Peppered Enchantments

Random Thoughts on Leaving the Philippines Part 1

2012-02-09T11:48:00.000+08:00

Not so long ago, I wrote a very lengthy post on my career options abroad, or rather the lack of them. I was tired, under compensated and basically swimming in hopelessness at the time.That was just a couple of months ago, and now, here I am, waiting for my visa and flight date to The Land of the Balding Prince. Great things truly come to those who wait. He is unbelievably good, this God! I

Fun Times at National Sports Grill

2012-01-12T03:14:00.000+08:00

Thanks to CASHCASHPINOY, I have yet again scored another awesome deal! For 1000 bucks, I got 2000 bucks worth of food at National Sports Grill. Not bad, eh? I know nothing about sports, but I love the relaxed, no fuss vibe at NSG. I also love that they serve all the comfort food I need in the world - burgers, fries, pizzas , pasta dishes, ribs and chicken wings! Well, that part is

For Posterity's Sake

2012-01-11T13:59:00.000+08:00

I know this is already way too late, but I want to write about how my December went just for posterity's sake. After all, my last Christmas in the Philippines should as well-documented as possible. Whew. When I typed the line "my last Christmas in the Philippines," my heart kinda stopped beating for a second. It has always been my dream to go to Europe, but now that I'm going there to work

Chelsea with My Girls!

2011-11-01T05:46:00.001+08:00

One day, I would like to pull a Carrie Bradshaw (minus the sleeping around and frustrating love life part) and write for a living in fabulous New York City. I already have the fantastic friends element covered, so all I really need to work on at this point is the writing career. Source Last Friday, we all got together at Chelsea to celebrate Kath's birthday. Celebrations with my

Betcha by Gong Cha, Wow!

2011-10-28T01:43:00.001+08:00

When the boyfriend and I went to Hong Kong a couple of years ago, we had milk tea everyday for five consecutive days. Instead of going straight to bed after a tiring day, we would stop by for some street food and a glass of milk tea every night. It was a little routine we had during our short vacation there. That was, of course, way before the milk tea craze hit Manila! As you can imagine, I

Cyma is Sweeter the Second Time Around

2011-10-05T02:36:00.002+08:00

In our family, we all have specific roles in the food department. My dad cooks, my mom manages the kitchen budget, my brother makes sure that no food goes to waste by eating everything at breakneck speed, my sister complicates the menu by being the picky eater that she is, and I introduce new food discoveries to my family's very conservative palate. So last Saturday, I took out my

Our House in Canada

2011-08-16T13:54:00.003+08:00

... is not really ours yet, but we are hoping and keeping our fingers crossed that it soon will be! The boyfriend and I were chatting a while ago, and he showed me a photo of the house that he is planning to buy for us once he saves up enough money. Source Gorgeous, isn't it? It has a spacious front room punctuated with a cathedral ceiling, three bedrooms, walk-in closets and a basement,

I'm Off to Seek a Great Perhaps

2011-08-09T23:59:00.010+08:00

I need some advice, people! Please be kind. Commenting is free and fairly easy. First, a short background on my dilemma. I am a Registered Nurse (Surprise, surprise! Who isn't these days?) and I am looking at my career options abroad because, well, I'm tired of working my ass off only to be one paycheck away from homelessness! It's not a fair game, going to the university and going

My 24th Birthday Part 2

2011-07-25T21:30:00.000+08:00

The day after my birthday, I met with some of my closest friends from college and heard the most fantabulous news ever! My friend, Rex is planning to propose to his girlfriend, Jacqui on their 4th anniversary! (Of course I had to wait for the proposal to happen before I post this, so they are already engaged as I write!) The lovely couple. Jacqui is glowing! Rex found the perfect

My 24th Birthday Part 1

2011-07-20T04:13:00.020+08:00

To everyone who kept their fingers crossed for my Boracay birthday bash, thank you. Unfortunately, my requested leave was not approved, so that trip didn't happen. That's okay, though, because I got to spend my birthday with my family and the boyfriend instead. Meet my quirky family! My vain brother just had to have his hair cut and styled at Bench Fix before we had our family picture

Fun at Terazzas de Punta Fuego!

2011-07-02T21:54:00.004+08:00

I've never been a fan of summer, but having just one summer getaway is quite inexcusable even for me! I know I went to Singapore last March, but with no sand and no beach, that was hardly a summer excursion. This year, the only beach I've been to was the one at Terazzas de Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas. Since Club Punta Fuego is an exclusive resort and we went on a Monday, we almost had the

Ten Things I Love

2011-05-17T11:54:00.002+08:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Tisha Angluben tagged all of her followers to write about the 10 things they love. I have been meaning to write about a crapload of things, but I figured that I want to do this post more than all the others because writing about the things I love is a foolproof way to make me happy! Without further ado, here goes my love list for good vibes: 1. Traveling. Traveling

The Tocarre Spa Experience

2011-04-17T22:25:00.002+08:00

Last February, I bought a voucher for Tocarre Spa at CashCashPinoy. For 1,650 Php (approximately $38), I got a Valentine's Day couples package for two valid until April 30, 2011. The package consists of a welcome foot ritual, massage and dinner for two. Source Since my schedule is bat-shit crazy most of the time, the supposedly Valentine's Day spa date was moved and moved and moved until....

Singapore Series: Our Singapore Sling in a Nutshell

2011-04-06T02:29:00.002+08:00

I’ve only published one post in three months, an all-time low even for someone like me who makes it a point to blog about something at least once a month. I guess that’s a testament to how busy I was during the first part of the year. Now that the long overdue things (like taking the IELTS, updating my CV and having a well-deserved vacation) are all over and done with, I can finally update this

Fandom!

2011-03-10T21:31:00.000+08:00

Watching my brother perform in a Broadway production at school left me feeling quite nostalgic. I wasn't born a star and I have no talent in the performing arts whatsoever, but school wouldn't be school if it didn't force you to dance, sing or recite an awful poem on stage. I felt proud while hearing my brother sing the way he did. He was easily the best singer among the lot. I swear, I'm not

Fun, Frivolous, Fabulous, Shallow and Short for 2011!

2011-02-11T20:17:00.017+08:00

Ahoy! I'm back from a blogging hiatus! I wanted to start the year right with fun posts, but alas, my procrastinating tendencies got the best of me. I have such a long list of food establishments and spas to write about already and I'll be doing my best to catch up after I achieve a specific objective that I have set for this month. So 2011 isn't quite like the bed of roses that I imagined it to

December is the Month of Celebrations

2010-12-31T23:56:00.007+08:00

... and good food and unplanned purchases and severe wallet damages! My, my, December was a whirlwind! I cannot even remember where all the days and the money went specifically, but surely, December is the uncontested winner in the fun and food departments this year. Christmas Dinner with College Friends at National Sports Grill Plus Desserts at Classic Confections I never really liked the food

A Berry Banapple Birthday!

2010-12-24T22:31:00.008+08:00

As far as birthdays go, I'm a very simple, no fuss kind of girl. Loud parties marked with an abundance of booze, free food and wasted bodies gyrating to dance music are not really my kind of thing, as these usually lure people you really don't want to spend your birthday with. I think the last time our family hosted a huge birthday party was when I turned 7 and my brother turned 1 (yes, we do

We Have a New Weekend Market in Town

2010-12-08T08:47:00.006+08:00

If you like spending your weekend morning in Salcedo or Legazpi Market, I'm sure you'd love Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City! Although December is generally one of our coldest months, the temperature can still get uncomfortably hot during late mornings to noon. I usually shy away from going to weekend markets because the heat and humidity ruin the experience for me, but the air

Going Cosmopolitan at John and Yoko

2010-11-26T00:50:00.002+08:00

I usually avoid going to Ayala, unless someone volunteers to drive for me (and search for a much coveted parking slot) or unless I'm meeting my girl friends from UP, who are all well worth braving the Ayala traffic for. Last Saturday was one of those moments when friendship beckons amongst the Makati weekend crowd, and I was too much of a weakling (and a good friend, I hope) to resist. Our

My Weekend in Photos

2010-11-22T01:20:00.011+08:00

I wish I had more weekends like this. Saturday Met with workmates at Greenbelt to plan for our upcoming Singaporean holiday. Speaking of which, can somebody please be a sweetheart and recommend a decent bed and breakfast/guest house in SG? No fancy hotels, please. We are just humble backpackers on a shoestring budget. Starbucks and Fuzion at Greenbelt. Engaged in retail therapy by scouring

Spicing Up the Day at Legend of India

2010-11-10T23:28:00.002+08:00

I have been told not only once that I am pretty good at making people hungry. I'm terrible at describing food, but because I talk about food with passion, people can't help but get hungry when they are around me. The boyfriend, I guess, is the most heavily influenced by my eating habits. When we met, he wouldn't go beyond the usual Filipino or Chinese dish. You should see him now though! Who

Hong Kong Series: Ocean Park, Shopping and Our Flight Back Home!

2010-10-29T18:04:00.012+08:00

It has been three months since my trip to Hong Kong, but I have yet to finish my series of Hong Kong posts. I procrastinate like there are a million tomorrows (a little something I mastered while at school), but I digress. Ocean Park is a marine themed attraction dubbed as one of Hong Kong's most popular tourist destinations. It was incredulously hot and humid the day we visited Ocean Park so

Going High School at Johnny Rockets!

2010-10-26T23:30:00.004+08:00

My high school days were not spent in local diners, celebrating victories of the school's football team (because duh, we did not have a football team in Masci!), but for some reason, I have come to associate diners with high school. I love diners not only because I love the burger + fries + milkshake combo, but also because I can never get enough of the laid back ambiance, the 50's feel and the

Another Impulse Buy

2010-10-11T15:58:00.008+08:00

For someone without a pretty penny to her name, I can be such a ridiculous impulse buyer. Serious impulse shopper. My recent Hong Kong - Macau trip did put a huge dent on my wallet, and yet three months later, I find myself booking a totally unplanned trip to Singapore. I blame it on Cebu Pacific's 10-10-10 promo. Php 1010 (less than $30) for an international flight sounds pretty awesome,