Pieces of Liz

Looking at Death in an Amusing Kind of Way

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

Here's a confession: I don't like dealing with death. I don't do funerals - save for a few close friends' family and relatives of course. I can't look at people who've passed away and lying in their coffins. I don't even want to discuss it. But just this past week, I was forced to face it as my Dad had finally succumbed to the Big C. Now this isn't going to be a post full of drama. Rather in this post, I'm choosing to share with you some of the moments I found amusing during my Dad's wake.

Scenario 1:
A lot of the people who went to pay their respects to my Dad were actually surprised to find out that I'm actually an only child and also single. Here are the varied comments I got:

"Sayang di na naabutan ni Bro. Romy ang apo niya. Naku iha, mag-asawa ka na ha. Bigyan mo na ng apo ang mama mo para sumaya ulit sya." (Too bad Bro. Romy didn't get the chance to see his grandchild. Iha, get married already. Give your mom a grandchild to love and take care of already. It'll make her happy."

"Ilang taon ka na ba iha?" And when I answer, this is what follows "Naku. Mag-asawa ka na. Bago ka pa mag-30. Baka tumandang dalaga ka." (How old are you? You should get married before you reach the age of 30."

Commenting on how difficult it is to be the only 2 people in the family at the wake of my Dad, "Mahirap talaga sa sitwasyon na ganito - da-da-dalawa lang kayo ng mommy mo. Kayong dalawa lang nagpapalitan sa pagbabantay sa Daddy mo. Kaya ikaw mag-anak ka ng marami ha." (It is really hard to be the only 2 people in left in the family taking turns staying up for your Dad's wake. You should really consider having a lot of kids."

"Huwag ka na mag-asawa. Alagaan mo nalang ang mommy mo." (Don't get married anymore. Just take care of your mom."

My 2 cents in: Now let's not start pressuring the single gal. I'm still enjoying my life. Besides people, you need a guy willing to marry me so I could actually get hitched, don't I? More importantly, it should be to a guy I love and would be willing to spend the rest of my waking moments with right?

Grandkids? Lots of them? Now?! Seriously people. Have you noticed our economy? How big our population is now? And how painful it is to give birth? I just see it on TV and hear it from my friends but from where I'm standing, it looks and sounds pretty painful to me. So, a basketball team of children? Not for me, thanks.

Oh and let's not be hasty. I want to get married. I don't want to be an old maid. Come on. Who says one can't take care of her widowed mom and have a family at the same time right?

Scenario 2:

At a wake, the person who passed away and the family left behind are the center of attention - at least they normally are right? But during Dad's wake, someone came to visit us and tried desperately to steal the spotlight.

"You know when you sent me that text, I was doing this," Takes out a pregnancy test with two lines on it. "I'm pregnant. 1 month!"

And if that isn't enough, milk for the expectant woman was taken out of her bag and drank it right in front of friends. "Baby let's drink your milk na."

The winning comment: "Mag-take ka rin kaya ng pregnancy test? Tingnan natin what not pregnant looks like." (You should take a pregnancy test as well! Let's just see what false positive looks like." And when I answer I know what it looks like, "Ui kaw ha! Nagtake ka na noh?"

My 2 cents in: No condolence? Sorry for your loss dialogue? Wow.

1 month pregnant already? You could tell that from a home pregnancy test kit already? My my.

Umm... okay, pregnancy test isn't rocket science. If double line means pregnant, surely false positive means one line only right? I can do simple math.

But the funniest comment came at the church during the eulogy - eulogies for Dad. There were tearful eyes everywhere. Not just mine or Mom's. Who would've thought it would be at that somber moment?

"Sobrang laki ng pasasalamat ko kay Bro. Romy sa tulong na binigay nia sakin. Dahil sa kanya nalapit ako sa Diyos at umayos ang buhay ko. Sobrang bait nia. Naisip ko talaga nung nalaman ko ung nangyari sakanya, bakit sya pa? Bakit hindi nalang ung mga kapitbahay kong masasama?" (I am deeply grateful to Bro. Romy for all the help he's given me through the years. I developed a closer relationship to God and straightened my life out because of him. He's a really good guy. When I heard the news, I thought to myself, why him? Why couldn't it have been my bad neighbors?"

My 2 cents in: Well... what can I say except thanks for the laugh. That truly was funny.

Fools Like Me

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:12:00 +0000

I haven't actually seen one episode of Grey's Anatomy but it sure seems to have a really nice soundtrack which I think is also a key piece of any drama show. It makes me want to start watching Grey's Anatomy. Haha. I know. I'll be starting late because from what I've read, Grey's is way past its prime. My newest favorite song, currently playing on repeat in my iPod "Fools Like Me" by Lisa Loeb.

Everybody go

The party's over

I want to be alone in my head

In my bed tonight

You never show

You must really love her

You think I don't know

But I do, yeah it's true

I think over is over

I'm right back where I started

(when it comes to wanting you)

I can't have what I wanted

[Chorus]

But I did, I can

I was, I am

Only human, living, dying

Just like any fool who ever breathed

If love is blind

If love's a drug

It always is

It always was and

Love was surely made for fools like me

I know where I'm going

I'm tripping I'm sliding around

That's ok

At least I'm excited

It wasn't how I planned it

(wasn't how I planned it

Feet are where I landed

At least I understand it now)

My feet are where I landed

(feet are staying on the ground)

[Chorus]

Fools like me

Fools like me

I did, I can

I was, I am

Only human, living, dying

Just like any fool who ever breathed

Maybe it's the sanest thing

Or just the sweetest kind of dream

But love was surely made for fools

(Love was surely made for fools)

Love was surely made for fools

(Love was surely made for fools)

Love was surely made for fools like me

Farewell Childhood Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:29:00 +0000

Confession: I'm big on the whole sentimental value thing... so you betcha I have boxes full of mementos. I keep old letters, cards, pens and what-have-you. I also still have old books, comics and magazines from my childhood and teenage years. But I've promised myself that I am going to be serious about making my room over.

It's been so messy, unorganized and basically just pure blah! Well that will soon change. I've already talked to my soon-to-be architect friend, Mai Ann, who has a good eye for design and is a real queen of organization about redecorating my room - a challenge I've posed upon her. See, I live in my grandma's house who's in the US. We take care of her house for her. Now this is grandma I'm talking about is a sort of far relative from my mom's side. I think I'm her "apo sa tuhod" as they call it. Basically, the room's furniture which have been there since the first time my parents decided I'm big enough to separate sleeping quarters from them - most of it at least - is as old as the house itself. They're made of wood and metal and they're all very heavy to be moved by just one person. So considering their state, I can't touch them. I am not allowed to actually get rid of any of these big things much as I would love to. Hence the challenge to my friend is to come up with a room makeover plan that will work with what I've got.

Anyway, as they say, if you want to organize, you've got to learn to sort through your clutter: keep, donate or discard. Well, last year I decided I would donate my stuff toys. It was a little hard to part with them because they were sooo cute. But I feel like parting with these old books, comics and magazines of mine from my teenage years (when I had the Backstreet fever) will be even harder.

I remember arguing with my friends, Ryan and Mai about getting rid of these stuff last year. I had asked them for help in organizing my room but I was not completely ready to let them go. It was like I was one of those people I see in Clean House whom the Clean House team always had to persuade to give up something. They'd be like "Can we get rid of these? Can we sell it at the garage sale?" and their answer would always be a flat out "NO."

The first step to getting a cleaner, more organized room: admitting you have a problem. And so yeah, I admit I have a problem! But I'm determined to resolve it!

So... goodbye books.

And goodbye magazines...

This one right here was my fave: a topless young Nick Carter (ha ha)

2011: My Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:52:00 +0000

It has been said that to understand the present, you must look back at the past. So before I completely say goodbye to 2011, I'm taking a trip down memory lane to see how my year has gone by.

School

I finished my academic term in graduate school this year (I would have finished my Marketing Communications degree this year too had I not been too lazy to work on my marketing campaign paper).

Bucketlist for 2012: Finish my marketing campaign and finally graduate!

These photos right here are of the BEST class I've ever had in my entire academic term - my account management class. Granted it was a Saturday class that changed schedules twice or thrice and took some part of my weekend away but it was still my favorite class of all. I still remember the popcorn and the tiger biscuits brought by a couple of classmates that we all munched on as class went on.

I had a great professor who challenged us all to think analytically and I had a small but really fun set of classmates. These photos were taken after our last class - the presentation of our Anti-Smoking Campaign for DLSU.

My accounts management group - the ladies whom I had the great pleasure of brainstorming ideas with for the Anti-Smoking Campaign. How can I ever forget you guys? It was because of our brilliant plan that I got the elusive 4.0 grade from Sir Da Roza! Oh and how can I also forget the numerous compliments we got from him? "I couldn't have done it better myself! Brilliant!"

You ladies rock! (",)

Career

One of the life changing experiences I've had this year is finding the courage to test the waters in terms of work. I said goodbye to Mindset, my work family for four years and said hello to my new family, the Ardenites.

I'll always remember these guys with a smile. These guys took their chances with a recent, inexperienced, early twenty-something girl and they taught me well. Whatever knowledge I have now, I learned from them.

To my new work family, I look forward to working with you guys even more this 2012. Cheers to fun, frustration, disappointments and kulitan!

My Writer's Dream - Fulfilled

I'm not really an artsy-fartsy kind of creative person. But I am proud to say that I can spin words and create a story out of it. This year, I finally got the chance to see my dream fulfilled: my dream of seeing my work published. I can never forget being offered the chance to write for Sex and Sensibilities (read them here and here) and actually getting paid for it too! And it's all thanks to this workshop I attended this summer.

Part of 2012 bucketlist: Continue writing!

Family

I've always had a tight family. But I've to admit, I'm a Daddy's girl. Really very close to my Dad. I consider him my confidante, my adviser and my pillar of strength. Just recently, he fell ill and he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The doctors have told us that they are no longer aiming for the cure, only more of pain management. Next year, his battle with the Big C will be even more serious as he gets subjected to more tests and treatments. I'm praying he would get through this.

Just look at him. He's still smiling. He's keeping a positive attitude towards his sickness. I love that about my Dad. He's a fighter and he still has so much faith on the Man Above.

Friendships

This year, I feel like my best friend, Ryan and I have grown a whole lot closer. We've been friends since high school but this year, we both have gone through rough patches in our lives and we've been there for each other, talking, dreaming, hoping and cheering each other on.

This photo was taken by Mai, my other best friend. This is our second year to witness the Lights Show at Ayala Triangle.

And while I maintained my friendship with the old ones, I'm beginning to develop new ones. Here are some of the ladies I work with - the ones who make going to work fun!

Meet up with Ritchelle and Leah, two of my classmates from high school. It's so fun to reconnect with people you know from when you were younger. Ahh the memories they bring! I cannot forget the fun conversations we had with you Leah and Ritchelle.

Adventures in the City

Salcedo Market with Rye and Mai

Photo Shoots with Friends

Ryan is a budding photographer. He's almost always lugging his camera around which means more memories captured on film for us! Yay!

Southsiders go on a trip to the North: Marikina

Walk This Way Tour with Carlos Celdran (Intramuros & Living La Vida Imelda) - These are really fun tours!

RENT

I was supposed to watch this play with Ryan but he couldn't make it as it would turn out. I never really appreciated RENT until I saw the play. Made me cry. Such a beautiful play!

Love

Here is the boy who's been making me break into a goofy grin ever since I met and got to know him. Who would've thunk I'd meet someone like him this year? I never really thought I would this year because I haven't really been looking. I've been perfectly lonely. But he's the one who's made me want to jump on board the love train again.

What a roller coaster year 2011 has been! I can't wait to find out what 2012 has in store for me. Whatever it is, I'm going to welcome it with open arms. Cheers guys!

P.S. Thank you Ryan for these photo ideas! (",)

Walk This Way: My Intramuros Experience with Carlos Celdran

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:31:00 +0000

My favorite subject in school next to English was History. Whether it was Philippine history, Asian history or World history I really enjoyed learning about the past. In fact, back in high school, I was always Best in History for four straight quarters.

I've always thought that the Philippines' history has been a very interesting and colorful one. I remember taking a trip to Intramuros when I was still a student, exploring Fort Santiago and imagining the old city of Manila during the time of the Spaniards reign and when our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was still alive and locked up. And no matter how many times I've taken a trip in Intramuros, I never get tired of re-learning our history.

So imagine my delight to find out about Carlos Celdran, a man who gives historical tours in Intramuros for Filipinos and tourists alike complete with theatrics. I think it was back in 2006 when I first read about him and ever since I've been wanting to experience his tour for myself. It's taken me this long, (hello 2011!) to actually get around to it. It's all thanks to When in Manila and my friend, Ryan, who got the assignment and was kind enough to make me his plus one (after much begging hahaha).

It was a sunny day when I made my way to Intramuros but as soon as Ryan and I got to Fort Santiago, it became an overcast sky. Luckily it didn't rain.

The man himself, Carlos Celdran, in the flesh. I was so excited to meet him. Haha.

Getting a little story telling done by Carlos. I love the little trivia he gave during the tour. I truly didn't know the famous General MacArthur's Leyte Landing photo was taken thrice! Carlos makes history a whole lot more fun to learn I tell you that because aside from learning history while walking in and along the historic walls of Intramuros, there's background music playing while you do so and of course there's the entertainment factor brought about by Carlos Celdran and his theatrics.

Picture souvenirs to remember our little trip to Intramuros at Carlos Celdran's Walk This Way. (",)

That's Ryan inside the calesa that took us to the other side of Intramuros where we saw the old Ateneo de Manila and St. Ignatius Cathedral...or what's left of them. That was his first time to ever ride a calesa.

A view of the Ilog Pasig. You know what I noticed? The river doesn't stink anymore. Kudos to the Clean Up Pasig project of Mrs. Gina Lopez. Hopefully in the near future the river will become as beautiful as it had been during the Spaniards time in Manila and we can all take a bangka ride... Yes, I do mean bangka, not the airconditioned ferry.

The ruins of Ateneo de Manila and St. Ignatius Cathedral after the bombing incident of World War II.

Our tour ended with Carlos giving us all free halo-halo for snacks. Why halo-halo? There's a story on this. Carlos compared us Filipinos to halo-halo. Why? Well because we're a mix race. We come from the lines of Chinese, Malay, Spaniards, Americans and Japanese. And our culture is a mix of these races. Our procrastination habit - Spaniards. Our love for Coke - Americans...

It was a really great experience overall. Would I have tried it if I didn't get to go for free? Yes. It's quite expensive - Php1,100 for adults, but if you love history like me, I would still go. It's worth it folks. I've an assignment for When in Manila too similar to this - I'll be going on the Livin' La Vida Imelda tour on the 19th! Yey! I'm so excited! I'm taking a picture with Carlos Celdran on my next trip.

Gossip Girl I Will Always Love You

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Before Serena van der Woodsen was brought to life on the small screen by Blake Lively and before Blair Waldorf was brought to life by Leighton Meester, I already loved Gossip Girl - the book series. I remember collecting the books, anxiously waiting for the next book to become available at Powerbooks. I got lost in the pages of Gossip Girl, imagining the glitzy world of the Upper East Side and basically constantly waiting to see how the love triangle of Blair-Nate-Serena would turn out. And when the stories of these characters ended in the Gossip Girl books, I felt sad...

Then one time while I was browsing the bookstore with my friends, Mai and Ryan, I found this book:

Cecily von Ziegesar came out with another Gossip Girl book with the characters I've grown to love. Nate, Dan, Serena, Vanessa, Blair and Chuck were all back in New York, a little older than they used to be but still truly delightful.

Well, when my friend Mai bought it, you bet I borrowed it from her as soon as she was done reading it. Typhoon Pedring gave me the break I needed to finally read it. Still a great read I will tell you that much. I read it in one sitting even until dusk came along. Not even the brownout (no lights at night) could make me put down the book until I finished it.

I highly recommend Gossip Girl fans to read this. Not just I Will Always Love You but the entire series with the original casts.

Lenovo Philippines' EExtraordinary 10-second Hero Finalist

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Confession: I really loved watching Captain Planet and the Planeteers when I was a kid. I used to sing along to its theme song too: Captain Planet, he's a hero. Gonna take pollution down to zero...

All over the world nowadays we feel the wrath of Mother Nature - better known as climate change - coming down upon us. In Metro Manila alone, the streets become flooded quite fast - with just one heavy downpour. No storm mind you. Just a downpour.

That's of course all thanks to the garbage some people carelessly throw out on the streets, canals and rivers. But what can we do about it? We're only one right? Not like we have superhero powers like Captain Planet - one huff and puff - fire's out, flood is gone...

Well that's what Zyra Bambico together with her orgmates from the Rotaract Club of San Pedro East are proving to the world through their GreEnvironment project. We don't need superhero powers to help save the Earth. In fact, she says that in under 10 seconds, we can do something small that can make a big impact on the planet.

I personally believe in this cause. And that's why I've been voting for her to help her become Lenovo's EExtraordinary 10-second hero grand winner. You see peeps, Lenovo is awarding the chosen EExtraordinary 10-second hero's charity of choice $50,000! Of course,it's not the only prize Lenovo is giving out. For being one of the 24 finalists, Zyra already gets an IdeaPad laptop.

If you never got wind of this contest by Lenovo, well lemme give you a short backgrounder on what it's about. Lenovo's EExtraordinary 10-second hero contest was announced back in August and it's calling all "doers" all over the globe to submit 150-word essay about a good deed they, someone they of or an organization they know of has done in 10-seconds. Out of so many entries, Zyra Bambico is the Philippines' chosen one.

Zyra Bambico, Lenovo Philippines' EExtraordinary 10-second hero finalist.

This girl truly embodies a "Doer". She graduated in 2007 at San Pedro College of Business Administration with five awards including 2 leadership awards and a a writer of the year award. Today she works as an IT instructor at her College alma mater. She also serves the church and her community by being part of the Rotaract Club and by being a member of the Faithful Jesus Church's Worship team.

Zyra with Lenovo Philippines and Microsoft Philippines executives

From L to Right: Vicky Agorilla, Lenovo Country General Manager; Zyra Bambico, Lenovo EExtraordinary 10-second Philippine finalist, Lalaine Zulueta, Parner Account Manager - Multinational Accounts, Microsoft Philippines and Anna Abola, Marketing Communications Manager of Lenovo Philippines

Why is Lenovo doing this contest, you ask? Well this is recognition of their Enhanced Experience 2.0, a feature that can be found on select Lenovo computers. If it has the EE 2.0 seal on it, your computer is going to boot up much faster - like 20 seconds faster than your average PC! As Lenovo says, it's a small feat that makes a big difference! Just like their 10-second hero contest. Here's Zyra's entry for Lenovo's EExtraordinary 10-second hero contest:

I personally think the GreEnvironment is a worthy cause and if you do too, then help her win! All videos of the 24 finalists can be found here: http://lenovo.promo.eprize.com/hero/. Voting is now open to the public and will last until October 5. All you have to do is select your country, register with your email address and find GreEnvironment entry among the finalists. Click on view story then click Vote for this Entry for your vote to count. The grand winner is the one that gets the most votes so spread the word guys!

Pan de Amerikana: A Hidden Retreat in the Heart of Marikina

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Confession: I have not seen a lot of places in my own country. I grew up in the city, the south side of town to be a little more specific and my weekends are normally spent either at home or at the malls near my place. But I do want to travel. See the world... I haven't been anywhere outside the country yet. Still dreaming, planning my first out of the country trip... I figured I should start my travel right here in the Philippines. Be a local tourist first before becoming a foreign one.

And so on a long weekend in August, my friends and I let the wander bug bite us. It took us to the north side of town with the city of Marikina being our first stop. We're all from the south side of town so we were all local tourists.

How did we get there? We all met up at MRT Taft-Rotonda and went down Cubao station. From there we took the FX that had SSS village signboard. Our destination was Pan de Amerikana. It was almost lunch time when we got there. We initially planned to meet up at 9am but some of us are perpetually late comers so when we finally arrived in Marikina, our timing was just perfect.

Let me walk you through the place:

When my friends and I got inside, we all couldn't help but go "Wow". It's so nice here! The place even has a swing and a second floor rooftop footbridge...the kind you'd see in those movies with jungle scenes...

The food we ordered: Good food served at Pan de Amerikana. Pretty affordable too.

My adventure friends:

Marikina is a very clean city indeed. And though it was quite far, with the company of my friends, it was truly a fun day. Would I do it again? Heck yes! It's great to play tourist in your own country. Plus it's nice to get out of your comfort zone from time to time.

Note: Most photos are taken by my budding photographer friend, Ryan.

A Rainy Manila Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:10:00 +0000

After a crazy week at work, I finally got to catch up with my friends. Mai and I accompanied Ryan in Manila, specifically in Quiapo. Quiapo as I discovered is also a place full of affordable yet chic and cute accessories. Look at my cute finds:

I'm so in love with these accessories. Actually saw Camille Co sporting these accessories. Though I didn't like walking in the puddled streets, shopping for these accessories lifted my mood. These accessories are only Php40!

Also went to Robinson's Place, Manila. It's been awhile since I last went there. I mean really go there to look around. Before we window shopped, I begged them to find a place to sit down since my feet were really aching already - been standing a lot longer since Wednesday's event which I will blog about in a separate post. We settled on resting at Secret Recipes.

Chocolate Indulgence

Carrot Cake

My friends have a sweet tooth like I do so they ordered cakes. These two are heavenly! Sweetness overload!

Lasagna

Ryan's lasagna looked yummy. It tasted good as well. His only disappointment is that the fillings of this lasagna was only on top. Nothing in between.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I ordered Chicken Cordon Bleu. I love foods with lots of cheese in or on it. This is one very juicy chicken. I only wish there was more cheese in this.

The staff at Secret Recipes were very accommodating to us. They even made sure we always had a glass full of water. And we even got a 30% discount voucher which we can use if we dine in at any Secret Recipes branch in the next two weeks.

I forgot to take a photo of Ryan. Haha. That's my good friend, Mai smiling for the camera.

And here is me. I made an effort to actually tie my hair and make it hold its place and I wore some make up too. It's not often you'd see me like this. But I figured I need to exert more effort on looking good just like Andrea did on Devil Wears Prada. My friends also say I should do so.

It was a nice Manila adventure minus the rain and puddles of course. I seriously love weekend adventures. Next time, I'll blog about my long weekend adventure on the northside of town.

Fine Dining at Passion Restaurant Resorts World Manila

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:23:00 +0000

Did I ever tell you guys that I'm actually a picky eater? I'm not the type whom you can easily call to go on a food trip adventure - especially Asian foods. But Chinese cuisine is a favorite of mine. Well, my mom won a P10,000 worth of gift certificate to eat at Passion Restaurant, Resorts World Manila from playing bingo there so last week during the long weekend, my family and a couple of their friends went there for lunch.

Those big sliding doors were the first thing that welcomed us when we found Passion Restaurant. But don't let it fool you. Inside the ambiance is very relaxing and the staff were very accommodating to us. Helped us when we were debating amongst ourselves what to order.

This place was huge! It has a 400 pax seating capacity. What I most especially loved about this place was how the windows allowed the sunlight to stream in. It balanced out the coldness brought on by the restaurant's air conditioning which was definitely a good thing as I forgot to bring my jacket.

I knew we were going to eat a lot so I really brought my appetite.

Pork Barbeque with Honey Sauce

Passion Fried Rice

Siomai

Stir Fry Noodles with Assorted Seafood

Shanghai Style Pork

Shrimp Dumplings

Sweet and Sour Lapu-Lapu

Sesame Seed Balls

All tasted good...except maybe for Shanghai Style Pork. That was my least favorite out of all the foods we ordered at Passion Restaurant. Quite a lot already right? But it's not all we ordered. I saved my all time favorite Chinese foods below.

Crab and Corn Soup

Boneless Deep Fried Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Bacon and Garlic Minced Broccoli

I don't know why kids in the States hate broccoli. It's delish. And that lemon chicken is lurve! I would have saved the lemon chicken all to myself 'cos it's really really good but I had to share it with everyone else.

Anyhow it was a good meal we had. Quite expensive to eat there. Thankfully we had that GC. Try to read my attempt at another food review at When in Manila please?

Passion Restaurant at Resorts World Manila Philippines

Type of cuisine:      Cantonese
Seating capacity:    400
Ambiance:             Fine dining

For reservations: Call (+632) 908 8875

Passion Location:
2nd Flr., Maxims Tower, Resorts World Manila

Operating hours:    Daily
Lunch          11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner         6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Current TV Series Addictions

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:46:00 +0000

While my other TV series addictions are on break, I've found a couple of new ones to fill my weekends with.

First addiction: Prison Break

Okay so technically, Prison Break is not new. In fact the series has already ended back in 2009. But me and my folks are only catching up now thanks to Ryan's old DVDs which he no longer wanted and had therefore given to me. It is so addicting! I love how it keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing at every scene: who are part of the cover up? who can Michael and Linc trust?

Soon as I have money to spare, I'm going to buy Seasons 3 and 4 of Prison Break.

Second Addiction: Nikita

I love ladies who can kick ass! Charlie's Angels Cameron, Drew and Lucy were a fave. Now, Maggie Q. is strutting in high heels and kicking bad guys' asses. I do believe Nikita's first season is done. I saw a DVD box set of Nikita at AstroVision just recently. But well ETC just began showing it so I've only began to love it. And in case you guys were wondering what has ever happened to Shane West - you know, Mandy Moore's lead guy in A Walk to Remember - well, he's back on the small screen... as Nikita's love interest I think...

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 06:18:00 +0000

Yesterday was movie night at Ryan's house. We watched Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging on DVD. It was my first time to watch the movie. I know, so late! But better late than never. It was such a feel good movie! Sure the story was all about adolescents, finding love and learning to be one's self but well what can I say? Guess we're still young at heart.

Two things that stood out to me on that movie: the lead guy, Robbie aka Aaron Johnson and the song he wrote for Georgia, the leading lady called Ultraviolet.

So I went on Google to see how he looks now. He's still pretty gorgeous isn't he? And apparently, quite a few peeps on Tumblr love him too since the photo I posted on Cute Candies got a lot of reblogs overnight.

The song Ultraviolet from Stiff Dylans is so cute. A great soundtrack makes for a great movie too.

I wasn't like Georgia though when I was in high school. Had a huge crush on someone but never had the guts to talk to him. Was pretty shy. All I could really do was steal a glance and when he'd catch my eye and smile my way, it made my day. Watching this movie made me miss my high school days.

Top Ten Songs to Help You Get Through a Breakup

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Confession: I had a summer romance.

It was about a couple of months back when I first "met" him. Yes, that's a quote, unquote because it was really an online thing. I knew him from way back when I was still in elementary. He was a year older than I was and he was very cute! I've always had a crush on him even back then...It just wasn't intense back then. One because we never really talked. Second because there was always some other guy who caught my attention more..especially when I was in high school.

I saw him on Facebook one afternoon and thought what the heck, I'd add him. Did not expect he'd reach out to me... We talked and he turned out to be a good conversationalist. Well this time the crush I had intensified into something more. And I thought he felt the same. Unfortunately... the summer romance only lasted for a short while.

I was disappointed of course. And yes it hurt. But I'm not one to stay down. I wallow... but I get back up and learn to move on. You know how some girls go out and spend money on making themselves look hotter post break up? Well...I become geekier. Haha. After my first serious heartache, I focused on studying and became an honor student in school. After the second, I devoted my time and energy at work and went to graduate school. This time? I wrote about it... Do read it yeah? (",)

http://sexandsensibilities.com/2011/08/03/top-ten-songs-to-help-you-get-through-a-breakup/

Unilab's Bioflu

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:00:00 +0000

I rarely get sick which I am very thankful about. However I am occasionally prone to colds. Well my parents recently came down with the flu. I usually stay in their room at night because they have a TV there so I guess it was just a matter of time before I caught it.

I didn't have a fever but I felt it was coming. My whole body ached. My eyes burned. I had the sniffles and the cough. Now usually when I have the colds, I like to sleep through it. But I couldn't take the day off from work since I just really started at my new office. It sucks to be sick. It's hard to think about anything else other than bed, bed, bed.

People told me that to fight it off, I should load up on agua and Vitamin C. Though I've taken the advice, I needed something that will work faster. Mom bought BioFlu. I took it before my bedtime and when I woke up the following morning, I felt so much better! It really works. I'm definitely keeping Bioflu in mind the next time I feel very sick.

When it's manufactured by Unilab, it's very effective for real! I mean when I have headaches, I turn to Biogesic. Now I have another medicine brand to trust.

Something's New at Coffee Bean

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Last Thursday night after my class at DLSU, I went to meet with my friend, Ryan who was at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf University Mall reviewing for his compre exam. I couldn't resist the smell of coffee so I ordered my favorite tea latte.

And I was given this by the barista:

I don't know if this applies to all Coffee Bean branches already or it's just at the University Mall but this is a cool way of knowing when your coffee order is up. The barista no longer has to call your name. They simply press a button and...

...it lights up like so! I think this is a pretty nice innovation from Coffee Bean. What do you think of it? Is this actually implemented in all Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branches?

Slimming Treatment at Blue Water Day Spa

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Last Monday, I got to cross out another item from my bucket list. I tried the massage at Blue Water Day Spa with a friend. We tried the Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy. This is actually more than just your basic massage. It's a slimming treatment.

Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy treatment is a Chinese origin which uses products that are imported from Tibet. The hard massage is combined with fire therapy which can dramatically improve blood circulation, expedite the removal of bodily toxins and waste and can help reduce the water retention stored inside the limbs. As a result, you'll be able to tone any part of your body like your arms, thighs, abdomen and buttocks. I had the treatment done on my tummy while my friend, Jack had the treatment done on her back. Unlike the normal massage session though, the Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy has two therapists alternately working on you.

This tummy massage is so not comfortable!

It doesn't show on the photo I know but I was quite uncomfortable with the massage. Well I'm not really a massage connoisseur - I've only gotten one spa massage my entire life - but it's not usual that we get our abdominal areas massaged and a hard massage at that! But the hard massage is necessary to burn the fat cells and to get rid of the cellulite. If you're going to try Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy on your abdomen here's a good tip I got from our supervising therapist: focus on your breathing. Believe me it works.

The hard massage is only the beginning though. What comes next is the fire therapy. You guys probably have heard of a cold wrap right? My boss before used to engage in that at Marie France. But if you're like me who has low tolerance for cold, then fire therapy is perfect for you.

This fire treatment is done five times and for it to effectively melt away fats you have to endure the fire for a couple of minutes. Lucky for me I could tolerate the heat. When the treatment was done, I lost about 4 inches from my tummy area.

After the treatment, I didn't instantly feel the pain of my abdominal muscles but after just a couple of minutes, it began to ache. It was as though I did sit ups - intense sit ups. But you know what they say, no pain, no gain. If you've got high tolerance for pain and the money to spare (this costs P3000), I highly suggest you try Tibetan Meridian Fire Therapy. It's a great way to jumpstart your way to a sexy body. Yes you still need to exercise and have a healthy diet of course.

I wrote this review in WheninManila. Please do check it out.

New Melissa Shoe Styles!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 01:30:00 +0000

I really really really love Melissa shoes. I once owned the red Kali shoes but I had to sell it because it seemed to big for my feet. Could not walk in them properly. But they were gorgeous!

And then I opened my Facebook and I saw this new gorgeous style!

And to think I haven't gotten around to buying the Amazona Melissa shoes just yet. I have my eyes on this pair:

They're perfect for this rainy season. It screams style and comfort.

Thai Kingdom Come Launch at the Marriott Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Just recently, I tagged along with my friend Ryan to Marriott Hotel Manila to attend the launch of Thai Kingdom Come - a Thai food festival event happening the whole month of July. We looked so posh that day. I'll post my outfit shot on another post. Everyone who was invited to the launch were all dressed up. I totally loved being there.

Some Thai folk dance entertainment for the guests were held during the Thai Kingdom Come event.

Love this crab meat rice. Couldn't get enough of it.

I also couldn't get enough of this fish!

Spicy Roast Duck

Radish Cake

This event only makes me excited to visit Thailand. My friends and I have plans of going on our first ever out of the country trip. Hopefully that works out! But for now, it was enough to have a taste of Thailand at Marriott. If you want to try this, the Thai buffet will be available at the Marriott Cafe for P17750 per head.

Must Read Book: LA Candy

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 01:30:00 +0000

I've been attending job interviews the past couple of weeks and one time while I needed to pass the time for my second interview, I decided to try reading a book in Powerbooks. Spending the day reading in Powerbooks was also included in my bucket list so it was really hitting two birds with one stone. It's so nice to stay in Powerbooks just reading. I only wish they had more comfortable seats.

I decided on Lauren Conrad's LA Candy. I know it's been out for so long already. It's even got sequels already. But I never really considered reading it since my friend said it was just all about Lauren's life as a reality star. Never saw her show on MTV by the way. But she sure is pretty isn't she? Anyhow, back to the book. Now while I haven't actually gotten around to finishing it yet, so far I think it's an interesting read. It's a chic lit. It's an easy read and entertaining too. If you want a break from heavy reading like those of Haruki Murokami and Paulo Coelho, try LA Candy.

I have this book included in my must read lists already. So many books to read!

Sex and the City Prequel

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Confession: I am a huge fan of Sex and the City. Carrie Bradshaw is my favorite character. Though I did not love the story of the SATC sequel, I loved the ladies' outfits there. Now since it's been such a box office hit, rumors have been swirling around a possible third sequel. But I don't know about that. The ladies' are really getting old. But here's another rumor that's been going around: there may be a Sex and the City prequel!

I haven't really gotten around to reading Candace Bushnell's Carrie Diaries but I bet it'll be great to turn the book series into either a movie or a TV series. And you know who Candace thinks could play a young Charlotte York? Justin Bieber's ladylove, Selena Gomez!

I think she'd make a perfect Charlotte. She's beautiful and she's got a classy elegance to her - definitely Charlotte York. I'm more in favor of a prequel. Would love to see Charlotte, Carrie, Samantha and Miranda before they were the thirty-something ladies.

What do you guys think of a Sex and the City prequel? And Selena Gomez as Charlotte York?

Papa John's Pizza Philippines: My Food Review

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Recently, Papa John's Pizza opened up near La Salle specifically at the newly renovated University Mall. I love pizza and I have heard good things about Papa John's. I've been meaning to eat there actually so when an invitation to try Papa John's at their Greenhills branch came up, you bet your boots I jumped on the chance!

That's me taking the liberty of getting the first pizza slice! We ordered the Super Papa pizza although my friend Ryan originally wanted to try the All Meat pizza which are both best sellers by the way. I chose Super Papa because I personally like pizza with a lot of toppings. And by toppings I mean the likes of bell peppers and olives! Medium sized Super Papa costs P450 and it already comes with a garlic butter sauce dip for the crust.

I loved that garlic butter dip! And I loved that it's included already at the cost of P450. If you order Pizza Hut's Cheesy Pops cheesy dip, it'll cost extra.

We also tried a couple of pasta. I had the penne spaghetti bolognaise and my friends ordered the spaghetti Diablo Burst. If you like hot and spicy, you'll like Diablo Burst.

We really brought our appetites when we went to Papa John's so we also ordered side dishes: Chicken and Mushroom and Baked Italian Meatballs.

Those tomato and garlic butter dips are lurve! It gave the Chicken and Mushroom the extra "oomph" it needed on its taste.

We watched it all down with these oh-so-sweet Italian sodas. I think they're pretty new here in the Philippines. I mean most of the pizza joints in the Metro offer beverages like Coke or Pepsi soda products and iced tea so if you're eating at Papa John's suggest you try these instead.

The remnants of a satisfactory meal. We didn't get to finish everything so we just brought the left overs home. But we enjoyed having dinner at Papa John's. They currently have four branches in the Metro right now: Robinson's Galleria, Megamall, Greenhills and Vito Cruz Taft.

My friend and I posing for the camera. Ryan was with us but he was the one who took the photos so there's no shot of him or all three of us together. Anyway, don't just take my word for it. Go try Papa John's for yourselves if you haven't eaten there yet. Oh and do check out the write up I made on this on WheninManila.

The Miley Cyrus Experience: Corazon Gitano Tour Live in Manila

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 03:08:00 +0000

As I was just saying recently, I love being a contributing writer at WheninManila.com. This time, my friend and I got to watch a concert for free at the MOA concert grounds. Confession: I'm not a big fan of Miley Cyrus though I did like Hannah Montana. Yes I can sing along to Who Said and Best of Both Worlds. Anyway, even though at the start I felt like I was a little too old to be there, eventually, we had a good time despite being part of a very young crowd - tweens and teens.

I know. It's not the best quality since I was really far from the stage. But well you know still it was free! (",) Do check out our write up about it here: http://www.wheninmanila.com/the-miley-cyrus-experience-corazon-gitano-tour-live-in-manila/.

Silent Sanctuary's Rebound is the Soundtrack of my Life Right Now

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I rediscovered my love for the band Silent Sanctuary thanks to Tumblr. This song I'm posting is called Rebound. Great song for those nursing a broken heart.

Sana’y di nalang pinilit pa

Wala ring patutunguhan

Kahit sabihin ko pang

Mahal kita

Nakakainis talaga

Nagmukha akong tanga

Pinaasa mo kasi

Puso ko ngayon tuloy lumuluha

Loving Being a Contributing Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:38:00 +0000

I've recently become a contributor of WheninManila after I wrote that article on my museum tour. As a perk of being part of the contributing writers, I got to attend two really cool events already. One was the Speed Magazine 8th Anniversary celebration recently held at Greenbelt 3. It was a night of fashion and green technology.

DJ Vince and DJ Ingrid hosted the event

I really loved the hot pink Nokia N8 and the HP Pavilion G4 laptop that were showcased during the event. Now while I don't know much about gadgets, I know style. And those products I saw that night were absolutely stylish! I would've bought the HP laptop and the Nokia phone except my mobile phone is very recent as well as my laptop.

These gorgeous clothes were designed by the students of the Fashion Institute of the Philippines

The Toyota Prius - I want this car!

My fave model is the guy on the right. Doesn't he stand out from the rest?

I think it's highly commendable that Nokia, Samsung, HP, Toyota and Canon are making the effort to come up with products that are not only technologically advanced but eco-friendly as well. After all, we all need to do our part in saving this planet. I would have to say kudos as well to Speed Magazine for choosing to put the spotlight on green technology. Check out my write up on Speed Magazine's event here.

Yesterday, I got to attend Neutrogena's newest product launch at Whitespace, Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati. It's called Neutrogena Hydro Boost Regimen: mousse cleanser, clear lotion, essence, water gel and mask. It's supposed to help keep our skin moisturized all day long thanks to its 12 hour Progressive Release System which is automatically activated when you apply it on your skin. The effect of Neutrogena Hydro Boost is instant!

My friend Grace getting her skin tested for moisture

Product Testing. That' not my hand btw!

This is what they used to test our skin's moisture

My skin moisture test result initially measured 51. According to the Neutrogena representatives, 40 above is a normally hydrated skin, below 40 means dehydrated skin and 70 above means your skin is well dehydrated.

Now that's my hand getting tested again after testing the product

After trying out Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Water Gel, my skin moisture measure jumped to 90! Instant result made me go Wow.

The Neutrogena ladies holding the Hydro Boost

Introducing Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Skincare Regimen

My friend Grace loved her Neutrogena product giveaway

I also tried the Hydro Boost Mousse, Clear Lotion and the Essence. Loved how my skin felt more supple and smoother after trying it. I'm so including this in my skincare regimen! But for now, thank you Neutrogena for the free products. Oh do read my write up about this here.

Coffee Bean's Newest Ice Blended Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Martin) — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:26:00 +0000

About a couple of days ago, I saw that Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was going to have an open house on Sunday, May 29 to launch their newest Ice Blended Coffee drink.

Now being a lover of coffee and of CBTL, I just knew I had to try it. So yesterday, Ryan and I made plans to meet at CBTL Greenbelt to try their newest coffee drink. Espresso and Cream Ice Blended - espresso blended with ice, milk and powder and topped with rich whip cream. I wasn't disappointed with this drink. One sip and it was love!

Want to try it too? Good news for you. It's available at all CBTL branches now. Regular Espresso and Cream Ice Blended is P155 and Large Espresso and Cream Ice Blended is P175. Go on. Head on over to your nearest CBTL shop now. (",)