Glutton At Large In Palawan

Virtually, everything that I experienced - the plane ride, the zip line, the rock climbing, the snorkeling, everything in and about Palawan - in our trip was a first for me. And all firsts surely stick in our memories, don't they? These things are gonna for sho. More so, some of the foods that I've tasted in Palawan for the first time would definitely make it to the list of "Most Memorable's" in my life.

Nikki did a great job in doing her homework. Oh, not my daughter Nikki. My friend-slash-officemate Nikki who planned our Palawan trip. She did great on the research especially the must-taste foods there. In-avail namin lahat 'yun. So among the many firsts I've experienced on this trip is the chance to try these foods for the first ime.

1. Tamilok or Shipworm. I think this deserves to be in the number one spot. I wasn't totally engrossed by this food. I just thought of it like the street food isaw sans the food color and the stick. I honestly couldn't figure what it tasted like. My friends were saying it tasted like oyster. Um-agree na lang ako. Isa lang masasabi ko, makunat siya. Nguya-nguyain mo pa ng 100 times then lunok.

KaLui Restaurant In Puerto Princesa

I learned from Nikki that KaLui (some would write it as "Ka Lui" but I prefer it written this way just like in its website) Restaurant is a popular, the most famous as a matter of fact, restaurant in Palawan, and that a Palawan trip is not complete without having tried dining at this restaurant. It is a must-visit place in Palawan. Ka Louie (just like saying it as Mang Lui, I guess) is the owner of KaLui Restaurant.

Originally, we planned and had a reservation for us to dine at KaLui on Day 2. But because there was nothing planned to do in the evening of our Day 1, after checking in the hotel and buying little grocery items in the nearby Robinsons Mall, we changed plans. In the afternoon of Day 1, we asked the hotel receptionist to make a reservation for us that evening. Luckily, there was an available table for six in KaLui at 6:15PM. After settling our things in our own rooms and taking quick shower, we had a tricycle ride from Go Hotels Puerto Princesa to KaLui Restaurant.

There was one mistake that we committed. We stopped tricycles from the hotel lobby. Wrong. We were charged P150 per tricycle and one tricycle was only allowed to load three persons. So we had to take two tricycles for the six of us. Tumataginting na P300. We later found out that one tricycle could load more than three persons and per person fare was only P8. Sweet!

The Flight

Forgive me if even this one I still have to write about. Pagbigyan niyo na 'ne? First time ko e. I wanted something to remind me how it felt like the first time I flew. 

☻☺☻☺☻

Despite Dr. Dominguez' don't-worry-about-it-you'll-be-fine advice, I couldn't stop thinking of possible things, embarrassing things, that could happen to me inside the plane. From the time while in the bus on the way to Clark, on the way to DMIA and waiting for the gate to open for boarding, I was really feeling more frightened than excited. Halo-halo na din siguro. But I was good in hiding it. Cool lang. Picture-picture lang with friends.
 

Bus ride from Baguio

Coffee break in Sison bus stop

Coffee or Tea?

When I was younger, I was never a coffee aficionado. My parents and uncles and aunts were and still are. I remember them chatting over cups of coffee even during some hot mid-afternoons. I only learned to consume cups and cups...and cups of coffee when I started working in a call center. Oh yeah, I've been a huge coffee fan since 2004. And it's good my company for giving its employees free coffee. Most call centers do.

Image Source

 

Tea, on the other hand, is something that I only learned to love taking a couple of years back. Elmer's mom, who happens to be a health buff, was the one who I got the influence from. She believed that tea was much healthier than coffee. While popular belief labels tea as a health drink and coffee as not, I've read that mounting evidence suggests that coffee and tea are both brimming with about the same amount of anti-oxidants in them.

Despite my love for coffee, I have never become a patron of popular coffee shops like Starbucks, Gloria Jean's or the others. First, I am cheap. Paying at least P80 for a short cup of coffee, to me, is robbery. Second, magagalit si Elmer sa akin. ^_^. Sipping on a cup of Starbucks aromatic coffee as I feel the cool Baguio breeze, once in a while, is, I think, heaven. But I still prefer to have my caffeine fix at the comfort of my home or at the office. 

My good friend at work and I have (almost) never failed to take at least one cup of coffee during our breaks until she was advised by her doctor to cut down on her consumption of coffee and some other foods and drinks and until our boss instructed us to not go on break at the same time anymore. Since then, I have been sipping on coffee in the pantry all by myself.

Lesson learned: (1) Do not see your doctor. He/She might ask you to stop doing things you love to do, or eating and drinking foods you love to eat and drink. (2) Hide when you see an approaching boss. ^_^

How about you? Coffee or tea?

Ciao! ♥

Goodbye Frizz

Here in Baguio, I do not have a "suki" salon. Before, I would only get a haircut every time I was in Nueva Ecija. There was one salon there na 'pag magpapagupit ako, papasok lang at sasabihin. "Parang dati po." 'Yun na. Gets na niya ang gupit na gusto ko at swak naman sa akin. 

But after a hair rebond and hair got longer, I had to cut it na. I never had a long hair talaga. Hindi kasi bagay sa akin. It has become inconvenient for me to go down to Nueva Ecija every time I would like to get a haircut. I've already tried having a haircut in a couple of salons here in Baguio. I would say, I'm still in my search for a "suki" salon. 

Have you seen my photo here? Okay, ginawan ko na ng paraan 'yan. My friends Joy and Karen were also in the mood for a haircut. Because my hair looked like it badly needed some trimming, I joined them. 

We headed to Domingo Cabato Jr. Salon, a small salon in General Luna. Yes, mhin na mhin ang name. Joy knows Dom. 

These were the "after" shots. Sana daw may "before" shots. Sabi ko, 'di na kelangan. ^_^

Cuma-camwhore lang.

Love Thy Neighbors

You must already know by now that my family has already moved to a new house. That means, we have new neighbors. Well, they're not really strangers to us. They're long-time friends. For the longest time, I've never been neighbors with my friends. And now that I am, the feeling is just so warm and comforting. What's a better way to welcome new neighbors than offering them helping hands and good food? I guess, nothing.

These people know well how to love their (new) neighbors. During our first week here, we were showered with foods (which I have not reciprocated yet).

Although it was not really intended for us as her new neighbor, she got us to taste her spaghetti. I have to say it was really delish!

Karen and her spaghetti

The spaghetti. Yum!

Uno Has Turned Dos

Uno is my friend Apol's son. It's his 2nd birthday today. Calli and I were so happy to have been part of his birthday celebration. 

Calli while en route to the party

I went to the party with Joy and...

Labor Day Fun

Nikki is still in Pangasinan. Elmer and Calli have left for Pangasinan yesterday. While still at work today, I didn't feel like going home to an empty house. I was making up reasons to go to town. Oops, I remembered, I needed a new tube of lipstick. Okay, I would go to town and buy one. I was planning to do exactly just that when my plan changed. My friends Joy and Charlie invited me to go out with them. I was hesitant at first but...the heck! My house was empty. So I went with them. 

The plan: have ONLY "two rounds" at Caltex in PNR. 

The suspects, Joy and Charlie. Walang hiya na sa camera talaga.

Again. This time with Apol.

Look who we found at Caltex. 

Aaaw, They Love Me

The Yahoo! Escalations is our account's newest LOB so far. It started as a one-team desk which grew with two then three more teams making it a single cluster. Our company was the only site that has this line of business until this year. I was lucky to be part of its pioneer team composed of seven Tier 2 agents and five Tier 1 agents when it went live in 2008.

If I were not mistaken, this was Vic's idea.

I am no longer part of the Yahoo! Escalations Team or what we simply call Y!ET. I was sent from it back to the Tier 2 Team with new assigned task at that time. I still kept in touch with my teammates and friends from Y!ET. Parang ang layo naman ng pinuntahan ko 'di ba? Its bay and the Tier 2 Team bay are just a laway talsik away from each other. ^_^

Intro lang 'yun. Eto talaga ang kwento.

It's More Fun Being Blue!

Quarter Recognition Party, Cook-out Party, Christmas Party. Anything that has party in it  (except for third party opkors!) is sure fun at work. Not to mention, we only get to have one once in 3-4 months...if we get lucky. And we sure did get lucky today! Our account just had a cook-out party for meeting/exceeding the goal for Connectech sales. Although it was not really a cook-out  party by definition kasi cooked na ang food when they got to the venue, that was in our humble parking lot. Spell tipid! ^_^ But that didn't bother us. It was scheduled for breakfast. So we took our "lunch" for breakfast. You know what I mean, all you call center peeps out there, yes?

The stage. The emcee. The bosses.

Taste Buds At Work: Jollibee's Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

We all know that kids are very fond of Jollibee, its mascot and its products. Jollibee and its products target mainly the younger population. Through the years, Jollibee tries to come up with products that are more pleasurable to adults.  This new Chicken and Mushroom Pasta is one of them. It's like Jolly Spaghetti for adults.

This is how it looks like in the ad.

This is how it does on the actual plate.

It's A Boy

...and he's finally out.

My friend Mona has given birth to a bouncing baby boy in Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital today, March 17, 2012, at 6:24AM through CS.

Baby Jayden Khil Head

I hope I spelled the name right.

After-work Bonding With Girl Friends

PAGASA had already officially declared that it is summer. Even without the official declaration, we can already feel the scorching heat of the sun. 'Mind you, nasa Baguio kami but the sun can still be very unforgiving on some days.

With that said, lately, Golden and I have been talking a lot about Razon's halo-halo - She and her husband Jeff, already having tried it recently and I, having my visiting mom try it (and she loved it). And how we both look forward to having our next glasses of Razon's halo-halo. Coincidentally, another workmate invited her to have halo-halo at Razon's yesterday. Then Golden invited me and Apol to join them. It was a date!

What's a better way to spend bonding time with friends than do it over good food? Da best 'di ba? Lalo na'ng mga Pinoy, hilig kumain. There we were in the jeepney after work, off to SM City Baguio. I was already secretly enjoying the halo-halo in my mind. True itey! ^_^

Good Food In Baby Showers

Traditionally, baby showers are attended by both men and women with the intent to share ideas and wisdom on becoming a mother and parenting to the mother-to-be. In the Philippines, people are not accustomed to holding baby showers when possible. This is more common in Western countries.

I have not been to a baby shower until last Saturday. My good friend Mona, who got married to Carl, had a baby shower. Carl is a Brit so it's understandable why merong baby shower. They're expecting to give birth with JK on March 17 through CS. They do not know yet its gender but they already have a girl and a boy names ready for it with initials JK. I asked but I forgot what JK stands for, for either gender.

Mom again-to-be Mona

Me, My Very Dependable Sling Bag (Hides my "abs") and Mona

Optimism: Key to Survival

Photo Credit: federatedmedia.net

One of my friends in Facebook posted something like this some time last week -- We always complain about our job. But we should be thankful that we have a job to complain about.

Tomoh!!!

Recently, I have been reading news articles about more and more people everywhere becoming jobless everyday. Joblessness results to a lot of things like homelessness and hunger to name a few. Some jobless citizens in the US get by on government-provided aids like food stubs and stuff. Good for them, they're US citizens. They receive some help from their government to the least. E sa Pinas tayo 'tol! If one is jobless in the Philippines, good luck na lang. He should not depend or even expect too much from the Philippine government. Asa! Help yourself dude. Or maybe you can ask your mom to help you. Or your girlfriend. Or your wife. Or your fafa. Whatever! 'La na naman 'tong post na 'to, nararamdaman ko.

The reality that I'm trying to say - this isn't necessary really because it is true, a fact -  is that these days, it is so hard to look for a decent job, one that fits one's profile and eligibility. I am so happy that I (still) have one right now. Despite all the negativities going on at work, I realized, I still want this. This job has let my family survive for the longest time. So all the nega things around? I just brush them off. Pessimism is the last thing that I need at the moment. 

So whenever I'm feeling bored I just psyche myself out, there's something interesting coming soon...and I blog. :p Whenever I don't feel like coming to work I just think, there's something good happening with me at work. Someone has told me that if I get bored of what I do at work, before resigning, that try to look for a challenge at work, try other positions. If still bored (and unhappy), then that's the time I resign. Optimism sister!

On a kinda different and lighter note, here are the things that make me excited to come to work --

1. Rica's Best Shawarma. I was never a fan of shawarma because I thought it was just so overrated especially every Panagbenga. Rica's Best Shawarma, although it does not have the classic shawarma taste, changed all that. I always look forward to eating one everyday. But I don't eat everyday unlike Gibson. He even joked, "Pumapasok lang ako dahil sa shawarma." ^_^

2. Big Boy Toppings. I was not paying too much attention to it when its booth set up in our pantry. I got curious on how it tasted so I tried. Since then I am a fan. 

    

3. "Sharing" sessions with Golden and Gibson. About anything under the sun, mostly about everything that's going on under our office building's roof. ^_^ Chika Minute!   

Kayo, what makes you excited to come to work?

Ciao! ♥ 

   

Sighs Of Relief And Frustration

Power's back up. I lewv it. All phones: batteries fully charged. Check. Laptop: battery fully charged. Check. Digicam: battery fully charged. Check. Ayus! May TV na. Tuloy-tuloy na din ang tubig. Perfect! Sun started to shine yesterday. Back to normal. *Sigh*

Weekend na, but I don't get excited with weekends. Elmer and I have to work on weekends while our daughters have to stay at home. No classes for Nikki of course. Monday is again my rest day but I don't think I will get to rest kasi uuwi si Manang Pearl, my kids' yaya, sa Pangasinan on Sunday. Once a month she gets to see her family in Pangasinan. So ako lahat ang gagawa sa bahay sa Monday at Tuesday. Just thinking of it, napapagod na ako. *Sigh*

Gusto ko ng bonding time with my family on Sunday after my shift. Lunch lang at movie/s, pero sa bahay lang. Ano kaya lulutuin nino? *Sigh*

Hunt-mode muna for recipes online.

Ciao! ♥