Four in One Year

Probably the most surprising and memorable (not in a good way) San Juan fiesta ever. It's barely a year since my granny passed away and she was already joined by her three brothers.

Brewing Coffee Like A Vietnamese

Hurrah for Vietnamese coffee and of course,
the coffee filter!

While I still have plans of being a tea connoisseur (well that's a nice way of putting it), Ate Danie brought an interesting Vietnamese coffee filter from her trip. It's a common device used in Vietnam (where else) and is good for a single-serve cup. I drink my coffee (and tea) in mugs so I'm still trying out the measurement for this one (maybe just add more beans and drip it twice). I have a coffee press and still encounter my problem of being lazy in cleaning it afterwards keeping the coffee hot after the first cup, so I think this single-serve coffee filter would be very much used instead. We have a coffee machine here at home but I'm the only one who drinks mostly, so if laziness strikes, good luck! I'd rather drink the 3-in-1 mixes (it's instant for a reason) meaning our coffee beans would be as good as rat food in no time.

So how the heck do you use this freaking thing? How about the coffee grind? Should I even bother? Although even coarse grind is okay (since it won't pass through the filters), I prefer the medium grind (perfect for drip) so that full flavor and strength can be used but of course this takes more time for your coffee to be done and is based on your preference. There are different kinds of grind for your coffee, you could check the coffee grind chart. My first bag of Vietnamese coffee is coarse grind, I don't know why but since it was a gift, I don't mind at all. Our Starbucks blend is of the medium grind so I like to use it a lot. Vietnamese coffee has a distinct taste, very flavorful compared to the coffee we usually have here in the Philippines. I still think the Hawaiian Kona has the strongest taste.

If you like Vietnamese coffee, start with Step 1; otherwise, proceed with Step 2. There are 2 kinds of coffee filters - the one with screw and the one without it. Using the filter without the screw is obviously simple as you just have to put the ground coffee, then top screen, and add water. Cover, then wait for your coffee. Thanks to ineedcoffee.com for the photos.

Step 1 is to pour condensed milk to your cup. That's milk and sugar in one.
Step 2 is to remove the top screen by unscrewing it.

Photo credit from ineedcoffee.com

Step 3 is to put the ground coffee beans and then screw the top screen for a snug fit. Filters without screw should just put their top screen on top of the beans. Easy breezy cover girl.

Step 4 Put your filter on top of your cup/mug (but I usually do this as Step 2 haha) and pour water on top of it. When you fill the filter with water, cover it and wait for your brewed coffee. Be amazed for a couple of minutes as your coffee drip from the filter.

Photo credit from ineedcoffee.com

Step 5 Once the water has completely dripped, carefully remove the filter (it's freaking warm!) and enjoy your coffee.


I drink my coffee black with just one packet of Splenda, or when I'm in the office I put some Milo instead of creamer or milk. I have read that in Vietnam, they put condensed milk at the bottom of the cup, then place the coffee filter on top, and finally start the brewing process. Mix it, and if preferred to be consumed cold, just pour it onto a glass with ice. I would definitely love to experience this when I go to Vietnam on August! (Condensed milk, just like how they do it for Thai milk tea! But that's another entry. :p)

While I'm still in the country and just have my coffee goodies with me, I'll keep on using this Vietnamese coffee filter. It's as easy as making a regular instant coffee, so go for the natural version - brewed!

Do you like it black or with cream?

Eat and Be Merry...

for tomorrow you'll be fat.

I have accepted the sad reality that I really can't diet and other kinds of weight-loss regimen. Although I have been choosing my food since I turned away from meat, I have added a new thing to avoid: junk food. Of course, junk food does NOT include chocolates, milk tea, cakes, and tofu chips. Sometimes, eating healthy is the best "diet" out there. Oh well, the sad part is that I still have cravings and the allure of trying out new things hit me head-on.

Here are a few things to try from different food spots when you happen to pass-by. Don't ignore them!

Round 1: Tokyo Bubble Tea's Honeydew Melon Milk Tea and Roasted Japanese Cream Cheese drink. The cream cheese is a thick cheese (no duh) froth that's a familiar taste for milk tea fanatics (hello Gong Cha, Share Tea, Happy Lemon). Milk teas here are quite pricey compared to other stores. There is no chance you can taste the tea unless you specifically order... well, tea. Even with the Jap cream cheese, the tea leaves are just in my imagination. What I like about Tokyo Bubble Tea is that their stores close past midnight, so night owls can still have their milk teas and bad food habits late-night need for snacking fulfilled.

You can order your milk tea with Splenda, though, which
is good for diabetics or those cutting back on sugar.

Round 2: Veggie Samosa and Sweet Lassi at Queens at Bollywood! Indian food at a mall is not a common sight (or maybe I haven't been around that much). If you're not into spicy food, tell the server. They are kind enough and accommodating so speak up that you want your food to be just mildly spicy. I have been consuming samosa for the longest time since my mom's friend knew I was a vegetarian. I haven't even seen the menu but I know my order already! Samosa is the way to the truth! Note that their papadum (Indian taco shell that has spices and served with lentil, tamarind, and yogurt dips) is unlimited, so I bet your patay-gutom really hungry friends would like this place. They have live entertainers/performers as well (watch it, this is your chance to be cultured!), aside from the Bollywood movies blaring on flat-screen TVs. Order the Lassi (yogurt) in either Sweet or flavored type (they have Strawberry-flavored) to counter the spicy dishes you'll be ordering. Sorry kids, nothing about the non-veggie-friendly food, although I can assure you my friends enjoyed their meals with a runny nose afterwards from the spiciness. Haha.

Veggie Samosa and Sweet Lassi. Yuhum!!

Papadum with the 3 dips/sauces!
Thanks, Neth, for the photo.

Books Or Something Like It

Obviously drafted last April.

Ending April Fool's and started the day after it by finishing a borrowed copy of Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" which is going to be released some time this year starring Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson kid), Emma Watson (Harry Potter female star), and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries goddess). I dislike it when books, stories, films, essays, television shows, music, or even art make me think of things, more on its effect on me and what I think after because of it. It's fiction, not some school reading "designed" to invoke some further thinking and discussion because most of the time, these non-school readings were just supposed to make you kill time.

Then I remembered watching "The Art of Getting By" starring Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory kid) and Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew girl). Same thing, fatalistic/freak/weirdo boy meets a beautiful girl and they start discussing life sitting on a bench at the park. I am pretty sure although not hopeful, that "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" would be having the same tone and pace as "The Art of Getting By." Either I just found both films too similar or some boys just come into age in a very similar way.

Then I remember what Jessica Zafra shared in an entry in her blog, "Why Finish Books?" written by Tim Parks. It's kind of sad (I think) that I want to engage others in a focus-group-discussion like of some sorts after reading the same book or watching the same film, regardless if we watched it together or not. I just want to have some time like what Charlie and his friends did at Big Boy's where they started discussing about things. Of course without the cigarettes and the drugs.

When should you quit on a book? When you still wait page after page that it will live up to the wonderful reviews you read about it? They say "life is too short for bad books" but some folks spent a lot of time and money to have it printed - is it really that "bad"?

Is a good book by definition one that we did finish? Or are there occasions when we might choose to leave off a book before the end, or even only half way through, and nevertheless feel that it was good, even excellent, that we were glad we read what we read, but don’t feel the need to finish it?

How to finish a book in a day is really dependent on the kind of reading you want to do. Good books are different from books you can actually finish (or say an easy-read). That's why sometimes I hang out at the Young Adult Literature part of bookstores because there are days I don't want to read a "good" book, I just want to read.

No kidding, next titles I have are (still) Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything Is Illuminated" and Bob Ong's "Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin" and here I'll see which one is the better one and/or which one I can finish easily. Oh crap, I still have "The Tipping Point" halfway. Oh great, which one to finish first?!

It's Charlize Theron Season!!!

When I watched the MTV Movie Awards, I just realized it's Charlize Theron season. Well she has "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Prometheus" released this year so we'll be seeing a lot of her in the movie and computer screens whether we like it or not. Actually, I have done a downloading spree of her movies and I've dedicated some time to watch and finish them. Yes. Charlize Theron deserves the time.

All hail Queen Ravenna!

When I saw the trailer of Snow White and the Huntsman, I saw how beautiful the evil Queen Ravenna is! Well, Chris Hemsworth aka the mighty Thor was also there plus the Twilight lady K-Stew. I have to, have to watch this flick. Then it hit me, how many movies of Charlize Theron have I actually seen? Well there's the Italian Job and Aeon Flux... And... I can't remember anything else. Oh snap.

So the first thing I've back-tracked is Young Adult by Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman. It's about a young adult fiction writer returning to her hometown trying to rekindle an old flame. Most still recognize her as the popular girl in high school who made it big in Minneapolis. They don't know she's been dealing with a lot of issues and her visit back to her hometown, the fictional Mercury, helps her to grow up and move on with her life. Well just like a usual Diablo Cody film, it's laced with humor and the story's always a pleasure to see unfold right before your eyes.

Next one I've seen is Snow White and the Huntsman. Okay, we know the reviews, we've read some of them and skimmed to the critics' comments about Kristen Stewart. Some said Snow White (played by Kristen Stewart) was overpowered by the two other main characters - Queen Ravenna and the Huntsman. We're not sure if this is because of how Snow White's character was written for the screen or is this another case of K-Stew's alleged non-existent acting skills. Let's just lean on the former, it's the writer's fault! Nonetheless, it's a good 2 hours of your time and the dark theme of the movie with glorious special effects make the movie worth watching. There's action, enchanting scenery, a lot of special effects, lots of beautiful crowns and dresses for the Queen, Chris Hemsworth's increasing fanbase, and Snow White pulling off a Joan of Arc stunt.

Snow White, the Queen, and the Huntsman. <3

Admit it, she has the best crown and dresses.

The World Unseen

Whenever I go elsewhere - climb mountains, trek to see the hidden lake, walk far to the nearest MTR, pass through boats like they're bridges, climb the make-shift stairs, it reminds me to travel all I can while I'm still young.

The steps are steep, the platforms are wobbly, the roads are not paved, these things add to the experience, to the adventure. Yet when you're experiencing pain in your knees, at loss for breath (not from wonder but from poor cardio), it's not fun. I'd get that sooner or later.

Travelling is my way of postponing adulthood. It may seem selfish but the world has been really beautiful and all I have to do is see it and marvel in its beauty.

114th Philippine Independence Day

Since the holiday economics got dissolved, all Philippine holidays are celebrated on their exact dates. That means long weekends for everyone are non-existent if the holiday doesn't fall on a Friday or Monday. June 12 is Philippine Independence Day and it's on a Tuesday. This leaves Monday on a difficult stinky position - should you hate it or should you really really hate it? It's the only boundary between a long weekend after all!

Is this how you celebrate Independence Day? Wearing costumes? Well, it would be fun but it won't work. It's too warm anyway and even if it rains, a muddy dress is not pleasant. We don't want any corpse bride walking around, do we?

This version looks nice, though.

It was a good Monday. The streets were clear and my initial uncontrollable factors for ditching a friend, who's already at Tiendesitas for the Monday gig, were "rain," "traffic," and if Barbie Almalbis or Kitchie Nadal starts playing before I get to the venue. Well, neither existed in any way. The weather was fine, I even really took my time in the carpark as I left work but the two artists were not yet playing as there was a "break time" and finally, C5 was so clear it would be a crime not to proceed to Tiendesitas! I was also able to park immediately as well. Hmm, the odds were in my favor!

First off was Kitchie Nadal who had sun-kissed skin and still uses her signature guitar from way back. The event had no entrance fee (oh I get it, since it's for Independence Day). All you have to do is pick your spot (if there were still free areas) and order from the stalls nearby while you enjoy free music for the entire week as Tiendesitas' Independence Week Celebration.

Hello, Kitchie!

Final act for the night is Barbie Almalbis. Ah, the very skillful guitarist who sings wonderful melodies.

Hello, Barbie!

Barbie Almalbis - Constellations & Buntala

I love this. It's (an almost) direct translation. The English version and the Filipino version of Barbie Almalbis' songs. Although buntala means comet, the lyrics are very similar (the word comet's in the song "Constellations" anyway) in nature and meaning. Find the chorus and the complete lyrics below. Both are enthralling. You can even sing them in each other's music. Yes, that's how similar they are. :)

Buntala

Sagot sa panalangin kahit akala ko ako'y hindi sapat
Parang isang buntalang di ko inakalang dadaan sa paningin
Sa ilalim ng mga bituin sa langit paano kaya nagkakatagpo?
Kahit di maipinta ng isip kasama ka sa ilalim ng mga bituin

Constellations
You're all of which I wanted but I didn't think that I came up to par.
You came like a comet i could never have dreamed about this underneath a billion stars.
In all of these stars in constellations who would have thought i'd find you here.
It was beyond imagination but here we are under a billion stars.

Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant

A new resto every weekend is an expensive idea. So whenever I feel like going outside to eat, it needs to be a new place as much as possible! Sundate with my sister was initially for Pan de Amerikana with the upside-down Range Rover outside their place; however, they're only open until 3PM on Sundays. Yet we can't just stay home, so where to go? Maginhawa Street's foodie haven looks like a good spot and since I'm driving, I call the shots where to eat. Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant at Malingap. Finally!

Pipino is the 2nd vegetarian restaurant I've been to (1st is Nomnomnom) and this place is as cozy as it can be. The seating capacity is very limited but the food choices are aplenty. It's actually a vegan-heaven. No cheese, dairy, and eggs. This is the real vegetarian deal! I spent a handful of minutes deciding what to eat, since it's not that often that I have a lot of choices I obviously had a difficult time choosing. Hallelujah! I can hear the vegan angels singing.

The food choices (drinks and dessert)
that are not on the menu (yet).

My sister's interested to try out their food and settled with the Low-fat Cheese-less Vegan Lasagna and Iced Tea (PHP 35) which was nothing special (haha). She researched the menu before we left home so she had an idea on what to order. The vegan lasagna was really good and a certified steal as it's only PHP 120. If you're plain hungry and want food that can make you really (feel) full, this is it!

Vegan lasagna, iced tea, and the lemongrass-cucumber-ginger cooler.

Me on the other hand, tried their more unique fares. I ordered their grilled Watermelon Steak (PHP 220) and Lemongrass-Cucumber-Ginger Cooler (PHP 80) which surprisingly tastes good (of course it still has the ginger-sting effect). Yes, you read that correctly! Grilled watermelon. Fruit... Grilled... Steak... Huh? It's a foodie abomination for some but when my food got to my table, it looked really appetizing! The beans on top of the grilled watermelon (which looked like a rarely-done steak), the mushrooms on the side, and the mashed taro with chips were all perfectly plated.

That's a watermelon, everybody. WATERMELON.

We really wanted to try their interesting desserts but by then we were already so full (I even ate 1/4 of my sister's lasagna). There's room for only one more - Oreo Ice Cream (PHP 40). My sister's dessert decision won over my vanilla graham ice cream choice because she's older. Their dairy-free ice cream is made of cashew milk and sweetened with maple syrup. Their ice cream is not that cold (not good on a hot day) but I like the taste which is not too sweet and it's really worth the price. They were still baking muffins the time we got there so we bought their chocolate cookies (made with whole-wheat flour, muscovado sugar, tablea, etc.) to-go for mommy but of course I'm the one devouring it. Take my Golden Oreos instead!!

Oreo Ice Cream.

This place is definitely worth a try. It has a good variety plus the servers are friendly and they know their stuff (I forgot to ask if they're vegetarians, too). Their dishes are so creative you would want to try everything! (And if you're not really into vegan/vegetarian food, just go down to the 1st floor and eat at Pino restobar, haha.)


Pipino Vegetarian
39 Malingap St., Teachers Village, Quezon City
http://www.pipinovegetarian.com/