Tuesday, August 26, 2008

August 23, 2007 at the SM Parking Lot C, we sang and danced to the groove of Earth, Wind and Fire's timeless music. We sponsored the ticket validation system for the concert and so we got to watch it all for free. We served as validators for the night and right after everyone has entered, we transferred near the stage and enjoyed the music and danced with it for the rest of the concert.

Some of their famous songs are September, After the Love has Gone, Let's Groove and Boogie Wonderland. All were sung in the concert. The crowd was enjoying their music and lots of oldies yet groovies were there. I still had fun, despite the fact that it was really tiring validating tickets.

Later, after the concert, our boss treated us at MTS for some drinks and there, he let us try a very delicious dish which is named Dinakdakan. It was our first time to try it and we loved it.
For more pictures of the concert, visit my multiply site via http://luvtristan.multiply.com

Monday, August 18, 2008

Last Sunday, we just stayed at home the whole day and did nothing but watch TV and eat. Maybe due to boredom, Pia busied herself with drawing. She just loves to draw and I'm actually happy with it cause I really didn't have the talent in drawing. But sometimes, it just irritates me when she makes a mess of our house with all her drawings. Inuubos nya double-sided adhesive tape namin just so she could post in our walls her drawings. Oh my! Still, whenever she makes new "masterpieces," as we call it, it still makes me really proud.


Anyway, I was really amazed last Sunday at what she was able to come up with. She just took a clean bond paper from her school folder, got herself a sharp pencil and crayons and sat in her table. I was just observing her because I noticed that she was sitting there for over 5 minutes already and she still has a blank sheet. And she was thinking really deep, both hands on her forehead and so I asked what's wrong and she stubbornly replied, "di ako makaisip nang i-drawing." Ehehehhee. But after a while, she started sketching already so I left her alone.

When she finished drawing, she showed it to me and this were what she came up with.



When I was her age, I really could not come up with this. What amazes me more is that when she was drawing all these, she didn't have any magazine or books to copy from, she made it all by herself. I wonder where she got all these ideas.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

I just turned on the TV to watch ASAP and I was just in time for Gary Valenciano's performance giving tribute to his 25 years in the industry. All these years, listening to Gary sing never fails to give me goosebumps. His music is indeed timeless and I just can't get enough of it.


He is releasing a new album, Rebirth, celebrating his 25th year which is a collection of great selections of his songs for the last two and a half decades. I just can't wait to get one! I love all his songs especially the movie theme songs and his spiritual songs. Aside from the really deep and touching messages of his songs, his voice and the ways he sings them completes the entirety of its moving effect on the listeners. It just leaves you dreamy and at times, in a state of nostalgia.



Thursday, August 14, 2008

Kebab Lunch @ Cafe Med

Che, one of my best buds since college, scheduled a lunch date with me today at our favorite kebab diner infront of Ateneo College. Unfortunately, we've been dining there for years now and I still don't know the place's name.. :"> We met around 12 and headed to Jacinto St., where the place is. To our dismay, they're no longer there! According to the nearby stalls, they already transferred to Ecoland. Such disappointment and to think we were really craving to eat their juicy kebabs.

So with no other choice, we thought of other options and since we were really in the mood to eat kebab, we remembered this huge billboard along Bolton bridge where a certain mediterranean resto showcased their kebabs. Good thing I remembered the name and location of the diner so we hurriedly drove to Chimes. It's both our first time to try Cafe Mediterranean.

Upon entry, I already liked the setup of the place, it was simple and cozy. They decorated colorful paintings in the walls and they had these lamps in the ceiling which aren't lit at that time though since it was mid-noon. I also like their dark-colored tables which looked really simple but eye-catching.
And then, unnecessarily, 3 waitresses came to our table to take our orders. Eh? ^_^ At first look on their menu, my immediate impression was it's expensive but then we stayed to try what they have to offer. Che ordered grilled beef kebab with pita bread and I ordered the grilled chicken kebab with pita bread as well. We ordered the small sizes at Php117. I got shocked at how expensive their drinks were though, Che's iced tea is worth Php 79 and my mango juice (the typical mango juice) is worth Php 72. Whoa!

However, the cooking was real fast. In less than 15 minutes, our orders were already served. I must say my chicken kebab was real tasty and I loved the hot sauce on it. I enjoyed my meal but I wasn't that satisfied and we were still hungry. And it lacked the cheese we usually put on our kebabs. They don't serve with their kebabs kasi. Maybe they should try it.
To conclude my first visit at Cafe Med, nice place, tasty food but a little too expensive for their serving.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Seven years ago exactly from today, Dennis and I exchanged marital vows by civil wedding in one of the courtrooms of the City Trial Court. We were actually on the tidying stage for the church wedding at that time, matter of fact, everything was all set...but then, we just decided to arrange a civil wedding one month before the Church rites because we believed it is equally as important as that of the Church. And without everyone's knowledge, except my mom's and Dennis' parents, we vowed in front of Hon. Jose Emmanuel Castillo that we be together forever as husband and wife. I can still remember that right after the rites, I cried heavily and hugged my mom so tight...I got really sad thinking I'd be leaving my mom already. Still, that day is one of the best days of my life.

For seven years, Dennis proved to be the most loving, sweetest, most understanding husband to me and the greatest dad to my daughter. He never failed to put a smile on my face when I get pained or stressed even. He is always patient with my tantrums and "kamaldita." He willingly embraced the kind of life I wanted to live. He accepted me for who I am which really amazes me because Dennis and I are truly OPPOSITE from each other. He accepted everything about me, my family, my friends, my life's drama. When I get really hurt, he need not say anything to console me (he's never good with words anyhow, hehehe)...his tight hugs and long kisses are enough to assure me everything's going to be alright.

We've had crazy moments, teary moments, challenging moments...but there was never a tiring moment for us. Of course, married life is not always bed of roses, of course, we've had our share of fights but then again, it's when working things out no matter what true love is proven. They say it's when a couple reach their seventh year, when all challenges pour quite heavily. I'm crossing my fingers on this. We've spent our first seven years as happily and as sweet as we can and I wish that the next seven years and the years after that will be spent equally as happy and loving and sweet as the previous years.

And with all these, I am endlessly grateful to God that he gave me Dennis, my bestest best friend....who, after seven years, remains my favorite part of the day...

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

My New Toy!!!


It's going to be our 7th Civil Wedding Anniversary this August 10th and as his gift for me, though I'm not really into playing electronic games of any sort, he got a me brand new, deep red PSP today!!

I got really excited when he told me throught text that he wouldn't be going to his supposed meeting tonight because he wanted to buy me a PSP. He was excited himself as well. For sure, he'll be playing the games more often than me. As for me, I'll be enjoying more the music I'll be loading in it.

The package we bought already included a 4 MB memory and a 10-N-1 super kit which already has a multimedia and multifunctional base, soft pouch, PSP2000 Gallus, car adoptor, data and charging cables, comfort buttons, screen protector, component cable (which can actually be used in our tv...yahoo), and earphones. The store filled my 4 MB with games and were nice enough to give me tips on how to manage files that I would like to load on my player. They even gave me sites where I could download converters.

Surely enough, right after we left the store, Dennis was already playing God of War. Hehehe. See, he bought it for me so HE could play with it. Hehehe. What's more, when we got home, si Pia naman ang nakakita and grabbed it right away. The two of them played with it until it ran out of battery. At last, nahawakan ko na!!!

Kwentong Hebi


May kwentong Hebi ka ba?

Hebi is a really cheap junk food na sumikat ever since kabataan ko pa. It's made of prawns and then, it sells for only .50 cents. 'Til now, it's still selling in the market and I'm sure kids now also love it. On my recent grocery visit, I got myself a whole bag of Hebi and apparently, my Dennis shared the same craving for it.

Now, to proceed to my kwentong Hebi. This is another childhood story of mine. When I was still a grader and we were still living in Kapalong, I was really close to this girl neighbor of mine who is 3 years older than me. I call her Niknik. Their house is just beside ours so every day, I'd go to their house and play with her and her siblings.

In front of their house is this mango tree which we really loved climbing. We would make it our "tambayan", both of us. And our most favorite thing to do while relaxing in the branches of the mango tree is to buy lots of Hebi, open all of it and pour all its content to a big cellophane and ate it like there's no tomorrow or like there'll be no more Hebi tomorrow. I miss Niknik and I sure miss that old mango tree.

Last week, I went to Sarangani for a client visit and stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights. On our last night, my boss decided to treat me and Aileen for dinner in GenSan. After thinking of several choices, we finally decided to dine at Shakey's Pizza (I guess bossing was in pizza mode that time.)

We weren't that much hungry at that time that is why I couldn't really remember how we came about with our orders. First, we agreed to order a platter of carbonara and as I continued checking out their menu, I got to this page where they were featuring a new Grand Slam Pizza, their 18-incher pizza with four flavors (Hawaiian, Ham, Bacon and Supreme...I'm not quite sure with the last one though.) The waitress recommended it so bossing ordered. She warned though that it'll take 45 minutes to cook the pizza. We didn't mind since the carbonara will be served first so we said okay.

She served the platter of carbonara first with its basket of garlic bread which is truly yummy, I must say. The platter was huge but amazingly, we finished it up to its last string of pasta.


Since 45 minutes is quite a while, we just chatted while waiting. Later, the manager approached our table and placed a curved stand in the center. I assumed it was for the pizza but wondered what is it used for. And then the pizza came and that's when I understood the stand's purpose. It was super big!!! The size was truly unexpected. How in the world are we going to put this in our stomaches especially with the fact that we just ate a platter of carbonara?

I was only able to eat 2 slices and I gave up. My tummy just couldn't take any more in. Aileen was giving up already also. Result, more than half of the pizza was boxed and brought home. ^_^

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