Bullfrog

My afternoon was so stressful.

DS has a school requirement and literally forced me to go to Cartimar in Pasay City to look for a frog for their zoology class. His teacher specifically required not to bring bullfrog and toad. Where am I supposed to look for a frog in the metropolis? In a Chinese restaurant? You've got to be kidding.

I asked for Z's help. Is bullfrog poisonous? Well she made some research and replied that it's not. "Pero Mommy sabi ni teacher hindi pwede". Fine okay. Let's go home. He was fuming mad. "I'll write to your teacher. If you want we can buy the bullfrog. Substantial compliance na yan", I said. He refused. Then let's go home.

Who said it's poisonous?

image from google

 Ah basta, it looks ugly and yucky.

Mom is so maarte...

X

Finally!

Yes! I finally saw them in the flesh! Chico looks so lean and, ok, I have to admit, he's guapo in my standards. Delamar is gorgeous! She's definitely not waif thin like other celebrities, yet her face is so pretty.

Well, at least from afar, hehehe.

As usual, my Saturday was so packed with household errands. I rushed to Robinson's Galleria with my little boy after his Kumon, for the book signing of their book. We got there around 1:30pm. The place was so packed. We had to leave by 3pm. My number was 306, so I was resigned to leaving without my copy signed.

Fortunately, I saw a former officemate, and she volunteered to have my copy signed for me. Lucky also for her because she did not have a number, and we were told that they can only accommodate 450.

And so there, my first personal encounter with Chico and Delamar. I have been listening to them since the time when Del was just doing the news for Chico, which I think is before 1992. Imagine, they have made my mornings complete for more than half of my life!

These guys are really amazing, hilarious and all that. I love them!

xoxo, Y

yummy: mango torte

photo from cuerva's website

i got to taste one of my favorite desserts again this week -- cuerva's mango torte -- yum, yum!  this used to be available by order and for pick up at their sanlo residence only but now it's conveniently available at its shop at petron dasma.  the 14-inch sells for P1,200.

there's a "similar" mango torte prepared by dulcelin.  quite yummy too.  i used to get mine in a house at times street in quezon city (a few blocks away from the late pres. cory's residence).

photo from dulcelin's website

one of these days, i'll do a comparison of cuerva's and dulcelin's just as what i did with my serenitea milk teas earlier...hehe. no doubt both cuerva's and dulcelin's are yummy-licious but it's about time to make a torte-to-torte review...what an excuse, haha!  maybe this valentines?!  iWish.

Z

cartas a julieta

a little earlier, i caught the latter part of the movie "letters to juliet" at star movies...

 the plot, per wikipedia:

Sophie is a young American woman who works for The New Yorker as a fact checker. To put some spark in her life, she decides to go on a 'pre-honeymoon' with her chef fiancé Victor (Gael García Bernal) to Verona, Italy. However the workaholic Victor is unmoved by the romance of Italy and utilizes his time to rather do research for his soon-to-open restaurant, ignoring Sophie. The lonely Sophie discovers by chance an unanswered "letter to Juliet" by a Claire Smith from 1957—one of thousands of missives left at the fictional lover's Verona courtyard, which are typically answered by the "secretaries of Juliet". She answers it and soon enough the now elderly Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) arrives in Verona with her handsome barrister grandson Charlie (Chris Egan), who works for human rights. Claire and Sophie take an instant liking to each other with Charlie behaving very brusquely with Sophie while she is very sarcastic with him. On the other hand, Claire is still looking to rediscover her long lost love, Lorenzo Bartolini (Franco Nero). Sophie, thinking Claire's story might help her with her writing career, decides to help Claire in her quest. What happens next is a story of romantic twists and turns. They find out that there are multiple Lorenzo Bartolinis and must figure out which one is Claire's love. After many days of searching for the right one, they find that one of the Lorenzo Bartolinis is dead. An angry Charlie blames Sophie for his grandmother's sadness. He accuses her of not knowing what real loss is, which causes an upset Sophie to walk away. Claire, seeing the little dispute, tells Charlie that he was wrong and that Sophie's mother had walked away from her when she was a little girl. The next day, Claire insists that Charlie apologize to Sophie at breakfast, and he does. After dinner, Sophie goes out with Charlie and talks to him about love, and the two share a kiss. The next morning, is their last day of searching for Claire's long lost love. On a whim, Claire points out a vineyard to Charlie and asks if he could stop by so the three of them can have a farewell drink for Sophie. As Charlie drives down the road, Claire sees a young man who looks exactly like her Lorenzo. She yells at Charlie to stop, and he complies. They discover that the man is Lorenzo Bartolini's grandson. Claire and Lorenzo reunite after fifty long years.Back in New York, Sophie breaks up with Victor before returning to Verona to attend Claire and Lorenzo's wedding. She finds Charlie there with another woman, Patricia, and runs out. Charlie comes to find her (in a classic balcony setting) and she admits she loves him, but tells him to go back to his date. Telling Sophie that the woman was actually his cousin Patricia, not his ex-girlfriend Patricia, he tells her he loves her and wants to be with her. He accidentally falls off the balcony and they kiss as he is lying on the ground.

although the plot is kinda predictable, the letter which claire read on her wedding couldn't be more timely (the letter which sophie wrote in reply to claire's letter to juliet 50 years ago)

the letter reads:

Dear Claire, "What" and "If" are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if? I don't know how your story ended but if what you felt then was true love, then it's never too late. If it was true then, why wouldn't it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart. I don't know what a love like Juliet's feels like - love to leave loved ones for, love to cross oceans for but I'd like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I will have the courage to seize it. And, Claire, if you didn't, I hope one day that you will. All my love, Juliet 

the letter sums up what i so wanted to impart to a very dear friend of mine recently... i should have watched this before, perhaps i could have explained my "piece" better or i could have just quoted it... i just wish that my friend also watched this earlier.


Z

battle of the milk teas

serenitea's top 2 bestsellers, the hokkaido milk tea vs. the okinawa milk tea (both with 2 splendas and pearls).

verdict: close, but i still prefer hokkaido; hokkaido is slightly milk-ish, caramel-ish, toffee-ish than okinawa...the latter is a bit too tea-y leaf-y for me.

- - -

ok, ok...i just checked serenitea's website and discovered why the 2 milk teas taste so close.  they both use the same tea --- assam, but hokkaido has butter toffee caramel flavor.  okinawa uses black assam though, which i can only assume as the same tea but bolder.

- - -

problem:  how to finish both large milk teas in 3 hours all by myself!  i was told by the serenitea staff that even if i put it inside the fridge, the tea will get spoiled in 3 hours or so and the pearls (sago) will get so big and weird...good luck to me!

Z

estelito & serafin

meet my new sweetie pie, honey pie "baby" tortoises --- estelito & serafin! they are 2 out of about 2 dozen eggs which my sibling was able to successfully breed.

these hotshots are sulcatas, the 3rd largest species of tortoise in the world. they grow as big as 2 feet and can weigh more than 100 lbs. jaw-droppers, right?!  truly, estelito and serafin.

i'd like to have a 3rd one, so i can name it JPE! majorly awesome!

Z

Go Hotels ( Cybergate Plaza, Edsa)

A relative arrived from the US earlier this month and asked for BH's assistance in booking for a hotel somewhere in Ortigas. We looked for several hotels like Shangrila Edsa, Astoria, etc., etc.

Then we came across this budget hotel along Edsa. Go Hotels in Pioneer, Cybergate. It's near Legend Villas in Mandaluyong. It's so affordable. For Php1,588, you get a room with 2 single beds, aircon, TV and nice and clean washroom and toilet and it is accessible to almost everything.

Basic amenities for basic need for a "not too choosy" traveller.
Click THIS for their website.


X

Tambobong,Dasol and Colibra Island: Discovered

Last weekend, we spent most of our days travelling Northern Luzon and western part of Pangasinan-the land of bagoong and bangus.


When I received the "Last Planner" from Z, I wrote in my bucket list,several places to visit this year. One of them is Tambobong Beach in Dasol, Pangasinan, particularly Colibra Island off the coast of Dasol Bay. I came across the island in one of my new pastimes for 2012-"Google mapping". It's travelling for free, it's exciting and it's educational. Geography 101. Hahaha!

Welcome to Dasol, baybeh!!!

Image from Google map

The road to Tambobong is not sedan-friendly.Travel from Urdaneta to Dasol will take almost 2 hours but trekking the road to the beach itself will take one hour. I checked the net on routes and got an info that there will only be a few kilometers of rough road. We passed the Dasol town and my oh my... it's not even a rough road. IT'S A HORSE TRAIL!!!! Surprise! While the view was breathtaking, our rides didn't enjoy brushing their butts on the hardened mud and rocks. Good thing that our ride is quite elevated. But our companions almost gave up. No sign of civilization. I'm not joking! It made me worried at one point.When we saw some horseriders and guys in motorbikes, my heart jumped and got super nervous. Please don't let this be my last day....I thought it was an ambush! Seriously. But the guys became our tour guides. They asked us to turn around and head for a less "rocky road".(I love rocky road ice cream!). The route is coming from Burgos town instead of Dasol.

Paved from the main highway...but a bumpy trek after a few meters.

Okay, I got excited when I saw the new route. I wanted to stop but I don't know where. The whole scenery is perfect. So rustic, rural, simple, calm  and laid back. Haaaay!

Not New Zealand...

so peaceful and rural

The beach was clean and teeming with marine life. Note, there is no high profile resort in the area. It's a fishing village and we homestayed in one of the households. The owner is Ms. Benilda Donato. Room was cheap as in cheapie. We rented one big aircon room for Php1,500 and one big fan room for Php1,000-total guests more than 15 adults. Cookware, utensils and use of gas stove and freezer were free.

Anyway, let me go back to the beach. Below are some pictures of the front beach.

waking up in a beautiful sunrise

Doggies playing during low tide

Of course, my dog needs to relax also

little catch. They call this "tirong"(dilis) or local anchovies.
We got this for free.

Marine life is also abundant.

according to one of the guests (a student of marine biology) the creature
inside the shell is a a type of marine slug (snail). I forgot the name.

 The locals made this poor little sea turtle a pet. They made a tiny hole in its rear and tied a very long and thin nylon rope. it swims back into the reef  when released but rope may be pulled for viewing. I was tempted to use a nail cutter to set it free but feared that locals may get angry. So sorry for this little creature.

look ma, it's a starfish

After breakfast, we headed to Colibra Island. (Snake Island). According to people, the island was then a home to sea snakes. Now, all the snakes are gone! It's a 15-minute boat ride from Tambobong. The sea was so calm. From the beach, you can see the island and the imposing 4 coconuts proudly standing. The view was breathtaking.

sand is orange. Parang Tang orange juice

Our boats. Round trip is Php700 per boat at 6 pax per boat.

 I have better photos of the island but it's in my bigger cam. I'd post some more next time.
If interested to visit Dasol, you may contact Ms. Benilda Donato in this number 0910-5641382. Or you can just go there and put up your tent in the beach.

Next in my list....hehehe! To be announced after I'm done with "Google-mapping". There's a nice strip of sand near Dasol. It's Balaki Island off the coast of Infanta....See you soon Balaki!

X

Dear Lonely

Dear Lonely by Zia Quizon. Click the following link to listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Chg4mO3Ob8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I don't know why this song sounded so familiar the first time I heard it, and I even thought it is a remake of some old song. Allegedly, it is an original composition in Zia Quizon's album, and written by Kiko Salazar.

But I like it, really, and Zia's voice is growing on me. It is not screaming unlike the songs of most popular OPM female stars.

xoxo, Y

The Secret

Remember that book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne? I read the first few chapters but I was not able to finish it. Anyhow, I remember that it promotes the view that when you call out your wish to the universe then it can actually came true.

The other day, I posted that I wanted a pair of flat boots. Two days after, I found this pair, size 8 1/2 on sale at Payless in Alabang Town Center. I paid only 995 bucks. It fits my feet perfectly. I am wearing it now with black tights from TopShop and a Bohemian-cut top. I love it. I even drove my car with it.

Thank you universe!

Xoxo, Y (not Ronald McDonald, hahaha!)

fab: the 2012 ladies aussie open lookbook

my favorite, ana ivanovic,
in "tomato" adidas

kirilenko in a 2-piece purple & red-orange adidas

world no. 1 caroline wozniacki in an orange
stella maccartney for adidas

the tennis doll, maria sharapova, in
a white-neon green dress by nike

serana williams in blue and purple combi
by nike

world no. 2 victoria azarenka in blue
and neon green...and in shorts! by nike

chinese tennis hero li na in a conservative
 blue, white and purple get up by nike

defending champ kim clijsters in 2-piece
black, white and neon green fila

serbian jelena jankovic now endorsing
fila...pink and orange dress for her

russian sveltana kuznetsova in fila

vora zvonareva in a sweaty fila

kazakhstani galina voskoboeva in a ruffled piece
by italian brand ellesse

aussie sam stosur in unflattering asics (and oakley shades)
  

i am rooting for ana, as always.  and also maria and vika.  oh, and kim too.  

Z

What I want right now are...

1. Zara dress with assymetrical hem
2. Mary Katranzou printed assymetric dress from her Spring 2012 ready to wear collection
3. Zara assymetric studio skirt
4. Flat boots like the gray suede one on the photo taken from style hive - why are flat boots so hard to find in the malls now?
5. Stackable rings like this Pandora ring upon ring
6. TRESemme 24 hour body sky high plumping powder - plumps up the volume of your hair!

xoxo, Y

Let's hula hoop!

I was active as a child.  I played patintero, luksong tinik, hopscotch and soccer base (village street style). 

Somehow, I can’t remember when during my childhood did I play hula hoop, but I know that I knew how to, and I know that I enjoyed hula hooping.

So when  Z gave me this Fitness Hula Hoop,

I was so excited to "play" with it that I made sure I got home from work earlier than usual.  Barely had I settled down when, with my driving slippers still on, like a little girl, I proceeded to hula hoop!

Men, it turned out to be serious exercise, in a fun way, sans the rubber shoes!

It is heavier than that the average child’s hula hoop.  I believe it’s wood underneath the plastic. 

And if you have that hula hooping skill, you will find that it will take longer before this Fitness Hula Hoop drops.

And it really hurts when it hits your foot.  (Ok, next time I will wear shoes.)

Thanks Z for giving me this Fitness Hula Hoop.  This will definitely become a major exercise routine for me, as in almost like treadmill and brisk walking.

xoxo, Y

The one that got away

Latest splits – affected much?

A couple of weeks ago, Katy Perry and Russell Brand

And much more recently, Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis…

Yup, I am affected, otherwise I won’t even think of blogging about these.  It is just that these involve personalities that interest me much.

Katy Perry is young and at the height of her career, and she married someone as notorious as Russel Brand.  Ok, tell me it was not for love…  Unless of course Katy is suicidal.  It doesn’t look like it.  She’s so bubbly on cam.  Remember this on Saturday Night Live?

Plus, I like Katy (and believe me, I find her voice sounding a bit like Gwen Stefani, but stronger in a pop-kind of way) haha, pretty lame review, huh?  I know, duh…   And I can imagine Katy’s personality as anything but serious.  I remember once when some reporters asked her about whether she was pregnant,

she said “I like In-N-Out Burger and Taco Bell and if you want to make that pregnant, that’s your problem.”  Toynk! 

And then there’s my Johnny Depp.  First though, let me just clarify that I am not attracted to men who wear eyeliners or who wear their hair Naima Adedapo style...    Ahihihihi.

But this is also the Johnny Depp back in 21 Jump Street.  First crushes are so hard to forget. 

Plus, I went through this phase in my younger years when I adored Kate Moss, and french women who looked like Vanessa Paradis.  (ok, confession, I still do..)  So I kinda understood the taste of Johnny Depp in women.  (Yep, I really do, bro)  Plus, I really hate that side of Angelina Jolie “attracting” men she stars with in movies.  So, when I hear these kinds of intrigues, I silently root for Jennifer Aniston (even after her split with Brad Pitt) and, in this case, Vanessa Paradis.  If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, click this.

This Vanessa is tough (maybe for her ego or for their children, I could only surmise), and it is also remarkable that THE Johnny Depp stuck with her, until recently.. sad.

So in each case, who was the one that got away?

Katy – Of course!

Russel – I’m 50-50 about this.  Appearance jeez, that’s res ipsa loquitur and that's my 50% no. But Katy married him, so that’s the 50% yes!

Johnny – yes, this guy’s an icon.

Vanessa – I also think so, tough french woman.

Now I really wonder how Katy would sing “In another life, I would be your girl, we keep all our promises, be us against the world… In another life, I would make you stay, So I don’t have to say, you were the one that got away” live in her Manila concert tomorrow...

Oh, sad…

xoxo, Y
(All images, from Google images)