veronizm! ...Life in Bliss...

District 50 Restaurant at J-Centre Mall, Cebu

2013-05-06T23:41:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! So, about several months ago I've been scouting again for some restaurants in Cebu that are worth mentioning and while I was at J-Centre Mall in AS Fortuna St. Mandaue City, I found this sort of retro-diner inspired restaurant called District 50.

When I entered the place, I immediately liked the theme. It has a sort of diner feel to it though they actually serve more than just burgers. What immediately caught my attention was the beetle sports car which you can actually use as your table although it can only accommodate two persons. But it's pretty cool, huh?

As you can see, they pretty much have a lot of framed pictures (of music bands, music icons, celebrities, etc) and other 50's-inpired decorations, which I find really cool and inspired. They also have booths, al fresco dining and a bar as well.

So I know you're all very excited on what we ordered so without further adieu, here it is:

Nicoise Salad (above) and Russian Egg Salad (below) for around PhP180.00 each. As you can tell from the photo, the Nicoise Salad is a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, boiled eggs, olives, white onion rings, canned tuna and some balsamic vinegar as dressing. The Russian Egg Salad is basically just two hard boiled eggs with some peas, carrots, corn, olives and then topped with mayonnaise dressing. Both okay.

Chicken Parmesan for PhP180.00. I love love love this one! The sauce is really tomatoey which I like. But if you don't like tomatoey sauces then this might not appeal to your taste. But this is one of my favorites.

Creamy Dory with Pesto and Peas at PhP180.00. This I like too. The sauce is really tasty and complements with the creamy dory very well. Yum yum!

Smoked Paprika Beef at PhP230.00. This is one of my personal favorites! I like it's bit-of spicy taste and the beef is so tender. Really really tasty!

Chanesca (District 50's version of Puttanesca) at PhP180.00. I'm not quite a fan of this one. I was a bit disappointed that it has sardines in it. I guess that's what makes this version a different Puttanesca since the original Puttanesca recipe has anchovies instead of sardines. But I'd have to say that it does have a certain unique flavor to it, but it just didn't suit me that much. It kind of reminds me of misua with sardines, which I don't like very much...

For dessert we had Bea's Crepe and Brownie S'more each at PhP100.00.

Bea's Crepe has ripe mangoes as filling and vanilla ice cream on top, while Brownie S'more is a chocolate brownie topped with s'mores and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Both yummy and heavenly.

Overall I really loved my dining experience at District 50. What I really like about it is how cheap their price is and yet, as you can see from the photos, their dishes are very much like gourmet in appearance and taste.

Will definitely come back again!

Anyway, that's it for now. 'Til next post guys!

Homemade Ice Cream (Without Using an Ice Cream Maker)

2013-04-22T18:00:00.001+08:00

That's right! I didn't use an ice cream maker to make this lovely homemade mango ice cream! And it's ridiculously easy you can actually make this with your eyes closed! Okay, partially closed. Hehehe... :-D

I actually just made this yesterday and as of now while I'm typing I'm actually enjoying a scoop. And what's more enjoyable than to share it with your friends, right? So I'm sharing it with you guys! Except that I'm only going to share with you the recipe since you do know that I can't possibly share it to you in actual, right? (Duh!)

So here's the recipe:

1. Mix & blend 1 cup (250ml) all-purpose cream, around 5 medium-sized ripe mangoes (seed & skin removed!), 5 tbsps condensed milk, and 4 tbsps sugar in a blender. Adjust sweetness/"mangoness" according to taste. Pour the mixture into a plastic container with lid and store in the freezer overnight.

And that's it! Told you, it's ridiculously easy!

But I'd have to tell you though, some teeny-tiny ice crystals did form in the ice cream but it's not a big deal really except if you really want a creamy ice cream, like the ones sold in stores. But this is ice cream enough for me and perhaps in the future when I make this again I'll work on the ice crystals. Do you have any idea/tips though? I was thinking of adding evaporated milk to it or perhaps cornstarch? Some people, when making ice candy, do put cornstarch into the mixture to give it a smooth consistency but I'm not quite sure if it's safe to eat raw cornstarch. So if you guys have any tips/ideas please feel free to comment below! And let me know if you tried this recipe! I'd love to read your comments (except for the rude ones of course, hahaha!)

Tata for now! 'Til next post :)

Firozian Indian Tea House, Cebu City, Cebu

2012-05-11T12:28:00.001+08:00

If you're yearning for an authentic Indian cuisine here in Cebu, then you have got to try Firozian Indian Tea House. It is a newly opened Indian restaurant located at Don Jose Avila St. (at the back of Cebu Doctors Hospital). They've just opened last April 25 and we went there a few days after that to have my first ever taste of authentic Indian food. Comfortable and cozy, this cute little restaurant is owned by an Indian guy named Firoz, who also happens to be the chef!

It was a great dining experience indeed! The restaurant has the ambiance of colorful walls and curtains with low tables and chairs and throw pillows such that the customers can get to try what it's like to dine the Indian way. Firoz actually explained to us why eating this way is better than what we normally do. First, he said that in the old days, eating on the floor was a natural thing such that even kings enjoyed lying or sitting on the floor while eating. The Greeks and Romans do this too. Second, eating in a lotus position (or as what we usually call the cross-legged sitting position), helps the body absorb and digest the food faster as the blood flow is concentrated in the stomach area. It is also beneficial for the back. Finally, the third reason is that it shows a symbolism of no hierarchy system while eating this way. Everyone is equal, rich or poor. Pretty cool, huh?

So anyway, as I mentioned, I've never tried authentic Indian food before and I tell you, the first time I tasted it at Firozian Indian Tea House, it was love at first bite!!! My personal favorite was the Dal Makhani. It's a healthy Indian staple food made primarily of whole black lentils (urad) and red kidney beans (rajma). You can eat it alone or with rice, or you can also add a little yoghurt on it for an extra kick.

Dal Makhani

Another favorite of mine is the Durum, or as what they call, "the real shawarma". As you can see, it is indeed a shawarma and I must say, the best shawarma I ever tasted. It's so much different from the shawarma sold in food stalls. I guess it's because Firozian's Durum has just the right amount of sauce and spices to it.

Durum

I also like the Aloo Paratha, a popular breakfast/snack dish in India which is made of whole-wheat Indian flat bread stuffed with mashed potatoes. You can eat it with butter/yoghurt or Lassi, also a popular Indian yoghurt-based drink made of yoghurt blended with water and some Indian spices or sugar.

Aloo Paratha

Lassi

Other snack items that we ordered were Roti (a flat bread made of stoneground wholemeal flour known as atta flour) and Samosa (fried or baked pastry stuffed with potatoes, ground meat, and other spices). The Samosa is much like the Empanada, the only difference perhaps is the stuffing and/or how the pastry was made.

Roti

Samosa

Other main dishes that we ordered were Aloo Keema, Butter Chicken, and Chicken Masala.

Aloo Keema

Aloo Keema, also known as potato and mince curry, is actually a traditional dish of South Asia. It is made of potatoes, ground meat, and spices.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken, also known as Chicken Makhani, is one of the best known Indian food (and also, another one of my favorites).

Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala is a creamy spicy chicken dish made of roasted chicken chunks (also known as tikka) in a spicy sauce called masala.

Aside from Lassi, we also had Chai (also known as Indian Tea) for our beverage. It is a spiced milk tea served with sugar, which they had shaped in cute hearts.

Chai (Indian Tea)

What's interesting about Chai is how it is served. I can't really describe it in words so you can just refer to the picture below, heheheh!

This is actually the traditional way of serving tea in India and Firoz told us of three reasons why it's done this way. First is that it creates a natural foam on the surface of the tea, it mixes the tea well, and lastly, it helps cool down the tea a bit so it wouldn't be too hot while you drink it.

So of course a meal wouldn't be complete without dessert, right? So for that we ordered Besan Laddu and Gulab Jamun.

Besan Laddu (sorry about the teeth marks! hehehe!)

Besan Laddu, also known as Indian sweet chickpea flour balls, is a popular Indian dessert made of bengal gram flour (or chickpea flour), sugar, ghee, and powdered nuts (can be almond, pistachio, etc) formed into balls.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun, also known as milk balls in sweet syrup, is another popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent made of milk solids, mostly khoya (an Indian milk product), and some flour rolled into balls and then deep fried. It is then put into a sweet syrup flavored with different spices and natural flavors. Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Well, that's all we ordered! I really had a wonderful dining experience at Firozian Indian Tea House. I can definitely say that Indian food is surely one of my cravings now! And not to mention that their prices are so budget friendly. Based on what we ordered, their meals range from PhP120 - 150 and their snacks and desserts range from PhP40 - 80. Not bad, huh?

Firozian (right most), April and their lovely staff)

I've seen in their Facebook page that they still have a lot of delicious Indian food that I haven't tried yet. I just can't wait to go back!!

Well, thanks for dropping by you guys! Till next post!

Cul de Sac Cafe, Talamban Cebu City

2011-11-10T21:14:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, here's another restaurant in Cebu that I'm sure you'll definitely love! Cul de Sac Cafe, a Spanish-inspired restaurant located inside Sto. Nino Village in Talamban.

The pictures I have here were actually taken about 5 months ago when I was still pregnant. (I just got the time of blogging again, was really busy with the little one!)

Anyway, I really like the place. Very cozy and romantic. If you've read about my post on 10 Dove then yes, they're just neighbors! :D Although a little bit far from each other. Cul de Sac Cafe is much closer to the village entrance. It's right at the end of Maya street (the first street to the right, see map below), where it's name was actually coined (cul de sac, which means "dead-end street").

So my hubby and I went there last February to celebrate Valentine's Day. It was the perfect place indeed --- dim-lighting, floral seat and table covers, light jazz music -- aaaahh! romance is in the air!

So I'm pretty sure you're all excited to know what we ordered and without further adieu, here it is:

For the entree, we had Veggie Salad with (Php70.00), and Shrimp Linguine Marinara (Php110.00).

For the main course, we ordered Usso Bucco (Php280.00), and Fish with Spinach (Php190.00). Both dishes tasted really really good that just thinking about it makes me wanna run back to the cafe!

Usso Bucco is like kaldereta, except that it is beef and has a creamy sauce made from coconut milk.

Orders under Meat and Seafoods come with a choice of soup & a scoop of ice cream (we had ube) :)

Okay, so I mentioned above that these pictures were taken about 5 months ago so I kinda forgot what we ordered for the soup (so sorry about that). But I think it was Pumpkin and Creamy Mushroom. Anyway, both tasted really good especially that they sprinkled it with some pepper and herbs.

I really had a great dining experience at Cul de Sac Cafe. Once my baby's big enough, I'm surely gonna go back there! Here's a picture of their facade.

So I hope you enjoyed reading my review guys! 'Til next time!

Disclaimer: This is my honest and unbiased review of Cul de Sac Cafe and I am not paid whatsoever to do this ;-)

Besties! Hehehe!

2011-08-16T15:56:00.007+08:00

These are two of my many cats, AJ and Nighty. They're besties :) AJ is actually older than Nighty and yet he's much smaller. I've actually mentioned him (and his brother BJ) in my previous post about CJ, the crippled cat that I picked up from the street one afternoon. Unfortunately, BJ disappeared just a few weeks after I posted that story. I really don't know what happened to him. Yeah it's really sad. I really liked BJ coz he's so adorable and playful :( I miss you BJ! wherever you may be right now! T_T

Anyway, so AJ was the only one who survived among the kittens at that time. About a month later, another one of my cats gave birth (with me as the OB-GYNE!) to three adorable kittens and one of them is Nighty which as you can see is very big right now. He's really adorable and very very playful. He never fights with the other neighboring cats. He also has a very sweet voice for such a big and beastly looking creature ^_^

Both AJ and Nighty always eat, sleep, and play together. They even clean each other as you can see from the pics ^_^

Serene Scene - Friday (7/29/2011)

2011-07-29T08:00:00.000+08:00

Location: Tangke, Basak, Lapulapu City, Philippines - right across JMX (formerly Cebuano Headway Unlimited).

Raaaawwwrrrrrr!!!! Phantom!

2011-07-18T15:59:00.001+08:00

Everybody, meet Phantom, the not-so-friendly neighborhood cat. Her name, (yes it's a she) was originally "Scarface", which was supposed to be after the villain in Batman, but a friend reminded me that it wasn't Scarface but Two Face. So I later renamed her "Phantom", which I think is more appropriate after another friend of mine said that she's like the Phantom of the Opera ;-)
I actually just found her lurking outside our house one morning looking for food. When I saw her face I was like "Man alive!!!!", hehehe! And now she's all mine, nyahahahahaha!, well...almost. My husband and I actually just recently decided to stop adopting cats anymore now that we already have 4 and we also have a baby. So yeah, can't have Phantom :(

We still feed her though, especially that she just recently lost her two kittens. Yeah, poor Phantom. She looks for them every now and then. She didn't know that they died. It really breaks my heart when she calls them out.

Anyway, I think she's over it by now. I hope one of our neighbors would adopt her or at least feed her when we move to another place. I'm surely gonna miss Phantom by then :)

Repair Pal - Car Care Confidence

2011-03-14T09:08:00.023+08:00

If you live in the US and are looking for independent and unbiased, free auto repair estimates for you car, then you might wanna check out RepairPal.

RepairPal is a US-based company that offers repairs, as well as estimates for your specific auto repair needs. With the use of their RepairPrice Estimator, you can enter the details of your car such as Year, Make, and Model, select a service and enter your zip code and then they will present you with a list of different options and suppliers for your servicing needs.

They also have a Car Info page where they give you information about a certain car's features and other important factors as well as reviews, car problems, recalls and other important questions you might need to know. You'd only need to select the year, make and model and the page will then show you important information about the car. This is quite useful for people who are still planning to buy a car and doesn't know which ones to choose.

Here's an example for the 2002 Toyota Camry (http://repairpal.com/toyota-camry-2002). As you can see in the screen shot below, the page shows you an overall score of the car in terms of its body, interiors, brakes, lights, engine, etc. Below it would then be reviews of actual customers who have used the car.

They also have an Encyclopedia page where you get to know more than just the basic information and features of a car. An example would be the Check Engine Light (CEL). The page not only tells you about what this check engine light is about but also provides information about common check engine light scenarios and what to dos. You can also get to comment or ask a question should your concerns weren't addressed in the encyclopedia.

I think RepairPal really has a lot to offer for all you car lovers and enthusiasts out there. Why, you don't even have to live in the US because they offer more than just auto repairs but other important information as well.

For those living in Chicago, Illinois, you can go directly to Chicago Auto Repair for your auto repair/service needs specific to your area.

A Dinner Date at the Persimmon Plus, Mabolo Cebu City

2011-02-21T18:58:00.011+08:00

Last Friday February 18, my husband and I were invited by the Aboitizland for a dinner date at the Persimmon Plus in Mabolo Cebu City. It was kind of like a post Valentine's Day event. Lots of other couples were also invited. I guess the event was also kind of a presentation of some of the shops that are soon to open at the Persimmon Plus, although there were only 2 shops that showcased their products that night -- Happy Rooster, which sells imported home furnishings and caters interior designs, and Urban Living, which is a salon and spa that also sells awesome bath products, I was almost tempted to buy one ^_^.

Anyway, it was really a romantic evening for me and my husband. The food was awesome! It was catered by Dong Juan. They're originally from Manila but they'd be opening a branch soon at The Persimmon Plus to serve their delicious meals for us Cebuanos. My favorite dish from was their Spaghetti. I loooooved it so much that I came back to the buffet table for a second helping, LOL! I wish I had photos of the food but it was a candlelit dinner and my camera wasn't just powerful enough to capture food on a dark background. Sorry guys!

There was also a band which I think was really awesome. They played popular songs which mostly are romantic. Their singers are pretty good, especially their guy singer who has a very soothing voice and almost exactly match that of the original artist's.

After dinner, they held a raffle contest where I won a 20% discount voucher on Oral Prophylaxis from the Bright Smiles Oral Care Center. Awesome! I wonder when I can avail of this service. I think it's been more than a year since I had an oral prophylaxis, hehehe!

So I guess that's all guys. I would really like to thank Aboitizland for inviting us to this awesome event. Wish there are more of this in the future, hehehehe! ;-D

I Just Buried CJ :'(

2011-01-13T18:29:00.003+08:00

My dear friends,

Yes it's a very unfortunate and sad news indeed. CJ just passed away a while ago. I'm not really sure the exact time but it was sometime this morning. If you don't know who CJ is, she's the crippled kitten that I found on the street one rainy afternoon and brought home (and oh, she's a female BTW as opposed to what I thought in my previous post that she's a male; click here if you wanna know how I found her). I just finished burying her in the small yard beside our house, just outside our room :'(

I just couldn't help but cry while I was burying her :'( It's really really sad. I didn't even see when she died. I just saw her lying by the tambis tree when I got home from the groceries. I asked my neighbor if she saw how she died and she just said that she just saw CJ crawling (even quite fast, with no signs of being weak or anything) from our house to the tambis tree across and the next thing she saw, CJ wasn't moving anymore and just lay there...already out of breath :'( I mean I can only imagine her just crawling and perhaps wanting to explore around and maybe fell asleep, not knowing that her life's gonna end right then and there :'(

The truth is I already kind of saw it coming, that she's not gonna live long because she can't poop well because of her crippled hind legs. Lately I've noticed that her bottom was kind of swelling. I felt really bad because I can't afford to send her to the vet, what with all the expenses for my cats' food (and for our food as well of course) and other expenses and necessities and especially with the baby coming (yes, I'm pregnant for 8 months now), so we're kind of saving up our money in preparation for the baby. But I didn't really expect that she would die so soon. How many days has it been since I found her? About 6 days I guess? I thought that she'd still live for about a year or two because even though she can't poop very well she still can poop, only that she can't expel them out altogether and would just drag her poop across the floor when she crawls. (My husband is so sweet BTW to volunteer cleaning her and her nest every morning because it's not good for me, a pregnant woman, to clean a kitty's litter due to possible toxoplasmis infection).

Anyway, CJ's death was really unexpected. I mean, she was still very active this morning before my husband and I went out for breakfast. I was even able to feed her and she didn't show any signs that she's dying. She wasn't weak or anything. She even crawls very fast towards her food. Really really unexpected.

I immediately buried her after I found her. And placed some flowers (which I picked out from our neighbor's garden, sshh!) on top of her bed. I also whispered a little goodbye to her as I laid her on her grave before covering her up. After burying her (and after washing my hands of course), I then went ahead and put away the groceries. As I opened the bag, it was then that I found and remembered the milk that I bought for her :'( I decided this morning to feed her milk so that her poop would be much softer and easier for her to expel out. I guess I was too late :'(

Is there a heaven for cats, dogs and other animals? I wanna believe that there is. Because then I can happily say that CJ is there playing with the other cats...(call me cheesy, I wouldn't care).

Gawd I'm so depressed. I'm gonna go and eat some chocolates. But before I go I just wanna thank everyone who showed their empathy to CJ in my previous post (and possibly in this post). It really means a lot to me and CJ. God bless!!!

Frizberry Yogurt - Grand Opening at Parkmall Cebu

2011-01-10T19:06:00.018+08:00

Who wants frozen yogurt? I do! And one of my favorite frozen yogurt stores out there is none other than Frizberry Yogurt. Why is it my favorite you ask? Because one, it's not only delicious but also healthy. Two, their yogurts are not expensive. And lastly, but definitely not the least, it's Cebu based!!! Hehe! Love my own!

Yep, Frizberry yogurt is a Cebu based yogurt company that offers affordable yet delicious frozen yogurt. So far they have three branches in Cebu. One is in SM which is their first, and then in Ayala and Parkmall.

Medium sized frozen yogurt with blueberry, cherry and almond toppings.

So the one I'm showing you here is their Parkmall branch. It's located right beside Japengo (a Japanese restaurant). This branch has actually been existing for a few months now but they just had their grand opening last Friday.

Aside from frozen yogurt, they also serve fruit shakes and yo-shakes (a yogurt shake). They also have frozen yogurt on a belgian waffle. My favorite is their Fruit Parfait. For each of their menu item, you can choose from a wide variety of toppings such as fruits, cereals and nuts. You can also choose a strawberry flavored frozen yogurt, which is sweeter than the ordinary frozen yogurt.

For my fruit parfait, I chose the original yogurt mixed with kiwi, strawberry and almonds and then drizzled with choco syrup ^^ while my friend had strawberry yogurt mixed with kiwi, strawberry and cornflakes. YUM!!!

For more information about Frizberry Yogurt (including their menu items and prices), you may visit their website at www.frizberryyogurt.com.

Foster Parents Needed!

2011-01-05T20:37:00.003+08:00

So I was standing by the roadside just this morning waiting for a jeepney. It was raining and the winds were really chilly (wow, it rhymes...).

Suddenly, something caught my eye. It was a tiny kitten crawling towards the roadside! I noticed that it cannot move both its hind legs; it was just crawling by its front legs :-( I figured that maybe it was hit by a car or something. So I came towards it, picked it up by its scruff and placed it at the sidewalk. I wasn't really planning of taking it home with me but the moment I put it down, it called out to me with its wide round eyes, and its body was chilling all over :-(

My whole heart melted and without thinking, I picked it up, wrapped it around my labakara (face towel) and placed it inside the plastic bag I was holding. It didn't scream or cry or anything. It just looked at me and meowed a little. When I started walking though it started to meow a little louder but I comforted it and scratched its head and neck.

Finally, a jeepney came by and thankfully the front seat was empty so I took it coz I didn't want the other passengers to stare at me and my kitten. You know, it's not normal for someone to pick up a kitten by the roadside!

On the way home the kitten just kept staring at me with its wide eyes and occasionally meows a bit louder but I kept comforting it and scratching its head and neck. Minutes later, it fell asleep. I noticed that all its legs were still intact and there were no traces of blood or broken bones whatsoever so it kinda confused me on why it's crippled.

So anyway, I finally got home and greeted my 7 other cats. Yep! 2 adult and 5 kittens! I know! I'm a feline lover and I just can't stand poor homeless cats! That's why I'm working so hard on my blogs now so that I can have extra money to be able to take good care of my cats more! And I'm not even kidding!

I must admit though. Seven cats (plus one) is A LOT! So I'm gonna be completely honest with you guys. I'm looking for new foster parents (that are taga-Cebu) for the kittens. Especially the one I just found. There will be 3 kittens for adoption. The other three I still can't give out coz they're still too young they might die.

So I'm just gonna give out the three kittens. Two of them are male and the newly found crippled one...I'm not really sure yet if it's a male/female but I think it's male (BTW, I decided to name it "CJ"). So if any of you are interested (Cebu based only), pls. let me know! I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of all of them anymore. I may not be able to feed them more often :( So I need responsible foster parents who doesn't only likes cats but loves them and adores them and respects them :)

The two kittens for adoption. Names are "AJ" and "BJ". A total of three kittens for adoption including "CJ" the crippled.

Let me know guys! Okay so I'll talk to you later. Bye! :-*

Probaby The World's Largest Cave Discovered in Vietnam

2011-01-04T11:25:00.001+08:00

Photo Credit: NatGeo & Yahoo! News (click on the image for more pics)

Hey everyone! So I came across this featured article in Yahoo! News about a gigantic, spectacular cave in Vietnam. I think it's really awesome so I thought about sharing it with you guys in case you haven't seen the article yet. Here's the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110103/ts_yblog_thelookout/explorers-discover-spectacular-caves-in-vietnam

Pictures are also available on the site. I can't get over how awesome it is! It says in the article that it's so big that it can accommodate a New York City block of skycrapers. It even has a river and a jungle and has its own thin clouds. It kinda reminds of the "The Journey to the Center of the Earth"!

Really guys you should check it out. Isn't Mother Nature amazing?! ^_^

Guilty!

2011-01-04T07:00:00.007+08:00

Caught in the act! Hehehe! Just a random photo of our adorable kitty, caught guilty of sleeping in our plate dispenser ^_^

And now she moves away after telling her to ^_^

Casa Gorordo Museum, Cebu

2011-01-02T13:26:00.036+08:00

Hi everyone! So here's another Cebu heritage that I would like to share with you, the Casa Gorordo Museum. It's one of the oldest houses in Cebu, and is now turned into a museum under the Aboitiz Foundation. It's actually the home of Cebu's first Filipino Bishop, Juan Isidro de Gorordo. It is located along Lopez Jaena Street in Colon.

The structure is kind of similar to Balay na Tisa in Carcar. It is also made of stones but of bituka tabliya (coral stone blocks) instead of tisa (limestones). Too bad it's not allowed to take pictures inside so I'm only gong to be able to show you guys photos of its garden and surrounding area.

So the house was built in 1863. Similar to the Balay na Tisa in Carcar, it is a two-story house, the second floor of which is made of wood and is still furnished with antique furniture and lots of historical collections such as books, paintings and other memorabilia. They even have actual pictures of old Colon street and Plaza Independencia, which I find really cool, mysterious and interesting!

The lower floor, called zaguan, served as a storage place. Right now, part of the zaguan is turned into an office and a small area for painting exhibitions.

As you can see from the photo below, there's a wide balcony called azotea, typical for a 19th century Spanish-inspired houses. The structure of the house is kind of elongated, where on one side are the bedrooms and the other side is the living room and then the balcony. On one end of the house (as you ascend the wide wooden stairs from the landing), is where the bedroom of Bishop Juan Isidro de Gorordo is located. Beside it is a small chapel.

On the other end is a room where they show a prototype of the kitchen. Kitchens of a typical 19th-century Spanish houses were actually separated from the main house, for safety purposes I guess.

In below photo you can see a separate house which serves as a small souvenir shop for tourists and visitors.

A cool thing about the Casa Gorordo Museum is that you can actually hold your parties there such as weddings and other special events. When we went there, a catering service going on and tourists came at lunch time to eat and I guess have a tour around the place.

Across the house is a small resting place, with a built-in brick seating area and trees that provide cool shade. We lounged there for a good 30 minutes before going home :)

I'm not quite sure but I think they're open from Mondays thru Saturdays at 9:00 am - 12:00 nn and at 2:00 - 5:00 pm.

So that's all for my Casa Gorordo Museum post and I hope you guys like it (even though it's so short and I didn't have much photos ^^). Okay guys I'll talk to you soon!

The Rabbit is Here, Welcome 2011!!!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.015+08:00

Happy New Year's everyone!!!

It's officially 12:00 AM, January 1, 2011 here in the Philippines and I'm here again to greet you all a happy new year's! So, as with my Christmas Eve post, what did you have for Media Noche? Hehehe, I know, I'm such a food lover so I always ask ^^. We only have pear-shaped ham, pancit, and lumpia shanghai. Then for desserts we have mango cake and Selecta's Coffee Almond Cookies ice cream :)

Fireworks are now all over the place here :) I had to watch over my cats every now and then coz I don't want them roaming around outside with all those fireworks crackling.

Too bad I can't see the celebrations from different countries coz we don't have TV but it doesn't matter. What's important is I have my family with me ^^

So here's a treat for you guys to start the year right :) I couldn't find a bunny/rabbit video so I just looked up cats instead ^^ It's a short one but so cute and funny :) Enjoy!

Have a safe New Year's everyone! And be careful with those fireworks!

Merry Christmas Pinas!!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!

It's officially December 25, 12:00 AM here in the Philippines and the festivities has just started! Fireworks, disco, videoke, torotot, you name it! We're about to eat Noche Buena but I decided to do a quick 'Merry Christmas' post for you guys ^^.

So what do you have for Noche Buena? We have veggie salad, pear-shaped ham, spaghetti and garlic bread, and then fruit salad and Goldilocks Triple Chocolate Brownies for dessert ^^. How about you guys? Comment below and share your Noche Buena feast with the rest of the world! =D

So here's a little something for you guys :) I picked this out at YouTube. I think it's very funny and entertaining so I decided to share it with you :) Have a safe and happy holidays!!!!!

Nights at The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu

2010-12-21T15:19:00.004+08:00

Hey everyone! So this post will be somewhat like a continuation of my previous one which was about The Terraces at Ayala Center Cebu. As you can already see in my photos, I’ll be showing you guys on how it is to be at The Ayala Terraces at night.

When you're in the city, The Ayala Terraces is probably the best place to be at night. If you're the kind of person who's just looking for relaxation and clean fun during the night, I would definitely recommend The Ayala Terraces for you. Aside from the good food and cool ambiance, they also have occasional mini concerts which you can watch while dining or just cozying under the stars. They usually hold the concerts on the 'stage' under the big leaf-life structure at the middle of the park (see below photo).

The great thing that I like about being at The Terraces at night is their lights. They don't only have cute lampposts scattered all over the landscaping but the lights in the buildings actually change in different fun colors. Here, I'll show you:

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So the images above show the big leaf-like structure in different colors. And the ones below show the building where the outdoor elevators are.

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Cool huh! Anyway, here are the rest of the photos.

Remember this on my The Ayala Terraces post? This was the part of the park where people lounge and have picnics in the afternoon. And the photo below is right beside this 'picnic' area. Both the walk path above and the corridor in the photo below leads to Marriot Hotel. That one with blue neon lights on the right (of below photo) is the clinic of Belo Medical Group.

Okay, I don't know if you can see it but the next photo includes the magnificent Waterfront Hotel towering in the background.

And in the next two photos you can see a small water fountain (which I haven't shown you guys in my last post). This is located in one of the exit/entrance areas of the park where the taxi cabs queue.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll talk to you soon! Bye!

The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu

2010-12-19T15:16:00.004+08:00

Hey guys! Today's post will be a feature of one of the famous and favorite "tambayans" or hang out centers of Cebuanos, The Terraces at the Ayala Center Cebu.

The Terraces had been around for some time now and ever since it was developed it has been the favorite hang out center and meeting place of both locales and tourists. Not only is it situated near the heart of the city but it is actually a part of the Ayala Mall where most of the restaurants and coffee shops are.

As you can see in the photos, The Terraces is a beautiful park with lots of greens and landscaping. So whether you're looking for a nice place for lunch or dinner, or just wanting to lounge around inside a coffee shop or relax near the trees or water fountain, The Terraces is a great place for you :)
Among the restaurants that you can dine in at The Terraces are:

Lemon Grass - serves Thai cuisine
Big Mao - Chinese restaurant
Cafe Laguna - Filipino restaurant
TGI Fridays - American/Western foods
Banana Leaf - Malaysian and Thai cuisine
La Tegola - Italian restaurant
Pancake House - for delicious breakfast and snack menus such as waffles and pancakes.
Teriyaki Boy - Japanese teriyaki restaurant
Gerry's Grill - one of the most favorite Filipino restaurants and grill
Sizzlin' Pepper Steak - offers teriyaki and other Japanese foods
Postrio - cakes, coffee and desserts
Don Henrico's - Pasta, pizza, etc.
Sunburst - chicken meals
La Maison - western fine dining
Gustavian - also western fine dining
Dessert Factory - offers yummy desserts like cakes and ice cream, as well as meals such as burgers and pasta.
Bigby's - Western
Mooon Cafe - Mexican foods
Casa Verde - Mexican foods
Red Kimono - Japanese fine dining
Hola Espana - Spanish cuisine
Cyma - Greek and Mediterranean
Yellow Cab - New York style pizza
Siam - Thai cuisine
Gilligan's - Pasta, Filipino, Grill, etc.

And I think I haven't mentioned all of them but those are just the ones that I can remember :) There are also of course coffee houses such as:

UCC Coffee
Seattle's Best
Starbucks (duh, hehehe)
Bo's Coffee
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

There was also a Gloria Jean's but they closed unfortunately. Sayang, I really like pa naman Gloria Jean's Coffees.

Anyway, so here are the rest of the photos that I took. Hope you'd enjoy them :)

This area here can get really relaxing and comfortable during the afternoon. A lot of people bring their "banig" or mat and some other picnic stuff and have a picnic or just lie and relax around.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this post and for those of you who haven't been to The Terraces yet (especially the tourists), I would strongly recommend it for you! There's also a Marriot Hotel right by it which is very convenient.

Okay so talk to you later!

Got Paid from Mylot!

2010-12-15T18:32:00.007+08:00

Yaaay! I got my first ever payment from Mylot :) For those of you who don't know what Mylot is, it's basically an online paying site that pays you to post and respond to discussions. So it's like a forum site, the only difference perhaps is that pays it's members to participate. You may read more about Mylot on my previous blog post :)

Anyway, I just reached it's minimum payout of $10 last Nov. 12 and was so happy to receive my first ever payment. This is another proof that Mylot is NOT a scam, and is a legitimately paying site!

For those of you who'd want to become a member, it would be great if you'd sign up as my referral :) heehee! Here's my referral link: http://www.mylot.com/?ref=veronizm

Yipee! I'm nominated for Best Cebu Blogs 2010!

2010-11-03T18:33:00.016+08:00

Yaaaay! I'm officially nominated for Best Cebu Blogs 2010!

I still can't believe it. I was just sitting at home doing my usual routine of blog walking before tucking in for the night when BCB suddenly emailed me and told me that my blog has been nominated by another blogger. Wow, I don't even know who the blogger is! Whoever you are, THANK YOU VERY MUCHO! :D

I would really need your support guys to vote for my blog. You can do this by logging in to your Facebook account and do the following instructions:

First, be a Fan (click on the LIKE button) of Best Cebu Blogs – http://www.facebook.com/bestcebublogs

Then LIKE my BCB profile in this link, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=168472939838754&set=a.168472636505451.36293.158795494139832

Voting is until November 25 only.

I really hope you'd vote for me! Daghan kaayong salamat!!!! ^_^

P.S., You might wanna know that Best Cebu Blogs 2010 is still open for nominations. You can also nominate yourself. Just go to this link: http://www.bestcebublogs.com/nominations/. Contest is open to Cebu bloggers only.

Balay na Tisa, Carcar Cebu

2010-10-01T11:55:00.001+08:00

Carcar Cebu, located more than 40 kilometers south of Cebu City, is considered as one of the oldest towns in Cebu. Up to this day, the town is still evident of its Spanish influence which dated back for more than 300 years ago. One of them is the great ancestral house of Don Sarmiento, called Balay na Tisa, built during the Spanish rule on 1859.

Balay na Tisa is named after tisa, or limestone blocks, which is the material used for its construction. Not only is the house decades old, it also contains priceless antique furnitures, ceramics, silverware and paintings, used by generations of the Sarmiento family.

From ancient grinding stones to an antique grandfather clock and four-poster beds, one can really experience a taste of ancient Philippines as he enters Balay na Tisa.

Balay na Tisa is situated along Sta. Catalina St. (the street right across St. Catherine of Alexandria, church of Carcar), where several other ancestral houses such as the Sanchez’ House and Noel’s Dakung Balay (or The Big House) can be found.

I wish I had taken pictures of the Sanchez House and the Dakung Balay as well but we we're in a hurry back then. Hopefully next time ;)

CoffeeCat Grand Opening, IT Park, Cebu City

2010-07-19T12:34:00.043+08:00

A new cat is in town! Coffecat, a Filipino owned coffee shop that originated from Davao, now opens its paws to coffee lovers in Cebu! Located at eBloc, Asiatown IT Park, CoffeeCat can accommodate a total of 60 guests in its indoor and outdoor seating.

Not only will CoffeeCat be known for its delectable coffees made from premium coffee beans, non-coffee Avalanche Ice Blends and delectable pastries and light snacks, but most specially for its signature product --- the Yogo Premium Frozen Yogurt, which also comes on top of a yummy belgian waffle.

You might be wondering how the name CoffeeCat is coined. As it is obvious, the name CoffeeCat is a combination of two words “Coffee” and “Cat”, the latter being inspired from a cat-sized mammal called civet cat which has a close affinity towards coffee berries. Pretty cool huh! Cool and fun! ;) --- which in fact is the look and feel that CoffeeCat wants to share to its market.

CoffeeCat aims to provide an atmosphere of sophistication and relaxation. So whether you're a businessman in time for business or a student wanting a coffee break from studying or just someone who needs a comforting cup of coffee and Yogo, you'll find that CoffeeCat is perfect for you ;)

You can visit CoffeeCat at E-Bloc (aka JP Morgan Chase Building), Asiatown IT Park, Lahug Cebu City. You can also get in touch with them at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Launching

2010-07-14T19:05:00.082+08:00

Sony Ericsson officially launches its world's smallest Android smartphones!

Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro unveils its awesome features at the Sony Ericsson X10 Café at SM City Cebu, headed by Sony Ericsson General Manager Mr. Dennis Manzano, together with Sony Ericsson Marketing Manager Mr. Patrick Emmanuel Larraga and PR Consultant Ms. Jingjing Romero.

Both with approximately the size of a credit card, the X10 Mini (3.2" x 1.9" x 0.63") and X10 Mini Pro with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard (3.5" x 2.05" x 0.67") will surely capture the eyes of techie phone fanatics.

Both phones, which have a 2.55-inch scratch resistant TFT touchscreen supporting over 16 million colors, are actually true compact versions of the highly popular Xperia X10. As we can recall, the Xperia X10 made a solid global debut earlier this year and was Sony’s Ericsson’s first Android smartphone.

Both the Xperia X10 Mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro have a 5-megapixel camera for still photo and video that comes with auto focus, geo tagging, photo and video light, and a Sony Ericsson album application feature that organizes image files.

Another cool feature that the Xperia X10 Mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro have is the face detection/recognition wherein the phone identifies the names of the faces in photos captured by the phones’ 5-megapixel camera.

Sony Ericsson also announces another Xperia mobile phone which will be arriving on the third quarter of 2010, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8. We’ll all definitely gonna watch out for that!

Sony Ericsson X10 Cafe

Enjoy your coffee while browsing for your Sony Ericsson phone! The Sony Ericsson X10 Café, which opens until July 25 at the SM City Cyberzone, gives their visitors a comfy and relaxed experience as they choose for their new Sony Ericsson phone. Visitors can also enjoy other freebies as well.

Be the next Wonder Kid!

If your child got what it takes to be the next Charice Pempengco, then grab your camera and capture his/her amazing act for Sony Ericsson's Wonder Kidz.

Sony Ericsson Wonder Kidz is a video contest for the country's next web sensation. The contest is not limited to kids who can sing, but those who can also dance, acct, play sports, express themselves through art, or just be funny and cute or being themselves. Upload the videos on the new Sony Ericsson Philippines Facebook page. The top ten "most liked" entries will qualify as finalists for judging by a celebrity panel of judges. The winning Wonder Kid will get a new Sony Ericsson Vivaz with HD video and PhP50,000 in cash.

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz and Vivaz Pro are also showcased at the Sony Ericsson X10 Cafe. Both phones have offer touch video capture in HD quality. Vivaz comes with an 8.1 megapxiel camera with continuous auto focus for video, 4x digital zoom, touch capture, video light, geo tagging and image stabilizer. Vivaz pro, which has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, also features HD quality image and video capture through its 5.1 megapixel camera. Both phones have WiFi capability, Facebook and Twitter applications, FM radio, 3D games, impressive music and media players.

Go stylishly mini with Sony Ericsson and Oxygen!

Sony Ericsson and Oxygen have partnered to dress you up in Oxygen's stylish new mini shirt, specially designed with a mini pocket which fits the Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro!

From July 23 to August 31, 2010, Oxygen shoppers who purchase a minimum worth of PhP800 purchase will be entitled to a raffle coupon for one of 15 Sony Ericsson X10 mini handsets. Prizes will be drawn on September 10, 2010.

During the same period, Sony Ericsson shoppers who purchase a Sony Ericsson X10 Mini or X10 Mini Pro will get a free Oxygen mini tee. Shop at Oxygen or visit a Sony Ericsson Experience Shop and authorized dealer nationwide for more info about the stylish mini promo ;)

Taoist Temple, Lahug Cebu City

2010-06-07T17:21:00.039+08:00

The Taoist Temple of Cebu City is located within the wealthy suburb of Beverly Hills Lahug. Built in 1972 by Cebu’s Chinese community, it is considered as one of the oldest temples in Cebu. Though the temple was built as a center of worship for Taoism, it is open to the general public including non-Taoist worshipers. We went there last Saturday after our short but educational ‘trip’ to the Latter Day Saints’ new Temple in Lahug.The Taoist temple has a lot of stairs so I was panting hard and soaking with sweat when I reached their prayer room, LOL. These stairs are actually used by Taoist devotees during their weekly ritual of climbing up the stairs while lighting joss sticks and then letting the monks read their fortune. In fact, at the gates of the temple you can see a sign that suggests visitors to meditate with every step while climbing up the stairs.

Just like any other Chinese temples around the world, the Taoist temple of Cebu is a great place for relaxation and meditation. The temple itself is like a garden with lush greens and beautiful landscapes. They also have a mini fish pond with a statue of a Chinese old man fishing.

Below is a picture of their prayer room. I only took a picture on the outside coz picture taking is naturally not allowed inside any prayer room. They actually have two prayer rooms this big, one of which is at the highest point of the temple.

They also have a lot of structures similar to that of Christianity’s grotto spread across the whole area of the Temple wherein devotees can light joss sticks and place some offerings in its altar.

There’s also a mini tower beside the prayer room which I thought is pretty cool though I don’t really know what it's a replica of, hehehe!

And of course, a Chinese temple wouldn’t be complete without its dragons :)

There are a lot of dragon statues all over the temple grounds and buildings but my favorite is the giant dragon by the replica of Great Wall of China. It’s so cool!

I’m not Chinese and I haven't seen a live dragon yet but I do believe they exist. I think they existed a long time ago in China and perhaps just gone extinct. What do you think? :)