Today, my brother wanted to drown his troubles in movies. He had gotten a copy of Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic and he and I stuck into my laptop and prepared ourselves for the story that was made familiar to us by the game Dante's Inferno. It was incredible! The tale was divided into several parts and the animated style was rather strikingly different with each part of the tale.
It certainly was a visual feast. It was action packed and it remained mostly faithful to the story. I, for the life of me, cannot conceive what Hell would look like, or what the different circles of Hell is like. This animated epic truly portrayed each circle to the best of its capability. It's a nice gory distraction from one's life.
Also, in the course of the day, Kuya wanted to see Sucker Punch again. At first he and Mattie saw it but he wanted to see it again so this time, myself, B, and mother came along. We all trotted to NCCC, got the tickets, snacks, and went into the theater. I'm surprised that we weren't escorted out as we were all so noisy. So Sucker Punch is the story of a young woman who was institutionalized by her greedy step-father. I will go on the record and state that the first scenes of the movie made me cry. No, seriously. The scenario was just so sad!! The song was also hauntingly suitable.
However, that's where my involvement to the story ended. The other scenes that came afterward were just a giant WTF in my book. It was something else, sure. It was visually captivating, yes. Did it make sense? I'm not sure it was meant to. The entire scene with the Dragon just screamed I ripped off Harry Potter. It was just all eerily familiar with the Dragon scene in Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire.
So in the end, my brain labeled Sucker Punch as Inception with Vaginas.
I was still a fun family day though. Ü
Last week, I had Spicy Tuna Salad as my E.K.S. subject. It turns out that my mother loved it so much that she specifically asked for it today. Of course, she insisted that certain things be tweaked from my original recipe. It's cool by me! After all, I made E.K.S. for the sake of my family.
Most of the same ingredients were used. I truly love how Eden Nature Park sends down their greens to the local markets. I just have to make a mental note to go to the grocers a lot earlier to get the freshest ingredients. However, going later in the day would make for a more pleasant and quick trip as there would be significantly less people. So I suppose it just really depends on what your priorities are: fresh ingredients or a much more hassle-less trip.
So what's different in today's mixture? I did not make use of cabbages today, instead I just added more romaine lettuce and cucumbers. Oh, I also cubed the cheese rather than grating them; I also added hard boiled eggs to today's salad too.
Mum was definitely happy. I wasn't able to take a picture of the ingredients since mum demanded a rush job. It was really fun! B and Mattie were on hand to help me. As I was cleaning and chopping the veggies, B was boiling the eggs and making the tuna mix, and Mattie was making the croutons. Again, I miss having a pet bunny as I look at the number of leaves that weren't used in the mix.
I don't know why I didn't make use of any sort of oil to mix my salad. I think I just prefer it that way. Also, I made sure to store the chopped up ingredients in different bowls/containers. The leafy greens and tomatoes were together. The cheese, tuna, cucumbers, and eggs had their own bowls. I don't want to make B and Mattie eat the veggies or ingredients that they don't want to. Sure, I put a little bit into their servings but not so much. To me, enjoying the meal is also as important as what goes into the meal.
I want them to eat the stuff I make with smiles on their faces and not grimaces. I think that is something that most people forget as they slam the 'it's good for you' argument in your face.
Again I've yet to find little cookie cutters with different shapes (for the croutons). Oh well, that doesn't mean I'll stop trying to find it! So anyway, I did manage to take a pic of the finished product! Here it is:
I wonder if I'll be able to continue with my E.K.S. next Sunday. Oh well like we Filipinos always say: Pag gusto may paraan! Pag ayaw laging may dahilan. Here's to hoping that I'm the former and not the latter. ♥
At precisely 8:30 pm of this day, a lot of lights went out. It wasn't a scheduled power outage as we in the Philippines have come to get used to. It was in support of Earth Hour. This lovely event was organized by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) that simply asks everyone to turn off their lights and other electrical appliances for 60 minutes. All this is aimed towards the hope of raising even more awareness about the need for immediate action regarding climate change.
It is nice that a lot of establishments in Davao City participated in the event. It just makes me wonder, after the said hour and people return to their usual routines...has anything actually changed? Are people really more aware about the precarious situation our world's climate is in? Do they even care?
Earth Hour is a lovely idea but seems too commercialized to be effective. I mean sure, you participate in it, you seem to care about the environment...then what? What happens next?
Awareness is all and good. I'm all for it. I just wish there was something more. Oh well, time to start on the research.
Today my elder brother made good on his promise to go watch a movie with me, B, and Mattie. Ni-chan has been quite preoccupied due to unfortunate circumstances (I'm thinking of making an entry about it but maybe on a latter date when my head has managed to cool). So my boys and I headed down to NCCC Mall to catch Battle: Los Angeles. It's been a while since I've been to the cinemas and it's been even longer since an army/alien movie caught my fancy.
The trailer was good, that's why I initially wanted to see this movie. I certainly enjoyed it! Although, the camera movements were rather erratic and at times I had to squint or look away to avoid getting dizzy. I suppose that's the director's way of trying to share what soldiers in the line of fire go through. I'm certain it's much worse.
I was really glad that Michelle Rodriguez was there. I always loved it when she's onscreen. It's just getting pretty obvious that she's stuck in the same generic role of a tough girl with a pretty face. So, basically, if you're trying to find depth from this movie, you won't find it. There's the 'moment' where the main character gives the 'get on with it/empowerment speech'. So I'm trying to find how this movie differs from Independence Day. Well, I suppose in this movie, the aliens were more obvious about why they came. I just wondered how the scientists in this film managed to realize that they were after our water, or that the sea levels were receding, and such things.
Practically, it raises a lot of questions. However, if you're just out for a good distraction with popcorn and side comments, this movie is perfect for you.
I'm surprisingly looking forward to the 4th Pirates movie for one single reason: Mermaids. I'm a nutter for anything with mermaids in it! Also, B showed me the trailer for Friends With Benefits. It stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The trailer is hilarious and I look forward to watching that as well. Looks like the summer is looking bright!
As expected today is another Experimental Kitchen Sunday! I was rather lazy this week and did not do any research as to what recipes I could do for this week. It wasn't until yesterday that the muse hit me. In usual me fashion, I woke up around noon or so and was immediately hit by hunger. I was much too sleepy to cook so I do what any of us would do: raid the fridge.
There was bread, mayonnaise tomatoes in the fridge. There was spicy tuna in the cupboards. So I decided to make myself spicy tuna and tomatoes sandwich. It was scrumptious! My little brother Mattie liked it so much that he actually finished off the loaf of bread. It wasn't often that Mattie liked anything healthy. So I made my mind up to try my hand at making Salad. Foolproof right?
So it was settled. This week's subject would be Spicy Tuna Salad.
It was a fairly quick trip to the grocers, having most of my ingredients in the fridge already. All that was missing was more cans of spicy tuna, tomatoes, bread, cabbage and some Romaine Lettuce. I kept in mind that my boys (B and Mattie) aren't big fans of the leafy greens. So I endeavored to keep the salad as basic and as non-herbivore friendly.
Here are the ingredients that I used:
Really easy to find, right? I made sure that only the leaves were included. As I was cutting up the leaves, I was hit by a pang of nostalgia about my ol' pet bunny. It was such a waste to just throw away the parts that I wasn't going to use and I dreadfully wished that I had a pet bunny again that could do away with the throwaways.
So I placed all the vegetables + the tomatoes (tomatoes are fruits after all) together in one container and I mixed up the spicy tuna in another bowl. That would be good so the oils from the tuna won't seep into the veggies and make them soggy. I whipped up the tuna with a bit of mayo and pepper.
Oh, in case you were wondering what the bread was for: I was trying to aim for a below 300 spending for today so instead of buying croutons, I decided to make my own from scratch.
Usually croutons would be baked or fried but I was too lazy for that; so the next best thing was to make use of the toaster. Just remember to cut out and/or eat the edges before tossing them into the toaster. When they're all nice and tough, just cut them into little squares. I wonder if I can find little cookie cutters that come in different shapes? I want my future croutons to be appealing to kids so I can have my future kids eat them with a happy smile.
So anyway, this is my finished product:
My boys gobbled it all up in a hurry! I was so happy. Even mum (who's kinda picky about her food) loved it. She said, and I quote: "I don't mind if you feed this to me everyday. Oh, whip me up a batch so I can take it to work." I've come to translate the phrase 'take it to work' as 'I will show it off to my friends'. Hey, I'm not complaining.
Sadly I wasn't able to put in hard boiled eggs in my salad. Mum said she wanted to add cucumbers too. So I guess my salad will have new ingredients introduced to it as I make it. ♥
For anyone who cares, today is the given date for the discussion/town meeting of Ayala Alabang Village. On the agenda: their Ordinance that has garnered so much public interest. Normally, I'd attend such meetings in a heartbeat, particularly since it does discuss something that is quite troubling and relative to everyone one that will be governed by it. Since it is my misfortune to be in Davao (my trip to Manila won't be until 2 weeks from now), I find myself trying to scrounge up as much information as I can.
Fortunately for me, the social networking/microblogging website Twitter was an avenue that was more than helpful in my mission. Thanks to the the accounts of Elizabeth Angsioco, Ruffy Biazon, Filipino Freethinkers, and concerned residents like Andrei Gonzales that I was able to get some sort of idea at how the meeting went.
So it boiled down to pretty much an appeal to morality by pro-ordinance and a severe pelting of logic and facts by the anti-ordinance. The pro-ordinance recruited Nene Pimentel to try and infuse politics into the simple human rights issue that is hit by this ordinance. Sen. Pimentel did a good job of trying to muddle issues and inject significantly irrelevant details as pointed out by @drei_gonzales.
It is frustrating how they tried to inject politics into this. The ordinance is mainly about the rights of the residents. Whether or not they want to be subjected to such rules and restrictions. For anyone who hasn't read the entirety of the ordinance, feel free to go to Ms. Lea Salonga's website. She made a blog entry about the ordinance and provided a copy of it. You could look at her blog entry here.
Also it seems that Sen. Pimentel tickled the ire of @ruffybiazion.
Where does Nene Pimentel live anyway? This ordinance is to be decided upon by AAV residents. Pimentel's input is welcome however he ought to have kept in mind that he is a guest to a discussion about an ordinance that he won't even be under.
@bethangsioco made it clear that the pro-ordinance side once again gave such...inspired and logical reasoning to support their side.
The talks were smooth and everything was orderly. It was reported that most of the pro-ordinance side were nuns and elderly people. While it was nice that a lot of people are concerned about this, it is saddening that our elders aren't looking out for today's youth. Do they really want to have their kids just indulge in uneducated and unprotected sex and just say 'Hey, at least we're protecting the rights of the unborn child that could very possibly be born from this!'
I just sigh whenever I think of these events. So the AAV council has 3 options. 1.) Edit and resubmit their ordinance. 2.) Abandon the ordinance. And, 3.) Keep their ordinance as is.
I am glad that AAV is taking steps to develop an ordinance that they think will come in the best interest of their people. It's just that, well, next time, I hope they think things through a bit more. AAV isn't a wholly Catholic village, after all.
So today is another experimental kitchen Sunday! I am very rested and very excited for today's subject. I decided to make Chicken Lollipops with Honey, Lemon, and Ginger Sauce. I decided to not do groceries as NCCC and try SM Davao's grocery for a change. They've always been proud of their "We've got it all for you" slogan and I wanted to put them to the test.
Consider me, a loyal fan now, SM. I was truly blown away at how orderly, gigantic, well-stocked, and professionally staffed you are. It took me and B less than 30 minutes to locate everything that we needed. All the aisles were labeled well and were made in a way that was certainly friendly for those with eye problems. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They were certainly knowledgeable as where everything was, they'd even direct you to which brand would be best or which would be more budget friendly.
B was certainly happy, he got himself a bottle of Kimchi. I loved how their poultry section already had ready made chicken lollipops that weren't expensive. I have to say I am happiest when I'm strolling through the aisles of markets and groceries. I am always fascinated at the different colors, smells, and most of all, the possibilities. I am always enthralled at how with just a handful of items, one could create something entirely different for those around them. So anyway, on to the discussion of today's subject.
The ingredients are as follows:
Chicken lollipops with skin on, seasoned with salt (or fish sauce) and pepper
A thumb-sized piece of ginger
Juice of one lemon 4 to 6 tbsps. of honey
2 tbsps. of finely sliced onion leaves, for garnish (this one is optional)
The recipe was easy enough to make. It did not require much effort nor was it much of a hassle. It did, however, point out the very glaring issue of my lack of item required to achieve certain parts of the recipe. (I lack a juicer) So I had to turn to B's brute strength to tide us through. I thought it was just a waste though but at least I now know that lemons will always be within reach. I still am on the quest to find a grocery that sells chicken fillets. It is either that, or I break open the knife set that my dad got and do the fillets myself. That's an adventure for another time.
This recipe is one of those 'serve instantly' kind of things. Also, it would be best if after cooking the chicken, you slice them up a bit and drizzle the sauce over it. That way, the flavor seeps into the meat really well.
Here's my finished product:
I certainly had fun in this week's subject. I've yet to decide on what next week's subject will be but research is more than half the fun! ♥
I thought that B's monthsary plans were limited to just the day itself but I find myself to be pleasantly incorrect. It turns out that he took the time to research as to which salons offer good foot spa services. I seem to vaguely have a conversation in which I had mentioned that I wanted to save up for a foot spa since I haven't undergone a treatment in quite a while. I guess he took that conversation to heart. Well if I was going to be spoiled, I insisted that B and my little brother, Mattie go have sessions too.
It wasn't far from the house, it only took us around 5 minutes to get there. We stopped by the Minute Burger station at the corner of Juna to grab a quick lunch. It was quite challenging as Matt and I have never been to such places before. Thankfully, B was there to guide us. It was totally urban and I loved it. It was fascinating to watch the many different people as they went about. Those that ordered, what they got, what mannerisms they showed as they waited...those were what captured my attention the most. I am what you would call a sheltered child, having only limited exposure to the grit of society. Yes, it seems that even a regular local burger shop is a foreign country to me.
From there, there was only a bit of a trek to Envy Me Salon. The name certainly caters to the usual stereotype of vain females with their constant desire to be the object of envy. I was hoping that the people in there would be nice. Turns out, they were more than nice. They were rather obliging, very professional, and were approachable. This branch was the one located right in front of NCCC Mall. Since it was a Saturday, I thought that they'd be super busy. They kind of were, but they were still able to cater to myself and my party.
It was adorable to see B and Mattie go through a foot spa session as they haven't experienced it before. B insisted that I be subjected to the package of foot spa/pedicure/manicure. I was a tad apprehensive as I thought it would be ridiculously expensive. However, it was only around 300+. That certainly didn't break the bank and as I found out, their service was very good. They made use of products like St. Ives and others. The cherry scented foot scrub was quite lovely. It certainly left my feet all soft and smooth.
I got into a rather long conversation with my attendant, Ate Maya. It seems that she's 5 months pregnant. Having been there myself, it was fun to talk about being pregnant. I also gave her tips that my doctor always insisted should be followed. Like walking regularly, taking in Folic Acid, drinking milk, and not denying yourself the cravings that go with the whole thing. She was surprised at how I was able to talk about my loss so openly. I miss Magsie dearly but what would be the point of dwelling on the sad parts of life? Besides, I promised my daughter that I would become a person that she would be very proud of.
On that note, B commented on how I seem to be more chipper and more positive than I was when we first got together. If I recall right, he was always saying back then how I was his ray of hope. It's nice, to be the recipient of such praise. Surprisingly, it doesn't put any pressure on me whatsoever. I should just keep acting the way I always do since it apparently affects people in a positive way.
So anyway, Envy Me Salon is definitely a place that I shall return to whenever I can. I look forward to seeing how they handle hair as thick and as long as mine!
After heading to NCCC Mall to buy rice, we headed home and decided to christen the newly bought Boggle game from yesterday. I love word games! I wasn't allowed to join in whenever my cousins would play...something about it being unfair if I joined or some other. But it's okay, I'm certainly allowed to play them now! It was so much fun! Whenever I can, I'll make sure to play more bouts with my family. ♥
Time to take a break from lobbying for a bill or from events that may tickle my ire. I believe that I haven't posted anything in the mush category for quite a while. So anyway, B and I went on our 27th monthsary date today. I decided to take him to that little hole in the wall restaurant that makes great Italian food. Most Dabaweynos would be very familiar with Picobello. They're located at the 5th floor of the JS Mall (I don't know what they're called now but tell your cabbie that's where you're headed and they'll know where to go.) It's quite out of the way. When you get up to the escalator, turn left, past the kiosks, and into a sort of tunnel-like passage where you'll be surrounded by pretty much nothing. It's quite scary to first timers as thoughts of being mugged will surely be entertained in their heads. But fear not, it is all quite safe.
Picobello boasts of its brick oven pizza as most Italian places would forgo tradition in favor of modern amenities. I've always loved the ambiance that came with the place. It's perfect for families and mostly couples that would like to go on a quiet, but very romantic date. Fortunately we got there between 2pm and 5pm so we were able to avail of their buy 1, take 1 pizza promo. The catch is that you cannot take it to go and must finish it there. But it is totally worth it! I got myself a salad and a mango shake. B got himself his favorite Bolognese pasta and the 2 Margherita pizzas that we ordered. Of course, I had some of the pizza too!
B cannot wait to go back! Aside from all that, he also decided to buy me some new shoes since I haven't bought a pair in months. Most of my shoes were left in Manila and I was pretty happy with the pairs I owned here. It seems that God was on Boogie's side. The moment I uttered "I don't need new shoes." the pair that I was wearing broke! So I had to drag my feet to the ladies shoe section and picked out a new pair of wedges. I was happy with picking the cheapest ones there even if he insisted that I get the pricey ones. I was pretty happy with my choice but, I had only taken a few steps when the new pair I chose broke too. Sure it was mortifying but I laughed it off and the attendants laughed with me as well. So I gave into what B wanted and bought myself pricey shoes. However, I was totally adamant that I buy myself a new pair of sneakers. My pink pair was left in Manila too, so a nice black pair would suit me just fine.
B also decided to get me a bonnet, some new hair scrungies , a new Boggle set, a beautiful pair of silver hoop earrings. I haven't been as spoiled since the last time I went shopping with my daddy which resulted on an 11k splurge. So yeah, I was pretty happy. I love you, B. ♥
It is quite easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment. Particularly when it comes to matters that--well, matter to you. Take for example the Ordinance passed by one Ayala Alabang Village. It's been the talk of the online world since it broke out around a week ago. Apparently, one needs to have a prescription when one wishes to purchase condoms in the area.
While that in itself is rather ridiculous, it's merely a small part of a much bigger obnoxious zit on the face of AAV. It isn't the requiring of condoms that stirs the hornet's nest. It's the outright prohibiting of Sex Education. Ayala Alabang is a rich village. The residents there have been blessed with opportunities that most only dream about. Most of all, they've had the privilege of having the best education that money could buy. With that in mind, what is it that makes them bar educating those around them?
Times are no longer as simple as they were. Our country is suffering from a sudden burst of population and it is eating away at what little resources we have. One way to reign in all the madness is to educate the common folk. The ordinance, if passed, prohibits the teaching of sexual education and passing along pamphlets and other paraphernalia that promotes the use of contraceptives.
The Muntinlupa City Council has yet to pass judgement upon the ordinance, although it seems that there were reports that they would junk it. However, when you are backed by money, religion, and stubbornness--the tale doesn't end so simply. Yesterday, Ayala Alabang managed to grab the attention of the internet community once more.
During the homily at St. James the Great Parish, the parish priest firstly clarified that he was not relating his homily to the Ordinance whatsoever, then later on expresses that if you do not support the ordinance, you are cursed. What a rather flimsy attempt to cover their hypocrisy. If you use twitter like I do, you would be quite familiar with the tweets of Carlos Celdran and Lea Salonga. They never fail to express their thoughts about AAV's ordinance.
What does all this have to do with me? I've lived there. Technically--still live there. It seems that AAV has conveniently forgotten that they are not solely Catholics there. Different families, with different beliefs reside there. It is just so surprising that a place that has had the admiration and envy of people has now become the butt of every RH-Bill related joke. Some are even going as far as calling is Ayala Taliban Alabang.
At this point, you can either raise your voice and be assured that they will raise their own too. Or you could take a step away from the mess, let tempers cool, and look at the big picture. What is worth fighting for? I do not condone abortion. I'd rather children be born. I would just prefer that they be planned. That is where sex education would work wonders.
So as the title suggests, I tried my hand at bowling today. My big brother invited us for a round over at NCCC's bowling alley. The last time I recalled ever going bowling was for high school finals exam. Ateneo had the weirdest (but FUN) exams for their students. B wasn't feeling very well so he opted to sit this one out but he went along with us since he didn't want to be left alone in the house. Mum was at work so it was down to me, my kuya, Mattie, and Hazel.
I rather liked the amenities as they were clean and well lit. The staff was really helpful and served you with a smile.
As expected, kuya was good at the game since he'd been going bowling practically every weekend for a while now. Mattie was more of a throw-really-hard-see-the-pins-die sort of player. Hazel was unexpectedly good with her dainty little throws all the while scoring successive strikes. And me? Well...let's just say that I've had better days.
That didn't stop me from having a blast though! After a few canal hits, I finally got into the rhythm of it and I have to say I was pretty proud to hit 9s! The game was affordable at 60 pesos per hour, the shoe rentals were just at 15 pesos each. So it definitely did not break the bank.
After the game, we headed down to Dencio's for a meal. I missed their squid! Kuya introduced me to something called 'Bulad Rice'. It was good but was a little too salty for my taste. Over the meal, Mattie surprisingly expressed his desire to start Muai Thai this summer. B of course was happy as a clam, he'd been wanting to join the class down at Metro for forever. So I suppose this date gave birth to the idea of gym lifestyles for everyone. Kuya was rather interested too. Me? I'm after the dance classes. I sorely miss dancing.
I unfortunately wasn't able to take a picture of the food before it all disappeared into our happy bellies but it was awesome. I do hope that we'll all be able to follow up on our respective gym desires soon. ♥
This entry is actually a day late, but you cannot blame me as the events that transpired in this entry happened in the late night, well into the wee hours of the morning. So, my dear reader, you may recall my 2nd EKS subject of Shepherd's Pie. My kuya was just so enamored with it that he asked for help to cook it for his girlfriend. I think he was kind of nervous as he hasn't really tried his hand in cooking (aside from reheating canned goods in the microwave) but I assured him that he'll be able to do it. (I totally made sure that he was the captain on this venture.)
It was quite cute to see him try his hand at sauteing, flavoring, creating mashed potatoes, and last but not least, making gravy. It was a joint effort. B was there with me. So was kuya's girlfriend, Hazel.Laughter was abound and the conversation was great. I'd have to say that he did really well for a beginner in the kitchen. I, unfortunately spaced and didn't manage to get a snap at his delicious gravy. I will admit that it was even better than mine! It was the right kind of tangy, a bit of spice, just a dash of sweetness and the consistency was great! Kuya didn't say much but I'
m pretty sure that he's proud of 'his creation'.
Also, remember last Sunday's subject? Well my mother brought over some leftovers to her office. Poor mom didn't stand a chance against her marauding office mates. They ate half of her packed lunch.
Mom's tone was that of a really proud parent as she told them that "My daughter made it. She experiments with different recipes every Sunday!" You cannot imagine the joy in my heart as I heard her retell the story to me. She's even gone as far as say that "When you're free, whip up a batch of your Shepherd's Pie and I'll feed it to my office mates! Maybe you could charge them for it!" Leave it to mom to see a business venture in everything.
Back to topic though, this is kuya's finished product:
Looks better than mine, doesn't it? I have to say the fancy plate helped a lot (presentation-wise anyway). Note to self: Buy fancy plates! My heart sings with jubilee as more and more people say that what I make is great. It makes me look forward to making other dishes every Sunday! ♥
