centipede alert

as soon as i stepped inside my room after i got home from work, i was so shocked to see a centipede crawl from my shoeboxes to the back of the tv stand. i immediately shouted for my bro to go get the baygon spray while i watch where it goes coz i fear that if i lose it out of my sight, it might come crawling on me while i sleep.

good thing that when little bro sprayed on it, it came crawling out to the middle of the floor so we sprayed some more until it stops moving. and for something that looks like the photo on the right -->, i'm cringing at the sight of it frantically wriggling to its death. but no, the other bigger bro still had to squish it with my havaianas because i think that it's just getting dizzy with the baygon smell and not really quivering to its death.

only when its body separated from its hundred feet --which, btw, doesn't really look like a hundred-- did i believe that it was dead for real.

oh well, i'm just really really thankful that i saw it and not felt it while i'm asleep. and i'm full of wonder of how it got inside my room. and also a bit scared that it has a family hiding somewhere in here planning to get back at me for killing that creepy little thing.

sango!

i've read about sango! many times in blogs. upon knowing that they already had a branch here in the south, i've been yearning to try them but i'm still waiting for the chance that my b would be in the mood to take me to alabang again.

he read about it once in a magazine while waiting for our starbucks frappucino and after a few days, there we were at that quaint japanese burger joint that made me feel like i'm in a shaider scene. i haven't been to japan yet, but it's incredibly simple interiors, 2 televisions showing japanese channels, japanese magazines, heck, almost all japanese stuff up to the toilet seat transported me to that country. the origami pieces scattered around the place adds to the resto's charm. and man, that place is so neat and clean.

as first timers, we had their bestseller master cheese burger. it was served wrapped in a sandwich bag (the one with only 2 perpendicular sides connected to each other) on a little bread basket complete with a spoon. at first glance, it looks like an ordinary burger with mayo and meatsauce with a thick slice of tomato. but as they say, looks can be deceiving. it was oh so out of the ordinary, i can say it's one of the best burgers in town (for me, at least). the bread buns are sooo soft that it seems very fragile to hold all those good stuff inside. the thick juicy slice of tomato totally complements the meat sauce to prevent "umay". oh, just thinking about it now makes me drool..

for dessert, we had maccha azuki cornflake shake. it's green tea ice cream with cornflakes, red beans and 2 jawbreaker sized mochi. b and i also loved this dessert. the green tea ice cream neutralizes the palate and it's really exciting to have something cold, crunchy and chewy in your mouth at the same time.

the 2nd time we went here, i was contemplating to try out the yakiniku rice burger which i heard was also good. but upon remembering how good the master cheese burger was, i can't help but order the exact same thing again.

sango! the burger master
alabang south supermarket

they also have branches in ortigas pearl plaza, makati creekside mall and rockwell power plant mall

bake & churn

it took us more than an hour of what was supposedly a 10 minute drive. traversing the alabang-zapote road going south is always a dreadful experience. but little did we know that there was a reward waiting for us at our destination.

for b and me, southmall equals food trip at the lower ground. odd balls, bbq flavored fries and cheesy corn cups will always be a part of it. sadly, the corns are gone :(

but there's a new addition to our line up - our new discovery, bake & churn.

from the name itself, it's a stall that sells ice cream cakes. haven't tried their cakes yet because what caught our attention was this ice cream bar whose packaging reminds me of those in haagen dasz. it's only priced at 1/6 of that of the international brand and the black forest flavor made me drool. i imagine bits of cherries and chocolates and i can't wait to try. true enough, i had my cherries and chunks of chocolate cake enveloped in ice cream covered with a chocolate shell. my favorite stuff all rolled into one. indulgence.

bake & churn
southmall lower ground food court
they are also found in almost all sm branches except moa, sucat and muntinlupa

still alive

it took so long before the writing bug hit me again. it seems that i've only been writing codes (programming stuff) for the past 2 months that i'm away but that's really not the case. let's just say that so much has happened that 2 months seem to pass by with the blink of an eye. sure there were those devastating storms, but it's the sunlight after them that's taking the spotlight (and i'm talking both literally and figuratively).

while checking out if this is the longest hiatus i've had to date, i found out that i also abandoned this site august of last year and went back december. that's 4 months. and i'm thinking that maybe it's those september birthdays that's triggering my being inactive from the blogging world. busy mode from all the weekly "lamon" fest. anyway, whatever it is, i really don't think that a lot of people do pass by this little cyberspace of mine so the only one i need to apologize to is this writer in me.

so, what's keeping me busy these days?

1. projects. and i'm not complaining. the more projects, the better. thank goodness that stress level is being kept at bay by movie nights and dinner dates at least once a week.

2. exercise. i was shocked to find orange peels aka cellulites on my thighs while trying out shorts one time i was shopping. and i hated myself for letting this happen. just a year ago, i was so confident to wear short shorts and minis regardless of the flabs. but now, it's not just flabs..ack! i'm always aghast when i look at myself in the mirror so i do exercise every morning and before i go to bed. and i use b's orbitrac every chance i get (that is, if i'm not tired from work, heh)

now that's really not a lot of stuff, isn't it? sometimes, i really wish i could do more. like some people who get to do some kind of community service, seminars, hobbies and the like. now it got me thinking, should i push myself more? constantly aching back notwithstanding?

birthday pampering

b and i usually work on a holiday but it was my mom's birthday tomorrow so i took advantage of the day and treated my mom to another pampering experience.

first off was a trip to the going straight salon for a hot oil treatment. their package with haircut is much cheaper than with a solo hot oil treatment so we took advantage of that. just had my hair cut last month and all i wanted was a trim like mom did. but then i'm starting to get tired of having long layered hair with side swept bangs so i decided to go full bangs. the result? my hair now kinda looks like this...

only mine's shorter and without color. i actually saw this photo of bryce right after i got my haircut last month and i saved it on b's phone so that i can show it to the stylist next time. ang galing lang that i got the look without even showing this photo to the stylist. well, it's a totally different me. and i look more chinese (which is i'm not) than ever.

we finished early for our 4pm appointment at california nails and day spa so we went shoe shopping for a while. mom was able to buy one wedge sandals while i was choosing between a black pointed pumps to replace my old one and a pretty colorful wedge slingback and ended up with nothing, heh.

mom and i both had manicure and spa pedicure afterwards. aside from the lovely and very girly pink ambiance which i love, the service was great and the attendants very friendly. i swear to be back there for their paraffin treatment.

i think mom had fun and got relaxed. i'm glad that this simple birthday treat is very well appreciated. it's really such a small gesture compared to all that she has done for us. love u mom!

before i end this, just some realizations. i kinda got flattered when the stylist who cut my hair asked me if i got my hair rebonded and he was actually surprised when i told him that it was natural. the only treatment i ever put on my hair is hot oil and before last month's salon trip, it was about a year ago that it got treated. then when i got my mani-ped, i told my "ate"s not to remove the cuticle coz i haven't had my cuticles removed ever. it's only barely visible, anyway. these things only prove that i'm really not a high maintenance girl. but damn, it feels good to be pampered every now and then.

nougat search

i'm addicted to cloud nine or anything with soft nougat for that matter. i reckon when i was a kid, my best friend and i would be buying this nougat candy in the neighborhood sari-sari store everyday during summer sportsfest or flores de mayo. i actually saw that candy at the grocery in my search for a plain or chocolate covered nougat w/o nuts and caramel. but sadly, when i pinched one bar to check if it feels soft, the nougat seems hard and difficult to chew.

during that last trip to duty free, i continued my search in the aisles of all those imported goods and found this:

however excited i was of this, i was disappointed coz it's still not the one i'm looking for. although it's texture is soft, every bite kinda sticks to the teeth like caramel does. i want the likes of that of cloud nine or snickers, with just a bit of chewiness and stickiness that doesn't cling to the teeth. does anyone know where i can find one?

smartfood popcorn

remember that popcorn from duty free i told you about? well, i got the chance to buy it after bro came back from japan (which reminds me that he'll be off again tomorrow and be back on friday. will it mean a duty free weekend? heh).

anyway, here it is. smartfood white cheddar popcorn, a product of frito-lay. it's my favorite popcorn to date. b and i finished the whole bag while watching he's just not that into you on dvd.

08.30.09 snippets

...advance celebration of my mom's birthday at yakimix. waited 30 minutes to be seated but the grilled food is worth it. can you tell that we're yakimix fans?

...set a birthday date with momma dear tomorrow. salon, spa and shopping galore!

...1 hour chat with b at mcdo parking lot. whoa, it still surprises me that we still find a lot of things to talk about although we're together whole day everyday.

...nothing beats having your bf sincerely tell you that your beauty really outshines a crowd of people.

...promised myself that i'll only have fruits for dinner coz i was still full from lunch. but b craved for jollibee's double TLC and instead of him unhealthily gorging the whole of it so late at night, i decided to take bites of it for his health's sake.javascript:void(0)

...realized that i really despise jollibee food. haven't had them for a while and when i took my first bite, it kinda tastes good. however, after the burger was finished off and the smell of the beef pattie still lingers..it's really starting to make me throw up.

...missed doing hobbies like this..writing & reading. the last book i read was the last of the twilight series, breaking dawn. and that was one year ago..sheesh.

lie low on flipflops

i have a love affair with high heels ever since i was a kid so it's no wonder why most of my shoes have 3 inches up of heel height. if before i can walk in 'em for hours while shopping, now the balls of my feet are complaining after only an hour of carrying my whole weight.

then came the rescue of flipflops. my feet got addicted to the comfort it brings so i never fail to bring a pair of my havaianas everyday. i use it when we go home during lunch and for trips to the mall after office hours or client meetings. but then i realized that it blahs my fashion sense so i went searching for ballet flats that can replace them. however, looking for a comfy ballet flats is quite daunting. a few weeks ago, i spotted these set of flats from CMG.

it's made of suede inside out with a faux croc patent toe cap and dainty ribbon detail. it also comes with a pouch bag that's good for carrying it around. although it's not as comfy as i thought it would be, still, it's a bit better than the other ones i tried. it's perfect paired with black slacks or leggings and can be used for not so formal client meetings like schools. i actually used it once on a school meeting and then malling and grocery shopping afterwards. there was a bit of chafing so the thought of corns and callouses forming in my feet worries me. nonetheless, i still like it to replace my flipflops once in a while but i don't think i'm going to use it much often.

recipe: korean beef stew

there was this one resto/pastry shop in taft avenue where we frequent the most during college days. it's name was henry's and that was where i first tasted korean beef stew..the unforgettable henry's beef stew. a few years after i graduated (or was it only just a few months?), i discovered that henry's no longer existed and it saddened me to bits. anyway, it was only a few years back that i realized i can still have a taste of my fave college lunch meal at any korean resto in the city. but now, after making a few research on the net, i can have a taste of that beef stew at home in a few easy steps. it's so delicious that it instantly became b's fave meal the first time i cooked it.

ingredients: 1 kilo of beef cut into serving pieces (preferrably ribs), 1 whole garlic peeled, 1 whole onion peeled and cut into half, a large piece of ginger peeled and sliced, 2 finger chilis sliced into thin strips, 1 bay leaf, soy sauce, white sugar, sesame seeds, chives.

procedure: place beef in a casserole and cover with enough water. when the water starts to boil, add the whole garlic, onion, bay leaf and half of the sliced chilis. stir in about 3/4 cup of soy sauce and 3/4 cup of sugar then simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. you can also pressure cook for 30-45 minutes but i think slow cooking is better for the beef to absorb the flavor. serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and chopped chives and topped with the rest of the sliced chilis.

all about popcorn

chicago popcorn shop is found in the 2nd level south wing of the entertainment mall in MOA. if it weren't for the food blogs i've been reading, i wouldn't have known about this because it's out of the area where most of the food shops are. since the youngest brother is a popcorn boy (we always have a stock of microwaveable popcorns here at home), i decided to buy him one tin can of the popcorn people have been raving about a few months back.

i was ecstatic upon sampling the chicago mix --which is a caramel and cheese combo-- at the shop. and since we're mostly cheese lovers at home, i got 70% cheese and 30% caramel. it was a unique popcorn experience at first, with the sweet and salty flavors playing on the taste buds. but after a while, we all got a bit tired of it. the caramel is too sweet and while the cheese is probably one of the best cheese popcorn we've had, it's still not worthy of a tin can refill.

all this popcorn talk made me crave of this white cheddar popcorn we bought from duty free last may. i wasn't able to take note of the brand but i reckon it's with the row of bags of doritos and lays chips. now that, that is the best popcorn i've ever had. i'm hoping that when bigger bro comes back from japan this friday, we'll be able to make a quick trip to duty free so i can grab a bag or two of that popcorn and share it with you.