Project365 - Photo of the Week #18

Week#18 Theme: "TREE"
Here's our Tamarind Tree with the warming colors of the sunset... happy weekend

DIY: The Healthy Nuts

A delicious, quick and very easy snack that is ideal for the whole family is this post all about. The individual type of nuts below will make up our healthy mixed nuts:

The Ingredients

And CASHEWS of course :-)

And PISTACHIO NUTS too!

But of course, RAISINS will be the
fruit basefor your mixed nuts.

Add some SUNFLOWER SEEDS!

Just pour everything in a container 
and mix, mix, mix!!! Whoallla! Yummy snack! 

Deep Fried Shrimp

Here's a very simple meal that you could try for you and your family. 


Ingredients:


Shrimps
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Cornstarch
Oil (enough to deep fry you shrimps)


What to Do:


Wash the shrimps, Remove the hairs. Dry the shrimps with paper towels. Put inside a plastic bag, pour some cornstarch, salt and pepper and shake until the shrimps are coated with cornstarch. Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry.


Enjoy!!! Ulam namin to kanina ^_^

White Screwed Again!

It does bother me that, for the second time, one of White’s tires got screwed again. This time is the front right tire. Just few months ago, some same type of screw hit the rear right tire! Gggrrrrrr! Why meeeeee????

I am telling this story because some of you might smack the same fate in the future… But I hope NOT *fingers crossed*!!! I was going to work last Wednesday when I heard something very very unusual with my car. I knew there was something wrong because I always bring my car to the office every day, so I know at the very least what’s normal.

Around 500 meters from our house, I heard this recurring sound (TUG TUG, TUG TUG) and got me more freaked out when I was reaching 35-40kph… the sound was even more louder and faster. I immediately went back home to avoid any more damage to my car! Ano ba yan! O_o Fortunately, my boss was very considerate enough to allow me to work at home after learning what happened.

When I reached home, I opened the hood and stepped on the gas pedal while in neutral mode to see how the engine was – okay naman, nothing unusual with the sound even if I reach 2500rpm – I was relieved! I checked out some articles/blogs from Google and got some ideas that it might be something about the ball joint or the tires.

Just in time, I had an appointment the next day at Honda Cavite for the warranty service of my backlight. As soon as I checked in my car, I asked my servicer to check up on that sound right after the backlight service.

After few hours of waiting, test drives and checking, it turned out there was a screw at the front right wheel which was already hitting the mags because the tire was already deflated BIG TIME. Tumatama na daw sa mags kaya may rhythmic sound.

I paid P490.00 for the checkup and diagnosis, which it could be waived if only I knew my tire was screwed in the first place. Also, I paid an additional of P100.00 for the vulcanizing service in Imus.

One thing bothers me is that the same screw hit my rear right wheel..same screw on the first time!!! Onoboyon!!!!

Have a safe trip, girls!

Project365 - Photo of the Week #17

Week#17 Theme: "GROWTH"
Here's a photo I took over the weekend in Villa Escudero Resort and Plantation of an old tree that have grown from an inch to a building-tall living thing, watching over more than seven hundred enjoying guests.

Villa Escudero Plantation and Resort

If you visit Villa Escudero, prepare to taste the country life for your whole stay—in Filipino style.

It was supposed to be a mini reunion with my closest friends from high school but it ended up with a mini road trip with Jog and Mike. This is totally different from the rest of my trips because this is the first time I drove from Cavite straight to Quezon (walang Marc, walang Joseph)!

How to Get There

The easiest way to get there is via SLEX. Since Bacoor was our starting point, the nearest SLEX entry point is via Alabang.

Actually, we have miscalculated our travel because we came too early at the resort. Not bad because I did not have to worry about my driving. Our initial call time was 5:00AM but since Jog and I woke up late, ggrrrrrr, we ended up reaching Mike’s house at 6:00AM. Hahaha! From Bacoor, we took the Molino Road going to Daang Hari. From there, we arrive at the gate of SLEX in Alabang. Toll fee is P95.00 until Sto. Tomas exit. And because we were chatting all the time, we missed the (50A) Sto Tomas exit, so we had to head straight at Star Toll. However, it made our travel shorter than I have planned.  From Star toll exit, we paid an additional of P25.00 and then we looked for the Pan Philippine Hiway until we reached Quezon “Welcome” arch and turned left right away. Hindi nyo mamimiss yung “Villa Escudero” signage sa kaliwa ;-)

As early at 7:50AM, andun na kami!

If you are bringing car to get there, here is the driving instructions I took from www.travelsmart.net   

• Take the South Luzon Express Way (SLEX)
• Exit at 50 A (Lucena exit) (sa kakakwentuhan namin, na miss din namin yung Exit 50A!!!! Nyahahaha!)
• Turn left at Sto. Tomas junction (Nakabalik naman kami dito hehehehe!)
• Head straight South. By pass the towns of Alaminos and San Pablo
• Slow down upon seeing the Quezon Province Boundary Arch. The Villa Escudero entrance is immediately to the left.
• Follow the instructions of the gate officer when turning into the Resort.

Parking

When we arrived at the resort, there were already around 15 cars and vans there. I didn’t have a choice but to park under the trees and maalikabok sa parking, sobra. Parking entrance is at the right side of the welcome hall.

Also at the parking area is a mini Pasalubong store where you could buy puto bumbong, pulburon, and other yummy sweets from Laguna.

Welcome Area

There were gulaman drinks, served by the ushers wearing baro’t saya, waiting for us at the hall. Gutom na gutom kaming tatlo! Hahaha. Buti na lang Mike brought pandesal! Wooohoo! We missed Jollibee and Mcdo along the way… ambilis ko kasi mag drive at kwentuhan kami nang kwentuhan!

The welcome area is where you pay your entrance fee as walk in customers OR where you get your tickets if you have RESERVED for overnight stay. By the way, credit cards are accepted and the Day Tour fee during our visit was P1,500.00 per head. This includes buffet lunch, cultural show, boating, carabao/horse ride, visit at the museum and access to pool.  The complete rates information can be found on their website at the end of this post.

This is also where we first met some of the statues depicting Filipino cultures. These statues are EVERYWHERE! Hahaha! I sometimes thought they were real people in the gardens!

Carabao Cart Ride

As soon as you get your tickets and confirmed your accommodation information at the Welcome Hall, you will start to experience the Philippine country life right away. We opted to visit the Museum in the afternoon before we leave the resort just to keep away from the crowd who were already there… so we headed straight to the Carabao Cart area. We were warmly welcomed and taken around by a carabao-drawn cart until we reached the resort proper – with someone at the back singing kundiman songs and playing guitar.

The Resort Proper

There were several areas that are still under renovation and the drop off point at the resort proper is one of them. Just follow the path way and you will reach the River area.

Boating at the River

It was around 10:00AM and the sun was just about starting to give its magnificent heat. The bamboo raft or balsa only has two seating area on it so I volunteered to just took the pictures of the two of them and look an eye of our things.

Another thing… I HATE bodies of water in color green. O_0 Hahaha! Parang may crocodile na lalabas. That’s also the reason why I am not a fan of swimming at the falls. So I watched them paddle across the calm river until they were almost too small from my view. Pagbalik nung dalawa, mga nakasimangot… may ugly smell daw yung vest na suot nila. But I think other than that, mukhang enjoyable naman ang boating ^_^

Café Inigo

You don’t have to worry about getting hungry inside the resort because they have a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, miryenda and dinner meals at the resort. The resto is overlooking the river which makes your dining very dramatic! Hmmm.

Pool Area

They have two medium-sized swimming pools – one for the kids and the other for adults. The adult pool has a slide but we did not try. This time, Jog watched over our things while Mike and I take a dip into the pool. This was also the time Mike and I had a chat with the latest about our lives, reminiscing old memories and even sharing our future plans.  Wala kaming picture kasi tong si Jog!

Buffet Lunch at The Falls

Since we were very very hungry, the buffet lunch was the MOST anticipated event in this trip. Hahaha!!! Hindi ako pwedeng magutom!!! By the way, buffet lunch starts at 11:00AM. But if you were not able to reserve your visit, based on their policy, you will only be allowed to go to the buffet lunch area at 1:00PM. Uunahin kasi nila yung mga nakareserve and you don’t want to get hungry, trust me!

The food is just OKAY. They have grilled eggplants, singkamas, sliced tomatoes, green mangoes, rice, pansit, chicken tinola, beef caldereta, grilled pork, grilled tilapia, chicken inasal and ginataang gulay. I would say they all tasted flat. Honestly, na miss ko ang mas masarap na luto ni Ate Dollyn. So if you want to make the most of this buffet lunch… get FULL and appreciate the cold water coming from the man-made falls that rushes to your feet while eating and chatting with your long lost friends…PRICELESS!

They sell buko juice for P30.00 each. J

The Cultural Show

The cultural show was the best experience in Villa Escudero. Nakalimutan ko na hindi ako masyadong nag enjoy sa pagkain nung lunch. ^_^ The performers are oozing with dancing talents. Mabubusog talaga yung mata mo sa panunuod. There were a lot of colors dancing at the center stage and the costumes are amazing! Kumbaga hindi tinipid.

Surprisingly, all performers are the same people who ushered us earlier that day – the girls from the welcome area, maintenance guys, cart singers, museum ushers. Ang galing! Thumbs up! The cultural show was held at the wedding Hall while the original venue is under construction.  

The Museum

Last from our list was the museum. The Familia Escudero are true travelers and collectors! I was drooling about their travels and collections – they truly set the history from their large collections of artifacts not only from the Philippines but also from the whole world! Pictures are not allowed inside.

I had a great time reconnecting with my old friends. It would not be possible without our experience in Villa Escudero. However, there is a very small chance that Iwould go back to this place very soon. J

Formore information,please visit their site: http://www.villaescudero.com 

Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort

San Pablo City, Philippines

Manila Office

1059 Estrada Street, Malate 1004 Metro Manila

Telephone Nos.

(632) 521-0830

(632) 523-0392

(632) 523-2944

Fax Number:

(632) 521-869

E-mail: info@villaescudero.com

Provincial Mailing Address

P.O. Box 4 San Pablo City 400, Philippines 

Project365 - Photo of the Week #16

Week#16 Theme: "WORK"

Here’s a picture of my laptop in the midst of coding. I am a programmer. I program. I rock! 

Week#16 Theme: "WORK"

Driving Safety Tips

Road accidents that involve the people we love or even just the people that we know from our circles are such horror stories to hear. It’s traumatic, breaks your family’s hearts, damage you car and pocket and most especially there are victims of the accident O_o. Just recently, my officemate got involved in a mishap over the holidays (Biyernes Santo). Nothing serious happened to him and her companion but unfortunately, he had hit a 44- year old man riding a motorcycle – drunk and not possessing a valid license.

Here's one of our road trips in Laguna with my family ^_^

Yesterday, I was finally able to hear the real story from him and he looked calm and relieved that it is almost ending. He just had to go back to the province where it happened and get some documents for the insurance. I asked him if he is okay now, and he said he is J.

Nobody wants it. Even I had a very minor accident when I was starting to learn driving and it really almost explode my heart during that moment. My car engine went dead at the intersection so when I panicky tried to start the engine of my car, it went backwards a little bit and then the bus hit my trunk (maliit lang naman hehehe) I did not have my license at that time – the most irresponsible act in driving – so I had to take the damage on my car. After that incident, I gain extra cautiousness whenever my engine stops – I learned to be a LITTLE BIT calm. Hahaha! It’s because I still shout P@%^^*&*!!! whenever it did. Sssshhhh!

You know how i love love love being on the road through my road trips so I’m writing this to serve a reminder on drivers out there to take extra measures while driving, especially on me – BE A DEFENSIVE DRIVAAAH!

http://www.goodyear.com.ph/labs/safety.asp

http://www.saferoads.com/drivers/tips_drivertips.html

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/10-safe-driving-tips.htm

Do you have a driving story to tell? How did you survive it? J

These Cats Melt My Heart

My work schedule since last week is killing me. I have been getting a maximum of 4 hours of sleep daily and I don’t know why. I usually call the night with more than 8 hours of good night sleep but this last two weeks has been crazy. I have been gaining SOME weights as well since I started working at night shifts. :/ Namaaaaan! Grrrrr.

The pink one makes me say "Aaaaaw". Hehehe. *deal with it*

This morning when I came home from work, I was welcomed (…or not ^_^..) by several stray cats in our area when I hit the left turn before our house. They were three of them, playing near the gutter… I couldn’t pass because I might hit them by my car…. naglalandian sila, early in the morning … parang ang saya saya nila! It really made me smile J

You know, from time to time, I receive links of lovely cat pictures from Marc, whether I am offline or online in GTalk, and which is something I definitely look forward to every now and then. You’d say Google has tons of cute ( “or to die for”) cat pictures and even myself can search them on my own but….these sweet simple things can make me smile this BIG --> :D 

I picked some of them and made a collage out of it… There are so many of them but I had a hard time searching them in my chat history…kaya yan na lang muna. Hehehe.

My love for cats started when I was little, as my previous post tells you. It grew more and more especially when I was able to witness, with my bare hands, my pregnant cat delivered her kittens while I WAS THERE BY HER SIDE! She was following me everywhere during her laboring. Aaaaw, she really wanted me to be there with her. aaah! What is cooler than that!!?? Aaahmazing! I was grade two then. Kaya siguro hindi ako nag medical school..:/ Wahahahaaa!!!

Ikaw, what makes you smile this BIG?? --> :D

Hehehe!

*All pictures are not mine nor Marc's*

Miryenda From My Loving ‘Ate’

Look what my Sister cooked for our miryenda!

I sure get the love from a mother and a sister—in one! J

Chicken Sopas is simple and easy to cook. I have the recipe below from http://panslasangpinoy.com just in case you need one after looking at the image

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium sized onion, diced

Chicken Sopas!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, diced

32 ounces chicken broth (about 4 cups)

2 cups elbow macaroni

3/4 cup celery stalk, chopped

3/4 cup carrots, diced

3/4 cup cabbage; shredded

3/4 cup fresh or evaporated milk

1 cup water

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Procedure

Heat a cooking pot and put-in the butter. Allow the butter to melt. Add onions and cook until the texture becomes soft. Put-in the boneless chicken breasts and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle some salt and ground black pepper and stir. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Pour-in water and milk and wait to re-boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni and cook for 8 minutes while stirring once in a while. Put-in the carrots and celery and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn-off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 6

And here's our panghimagas!

From our Mango Tree!

They Will Always Love You Back

I never imagined my life without having furry companions around..alam ko a lot of us does too! At an early stage, I was already surrounded by dogs and cats from which I practically think they are the ones who taught me about appreciating a bitter-sweet life. Minsan maiinis ka sa kanila ng bonggang bongga, minsan naman kahit pagod ka na, nilalambing mo pa din sila at minsan kailangan mo silang I let go kahit na ayaw mo pa(did this so many times)…They were among the few ones who always remind me how to L-O-V-E unconditionally. If my memory served me correctly, my first official feline friend was Sabrina, a domesticated cat who lived (secretly!) at the space below of our old house. We discovered her living inside a box and later we knew that she just had given birth to her few days old kitties. She was my first one. And also, among our extended family furry members, Putol was the only one we acquired with money involved. He was bought by my Father from a neighbor for my 29th birthday, and the rest just came to our family by chance or should I say, by fate.

My pets have the stories of their own lives like mine. Some of them came and gone during the most memorable parts of my life – not to mention that they are sometimes the reason why it becomes memorable anyway! At saka minsan…may impact talaga sila sa personality mo (or at least you change for them, for the better!)

So now, I would share with you my furry friends who are still sharing their exciting and precious existence with me:

Hi,I'm Chu-Chu.

What is your name?
Chu-Chu

How old are you?
1 year and 5 months

What color are your eyes?
Brown

What is your favorite food?

Bulalo

What is the worst thing you have ever done?
I eat slippers

What is favorite hobby?
I love hooking up with the lady dogs.

What is the coolest thing you have ever done?
I can escape from my neck lace.

Hi, my name is Cha-Cha!

What is your name?
Cha-Cha

How old are you?
11 months

What color are your eyes?
Green

What is your favorite food?
Chicken and Beef/ Tamarind fruit

What is the worst thing you have ever done?
I bitten off Kuya Nito’s hand because he tried to get my favorite tamarind fruit near me. That’s my territory… :’(He is Daddy Demz’ friend, his constant visitor every morning.

What is your favorite hobby?
To dig holes on the ground, bark and sleep inside my tub!

What is the coolest thing you have ever done?
I smile a lot.. see my pictures! 

Nyork, ngyork!

What is your name?
Simeon

How old are you?
1 year old

What color are your eyes?
Yellow Green

What is your favorite food?
Fish

What is the worst thing you have ever done?
I hunt and ate our neighbor’s chicks.

What is favorite hobby?
Sleep

What is the coolest thing you have ever done?
Be sweet ALL the time

I know that they are only lent to me for a little while. There is nothing permanent in this world, nothing but change.  All I have is pretty much my only chance each day to appreciate our give-and-take relationship… nothing more, nothing less. ^_^v

I Am Moving To A New Home

See Yah!

Manila Ocean Park

Our visit here is my first taste of summer getaway this year. It was just a day tour but I enjoyed it so much with Jaimie and Jelly! Tulog na tulog yung dalawa sa kotse on our way home. Hahaha! It was actually my treat for them because they made it to be on top of their class this school year once again. They both bagged medals as honor students and as a surprise reward, I took them to Manila Ocean Park. Weeee! Galing galing! I’m one proud Tita! J

Going There

Manila Ocean Park is located at the back of Quirino Grandstand along Roxas Boulevard in the bright city of Manila. Since we are coming from Cavite area (South of Manila), I referred to an online map with SM Mall of Asia as my starting point. By the way, we travelled by car. For more direction assistance whether you are travelling by car or by bus, I found this site very useful: Directions, Routes, maps, Shortcuts in Metro Manila (http://www.metromaniladirections.com/). The map on the website of Manila Ocean Park (www.manilaoceanpark.com) also helped me memorize the route going to the park. Grrrr. Unfortunately, I turned right too soon at Star City so I had to turn around at Buendia back to Macapagal Ave until we reached CCP Complex again. After a few kilometers, we reached US Embassy and then the Quirino Grandstand at the left. There is a little chance you will get lost at this point after turning left at the traffic lights because you’ll immediately see the Manila Ocean park signs.

Parking

At the end of the road, you’ll see a paid parking area, which could be your option when the main parking inside the park is already full. Turn right to go to the main gate of the park. Don’t forget to get your parking ticket because you don’t want to pay extra when you exit. Parking fee is P25.00 for the whole day (flat rate).

Buying Tickets

The ticket booth is located at the entrance of the main building beside H2O hotel. There are attendants who could help you decide on the perfect packages for you and your group or whether there are great promos available on that day, so do not hesitate to ask them what’s best for you. Read ahead and you’ll find the available shows/areas you could visit and enjoy!

For our visit, I picked the Ultimate Experience for P800.00 each. The promo runs until April 15, 2012.

The Sea Lion Show

That's the two smart sea lions with their two trainors and two new friends.

This large open stadium is located across the ticket booth. Thirty minutes before the show starts, guests may enter the area and find their seats. The moment we entered the show area, Jaimie blurted right away: “Tita, you should have told me to bring swimsuits!”. It’s because the park allows guests to swim at the pool inside the show stadium. This kiddo was totally drooling to swim! When the show is about to start, swimmers are asked to get out of the pool and join other guests to watch the performance. The show, for the most part, displays the intelligence and charisma of the sea lions. And they incorporate educational message against water pollution. I loooove to see then clap their fins ^_^, wave to the audience and look shy! Hahaha! Artista ang lola mo! Although there are instances where the male sea lion did not follow instructions from his master, but the female was so into her performance!

The show is scheduled 3 times within the day: 11:00AM, 2:00PM and 4:30PM

The Oceanarium

Right after the Sea Lion Show, we headed straight to The Oceanarium, where most guests go because the next available show is after 3 hours pa. This area showcases different marine animals in large tanks of sea water lighted with beautiful colors. Flash photography is strictly prohibited in this area so turn this off on your camera flash settings to avoid scaring the marine animals ^_^

At the shark area

Jaimie and Jelly while enjoying the fishes

At the dome

At the shark area.

Camera flash is prohibited in this area so we have to maximize
the light source at the back :-)

The Penguin Encounter (The Antartica)

This is not included on our chosen package but if you want to see live penguins, you need pay an extra P300.00 for the Penguins exhibit. Who doesn’t want to know why penguins wear tuxedo!? ;-) Hahaha!

Eating ice cream at Antartica??? Hahaha!

The Fish Spa

The doctor fishes are always in! Fish spa is definitely an exciting activity here but I think ten minutes for each session is sooooo bitin! They are also called the nibble fishes, which nibbles the dead skin leaving the healthy skin to grow with teeny tiny sensation but without pain.


According the Manila Ocean Park site, admissions are the following:

Php 120 per head
2 ft & below free of charge

Monday & Tuesday
10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Last selling of tickets: 6:30 pm

Wednesday to Friday
10:00 am - 8:30 pm
Last selling of tickets: 8:00 pm

Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday:
9:00 am - 8:30 pm
last selling of tickets: 8:00 pm

The Souvenir Shops

Manila Ocean Park also has interesting shops and offers pasalubong sales for their guests. There are a lot of stuffs to choose from especially for balikbayans and foreigners. There is also a BPI automatic teller machine(ATM) which I find very convenient especially for those who run out of cash.

Restaurants

There numbers of restaurants and food kiosks inside so you'll never get hungry just prepare for the pricey food!!! So i suggest that you bring enough water and snacks so you don't have to spend too much. It is located after the souvenir shop.

Jellies

One of the areas that we enjoyed is the Jellies room. There are several illuminated tanks of jellies inside perfect for the dancing lights. Don’t forget to get your pictures taken at the largest tank like we did ^_^

I created a mosaic showing our favorite Jellies shots!

The Musical Fountain Show

The show that I enjoyed the most is the Musical Fountain Show at 7:00PM- 7:30PM daily. There is only one show for the day so make sure you’ll be at the stadium at around 6:30PM. The red-colored seats area in the middle is the most perfect place to watch the show.

The amazing Fountain Musical Show!

H2O Hotel

They also have a hotel and spa named H2O. So if you feel like having overnight with your friends and families, this a perfect summer getaway for you!

We spent 6 hours to enjoy our ultimate experience package and headed straight to Yellow Cab in Macapagal Ave for our late dinner J All in all, it was fun… except for the pricey tickets! ^_^v

For more information, please visit Manila Ocean Park website:

http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/