forgotten by my teeny tiny brain haha.

So anyways, It's kinda fun having to go through all those makeovers don't you think? I could barely recognize my friends with all their new dos and styles. Ayessa is now wearing make-up, Mary has even ventured the world of eyeliners and short bobs, and Jezreel is looking more like a guidance councilor compared to the last time I saw her. As for John, well, same old same old (wink!)

So this is another pictureatti post since I hate putting captions and I've always been a firm believer that pictures should always speak for themselves.

Let's play a little guessing game. In the next picture, all three of us were wearing skinny jeans but can you guess which jeans am I?




And here's a little somethin somethin Ayessa and I did the day before we all met. The pictures were all made for a good laugh and I believe that's just what we got out of it. Some of the images were blurry but it's still worth a giggle.

Till we meet again my friends! It's good that we always know how to pick up where we last took off.

Over and Out!

OMFG!

I can't remember the last time there was a fire in Dagupan as huge as this one.

The site of the fire was apparently in Aling here in Arellano Street right in front of my school. According to reports (a.k.a. rumors of the folks), it was politically motivated since the government of Dagupan has long been trying to evacuate the people in the area. If true, then this is one move a lot of people wouldn't be happy about. If you want the people to evacuate the area then do it in a way where no one gets hurt. Even the boarding house of my ex was burnt, good thing they were able to save their things and they were moving out of the building anyway.

What's next? A City Mall bombing?

Hope not.

Over and Out!

Just for giggles...

My head is still floating after staying up for more than 21 hours just so I could finish our case study. I'm too lazy to create a long entry right now so I'll just post a random thought.

I was viewing my friendster (which still turns out to be unproductive) when I saw this funny picture of my friend Alron, imitating KC Concepcion's Sony ad.

Looks like he's having a lot of fun while doing it (not to mention killer denim) so I'm planning to start something like it.

Hmm, a contest perhaps?




Gay people of the Philippines! Lads and Lasses! Do an instant imitation of an advertisement in the background (like the picture above) and you could stand to win... (an Ipod? Xbox? PSPs? Cellphone?) drum roll please...

***Php500.00!!!***

Hey, for a snapshot, 500 bucks is a lot! Plus you get to be recognized (harhar).

Contest ends December 2007! Join now! (I'm begging you!)

[if this contest does not end up as a success, the prize will be donated to the Missionaries of Charity]


Over and Out!

Karaoke once again, Color me hair, Faux Armani

Me and my baby wanted to splurge on ourselves since our money always seems to go on food and karaoke. We've been planning to get our coif done and finally, we had the time to do it together.

This entry is sooooo gonna be filled with pictures I just know it...

First we went to the City Mall to do the never-go-anywhere-without-doing-it, KARAOKE!









Then we were off to the salon where my baby has been getting his hair dyed. It was a house/canteen/walk-in salon.

Whenever I get my hair done I just love how long it takes for services to be finished, it gives me the feeling that time is being spent to achieve a fabuleux outcome.








After about 3 and a half hours of killing our roots, I was officially Mr. Chocolate head and my baby is Mr. Carrot Top! harhar (kidding!)

My baby has been complaining lately of his stressed eyes so we went to an optometrist to buy brand new eyewear for UV protection a.k.a. his computer. He looks silly in this geeky apparatus, don't you think?

And last but not the least, as if we haven't splurged enough, we saw faux Armani sunglasses and we just have to get the last two pairs that were on the stand.
Hello Giorgio? We could use the real deal here, just send it over. Thanks!








Over and Out!