Alabang Girl (and Boy)

Two long weekends have passed and I’m happy to say that even though we didn’t go out of town like we usually do (thanks to my unfinished business case in MDP), at least I was able to sleep a lot, watch lots of movies and explore Alabang  area with Peter. Although, I’d still prefer to go surfing or beach hopping but I gotta make the most out of what I got, right? Besides, it helps us save a lot of  money since we’re having some renovations done at home and there are still some travel itineraries we plan to do once we have more time. Like going to HK, Siquijor, and La Union. So I guess, staying within our area and our budget is the best thing to do right now. So, for those who are mostly from QC, let me tour you a bit into our neighborhood…

FRENCH CORNER

At first I thought that French Corner is a name of a coffee shop. Apparently, it’s what they call this block of restaurants, bars and cafes. If you’re looking for a posh place to take your date, there are varied selections to choose from, some affordable & others quite expensive, depending on your budget. One thing is for sure though, all the service crew here are very friendly. Especially those from Oyster Oysters. I remember it was raining quite hard, and their service crew insisted to bring us door-to-door from their restaurant to Cafe Breton across the street. The same goes for Cafe Breton. Their lady attendant sheltered me with her umbrella as she brings me to our car while making small talk. We even talked about her birthday! Isn’t that the sweetest? It’s so different from the other bars and restos we’ve been to in other cities. So this is what life is like in Alabang… Awesome! 

Zong on the left side of Oyster Oysters is a Chinese  resto. Quite pricey! 

Poquito  mas is a combination of Brazil & Spanish Cuisine (I think!)…

Oyster Oysters prepare delectable Pinoy cuisines with a twist! 

L: Beef Curry;  M: Every table has this square bowl of fighting fish; R: Free prawn crackers!

At Cafe Breton, Peter ordered Cappuccino while I got  Espresso Frap with Vanilla Ice Cream…

L:  Classic Mixed Fruit Crepe  R: Doing the Paris Hilton pose… pwede!

(more…)

Taste Asia Bloggers’ EB Part II — A Success!

After a long time of believing I am an introvert (”yeah, right!” is what my friends keep telling me), I finally conquered my fear of being in a crowd full of strangers and just decided to  go to this bloggers’ meet. I don’t really have to come up to strangers and start talking to them, right? I  can just relax, enjoy the scene, be with people I already know and hopefully, make acquaintances with some of the hundred or so bloggers expected to come to this event. So that’s what I did (with the help of my cool shades, of course). After office hours last Thursday, August 23, 2007, I changed into my normal gypsy/bohemian attire (that’s what my MDP classmates call my “regular” get up, what do you think? Oh well, whatever!) and headed to Mall of Asia. I was there around 6 pm, pretty early for the 7:30 event. So, I did some window shopping while I waited for Peter. I can’t go to this thing alone! No, no, no.  Not even if you pay me.

The venue: Taste Asia beside SM Hypermarket, MOA 

Moi and my hubby, Adam Mordo

Fast forward to the event itself. Peter got stuck in bit of traffic coming all the way from Ortigas. We registered a little before 8 pm and there were already tons of bloggers there. We first met up with Lizette and Marco then the rest of the TMB (The Man Blog) gang followed: Mikey, Coco, Bim, Fritz, Ade, Steel and so did the girls Helga (who came with Chris) and Anne. Let me just say that I had fun… real, genuine fun! Not the type where I’d fake having fun until I get into the groove. Probably it helped that after the big fight I had with Peter concerning TMB, and after resolving the root cause of that issue (which I told Ade & Fritz after a little prodding on their part), I was already able to forgive Peter and myself for all the crazy things in my head. It wasn’t really any of the TMB’s fault like what I told Ade and Fritz. And I am truly so sorry for saying otherwise (forgive me, especially Mikey & Bim?). It’s a girl thing and it sucks, I know. So good luck boys, if ever you do get married to someone like me, hehehe.

Mike, Ade, Adam, Fritz, Coco, Bim, Mikey, Liz, Marco, Jayvee

 Moi, Adam, Liz, Marco, Jayvee

 Sarah, Moi, Liz, Marco, Jayvee

(more…)

Travelogue XXIV: VISMIN TOUR 4th LEG-Surigao Part II

The next series of travelogues that  I will be sharing with you consist of three weeks worth of vacation,  touring parts of Visayas and Mindanao two summers ago.  This was the time when both of us were able to scrimp the P40,000 we saved up for this adventure and learned the art of backpacking by experience. I’ve already posted the first, second, and third legs of our trip (Cebu , Dumaguete, and Bohol). Now, let’s check out Surigao Part II. Come, join us on our journey and explore the beauty of our country. Maybe next time, we can do a backpack tour of Asia and Europe as well. *crossing our fingers now*

~~~oOo~~~

Enjoying Malimono Beach with My Family…

The next day, our relatives brought us to Malimono Beach which was way farther than Mabua. We passed by cliffs that gave us such  a beautiful view of the sea below. It was just quite scary coz the roads weren’t paved just yet. Finally, we arrived and the first thing I noticed was the beach (of course!). This time, there were many pebbles much smaller than those in Anilao. The second thing I noticed was the quality of the water. It looked quite fuzzy. When I snorkeled, I realized why. Just like in Coron’s Twin Lagoon, the water there was a mixture of hot and cold. So I couldn’t get a good view of the fishes underwater due to this varying temperatures. I think it was the sea that was warm while the water coming from an estuary was the one that was cold. And when they mix, they gave us this fuzzy eerie look. Oh well, we just enjoyed our little picnic there until it was time to go.

Picnic Time!

Our very own beach in Sabang…

We visited other places afterwards like Sabang Beach which we own too. I would’ve loved to have a house there but the thing about this beach is that the waters were so shallow. Even when we were meters away from the shore, the water was still ankle-high. Duh! But the place was refreshing and simple. Too bad I can’t  picture myself living there. From afar, we also saw this famous politician’s huge mansion. Now we know where those taxes are going. I mean, my gosh! Surigao is supposed to be a city but there was not even a cinema or a mall?! Talk about backward living! Thanks to the political leaders of this province. I’m dismayed.

Another piece of land in Cagniog from my Mom’s side…

(more…)

Why I Love Peter: Reason # 3

Oooohhhh, I hate this stormy weather! If it weren’t for for the rains,  floods and strong winds, we should’ve been in La Union by now, surfing! Or maybe we’d be in Zambales trying to jump off Pundaquit Falls again. Instead, we’re trapped here in Alabang, at home, watching (and finishing) the last 2 seasons of Charmed. I actually thought I wouldn’t like it, since I never really followed it on TV before. But once I started watching the three beautiful witches balance their life between vanquishing demons, fighting for love and protecting the innocent, I actually missed them every time I’m on a break from my precious couch.

Speaking of break, it’s actually what I would like to blog about. No, not a break up, you’re getting me all wrong. After all, I’m gonna blog about my third reason for loving Peter, right?  Ok, so back to topic…

When I am not in front of the TV or out exploring the neighboring nooks and crannies in our area, I am actually being fed scrumptious dishes made by Peter. So now you have an idea why I never really get as thin as I’d like to be. Coz when we’re not out trying to stuff ourselves with various cuisines, gourmet-like food is served right at home by my hubby. As simple as this reason may be, it is actually very important. After all, I am no cook and it’s really great to have someone there to feed me when the need arises. Otherwise, my mood swings erupt and my ulcer might start kicking in again. So come take a look at some of Peter’s delightful creations…

 
(more…)

A Partner for Rave

Rave is in short for Rachel Veronica, a name Peter gave to our Toyota Revo Asian Utility Vehicle. She’s been with us for 7 years now. She has traveled the far reaches of Luzon, From Manila to Pagudpud and back; from Manila to the ends of Sorsogon and back. She has served us well and she still continues to do so.

During her first few years with us, she has been covered with some form of Auto Insurance Plans, until Peter and I had a car accident along Quezon Avenue. We were still living in Bulacan at that time (I believe this was back in 2003) and Peter used to cook and sell various pasta dishes to some call centers in Ortigas. He was just really overworked with this new business that on one of our trips to the city, he fell asleep while driving (at noon time would you believe?!) and poof! We crashed onto another car. To think that traffic was moving at 5km per hour! But the impact was so huge that the car we crashed in front also crashed the car at his front. In short, we were screwed! It was a good thing that there is such a thing called Insurance Coverage for Cars because after all the troubles, Toyota did pay up and Rave was back on its feet again. We’re still here now, aren’t we?

On another note, lately I’ve been dreaming about having another car… A car that will fit my personality, a car that will be useful for me… A cute, reliable automobile that will carry me through the next phases of my life. A Picanto perhaps?  Or an Echo which I have always liked since it first came out a few years ago? Hmmmm… What do you think? Ooohhhh, And I’d like it to be in pink or in purple! Or maybe both! Awesome! I can’t wait! But perhaps, I should first look into some kind of an Online Insurance Policy  so I can better prepare myself for it, financially, at least. Even more, Rave needs some Classic Car Liability Insurance Best too. After all, with her age now, it can already be considered a classic, right?