Life at chweni-eight

I know I am in my late twenties -- believe me when I say that it pains me to say that. Anyhoo, I am a still a teenager at heart based on the way I scream my head off when I watch Princess and  I and the way I drool over young leading man who are not even legally allowed to drink. Poof that makes me a cougar hahaha

I didn't know that being 28 feels this effing young. Well, when other people were this age I thought it was like close to menopause already and 22 years 'til you're 50. The thing is age is nothing but a number -- a reminder of how many years Papa Jesus allowed you to stay on earth. It's a matter of thinking whether the glass is half empty or half full. I go for seeing things in a positive light. So if you think about it I am not old, I am lucky -- lucky to be given 28 years to experience life here on earth. *wink wink*

I am blessed

I know sometimes I can be a pain in the tush, I am extremely paranoid and I can go for hours thinking of every possible scenario that can go wrong in my life. I am glad that I have friends that I can talk to whenever my psychotic side decides to bully my rational side into hiding. I am lucky that I have a family who already accepted that I am not normal in any sense possible and I am thankful that I have Miguel. If you are my friend -- which you probably are, since you know that this blog exists, then you would know how much love this man gives me. It is overwhelming! His love and care and support is too much it spills to every person that is dear to me. I am blessed.  

Each time I encounter a rough patch I would think about how blessed I am. Sometimes I think I am not worthy to be this happy, I have a mean bone in my body and I have a tongue as sharp as a knife. I swear. I curse. I make fun of other people and still Papa Jesus gave me these group of people to love me and support me and take care of me and for that I am grateful.

I am thankful that despite the financial constraints I am encountering for the past months I can still provide for my family, I can still pay for my loans, our house and the monthly bills. I know I have to adjust my lifestyle and concentrate on what I need versus what I want. I buy less shoes, I buy less clothes, I buy less bags. It aint fun but the experience makes me grounded and mature. The responsibility that lay on my shoulders makes me wiser beyond my years. I am grateful for that. I see life in a new perspective, in a new light. I appreciate every single thing and person that surrounds me. Again, I am blessed.

The relationship that I have with Miguel is a journey. Every single day we grow together and as individuals - I never had this kind of relationship before. I know that this would last forever. I finally found my 'the one'. I am blessed. 

Each day I go to work, I am looking forward to spending a day with friends. We talk, we laugh, we plan trips, we eat. Not everybody has the luxury to go to work with friends. They make going to work bearable and because of them I forget every single reason that makes me not-wanna go to work. haha

I am blessed.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S -- Wonderful Tonight

I have an inner jologs in me - since I was in high school I was blabbing about how I love/d Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight. I used to associate it with a band I watched during my third year in high school, a lot of memories here and there.. then while I was watching FRIENDS reruns earlier -- the episode where Chandler proposed to   Monica, the song played while they were dancing in their apartment with lots and lots of candles and it clicked. I remembered that years ago when this episode was aired I was one of the millions of viewers who cried and wished for very same thing to happen to me. I know that nowadays the song is  a hit with drinkers who got tired of My Way, but this song is special to me. This song is special because it signifies the princess in me. The princess who is looking forward to a series-worthy proposal and a happily-ever-after. BOW.

Bolinao 2012

I am lucky to have friends who likes to go places. We have been together on plane rides, bus trips or even just 2-hour out of town trips on a whim! After Caramoan trip, we wanted to go on another adventure. I really can't remember how we ended up in Bolinao, I have a vague memory of Mitch showing us a groupon for Puerto Del Sol, and after much bloghopping and researching I fell in love with their pool. And that was it - the pool made me want to visit the place. We settled for May 3 to 4, just because those were the days most of us were available.

We left Manila around 12midnight of May 2 via Five Star Bus in Pasay. The bus ride took 5hours which was equal to 2 movies and a couple of songs before we reached Bolinao. The bus is nothing special, it was a typical provincial bus, so if you are planning on going, better be ready for some cramps here and there once you board off the bus. There were 2 stopovers, one was on Tarlac and the next one was Alaminos.

At the bus station, there are trykes there available to bring you to your resort. Since there were 9 of us, we occupied 3 trykes - P150.00 for each tricycle. It took almost half to hour to get from the bus station to Puerto del Sol, the road was kinda rough on some parts so if you plan on going you better be ready for bumpy ride.

A little before sunrise we were at the resort already, but a typical resort's check-in time is 2pm. Good thing the resort allowed us to use their facilities prior to check-in. We were able to use their pool and freshen up by taking a shower before our land tour. The original plan was to avail of their land tour package while we wait for our check-in time, but our plans changed when we were informed that the tour which was P350.00 per head would only be for 2 hours! This was contrary to the 4-hour tour that their Manila office promised us. tsk tsk tsk.

Puerto Del Sol pool

The Jacuzzi

Since we are on a budget a 2-hour trip worth P350.00 is totally out of the question. Good thing Anna knew her way around and suggested that we rent a tricycle for the tour. Renting a tryke there costs P250.00 for the first two hours and an add-on of P50.00 for every exceeding hour. We were able to rent three tricycles for all 9 of us. It was a steal compared to what the resort was offering.

Okay our first stop was the Bolinao Lighthouse, I have been to a couple of lighthouses before but this one brings me to different time, it's rustic features and abandoned feel reminded me of what it used to be. The place definitely made me use my imagination. There is a part there where you can view the sea, the waves, the sky and trees all at the same time. It was beautiful - I would go back there for a pre-nup shoot. 

The lighthouse 

The girls

Our boys

When I began going through blogs about Bolinao, Patar beach was one the places that stuck to my mind. The bloggers commented on how fine the sand was and how beautiful the beach is. Well, they are correct. Patar Beach was an unexpected surprise, the waves were rough but beautiful, the water is clear, the view was fantastic. I like that the people maintained the rustic appeal of the place by putting bahay kubos and wooden cottages along the beach. Surprisingly, even if there were a lot of people it wasn't dirty. Patar Beach could give Puerto Galera a run for it's money. It is a far cry from Boracay but  it is worth visiting.

Patar Beach

Last stop would be Wonderful cave. I wold say that cave was able to justify it's name. It really is wonderful! It was scorching hot and going down into a pool of fresh water inside a cave is the best thing to do. I know that Anna was bragging about how much we would enjoy the cave but I didn't expect that this would be the highlight of our trip.. well for me :) 

Wonderful Cave

At around 3pm and P168.00 poorer because of the trip, we were back at Puerto del Sol. We checked in our dorm-type room to freshen up and then we went out again to enjoy the beach. We stayed at their cottages along the shore line, played some cards, slept a little, ate halohalo, woke up, kayak'd, played frisbee, played volleyball and enjoyed their pool. 

The pool was the thing that made me want to stay at Puerto del Sol, but it was disappointingly hot. If I wanted a hot pool then I would have gone to Pansol. But the pool did look pretty when the lights were on at night.

Pool at night

Puerto del Sol is one of the highend resort along the Bolinao coastline so it was expected that their food would be pricey. It was on the range of P200.00-400.00 per meal. We wanted to experience their food even for just one meal so we decided to have our dinner there. 

Miguel ordered Chicken Teriyaki which reminded me of Teriyaki Boy's version of the dish but only a bit sweeter. It was yummy, but I think I tasted better. You have to give it them that their servings are really huge. I ordered Chicken Ala Kiev and Eggplant mousakka, the chicken was big and tasty, I liked the herbs they rolled the chicken in - it was served with mashed potato and fresh garden salad in asian dressing. The Eggplant moussaka was an interesting dish, it was like a lasagna but instead of pasta noodle, eggplant was used. I liked it. I would definitely order it again. Yes, I am an eggplant lover LOL

After dinner, we went up to our room and took a bath. Our room reminded me of college days, it consists of 7 bunkbeds and the bathroom is shared with the other rooms. It has a television set - which you can't watch from the lower bunk, and a ref. It was a room made for people like us on a budget. 

where we slept

One thing about vacations is that I don't get to sleep for a long time because we are following a strict itinerary, but this trip was different - I took a bath after dinner and slept til 8am in the morning. I did not even notice when Miguel slipped in beside me. LOL

It was funny how the boys bonded over watching basketball while the girls took a bath, I like the fact that they have something in common.. makes it easier for us to plan more trips again.

So at 11am we checked out and got our complimentary shell necklaces from the front desk(buti nlng naalala ni She! hehe) and off we are to another 30minute tryke ride to someplace to eat near the bus station. We settled for pizza and pasta and then off to manila we went. 

I am looking forward to spending another vacation with this group! It was hassle-free and budget-friendly. Sagada na soon, guys? Let's go ethnic! haha

P.S pictures grabbed from Mitch and Ian :) Thanks!

Itanong mo sa akin..

When I say that I haven't been serenaded before, that's a lie. Well I have been serenaded before but I want to experience the kilig-to-the-bones kind of serenading. I remember there was a guy from college who sang to me every Parokya ni Edgar's highschool-kilig songs it was a sweet gesture but I nver got the goosies I was looking for. There was also this guy I used to date who sang me a Jason Mraz song that I can't remember, since I can't remember the details then it goes without saying that the goosebumps did not happen at that time either!

I think that song choice is vital in serenading a girl. If ever I'd be given a chance to be serenaded again I'd want an old OPM song. Nothing beats expressing your love in your native language. I would want the song below. Imagining someone singing this to me gives me goosies already.... And no, to those asking Miguel doesn't read this blog so this isn't me asking him to sing me this song. LOL

Itanong mo sa akin
Kung sino’ng aking mahal
Itanong mo sa akin
Sagot ko’y di magtatagal

[chorus]

Ikaw lang ang aking mahal
Ang pag-ibig mo’y aking kailangan
Pag-ibig na walang hangganan
Ang aking tunay na nararamdaman

Isa lang ang damdamin
Ikaw and aking mahal
Maniwala ka sana
Sa akin ay walang iba

[repeat chorus]

Ang nais ko sana’y inyong malaman
Sa hilaga o sa timog o kanluran
At kahit sa’n pa man
Ang laging isisigaw

Ang nais ko sana’y inyong malaman
Sa hilaga o sa timog o kanluran
At kahit sa’n pa man
Ang laging isisigaw

Ikaw ang aking mahal…
Ikaw ang aking mahal…
Ikaw ang aking mahal…

When boys become men :)

I wish I could give credit to whoever did this, but unfortunately I forgot where I took this image from :(

TRUST

I have trust issues. This all started last year when the ex two-timed me. Now I am in another relationship and I realized that I carried over the insecurities I had from my previous relationship. I am scared to go through the pain I went through before. But then again, I gave love a chance why don't I go all the way and trust my partner completely. I am rooting for me and miguel! :)

"Love me without fear,
Trust me without questioning,
Need me without demanding,
Want me without restrictions,
Accept me without change,
Desire me without inhibitions,
For a love so free...
Will never fly away."

- Dick Sutphen

Updates

I haven't written anything personal in a while. I have been busy. I know, I know - that's the lamest excuse ever! haha

It's just that between work, my family and Miguel I barely have time to write. Not that I am complaining though. :)

So what's up in my side of the planet? Well, things are getting better and better between me and Miguel, he brings out a better version of me that I thought never existed before. He's like a ying to my yang. He is what I'm not. That setup comes with its own ups and downs but for some reason we always end up knowing each other more and accepting each other's low points. Cholo on the other hand is getting bigger and bigger - I swear, I was watching TV and when I look at him he seems bigger than he was 30 seconds ago.. and he laughs a lot too and even talks to me on the phone. He is a good break in my monotonous life.

A couple of weeks back two of my cousins from the States arrived. We were a bit nervous because the last time we saw them was when we were kids, we were scared of the inevitable awkward silence and you know, just talking to them - I aint fluent y'know. But family is family, no matter how long we didnt see each other I realized that there's a certain blood calling and we'd connect with each other even if time and distance were driven between us.

Did I say that I want a baby of my own? hey don't be surprised, if you know me then you'd know that my plan is to get knocked up by my 28th birthday. I am weird like that, I just don't have the patience to wait for everything to fall into place. I have baby fever. LOL

So, what else is new? I have a new house that I don't have the budget to fix yet. Sometimes I wonder if I should have just waited for me to get married before buying a home. It is a big resposibility and between my family and my monthly mortage I don't have any savings left. Poof! Talk about wrong decisions. Oh well, I guess I better be happy that I have like 14 more years to finish to officially own a home.

Oh and this is just a realization I had this morning(this post was on draft for the looooooooongest time haha). I want a mature guy. It kinda turned me off that Miguel went clubbing last night - maybe it's just that it's not my thing. I dunno, I don't want to make a big fuss out of it, but for me it's something a teenager does. But as long as he lets me do my thing then I'll let him do his. Peace can be maintained that way. haha

Okay, I've been blabbing for a while now. I guess I better saye buh-bye. I really really hope I get the chance to update this blog more often.

Toodles!

Bagoong Club 2012

I have been dying to try this place out since 2010. I know - what took me so long, right? Well, I tried asking the ex to go there a couple of times, even volunteering to pay for the dinner but he always finds a reason not to go there. Good thing that we never had the chance to visit the place because he aint the right person to go there with. See, I hit the jackpot and I'm with Miguel now and Miguel always gives me what I want. I'm his princess :p

We weren't supposed to eat there last Sunday, but he was late - again. So we lost our reservation at another restaurant. So at the very last minute I tried calling some places on my to-dine list and finally reserved two seats for us at Bagoong Club. The place is located near Tomas Morato so it's quite near my place, it wasn't hard to find actually if I followed the map, but being the miss-know-it-all that I am I decided to find the place my way and it took us a good 20minutes to get there. Normally it would take 10minutes. LOL.

Now on to the food! 

Bagoong Club offers a free platter of Singkamas and bagoong - dba umpisa plang bentang benta na sakin? :) I have to say that their singkamas is very juicy and the complementary bagoong which was supposed to be their staple bagoong was really good - and believe me I have high standards for bagoong and alamang.

What we ordered?

First starters we ordered their Bagoong platter - it consists of a regular Bagoong(Bagoong Asya), Bagoong with gata, Bagoong with crab meat and Bagoong with Pesto. I like the play they made on flavors of the Bagoong. I have to say though that at the end of the day, I would still go with the regular Bagoong.  

We also tried their Kaldereta - is it just me or does Miguel order this everytime we go out? LOL - I say it's just ordinary Kaldereta but the boyfriend insists that it's yummy. So there, choose who you want to believe. :)

We tried their Bagoong Club Special BBQ and I liked it! Miguel discovered a way of eating it - he added Bagoong Europa(the one with pesto) and it was yum yum yum! The sweetness of the BBQ sauce matched perfectly with the leafy taste of pesto. 

Of course I needed to order their Sinigang na Liempo sa Gabi. If Kaldereta is Miguel's go-to food, then I have to say mine is Sinigang and what made this Sinigang extra special is that it's soup is made up of crushed Gabi, ths soup was thick and sour and meat-tasty! I would definitely go back for this one.

Our last dish was Kare-Kare, we ordered this because we are at a place called Bagoong Club and what else goes well with bagoong, right? So their Kare-Kare has this thick peanut sauce -- you'd know that it's the real deal the moment it touches your lips. That's what makes their version of this pinoy dish special. 

And, lastly we tried their Pastillas de Leche Cheesecake - seriously, I want this cake for my birthday! It was the best cheesecake that I ever tried -- the biggest surprise of the night. I even bought one for She since I still owe her a cake becauseI wasn't able to buy her one from Chocolate Kiss --- and she loved it!

So there, that concludes our Bagoong Club experience. I would definitely go back and sample the rest of their menu!

BAGOONG CLUB
122 Scout Dr. Lazcano, Sacred Heart, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
For Reservations, please call 929-5450 • 929-0544
Hours: Mon - Sun 11:00am - 3:00pm • 6:00pm - 11:00pm

So, I'm back

I've been on a blogging hiatus for a while now, it's just that I don't know what I can and I can't write. I've been keeping mum for a while and not letting my emotions out. But I am sick and tired of everything I am doing, I don't like how problems are being taken for granted. 

But now I am back - I am sooo back :) 

So what's happening with me? I am still in the same place I was before. Good thing my personal life and my lovelife balances out my frustrations. I think I should take action and take control of my life, I guess it's time to move forward and face the big bad world -- maybe it's not as big or as bad as I think it is, maybe there's nothing to be scared of, maybe there are good things waiting for me out there.  

I know my post is kinda cryptic, it's just that there are some things that I just can't talk about here. So there, welcome me back to blogging please :)