Sunday 29 December 2013
Thursday 7 November 2013
Wednesday 30 October 2013
3 Ways To Wear Printed Trousers
3 Ways To Wear Printed Trousers by christianjay-quilo featuring aldo jewelry
1. Looking for a way spice up office wear? Then the first look is for you. Pair your printed trousers with a classic white shirt under a blazer in a fun hue. To avoid looking too bright, choose accessories in a classic color like black.
2. For those chill kind of days, pair your trousers with a sweatshirt with a cute print/message. Wear a pair of flats to keep the look casual.
3. Off to a night-out with your friends? These trousers would look great with a peplum top and a pair of peep toes. Match your accessories to make the look cohesive. Add in a quirky bag to give your look a youthful vibe.
Win Some, Lose Some
Just watched the first episode of Carrie Diaries season two! I've been waiting for the episode to air on TV since forever! A lot of changes are already happening and it's just the first episode! Carrie is living her New York dream. She's living in Larissa's loft for her summer job at Interview Magazine. She also got a slightly shorter new hairdo. Dorrit has less eye make-up (at least for the first part of the episode). Mr. Bardshaw finds out about Dorrit's new *older* guy, Miller.
Last season ended badly for KidShaw. This season picks up on that. Apparently, Carrie has not communicated with both Maggie and Sebastian anymore. Not until Donna brings Sebastian along on their night out in the city.
Carrie meets Donna's cousin, Samantha who becomes her friend and later in the episode, eventually becomes her roommate.
The saddest part of the episode? Carrie loses her iconic "Carrie" purse. Huhuhu.
I also loved what Carrie wore in this episode! That blue mini dress with prints on the side is gorgeous!
I can't wait for the coming episodes! :)
Monday 28 October 2013
Gandy in the Philippines
A few days ago, I watched an interview of David Gandy in a late night news show. If you don't know who David Gandy is, let me enlighten you. David Gandy is a British supermodel. He is the face of Dolce & Gabbana's many campaigns. Aside from modelling, he also writes for British Vogue occasionally and writes car reviews for British GQ. Recently, it was also announced that he would be contributing to Telegraph UK's new section. To top it all off, he has also participated in a lot of charity events. A good-looking model, a writer, and a man with a good heart. THIS. MAN. IS. PERFECT. lol.
So, why is this British supermodel here in the Philippines, you ask? SM Men's Fashion has chosen him to be its new image model and being its new face, he came to Manila to walk for Philippine Fashion Week.
Can I just say that at 33 years old, he looks really good! He said in his interview that before he achieved supermodel status, he got rejected a lot of times because of his physique. Apparently, the modelling industry before preferred skinny/androgynous types and not the muscular and buff types like Gandy. I also read somewhere that it was Gandy's muscular build that made designers move to a more masculine standard.
It's amazing to have someone like him here in the Philippines. I hope you're having a good time here in the Philippines, Mr. Gandy! :)
Thursday 24 October 2013
Food Heaven
Our recent visit to S&R was nothing short of a food trip. We got there around at 3 p.m. and I didn't have lunch yet so you could just imagine how hungry I was. haha. It was torture looking at those people bringing big boxes of pizza. I was so hungry that even the cardboard box seemed appealing. Yes, the dry cardboard box was actually making me drool. haha. Even my mother's face looked like a slice of pizza to me during that time. LOL. Once we arrived, we immediately had our late lunch.
I had their pepperoni calzone. I've always wanted to try this but I always ended up ordering pizza. That day, I was finally able to try and boy, was it good! Sadly I don't have pictures which is sad but I'll try to describe it. haha. Basically, the calzone is folded pizza filled with LOTS of cheese and pepperoni. They also have a vegetable calzone. Once you slice the calzone, the melted cheese oozes out! Amazing! HAHA.
My sister tried their Southern style fried chicken. She said it was good but KFC was better. haha. My sister gave me the other piece of chicken so I got to try it as well. I liked the breading. The chicken was tasty on its own. It was also juicy!
After our lunch, we went around a bit and bought some stuff. We also tried their food samples! They were giving samples of glazed donuts, rocky road brownies, double choco chip muffins, pepperoni pizza, Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream (which was on sale! Buy 1, take 1, people!) and soy milk. They were also giving out samples of ground dried fish but I didn't try it because I'm not really a fan of fish.
Before we left S&R, I tried their Iced Mocha and shared fries with my sister. I really loved their iced mocha! It wasn't too sweet nor too bitter. It tasted just right. I also loved the fact that they used this fancy shmancy machine to extract coffee or something. I think that was a coffee press or an expresso machine. I don't really know. Haha. Seeing that it was made from scratch (and they used techie stuff) makes me think that the drink is legit and not something that came from a bottle and simply transferred into a plastic cup.
We don't go to S&R to buy groceries, we go there to eat! Haha. I really love the food there! :)
Wednesday 23 October 2013
Mang Cha-a and Tea-Rex
I tried out two milk tea shops this week:
Mang Cha-a - I ordered their vanilla milk tea. The taste was okay for me. The pearls on the other hand, were a bit hard, especially in the center. It was also weird how they only had one size for their milk teas. If I remembered correctly, their other drinks have different sizes. Mang Cha-a is cheaper compared to other milk tea brands.
Tea-Rex - This was actually known as Tea-rrific before but they changed the name for some reason. A lot of my classmates really recommended their winter melon milk tea although I wasn't able to try their milk tea until today. I was a bit sad because they didn't have vanilla milk tea. HAHA. So instead, I ordered the winter melon milk tea. Sadly, I didn't really like it. Maybe winter melon just doesn't suit my taste.
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Sometimes Words Aren't Enough
Finally, after weeks of blog posts containing only text, I published my very first blog post with photos: Front Gate. I also published a post with photos a few minutes ago: Mac and Tea. Both of these posts are about food, by the way . I hope you like my photos! Enjoy! :)
Mac and Tea
After our lunch at Front Gate a few weeks ago, I bought mac and cheese from the food market in Paseo Arcenas Banawa as an afternoon snack. Even if my first try of Bubble Tea Bar's milk tea wasn't all that great, I couldn't resist ordering again. I just had to have my vanilla milk tea. :)
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| Macaroni and Cheese from Paseo Arcenas's Food Market |
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| Bubble Tea Bar's Vanilla Milk Tea |
Monday 21 October 2013
Front Gate
A few weeks ago, my mother and I tried out Front Gate, a restaurant in Paseo Arcenas Banawa. The resto has this diner-ish vibe with the steel chairs, bar stools, and red color scheme going on.
What we ordered:
What we ordered:
Blue Cheese and Jalapeno Burger - This is what I had. Personally, the size was a bit disappointing. It was tiny for its price. And I couldn't really taste the spiciness of the jalapenos. The burger patty was juicy, though!
French Fries
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| NOTE: This is not the actual serving size of the French fries. My mother already ate a few pieces before I took this photo. :) |
Sunday 20 October 2013
Nothing Beats Hardwork
Saw an episode of "Maalaala Mo Kaya" last night. I didn't really see the whole episode since I was switching to ANTM Cycle 20 from time to time. haha. But from the parts I saw, it was enough to give me an idea of the story.
Last night's episode was a story of a young boy who belongs to a poor family. He really loves school but his mother is not so supportive. His mother thinks that school is only for rich people. To make the long story short, the boy eventually overcomes financial struggles and is able to juggle school and work at the same time. He finishes his studies and graduates with flying colors. I didn't really get the name of the main character so I apologize if I just refer to the character as "the boy". haha.
It's an inspiring story of determination and hard work. While others have the financial means to do what they love, others are not as fortunate. What I learned from the story is that social standing and financial difficulty should never hinder you from achieving your dreams. If you really want something, nothing is impossible. The things we want the most are the the hardest to earn. If you badly want to eat apple pie and the nearest store that sells it is a five-hour drive away, what do you do? You buy the ingredients and make the damn pie yourself! haha. That was a weird analogy I used there but you get what I mean. You don't achieve dreams by just sitting there, doing nothing. YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT. You don't wait for things to happen. You have to make them happen.
Saturday 19 October 2013
As Long As You Love Me
It seemed like it was just yesterday when the blind auditions of The Voice U.S. Season Five started. I can't believe it's the battle rounds already. Even though I haven't seen an actual episode of the season on TV, I still managed to listen to some performances on Youtube. I know, I know. It's sad how I'm a fan of the show yet I haven't seen it on TV. Anyway, my favorite of the season so far is Caroline Pennell. Her rendition of "Anything Could Happen" was just amazing!
For the battle rounds, she sang Justin Bieber's "As Long As you Love Me" with teammate, Anthony Paul. Their haunting rendition of Bieber's hit gave me goosebumps. After hearing the first fifteen seconds of the video, I immediately said to myself, "Damn, this girl's good!" There's this dreamy quality to her voice. There was a point in the performance where I thought fairies and unicorns or some mythical creature would come out. Her voice is that magical. Caroline was really good but I have to say Anthony Paul gave a good fight! But since I'm biased towards Caroline, I'd choose her. I love this girl! Luckily, CeeLo chose her. I would have cried if she got eliminated. haha.
Before I end this post, I would just like to say...... CAROLINE PENNELL FOR THE WIN!!!
Friday 18 October 2013
Lunch Alone
I had lunch alone today. I just went to a restaurant at a mall near our house for some chicken barbecue and unlimited rice. haha. Oh, how I missed eating at this resto. I missed eating chicken with my bare hands! After eating lunch, I bought ice cream from the grocery store. I then headed out while trying to tune out the mash-up of "Teach Me How To Dougie" and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" that was being played in the mall.
Thursday 17 October 2013
One of Those Lazy Days
Today was another lazy day at home. We still haven't gotten over the earthquake. I'm too scared to go anywhere. All I did was eat and watch TV.
I had a PLL marathon today. I can't believe I'm so behind already! Shana and Jenna? Mrs. Marin in jail (and her dirty Manolo Blahnik's)? Aria's new guy? I missed out on so much!
I also had lunch with my sister and her husband. We had pizza and some Chinese food from a nearby eatery which, by the way, tasted awful. We also had street food; barbecue, pancakes, and waffles.
This is what happens when I have nothing interesting to do. I'm tempted to always eat! I hate it when I'm bored.
Wednesday 16 October 2013
Post-tragedy
The aftershocks have not stopped yet but I'm happy they're not as strong as the aftershocks yesterday. Watching the news on TV, I just feel so grateful and blessed that none of my family members got hurt during the earthquake. It's really scary how much damage the earthquake has caused in the Visayas region, especially Bohol. The earthquake didn't just cause structural damage but it also took the lives of many citizens. I'm just really relieved and thankful that we're safe. Let's just hope and pray that there will be no more casualties and damage. I know we, Filipinos, can overcome this!
Tuesday 15 October 2013
Aftershock
While I was stuffing my mouth with Cheetos and pizza, another strong aftershock occurred. We immediately ran outside. I didn't even care if my breath smelled like onions. It was scary as hell! This was not how I imagined the start of my semester break to be.
When will these aftershocks stop?! I have a feeling I'm not sleeping tonight. I'm too scared to sleep. :/
Shaken
If you're from the Philippines, specifically the Visayas and Mindanao region, then I'm sure you felt the strong earthquake that occurred this morning. While I was in my bed, half awake, I was suddenly woken up when I noticed that my room was shaking and I heard something break outside my door. After more than a hundred aftershocks, I finally feel safe and calm now.
To all those affected by the earthquake, I hope you're all okay now! :)
Wednesday 9 October 2013
Anything Could Happen
Recently, I've been watching videos of the blind auditions of The Voice U.S. Season Five. Among all the auditions I've seen, one really stood out to me: Caroline Pennell.
Her rendition of Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" was just heavenly! Her voice sounds so angelic, pure, and sweet. I just love voices like that! Caroline's voice is so relaxing to listen to. When she sings, it's like a sweet lullaby or something. And not to mention, she has such a quirky personality! I've listened to her audition video so many times already but I never get tired of listening to it.
Monday 7 October 2013
It's That Time of The Semester
It's almost the end of the semester! But before we have our vacation, we have to overcome one more obstacle: final exams. *cue horror music*
My final exams start tomorrow and as much as I would want to lie in my bed, watch TV, and just chill, I have exams to study for.
To those taking their final exams like me, good luck to us! Let's hope for good grades! :)
Sunday 6 October 2013
Bubble Tea Bar
After having lunch in Surfin' Ribs last Sunday, I gave Bubble Tea Bar a try. I know, I know, it's hard to imagine how I was still able to manage to drink a large of cup milk tea even after such a heavy meal. The limits of my stomach remain a mystery to me even up to this very day. I was surprised that Paseo Arcenas actually had a milk tea shop. I ordered the vanilla milk tea (nothing new!). To be honest, I was a bit disappointed because I couldn't really taste the vanilla in the milk tea. The pearls were the small kind. The texture was okay, it was chewy enough but I prefer the regular-sized ones.
Saturday 5 October 2013
Surfin' Ribs
I've mentioned in my previous post, Ordered Too Much, that we had lunch at Surfin' Ribs last Sunday. Since it opened it's first branch in Escario last year, my sister and I have been fans of it ever since. Although, it was only months after that we got to try out the resto.
The branch in Paseo Arcenas Banawa had its soft opening last August. The interiors were the same. It still had brick walls and wooden benches. In this branch though, there is air conditioning. The plates they use are also different. I think they're the expensive kind. I'm not sure though since it's been a while since I last visited their branch in Escario.
Anyway, here's what we ordered:
Pete's Ribs (with rice) - Pork ribs smothered in a savory sauce (for the sauce, you can choose from either classic or spicy). Almost all of us ordered this. Personally, I love the ribs because of it's sauce and flavor and the softness of the meat. I also love how the portions are quite big. This is what I always order every time I eat in Surfin' Ribs.
Spicy Fried Rice - This dish was a pleasant surprise. When it was served to us, I was disappointed of how it looked. It looked so ordinary. It was just orange-colored rice. But when I got to taste it, it actually is really good. It's rice with just the right amount of kick.
Baked Penne - Another one of my Surfin' Ribs favorites! It's penne pasta with ground meat, cream, and lots and lots of cheese!
Carbonara - This is what my brother ordered. I didn't actually get to taste it but I asked my brother how it was. He said it was good but he's tasted better in other restaurants.
Chili Wings - My brother also ordered this. I got to try this once before and I thought it was good. I also love the blue cheese dip that goes with the chicken wings! I find the serving small though.
Crinkle-cut Fries - This was for my little nephew. He really loves his fries. It tasted nothing special, just your typical fries. My brother did say that the price was worth it considering the serving size.
Leche Flan - My mother had this for dessert. It wasn't really good, to be honest. The serving was tiny and it was too soft.
That was one gastronomic feast! I'm not sure though but I think the prices here are higher compared to the branch in Escario. I'm guessing it's because of the location and air conditioning. Nevertheless, it was still an awesome dining experience. We ordered too much that we had a lot of leftovers to take home.
Surfin' Ribs is one of my favorite restaurants so far. If you haven't been there yet, I suggest you give it a try! The food is really good! :)
Friday 4 October 2013
Inhuman
If you're from the Philippines then you've probably heard about the recent viral video of girls stomping on a puppy to death. I haven't seen the actual video and I tried searching for it but to no avail. I've seen pictures and read news articles about it though and it was enough to make me imagine how cruel it was.
SERIOUSLY, WHO WOULD DO SUCH A CRUEL THING TO A PUPPY?!? As an animal lover at heart (especially puppies), this just breaks my heart. It's sad how these people were able to do such a disgusting act. I read in an article that these "crush videos" are some sort of fetish or something and it's also become some sort of a business. That's just sick. I don't know what their true intentions are but I hope they realize that what they've done is cruel and not to mention, punishable by law. Let's just hope that justice will be served (ASAP!) and no more acts of animal cruelty like this will happen again.
Ordered Too Much
Last Sunday, I
had lunch with my family at Surfin' Ribs in Paseo Arcenas Banawa.
Since we were quite many, we ordered a lot. I could say too much for our own
good. I ordered their Pete's Ribs and Baked Penne. Okay, before you
start judging me and my appetite, I have a valid reason for ordering a lot: I
didn't have breakfast that day (#defensive). Haha. We ordered so much that I
decided to put it in a separate blog post. If you want to know what we ordered,
you better stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post! :)
Thursday 3 October 2013
Did Not Taste Like Vanilla at All
This afternoon, my friends and I went to Muvanz, a restaurant near our school, for some milk tea (and air conditioning :p) to take the edge off the heat. I've actually tried their milk tea with my friends once before and we thought it tasted okay. Their pearls were too soft though. This time however, my experience was far from pleasant. I ordered my usual choice, vanilla milk tea. Once my drink arrived, I was surprised by its color. I expected it to be of a cream color, something that resembled milk. To my surprise, my drink looked like lake water. It was brown, dark, and tasted nothing like vanilla. It was not good at all. I also let my friends taste it and they had the same comments. The pearls' texture was better, though. But still, the milk tea was BAD. My day already started on a bad note and this awful milk tea experience did not make it any less of disappointing.
Tuesday 1 October 2013
Say Hello To October!
It is the first day of October! It's amazing how September just breezed by. It's already fall in other countries. In a tropical country like the one I live in, the weather is still as hot and humid as ever. Although, I'm loving the occasional drizzles and cold afternoons.
Got a Haircut
It's been months since I last had a haircut. It's been hard for me to decide what haircut I should get since I don't want to get a haircut I'll end up regret getting. However, long hair has been quite an inconvenience, even for guys like me. You always have to comb it and make sure it's neat or else you'll look like you just got out of bed. It's a waste of shampoo too! So last night, I finally dedided to get a haircut. Shorter hair is so refreshing! It's like my head feels lighter. haha. At least now, my head won't look like a bird's nest every morning. :)
Sunday 29 September 2013
Elegant in Black
While watching The Buzz this afternoon, the first thing that caught my eye was Charlene Gonzales' outfit. I absolutely loved what she was wearing for the talk show. I couldn't tell what material it was made of but I'm guessing it was leather. I loved the dress with the cape. It was in a classic black color but with interesting details like the bejeweled belt and the pair of sparkly pumps, the frock was far from boring! I also loved the conservative length of the dress. Her hairdo was also nice. Ms. Gonzales exuded elegance and opulence today. Whoever designed the dress and whoever styled her today, kudos to you! :)
The Woman in the Septic Tank
Last Friday, we watched an independent film entitled "Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank" or in English, "The Woman in the Septic Tank". Knowing it had a famous comedian as one of its main characters, I thought it was plainly a comedy film. I was wrong. The film was totally different from what I expected it to be.
Basically, the film shows three young individuals in the process of creating their independent/indie film. The plot follows these three in their journey in creating a great film; from the hiring of the leading actress, finding the perfect location/setting, to the actual filming.
I loved how it showed the process of film making from a different perspective. It didn't depict film making as a glitz-and-glamour kind of business. It showed how challenging film making is in a very raw and real way. Another thing I loved about the film is how it incorporated a social reality, showing poverty in society. The "film within a film" concept was great!
No wonder it won a lot of awards. It's a great movie! :)
Saturday 28 September 2013
Leggings for Men?
I saw a photo of Uniqlo's "men's leggings jeans" yesterday. At first I was, "Whaaaaat? Leggings for men?!" Interesting, I must say. Although, I wonder if they won't look awkward on men since leggings are skin tight. But I guess, Uniqlo was able to pull it off somehow. They must be really comfortable since they're leggings. The comfort of leggings and the classic look of jeans in one? Count me in!
What do you think about leggings jeans for men? :)
Friday 27 September 2013
Missing The Liars
Watching an episode of Pretty Little Liars season four on TV a few days ago just made me realize how much I missed the show. It's been months since I last watched an episode of PLL. I've been a fan of the show since season one. Following Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer on their quest to catch the masked villain, "A" has always been exciting to watch.
I actually find it funny how season after season they find out that "A" is actually a group of people bent on using their dark secrets against them. Let's not forget to mention, that the "A" team is actually composed of people close to them like Mona, Toby, and Ezra. It won't be much of a shock to me if one of their parents turn out to be "A" too.
Sigh, I miss the liars and their outfits. Hopefully, I can do a PLL marathon soon.
Thursday 26 September 2013
Battle of The Sexes
I recently saw an episode of America's Next Top Model's latest cycle, Guys & Girls. It was actually the first episode I've watched of the cycle.
The episode started with a recap of the previous episode's elimination of Jeremy and Kanani and Marvin crying over the fact that Jeremy's gone. Since it was the only episode I've watched so far, it was difficult to understand why Marvin was crying and why he and Chris H. weren't in good terms.
The challenge for this episode was a fashion related quiz and every correct answer would earn them money to put together a look. Phil had the least number of correct answers, thus, least amount of money earned. He only had 25 dollars as a budget for the styling challenge. While everyone managed to put together decent looks, Phil ended up with a t-shirt-ripped leggings combo, all bought from the women's section. His look was funny but I couldn't blame him since he only had 25 dollars.
Personally, I liked Nina's look best. It was very stylized. It showed her personality. Although, I agree with the judge stylist saying that another pair of shoes would have looked better. The cowgirl-ish boots kind of looked "misplaced". I still loved the look, nevertheless. If I remember it correctly, her outfit consisted of an LBD with sheer panels and a plaid wraparound shirt. She looked very chic!
The photo shoot of the episode was to be living art installations. They had to pose while a bucket of paint was thrown at them. I loved Nina and Cory's photos. I really love Nina's pose in the photo. It's not the usual girly girl pose. For Cory, I love how he's very creative with his poses unlike the other male models who are very stiff.
If it wasn't obvious enough, my favorite model this cycle is Nina. I love her look, especially her eyes. I hope she goes far in the competition.
Who's your favorite this cycle? :)
Tuesday 24 September 2013
One Bite After Another
Yesterday was a gluttonous day for my friends and I.
For breakfast, my friend, Shai and I had Spam and Korean noodles. A few hours later, another friend of mine, Jo joined us. She had a big burger with fries for lunch. She shared her fries with us. An hour or so later, I asked Shai to buy me some food at Dimsum Break and milk tea at Cobo.
While waiting for her to arrive, Jo and I ordered an 11-inch pizza from Alberto's. Once the pizza arrived, we immediately started eating and in good timing, Shai arrived with my steamed fried rice, pork spring rolls and vanilla milk tea with pearls. Jo also had milk tea. She ordered the black honey flavor. She didn't really like it as she couldn't quite explain the taste. haha.
Notice how almost all the sentences in this blog post have food in it. We ate that much that day. If you could only imagine how full and bloated our stomachs were that afternoon. I even told myself that I was so full that I couldn't eat dinner anymore. But then, I ended up eating my own words (pun intended :p). All three of us still ate dinner.
As night struck, I slept with a happy and very contented tummy but with a weeping and wailing wallet.
Monday 23 September 2013
Staring Out The Window
As I was sitting in the car, sipping a cup of orange juice, with the songs of David Gates and Elton John playing on the radio, I fell deep into my thoughts; almost like a trance. I watched the trees and grass swaying in motion with the wind and the little splashes of water that the waves create as they crash into the sea wall. At first, I was just staring blankly out my window, fascinated by how beautiful the afternoon was. Little did I know, I was thinking about the future, my life, my family, my education, and my future career. It's weird how far my thoughts went but it's also fascinating at the same time how small and random things trigger your innermost thoughts.
Sunday 22 September 2013
For The Love of Crackers
Every time I have classes early in the morning, I always skip breakfast because I always wake up late and I wouldn't have time to eat or else I'll be late for my classes. Last year, I got sick because of this bad habit. I realized that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. So, I made sure to always have something to eat while travelling to school. It was then I discovered the tummy-filling powers of crackers. Ever since, I always bring crackers with me to munch on in the morning. So guys, NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST or if you have to skip it for some reason, have something to eat, just to relieve yourself of hunger pangs. Trust me, crackers can go a long way.
Saturday 21 September 2013
As The Games Come To An End
Today is the last day of our 3-day intramural games event. For the first time ever, I got to play an official game of soccer baseball. Yay! We lost though. Boo! haha. Just kidding. It was purely a friendly game. It was a great experience that left me with a deeper appreciation for sports. It even inspired me to MAYBE play soccer baseball again next year.
Aside from soccer baseball, us, scrabble players, also played our last game in scrabble for this year's intramurals. We won! It was the only game we won out of three, actually. haha. Oh well, at least we gave it our best and we had fun.
In the afternoon, we went to Jelly Citea for some afternoon refreshments. I had their "Paris" drink. It tasted okay but it was too sweet for my liking. I prefer their vanilla milk tea more. We basically just chilled out at the cafe' and chitchatted. The school was getting too hot for us to bear so the air conditioning was definitely refreshing.
That's it for this year's intramurals. With all my new experiences in sports, I can't wait for next year's intramural games. :)
Friday 20 September 2013
Some K-Pop and Milk Tea
A few days ago, we visited Gentlemen Cafe', a small cafe' owned by Koreans across the university where I, together with my classmates, attended a talk about journalism.
After ordering our food, we headed to the main cafe' where the tables and chairs are. The interior design is quite cute; an abundance of stuffed toys, some posters and pictures, and some quirky knick-knacks. There's also this big TV playing Korean pop music videos. Since I was facing the TV, I watched and listened to a lot of K-Pop. I can't even count how many music videos I watched. I haven't had this much exposure to K-Pop. haha.
Let's move on to what I had, shall we? I had a caramel milk tea and a waffle. These two are bought as sort of a meal, by the way. The milk tea was yummy, so was the waffle. Although, I found a little bug in my milk tea. So my friend asked to have it replaced and they were kind enough to do so. I wasn't able to finish my milk tea, though.
The real fun started when my friends and I started playing different kinds of card games. It was one crazy and fun afternoon.
The Sandwich I Love
After school, we stopped by a McDonald's drive-through to buy some food. I've been craving for a McSpicy burger for weeks now and seeing its commercial on TV over and over again was just absolute torture. So I took this opportunity to satisfy this craving. I ordered a McSpicy Shake Shake Meal: it consists of a McSpicy burger, flavored fries, and a drink.
And there it was.. the beauty that is the chicken sandwich in my hand in all its chicken-y glory. It was a sight to behold, I tell you. It was the highlight of my day.
The fried chicken fillet+crispy lettuce+mayo combination kind of sandwich/burger is one of my all-time favorites, especially when the chicken is spicy. Yum! The flavored fries was okay. The barbecue powder sort of solidified and weren't really in powder form. But the burger was still good!
It was definitely a great (and filling) way to end my day! :)
Thursday 19 September 2013
The Fun in Sports
Today is the first day of our intramural games event; which meant food carts, cheers, visitors, and sports... A LOT OF SPORTS. During last year's intramural games, I wasn't really able to appreciate and understand some of the sports especially soccer baseball and softball because I had no idea of the rules and how the game goes. While everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs, cheering on for their team mates, I was just sitting silently in the corner, with a big, fat question mark on my face... and a cookie in my hand.
Fast forward to now, I'm on my feet, screaming and cheering for my team mates. Woot! I'm proud to say, that now, I actually understand other sports better. *pats myself on the back* I was actually able to watch soccer baseball, softball, and volleyball games today! and I enjoyed watching all three of them! I never imagined myself to be so "sporty".
I can't wait to watch more games tomorrow! :)
Absence of Light
What happened to me last night was definitely one for the books... a horror book, that is.
Yesterday afternoon, we had scrabble training, in preparation for an upcoming sports event in our school. At around 7pm, my mother and brother came to pick me up and so we ended the game and I packed my things. When I was about to leave the hall, the lights suddenly went out. Everyone suddenly panicked and started running to the nearest office which was just in the same hall and only a few steps away from where we were playing scrabble.
I've heard a lot of stories about ghost encounters and paranormal activity that happen in school from students. A blackout and a bunch of ghost stories don't exactly make a pleasant combination.
As the lights went out, I immediately tried to grab the person nearest to me. My scrabble friends were running, screaming, and knocking down the chairs due to severe panic... it was TERRIFYING. Imagine yourself being surrounded by absolute darkness and you remember all those stories about ghosts. I'll say it one more time: IT. WAS. TERRIFYING.
I was so scared that I couldn't even gather the strength to scream. All I did was panic and scurry to the office. When I arrived in the office, I was panting and shaking like hell. Thank God, the lights went back on after a few minutes. One of my scrabble friends then said that someone grabbed her hair. It was then I realized that maybe it was me who did that. OOPS. Sorry! I panicked, okay? You can't blame me for trying to save my dear life... even if it meant grabbing someone by her hair.
Monday 16 September 2013
With Belt Or Without?
Last night, I stumbled upon a photo of FashionBeans (a men's style blog) on my Facebook feed, talking about the belted outerwear trend for men; coats, cardigans, and blazers with belts on the waist.
I've actually seen this trend once on one of the characters of a Korean TV series. It actually looked good on the guy. It's just like the way women cinch their waists to emphasize the shape of their bodies. The trend is quite interesting. I asked myself, "if this trend looked good on women, would it look just as chic on men?"
I read some of the comments on the post and a lot of them were negative. Personally, I'm quite skeptical about the trend. But I know a lot of fashionable men can actually pull off this trend effortlessly. I salute these people! Hhmm, I wonder if I could pull off such a trend...
What do you think about the belted outerwear trend for men? Tres chic or fashion faux pas?
Saturday 14 September 2013
An "Awkward" Show
I've recently been obsessing over MTV's Awkward. I actually had no idea of its existence before but thank God my classmates told me about it. They were always gushing about how hot Matty was and how sweet Jake was, but at that time I couldn't relate to their conversations about the show. When I started watching it, I said to myself, "WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS I WHEN THIS SHOW STARTED AIRING???!!!"
EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SHOW IS AWESOME; from the characters down to the story line. I love this show to bits! Jenna's very "honest" blogging, Sadie's sass and spunk, Tamara's trendsetting lexicon, Matty's disturbing-but- adorable-at-the-same-time habit of smelling his armpits every time he gets nervous, Jake's boy band looks, Lissa's dumbness,... I could go on and on and enumerate everything I love about this show but then I'd probably be 40 years old by the time I finish, so let this serve as sort of a written "teaser" of the show. If this wasn't enough to convince you to watch the show, I don't know what will.
I can't wait for season four! :)
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A Day with Dim Sum
The weekend has arrived which meant one thing: food trip!
I've been swamped with school work these past few days and I've been wanting to go on a food trip and relax even for just a few hours. And so, after my classes this morning, my sister and I headed to one of my go-to fast food chains for my Chinese dim sum cravings. For lunch, we had steamed fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and spring rolls.
But even if I was more than full after that meal, my food trip wouldn't be complete without my 22 ounces of milk tea.. with tapioca pearls of course. It's been my routine ever since I got hooked on milk tea to have it as dessert every time I eat out. Personally, my favorite flavor is vanilla. It's a safe choice but it's a classic flavor. I don't think you can go wrong with vanilla.
Hhhmm, just writing this post is already making me crave for another tall cup of milk tea. Darn it.
Do you like Chinese food and milk tea as well? What's your favorite flavor? :)
Monday 9 September 2013
Sun Kissed Skin
When you hear or read "sun kissed skin", I'm sure the things that pop into your mind are the beach, swimming, white and fine sand... something like a summer dream. But no, where I got my "sun kissed skin" isn't from a dream at all.
As I've mentioned in my blog post, An Unexpected Kind of Love, I recently ventured into the field of sports, specifically soccer baseball. As much as I wanted to avoid sports, I had no choice. But then again, you always have a choice. Unfortunately for me, I chose to not have a choice. Am I making sense here? haha.
Anyway, so yesterday, we had one WHOLE DAY just for soccer baseball practice. Days prior to the training, I was bracing myself for the intense pain that I would eventually experience. An hour was already tiring enough, I couldn't imagine how tiring one whole day would be.
When training day finally arrived, I kept a positive mindset that maybe this wouldn't be so bad. I had to find a way to make myself feel better.
At 10 a.m., my teammates and I started training in the field under the INTENSE HEAT of the sun (emphasis on intense heat). The sun was really harsh that day. I could hear my skin sizzle as the rays as the sun touched my skin. I was like a little suckling pig being roasted to perfection but then, a roasted pig would look so good; a roasted me, on the other hand, wouldn't look appealing at all.
Finally, at 4 p.m., training had finally ended. I was dead tired, I had tan lines, I got sunburned, I was covered in dirt, my body was aching... I know I sound like such a little brat complaining about such shallow things but hey, one whole day of training under the sun is no piece of ice cream cake.
As I went home, all I could think of was crashing into my bed (and relaxing in a tub filled with lots and lots of ice cold milk). I was on the verge of fainting (not really). Thank God, I made it through the day. As I tried to think of a bright side to all this, the only thing bright was the sun which didn't help at all. But at least the day was productive; I learned a new sport and got good exercise! Talk about hitting two birds with one stone! :p
The Wonder of An Early Morning
Yesterday, I had to wake up early because I had school stuff to do at 6 a.m. I left the house at around 5:20 a.m. As I traveled to my destination, I was surprised of how beautiful the early morning is. The sky was of a light shade of blue with a hint of orange and yellow, the air was a bit chilly, the streets weren't clogged by cars (yet)... it was a sight I don't usually see. I felt like I was in a different place. It didn't feel like the city at all. Sigh, it was a great start to my morning.
It's been so long since I last woke up this early that I forgot how nice early mornings are. Waking up at dawn is usually a hard thing for me to do since I usually wake up late. But after yesterday, I realized that maybe I should wake up early once in a while, just to see how beautiful the morning is. :)
Thursday 5 September 2013
An Unexpected Kind of Love
I am not the sporty type of person. Almost any form of physical activity is torture for me. Just the thought of sweating and running makes me cringe. But just a couple of weeks ago, I found out that I was "required" to play soccer baseball and so I obliged and started practicing. I was really scared at first because I had ZERO knowledge about the sport; well, except for the fact that it involves pitching a ball, kicking the ball, and getting your face hit by the ball. This is definitely not my thing. I was like a fish out of water; a bird underwater; I was not in my element at all.
As the days went by and I got to learn the technicalities of the sport, the fear and the "dislike" started going away. Kick after kick, catch after catch; it was hard to admit but I was actually starting to enjoy soccer baseball. There's a different feeling (aside from pain) I get when I catch a ball or kick it really high. It's a feeling that I don't usually get but in a good way. I never imagined the day when I would actually learn to LOVE a sport. Okay, maybe not "love" exactly but appreciate.
Before, I never imagined myself playing such a physically demanding sport because I am not exactly the fittest person around but I gave it a try and actually enjoyed it. The greatest lesson I learned from this experience is: Open your mind to new things or experiences. You never know, it might be one of the best decisions you'll ever make in your life.
How about you? Tried doing anything new lately? :)
The Inception of Ber
It is officially the start of the "ber" months which draws us one month closer to the end of another year. I know 2014 is still months away but these 4 months will just breeze by. It seems like it was just yesterday when I celebrated the new year with my family. Sigh... Time goes by so fast. But rather than getting sad about it, let's make the most out of the remaining months! :)
A Blog is Born
Hello there! Welcome to my humble blog, Il Sognatore: The Journal of a Daydreamer. I created this blog for the reason of self-expression; a way of documenting my hobbies, my little adventures, my passions,... basically anything, really! I just wanted a space where I can express myself freely through writing.
"sognatore": the Italian word for dreamer.
Why Il Sognatore? Well, because I am every bit of a dreamer. I have always been the ambitious type. Even as a little kid, I already had so many dreams and ambitions; some were even very bold albeit impossible. I even dreamed of being able to talk to animals ala Eliza Thornberry. Oh well, kids will be kids. haha.
Call me overly ambitious but I have A LOT of dreams. Some may say that being ambitious is ridiculous because it borders on being delusional; but I beg to differ. I think being a dreamer widens my horizon. For me, being ambitious is not setting a limit to your capabilities; it's believing you can do big things and reach great heights. I'll forever stand by this mindset because it's what drives me to strive hard and succeed. These dreams are my impetus in life and hopefully, I'll get to fulfill these dreams someday; slowly, one by one.
For all the other dreamers out there, may this blog inspire you to dream even more and inspire you to achieve them. For now, this is it for my very first blog post. 'Til next time! :)
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