One reason why my close friends told me that my birthday spans the whole month of June is because my cousin's birthday is also on the same month and she always celebrate it with me, for every single year since we were young, thank you Ate Judy for making our month extra special always!
That day, we went to Tagaytay early in the morning to buy some groceries and goodies that we will bring to a elderly home care that we usually visit and give donations to. We visited the grandmas and grandpas and they were so happy to see us. We were not able to get close to them but we just waved and seen them from a distance due to this pandemic. After saying hello and dropping our donations, we went to lunch. Ate Judy treated me and two of our best friends to a fancy all day breakfast place in the city.
The place was packed but protocols are strictly enforced, including social distancing between parties and individuals while they dine. Signs are also placed up to encourage people not to talk too much especially to converse less while eating to minimize the spread of droplets. The place was gorgeous situated on top of the Tagaytay city Caldera. The restaurant was well ventilated. It's indoors but all the windows are open so I don't know if I can say it's al-fresco? We also saw construction being done at the back were their 100% al-fresco dining will be available soon.
Coming Soon: Dining with an unobstructed view of Taal Lake
Let me go through the dishes we had. We started with a small plate of Truffle French Fries which were amazing! I have read from some blogs that Truffle is an acquired taste but I fell in love with it when I first tasted something with it thanks to my cousin Ate Carmeline that introduced me to a pasta dish with it about a decade ago. These fries were made perfectly crispy with the perfect hollowness on every piece that made it felt like you were eating potato chips in block form. Coated in truffle and salt paste, it was a heavenly welcome!
Truffle Potato Fries (Php 180)
In this age of the pandemic, sadly, we cannot share our dishes with each other but I'll share with you the dish I had and those that my friends enjoyed. Let us start with my order. It was hard for me to choose with the full array of sandwiches because I am a sandwich monster. But lucky was I that when I chose a burger, the waiter informed us that burgers are not available at that moment! So I opted for their Roast Beef Sandwich.
Roast Beef Sandwich (Php 570)
Served with French fries on the side, I made a request to our waiter if I can switch them with potato crisps since I saw it from the other table and they look divine! So the sandwich came and I was super excited! It was plated with a small saucer willed with roast beef drippings so of course, I tried it first without it. The slices of USDA sirloin were very tender and juicy, plus the melted provolone cheese adds amazing texture! But I have to be honest It was really bland. So I tried it with the drippings, still bland. I added some salt, sadly I can only taste the seasonings that I added and not the dish at all. I was really downhearted because the beef's tenderness were top marks, but the taste was just absent, at least for me.
Served with rice and two sunny side up eggs, this was the birthday girl's order. It smells really good when served. Since my cousin is a very small eater, she portioned her corned beef so we can snatch spoonfulls from her plate to taste. I like it, at least more than my sandwich because it was tastier! My friends were even joking me as to why I don't taste anything from my order and that maybe it's not the sandwich! I was quite scared if you know what I mean so tasting this garlicy dish was quite a relief.
Beef Tapa (Php 535)
This was our friend Lea's order, typical Filipino breakfast, served extra classy. Soy and garlic marinated sirloin served with rice and eggs. We missed Lea so much because she just came home a few months ago from years of working in Kuwait, and it's always a pleasure to have her as she makes up most of her missed years with us. Here's to more brunches and meals with you Lea!
Bistek Tagalog (Php 590)
Okay so this is my favorite out of everything we ordered. This was Rjay's dish - Tenderloin beef marinated in soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, olive oil, and calamansi. Calamansi is our version of the lime but is much smaller and tangier. It is one of the most Filipino ingredients on any Filipino dish and can also be made into juices and as a condiment itself. Back to the word favorite, I did not get to taste this but with Rjay's word, it was good. Why did I like it, well just look at how it was plated!
Lea, Rjay, Steve, and birthday girl Judy
We capped our delicious lunch with their homemade ice cream flavors but sadly, we forgot to take photos of it because we were super excited when they arrived! But just to tickle your sweet imaginations, we had scoops of Mixed Berries with Banana, Dark Chocolate with Peanut Butter Cups, and Banana with Caramelized White Chocolate. How good were their housemade ice cream flavors? Well it painted rainbow colors to my greyed out experience from the Roast Beef sandwich haha!
Unmasked for Breakfast at Lunch!
To my ate Judy, I wish you only the best in your new year. I hope that you continue to grow happy and truly joyful from the inside out. I am very excited for the next chapter that will surely be a big adventure for you. Just so you know, I will always be here for you in every step of your new venture and beyond. Keep being that compassionate and a person full of empathy that spans out beyond the people she knows.
Last Weekend, after almost a month of being locked at home, my high school friends plotted a day on our calendar to go plant shopping two cities away from ours. The Town of Silang is famous for it's plants for sale for decades now and with the past year's houseplant bandwagon, it just got back it's glory days, as lush as the foliage of the leafy babies waiting to be adopted on new homes.
Fun photo using my Ferdie's "Change the Sky" App
There's a wide variety of plants that welcomed us and we were so happy to be surrounded by all colors and shapes of leaves, both those that we can name and not! My friends Ferdie and Myrcel bought a lot of plants home which made their whole families happy! As per me, I only bought nice pots since it's time for me to repot a few Bromeliad babies in the garden.
Most of the plants on this stretch of shops that we visited are mostly ornamental garden plants that thrive in tropical climate such as ours, but inside the stalls are potted houseplants that are more expensive but still cheaper than those sold online, plus you can really get to see the plant for yourself before buying it.
Though in this time of the pandemic, shopping online still can win all its perks to avoid crowds, that's also why we went to Silang very early so we avoid the Sunday flocking. And of course, masks on!
Though I did not buy any plant, I was so happy to be there because I was surrounded with so much plants, truly relaxing and therapeutic to my senses, and of course, priceless to be with my best friends on a weekend after more than a month of not seeing each other.
Then we had lunch before we pushed our way home. We ate at Balinsasayaw restaurant where every group is assigned a specific Nipa hut which is perfect for social distancing! We had so much fun and of course, we had to have a photo of us taken for the books! Thank you to our waiter Sir Dan of Balinsasayaw for the awesome service!
Myrcel, Ferdie, Judy, RJay, and Me.
What a great end of January it was, we made the last day of the first month, truly timeless - together! May I send you all hugs and wishes of a great weekend to come! To all my friends up north, please stay warm on this Winter. And down under in Australia and New Zealand, keep yourselves hydrated this Summer (I'm already nervous with our upcoming Summer - I hate Summer - I don't melt literally but I have sleep problems when days hits 36-40C).
Sun's out, Masks on!
***
I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join Timeless Thursdays.
Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.
This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Sunday at 11:59 pm (Manila/Perth Time)
Checking on old posts here on my blog, I stumbled on my old segment "PROFILES" which enabled me to interview two close people, one was my younger cousin Caren, and the other was my college professor and friend Maam Sheryl. It brought me back to memories that made me feel like a journalist, one of the thing I wanted when I was growing up. Then I thought, why not do it again and this time, since I also have a blog, I can also make my ambition to becoming a talk show host (I know I want a lot of things, but hey, as long as I can do them, why not right?). Luckily, I was blessed to have a friend who's always ready to support me in anything I want to do, I am blessed to have Kathleen.
Kathleen and I were classmates since freshman year in college up until we finished our Bachelor's Degree. After that, we also joined the academe as instructors, together with another classmate Jayson, and the three of us shared our teaching experiences for another five years!
PS It was Kathleen's Birthday last Saturday, so this post is like a birthday present for her (which she helped build right? HAHA)
***
We both just finished our respective shifts at work in the comfort of our homes when we did this interview. She was feeling a bit nervous but I told her it's just both of us on the interview, and the whole world to watch and listen and read haha. Here are a few excerpts of our interview that was supposed to run for 8-10 minutes but finished at 26 minutes.
Kathleen, Me, and Jayson in a Jeepney in Northern Philippines
Stevenson Que: ...Right now, at your current job, maybe you can give us a background of what you are doing right now and why do you tend to stay. Because after teaching, you have been at your current job for five years now so in a way, you do love what you are doing. So maybe you can share with us what you are doing now.
Kathleen L: So I've been in my current job right for five years now, Yes to me, 'coz it's a very good milestone for me being in a company for five years. So for a little background I am doing technical stuff, doing script programming, attending to technical issues of the people. I have to handle some of the projects that are given to me, especially with the emergency policies that we have in the company. And yes, I do love what I'm doing because at first, joining the company, I have been into the re-engineering process, wherein I used to come up with training materials, and eventually handling some of the training myself which I love.
"So what makes me stay with my company?
I always say it's the people. I have colleagues
who turned to be like family to me,
trustworthy people who you can lean from and
also learn something from them.
I value those people."
Stevenson Que: Oh it's like you were also like a teacher for the company.
Kathleen L: Yes, and what makes it fun is that you are learning more things that you didn't know, and when you are learning new things, you tend to love what you are doing, because you handle it very well. And after a few months of handling re-engineering, I was moved to tech support, which is slightly a bit of development, project management, and also giving training sessions to people. So what makes me stay with my company? I always say it's the people. I have colleagues who turned to be like family to me, trustworthy people who you can lean from and also learn something from them. I value those people.
Kathleen L: It is also worth mentioning that don't be scared on trying something that is not familiar with you because in the process, you are gonna learn all those things with the people behind you that will let you learn all those things. And now, you know what? I just wanna go back to teaching and share all that I have learned to the students. When you are just full of knowledge, you just wanna share it to others so I will not lose it.
Millenials
Stevenson Que: Kathleen, we belong to the millennial age, we belong to that generation that people have been telling that we are indecisive and immature, but in the same time creative and brave. I believe in that, creative and brave! that we are not afraid of what we want and we are not afraid of what we want to do. What can you say about those traits that are being linked to becoming a millennial? Do you agree one them or do you somehow disagree?
Bali, Indonesia - 2019
Kathleen L: I disagree on those things like for the indecisive and unstable. because if you are learning new things, you are not indecisive, you are not unstable because you wanna learn. You wanna learn the process, you wanna go into different skills, so if you are already stable for a long time, it only means you are stagnant.
Stevenson Que: Ugh! Perfect!
Kathleen L: Your knowledge is not improving anymore.
"...if you are already stable for a long time,
it only means you are stagnant."
Stevenson Que: I really agree and I would like to emphasize on what you said about learning, because millennial really learn not just from books and from trainings. I think one thing that millennials have to be proud of is that we can learn by ourselves. And it's not a hard task for us to be given a different task and then we learn it for ourselves and people would say "Oh that's just because you are talented", No! Because we are not afraid of clicking buttons, we are not afraid of trying something new, we just always know that there's a cancel button just in case it's not gonna work out. At the same time, we know when to stop. We just know when to stop if it's not for us. We don't just make ourselves stuck on a situation or on a level that would become very stagnant. We want improvement, not just for our lives but also for the companies that we work in. We want improvement for them
Kathleen L: Yes, because actually, we are promoting continuous improvement, like we have files that we need to improve for the long term.
A decade after graduation - Mark, Me, Kathleen, Florence, and Zarah - February 2020
To those that feel lost
Stevenson Que: Before we wrap this interview Kathleen, this is for all the millennials out there like us, who are wondering what life is. Just like what we have discussed earlier, one thing that best describes a millennial is is continuous growth, and trying a lot of things, and doing what you love.
Kathleen L: Exactly.
Stevenson Que: But at times, for some of the millenials that look for those, for things that they love, they tend to just try and try everything until they just don't know anymore what they love, what would be your advise for those millennials who feel lost? Like, they just don't know what to do anymore, they just become burned-out, like, those that are stuck are continuously stuck, and then we have those that are quickly jumping from work to another work, to another position, to another company. What would you advise them?
Bali, Indonesia - 2019
Kathleen L: Actually at today's [theme?], I can simply say that we are all wondering about what's ahead of us, what will be our life?
Stevenson Que: This new normal
Kathleen L: Yes, but then, my message would be, hold on everyone. Because there will be things, like, maybe a change? maybe a vaccine? or instances that will make our life change, so hold on. And actually, I would like to give an advise to my co-millennials out there, that as long as you're making progress with yourself, you are in a right place.
"...you measure success when
you are in the phase of helping people"
Kathleen Lumandas: And aside from those, do not measure your success by [new] things, by the latest ones, the latest gadgets. But then you measure success when you are in the phase of helping people, because it means you are rich with time, you can spare your time, and spare your resources. So for me, you are successful when you are helping people, because you have more than enough to share- your resources and your time. So don't be discouraged and hold on, seek help, if you need a specialist, or your friends. Don't close doors. Because if you wanna seek help, you wanna get better.
***
For those who would like to watch the full interview, I have shared my VLOG episode below on a segment I called "QUEUE-stions". Hope you enjoy all 26 minutes of our interview. I asked Kathleen that our interview be in full English for this first episode so that I can shre it specifically with you, my blog friends from around the world, our thoughts and insights. Enjoy!
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PROFILES is a segment on my blog which will be a one-on-one interview with an interesting personality, as I ask them to share a page of their life as they know it. I've always wanted to be a journalist so this is my way of feeding my hunger for that little taste of being a host. Through this blog, this world that I can call my own, this is my talk-show.
Would you be willing to be my next guest? Just let me know :)
This morning, I was awaken by a very unfamiliar guest who was once a friendly face, my Postman! I was super happy to see him not just because he surely has something for me but also because it's been a while since I saw his friendly face. He handed me the claim slip for a package for me and I was super happy and amazed! I'm already 30 years old but receiving gifts for me has never been different from when I was 4 or 5.
Fast forward, I received this box of treasures that you see above from a very dear friend from Germany. She is one of the reasons why this pandemic because a little bearable for me because she has been a good friend and always there despite the distance and the fact that we have never seen each other yet! Just as always, the sentimental me, I did not just open it at once, I spent a good long minutes appreciating the box and how amazing it is that something from Germany is now in our house in the Philippines. I've always been amazed by the traditional mail system, and will always will.
A little "Diary" of the box
This was a very special gesture by my dear friend, to send me a box of happiness for my birthday as I turn 30. She was really sad that she was not able to send it on time even if she did her efforts to go all the way to her post office just to find out that our country is in code Red, meaning, not receiving mail from any country. (Fast forward to now, our COVID cases are a lot more worse than other countries) I was feeling shy already to my friend for all her efforts and she is just golden to be so sweet and thoughtful.
So what she did was write a diary on the box (isn't it the sweetest?) about the box's or as we both call it, Lil' Corrina's journey of waiting and longing. It's just so special not to post it so I can share it and also have a record of it. Seeing my friend's handwriting is just so special because aside from the fact that we somehow have similar penmanship, it's just so warming to read through a person's handwriting and not just printed computer fonts. Don't you agree? (Plus I super love the box's tape!)
Left Germany at July 28th, arrived after 42 days
So it did arrive after 6 weeks but the happiness it brought me was so much more than a million! Up until now, I cannot get over this beautiful present that my friend sent me. It has been a heavy last month at work and stresses plus the six month's worth of anxiety brought by COVID, but somehow this gave me so much joy that has been kind of absent in the past months.
Gifts from Braunschweig
I am just so touched by my dear friend's kindness. It's amazing that in a short span of time that we started being friends, she has known so much about me and was able to send me things that are both my favorites and also some things that I always wanted to try but cannot because they are not easily available here in the Philippines just like the Muesli. The Apple tea is a very beautiful treat for me too as a tea lover. I can't to steep a cup of this while I relax on my garden in the coming days.
***
To my dearest friend from halfway around the world, thank you so much for being so generous not just with things but with love and thoughts. I am so grateful with the joy and happiness that your gesture has brought me. These yummy and beautiful things truly are treasures but you are one of those I can really call a pandemic treasure. Something like a silver lining or a golden star that we can rarely find in a big gray cloud of sadness and depression. Thank you for the friendship, and just I always tell you, I hope and pray that I can go back again to Europe on another trip soon so that I can get to see you and have a beer with you! Thank you again a million!
Last 2012, me and my high school friends went out of the country for our first ever overseas trip together! I told you about them right? My classmates since kindergarten until high school? It was crazy reunion for us during those 4 days in Singapore and Malaysia. Let me share some memories with you all on this trip to one of Singapores most iconic theme parks, Sentosa! (Please bear with my shots though, I'm still not very good with the Manual Function during those times HAHA)
Before the Malaysia Trip, our first stop was the Lion City of Asia, Singapore! Singapore is a City State in an island located at the bottom tip of the Malay Peninsula. It boasts of being a Fine City, Fine in the sense that each and every simple thing that is prohibited will force you to pay a fine which is nice so that locals even tourists would have to abide by it.
The Merlion at Sentosa
One of the best places to see in Singapore is Sentosa, an island resort located at the island of Sentosa which houses several places including Golf Courses, Hotels and the Resort's World Singapore which features the Universal Studios Singapore. Getting there, ride the MTR (Purple Line) until the last station which is Harbour Front until you reach Vivo City which is Singapore's Largest shopping mall. On the Third Level, the shuttle monorail train which is officially called Sentosa Express will take you to the island.
Several packages are available for purchase before boarding the Sentosa Express but a 3.50 SGD Entrance fee should be paid as well excluding the package. We arrived in the afternoon so we chose to avail of the Evening Play Pass for just 26.90 SGD you can now choose three of their attractions which you can enjoy from 6 pm until 10 pm.
When we arrived at the park, we had a few photos taken at the Merlion, okay not a few, a lot of shots taken at the Merlion (I was with my camwhore Friends during this trip remember?) And then after a lot of shots, we went to our first ride, it is the Luge and Skyride. We first rode the Luge and it was so much fun! We were riding downhill on a three wheeled cart with only go and breaks which is so much fun! I bumped on one of the railing which gave me a hard time going downhill! but when I got through it, the ride came swift and fast. Until I reached the end! Amazing, really!
Ate Judy and Myrcel on the Skyride
On our way back, we rode the Skyride. A maximum of four people seated on an open air gondola (I don't know if it's called a gondola but I'll call it one anyway) and you will go up high about a hundred feet above the ground and it feels so good while you are up high! I chose to ride alone so I can feel the thrill! I was wearing flops and my feet started to sweat but I got hold of myself and it was really fun! Some of my friends still have this strong fear of heights. I overcame mine when I went Skywalking at Cebu a few years ago.
After the ride, it was time to get to the Songs of the Sea, a famous production inside the park and was our Second of the three attractions for our Night Pass. But the way to it was the most memorable part of the Sentosa Trip for all of us. Guided by the map, we were confident to walk downhill hoping that we will reach the Songs of the Sea in no time. We went walking and walking downhill and then it started to get dark and dark. The sun is slowly lurking down and massive hedges were blocking what's left of its rays. It's like we are on a scary horror movie trapped on a massive hedge maze.
Me at the road starting to feel lost (This shot was staged obviously but we really were lost)
Then when the road seemed endless, we can't help it but just laugh and laugh because when we saw the entrance to the Golf Course, there we were, truly lost. That's what we are, laughing at ourselves knowing that we are indeed lost. But we continued walking downhill until we saw the bus that took us up again to the Park proper.
Random lost girls we passed by (Kidding, they're my classmates)
We were so relieved! Then when we went got down the bus, we were just a few yards away from the Songs of The Sea where we should have been a lot earlier right? We went inside the outdoor theater and the view was spectacular! The story was set along the beautiful stilt houses built on the shoreline of the beach. The staging was beautiful and the laser, lights and fire effects were truly amazing! Here are a few shots of the Show:
Water sprouts and blue lights
Fiery Lights and fantastic effects
Firework Finale
After the show, we grabbed a speedy but heavy dinner at McDonald's then we went straight to the Cable Car Ride which will close at 9:30 in the evening, we chose this one as our last of the three Attractions since it will take us back to Harbour Front so that we can ride the MTR back in time because we still want to see the Marina Bay at Night. we rushed our way and the people are nice enough to accommodate us. While boarding, the view was absolutely fantastic! So Beautiful that my eyes were fixed on the view and my camera was left on the bag haha!
Sentosa was amazing! It is a mini world of the Asia we know. It has musical sights and colorful sounds that will truly leave a mark on anybody's hearts forever. See it for yourself! It was amazing!
Me at the Merlion in Sentosa
Never Stop Dreaming!
Steve :)
***
I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join this new Linky that I thought of starting - Timeless Thursdays.
Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.
This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Sunday at 11:59 pm (Manila/Perth Time)
Lockdown has been semi-lifted here in the Philippines but yes, not because it's safe already but to prioritize the economy and the businesses. Sadly, this is not what most people take of it and they started to gather round outside even if it's clearly unsafe yet and the numbers are not getting any lower. So I still stay at home, for 66 days now to be exact, without leaving our gates. Thanks to my brother who gathers our supplies from the outside world. And with all this time, I surely miss a lot of people, especially my best friends.
I have been blessed to have a lot of friends that are true to me and very caring and tested through out the years. But the closest ones I have aside from my college friends are who I call my Life Long friends. because we literally are life-long friends since we have all been classmates since Kindergarten until High School. We are a group of 8, 7 classmates since kinder - RJay, Judy, Stevenson, Myrcel, Lea, Faith, and Ivy - then we were joined by our best friend Dianne who moved to our school after Elementary graduation.
2002 - A photo of us seven during 6th grade
They will probably kill me when they saw that photo. We all parted ways during college because we took different degrees and went to different universities but we still kept in touch at times but not as much as when we all graduated college when we started to spend more time together again.
2010 - Dinner at Tagaytay with our best friend Ferdie
When we all started working and had our own jobs, we usually get together every other weekend. We are usually joined by our best friend Ferdie who was our class Valedictorian and the best cook in our group. We are the kind of friends who are not into drinking or clubbing, we all just want to eat and eat and eat! And through the years we also started to travel together around the country.
2015 - Camiguin, Philippines
2017 - Notice how we maintain our positions :)
Two of the group have married already and started their families but that does not stop us from making time for each other as much as we can be complete. Ivy got married last 2015 and now lives in Mindanao, the largest island on the south of our country, with her husband and two daughter. Faith got married last 2018 and now lives in Cebu another major island in the central Philippines with her husband Marvin. Lea flew to the Middle East to work there as a nurse, and Dianne was relocated to Paris by her company.
Our 2019 Photoshoot
The one above was the last time we were altogether, January of last year. When Ivy was home from Mindanao, Lea was home from Kuwait, Faith has not yet moved to Cebu, and Dianne was still fixing her papers for Paris. My heart will always be happy whenever I think about all of us together again, they are my Home. We would have been this summer actually because Lea and Dianne were planning to get here in August if not for the virus and Faith can always fly here as long as we tell her in advance and all seven of us would have flown to Mindanao to complete our 8 at Ivy's.
It's very sad that I know, they all want to be home as well to be with their families here but they just can't. So last Monday, I thought of singing another song, this time dedicating it for all the Filipinos abroad who will trade anything just to be here and back home in our country they call home. I hope you all would like it, we all long for home.
***
I would love to welcome and invite everyone to join this new Linky that I thought of starting - Timeless Thursdays. (Bear with me for any short-comings, this is my first link ever)
Timeless Thursdays is open for anyone who wishes to share old photos or old thoughts that you would like to share as beautiful memories with everyone. This can be from yesterday, a year ago, or something from your grandma's treasure chest.
This runs every Thursday at 12 am (Manila/Perth Time) until Wednesday the same time (12 am)
There is no one stronger than a person whose heart is always filled with gratitude.
I found the quote above while doing my daily quotes reflection on Google. Yes, oftentimes, I search on quotes on Google about a specific topic - friendship, patience, happiness, grief, and this morning was all about giving thanks. A person who has the ability to count his/her blessings at the snap of a finger is someone who can find peace with it very easily. Having a grateful heart insures anyone of utmost happiness, for every time of sadness, you have this shining light of gratitude that will truly make you smile amidst all the darkness that surrounds you.
Whenever people talk about me or tell me something about myself, it warms my heart every single time I hear them talk about me being appreciative, me being thankful, or me being grateful. I think it's more than just being raised being taught about the importance of saying the magic words 'thank' and 'you'. It's not even the Filipino concept of 'utang na loob' or being indebted to someone for something. I personally think it all goes down to me being a very expressive person. But do you really have to say 'thank you' often? No. But do we really have to be thankful all the time? Yes!
How can we be a thankful person? Or at least how can we live this life having a thankful heart? Let me run through a list that I thought about:
Saying "Thank You" - This is probably the simplest yet the most important thing anyone should learn even from childhood. Saying thank you has been called one of the magic words especially taught when we were young. Thank You for being here today. Thank You for coming. Thank you for calling our office. We hear it endless times every single day. But do we really mean it? That is the question.
Counting Your Blessings - This is something a little deeper than the first one. Counting your blessings requires anybody to go through their days at the end of it or even at any moment of prayer, to recall and recount every single good thing that has happened to him/her. Not just the things that happened actually, but things that did not happen that we should also be thankful for, and trust me, you'll find joy in those. Thank you that I received my pay without any discrepancies. Thank you that the bus I rode earlier did not break down or worse, crashed. Thank you that my boss supported me on my presentation and did not point out the flaws in it. Counting your blessings also means counting the little happiness that can make up a bigger, larger happiness!
Recalling The Goods In Times Of Bad - This one is probably a lot harder. When you are in a brawl with someone or your friend just did something that brought you disappointment, this is a very good weapon for yourself or for your relationship to be fixed. I know, we do get blinded by someone's action and it's just so hard to find the good in it. But once you master this, you will not just find peace from that incident, but peace from within.
When your younger sister broke your iPad which you have taken cared of for a long time, it's so hard to see how supportive she was during your last final exams. But try to look into it. It may not cover up the bad feelings you feel with that broken gadget, but it would at least compensate the loss. Besides, it might have been an accident. Or just take a look at when a friend said something bad about you to another person which he/she did repent on, I know sorry doesn't just compensate it all of a sudden, but think about the times when you were sick and how this friend helped you through it. Think about the calls that that friend made and the talks that your friend did whenever you needed it. or even the littlest supportive words that that friend did during those times. In the end, these acts would even made us think not just of the wrong things about our friend, but also the wrong things about ourselves.
In the end, it all boils down to the good that others do against the bad that they did. And having a thankful heart is like having a clear memory of the good things about those people and make them work as a weapon to find peace with something or someone.
Being Humble - Being humble doesn't just require being quiet or being low-key. For me, the easiest definition of humility is to not think that you are better than anyone else. Of course, we are all created unique, with our own sets of lusters and flaws. But anything about those differences just doesn't makes us any better than others. So anything that comes in between the better and the worse is something to be thankful for. Those differences can only be compensated by kindness and any act of kindness deserves gratitude. Stop being so competitive. Stop proving other people how great or better you are than anybody else. You are only better than yourself, that's the only concept that you should live by as you travel through life.
Ditching Too Much Pride - Pride kills, that's a fact! Thinking that you deserve everything and that you are entitled for the things that you have doesn't make you someone that is highly, it just makes you look like an ungrateful person. Yes, we do work hard for everything that we do and at times, we are even so blessed to receive more than what we wanted. But that doesn't give us any entitlement for the things that we receive. Every time that security guard at the office greets us with a bright smile, say thank you and return that cheer. Never ever think that 'that's their job so they have to do it' because everyone has their bad days and for someone to rise up to that and offers you that good encouragement is being way beyond what he/she has to be.
Here is also where the 'utang na loob' or 'being indebted to' comes to play. We don't collect the good things that we do to people and shove it in their faces when a conflict occurs with that person. Kindness knows no limits and records. If a friend does know how to recognize the good (see upper bullet) then that friend is for keeps! But unfortunately, if that friend does not count the good, it is not your job to enumerate them in their faces. Because that will just make you look much worse. If you know you have done so much good to certain people and they do not have the heart of gratitude, the soul to give thanks, and a good and clear memory to recount all your kindness, I guess it's not bad to cut ties with those people because it's not that they are bad, it's not that they don't deserve you, but they're just not for keeps. As we age, people come and go but only a good few will stay. Not just really stay but will fight through to have that spot in your life and yes, those are for keeps - yes, those are worthy to be thankful for.
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Having a grateful heart is like having an everlasting candle. Anything that is so bad can only be fought by something so good. And if we learn to find that joy, that gratitude, that love, we are only as good as our happy days. in the end, we only want things and yes, people, who we can always count at the end of the day as good ones! And once we have that ability, we'll live lives with a smile - not a fake one huh - a smile from deep within! Carefree, Peaceful, Grateful
Celebrating my 27th birthday, my High School best friends asked if I have something to do that Sunday afternoon? I just got home from a trip to Tagaytay with my dad, brother Wilson, and cousin Judy when I said I have nothing going on after lunch. So they told me about their plans of visiting our friend at the hospital in Cavite City and we'll have lunch thereafter.
It was quite a talk before we finally decided to have our lunch at Cafe 506. Located at EPZA Diversion Road, Kawit, Cavite, Cafe 506 has a wide array of delicious goodies on their Menu. It was probably my 3rd or 4th visit that time and I can see how they continue to improve and add more dishes to their list.
Happy 27th to Me (Cafe 506 - June 4, 2017)
I would have to say that the place feels homey and nice. I'm sure they can further improve the overall feel of the place especially with the lighting. I know how lighting is a challenge for cafes especially during the daylight, if ever they want to let their guests have that certain feel of a cozy ambiance despite the strong sunlight but there are ways I'm sure.
The greeter led us to our table. The place was not packed on that Sunday afternoon but there were a few groups enjoying their meal as we passed them by going to our table by the east window. Our waiter took our orders and we were so happy when our food arrived after about 15 minutes. Here are the dishes we ordered, of course I took a taste test of each and every one of my friend's foods HAHA
Kim Cheese Rice Bowl (Php 198.00)
My best friend Rjay ordered the Kim Cheese Rice Bowl. This dish is probably their own take on the Korean Bibimbap. Although without the usual vegetables that are present on the traditional Bibimbap, they stir fried the rice on Korean Red Bean paste and rounded it all up with Korean Style Barbequed Beef. To finish it all, Fried egg on top!
The taste of the rice is definitely Korean. The red been paste was very present to the stir fried rice and I have to say, the sweetness and saltiness of the beef complimented the dish's overall taste. To be honest, it was a little too tasty for me because I would really like the taste of the beef (especially the fatty parts) to shine through but it has been overpowered by the seasonings of the beef.
Pancit Palabok (Php 98.00)
Now to me, this one is THE BOMB! Their Pancit Palabok, which was my friend Faith's order, tastes perfect for me. Not too bland, but not too salty, which is usually the problem to anyone's Pancit Palabok. This particular dish needs extra care when it comes to the seasonings especially the amount of Fish Sauce that has to go to its sauce. A little more than the right amount of Patis [fish sauce] can turn your Palabok into a bed of salt.
But this particular one, I have to say, is seasoned perfectly! The noodles on the other hand is boiled to its correct firmness. If I have to go back, I'll definitely order this one.
Pritchon (Php 160.00)
Our class Valedictorian Ferdie Ray decided on the Pritchon. It is the traditional Lechong Kawali or Deep Fried Pork Belly, served with garlic rice and fried egg. Nothing very special about this dish but I have to commend the correct amount of time it took them to fry this up because it is both cooked well and the skin is perfectly crispy.
Beef Lasanga (Php 188.00)
Our dear driver Myrcel (she's also one of my best friends of course) opted for the cafe's Beef Lasagna. It looks so good and oozing with so much cheese, I mean, who doesn't love cheese? The pasta was cooked perfectly, just like the other noodle dishes we ordered, but here's my take on the taste though. They tend to go on the sweeter side on this one, and I may say, it was too sweet for my liking.
For me, if you are to make beef dishes, it is of prime decadence to bring out that natural savory taste of beef. It is a taste that I can only find in beef, which is very crucial as to working on dishes that showcases it. In our family of self-taught cooks, we have a saying that if you don't know how to bring out the flavor in beef, then better to use pork instead (pork is relatively cheaper than beef in my side of the world). Maybe they added too much sugar or the sauce based they used is more on the sweeter side. Over all, it wasn't that bad, but I've tasted a lot of better lasagnas than this one.
Longganisa Pomodoro Pasta (Php 150.00)
From a not so good pasta dish, let's move on to another pasta dish. This one is my choice and I have to say, I am proud of what I decided on. Their Longganisa Pomodoro is amazing. The dish was perfect, well, at least for my own set of taste buds. They used Penne pasta on their Pomodoro but they made the dish their own by using Longganisa for its meat component.
Longganisa, for those who aren't familiar with it, is a native Filipino sausage. Usually made of pork, it is popularly served fried for breakfast with rice and egg. What makes it different for it's cousin, the chorizzo, is the fact that it's cased slightly loose. Though both cased on sub-mucosa or animal intestine layer, most longganisas are not pressed as tight as the chorizo which is a lot more firmer.
Back to the dish, they made their Pomodoro sauce a fusion of all the tastes that we want. Sour from the tomato sauce, sweet from the longganisa, and yes, spiced by Chili! I would not actually recommend this dish to people who hates (and fears) spicy food but to those who love it, oh you have to try this one! Never to forget is the Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the delectable sauce that seals the deal with it's savory goodness.
From L-R: Marvin, Faith, Ate Judy, Ferdie Ray, Myrcel, Me, and R-Jay
Ate Judy and Marvin ordered their burger entrees served with their homemade shoestring fries and dip. We had a great time at lunch together and we all enjoyed our food. One thing that we love to do when dining out (which others think is weird) is we love to taste all of each other's dishes. It's a way to enjoy the restaurant and to know which dish we will actually order the next time we visit the place with our family or friends.
My Birthdays are never complete without spending it with these amazing people! Every time I add up a year to my existence, I also add up another 365 days of laughter, tears, experiences, and memories with these amazing set of weirdos friends. I am now 27 years old, which means I've been friends with these people for almost 23 years now, we've all been classmates since Kindergarten up until we graduated high-school, and we have no plans of breaking any ties for as long as we live.
