Espadrilles anyone?

I'm planning to have my first pair of espadrilles real soon. Can you help me take a pick from this bunch of beauties?

Lonely Planet Travel Mosaic

Early this year just before I went to China for a short-term study program, I became one of the lucky entry-senders who joined the Lonely Planet Travel Mosaic.

And not only one, nor two, nor four, nor six. Not even seven! 

I got eight!

Eight lucky photos to get into the mosaic! Oh, happiness. (Not to mention that six of these travels were FREE. Yes. I love my last job.) The mosaic's interactive globe is awesome and therapeutic. You can actually type the keyword of the place you wish to see or go to, and then the globe will start rotating and will show you related pictures sent by the other entry-senders! Cool eh?

Click the picture below to bring you back to my past adventures documented by none other than one of the most trusted travel guides in the world, Lonely Planet.

Enjoy!

The Christmas of Mang Inasal

The three wise men.

UST's Paskuhan 2010

December 17, 2010. España, Manila.

That night, all lights shone for the University of Santo Tomas.

  

Kopi Bun: My Aromatic Asian Coffee Experience in a Bun

Look here.

SEAIR Batanes Winter Bloggers' Tour

There's an ongoing contest by South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) that shall send seven lucky bloggers to experience Batanes next year.

Look here.

Fazoli's Restaurant: Real Italian, Real Fast

Real Italian. Real Fast.

Fazoli's Italian Restaurant in Eastwood said it boldly and right. In fact I can say that this can be the fastest Italian meal I have eaten in my entire life. I just can't stop munching.

Look here.

Lan Zhou La Mian's Authentic Chinese Beef Noodles

Let's crave for some Chinese food today.

Having accepted as a scholar to study in China for five months, I had been very fortunate. Not only because it has been a dream to study Mandarin Chinese and see the Great Wall of China, but also because my taste buds has an ongoing love affair for Chinese food.

Growing up in Manila, I had always been appreciative of the Chinese dishes I have eaten from various Chinese restaurants all over the city. Lucky me. I live near Binondo.

Some of the best Chinese restaurants are found in Manila Chinatown.

Have you heard of Lan Zhou La Mian in Benavidez St.?

Countryside Restaurant: Not Your Ordinary Karinderya

Just when you thought you just have passed by an ordinary karinderya named "Countryside" along Katipunan Ave., don't just think again.

Slow down. Take it to the full stop. And then treat yourself with some delicious home-cooked dishes at the Countryside Restaurant.

Crazy for Banapple

Here's why people are so crazy about Banapple.

Cafe Mocha PhP 175

Cafe Mocha. Rich. Creamy.

Wolverine No More: A Saturday Salon Story

Saturday is self-grooming day.

Yes. A much-needed self-grooming day for that matter as I intentionally grew my hair and stubble to portray Wolverine of X-Men for our company's Christmas party yesterday.

Taking the Centerstage: A KTV Experience

One of the blessings of being newly employed during the month of December is that most of the works are taking a halt and everybody are gearing up for the Yuletide Season. There are parties and gatherings everywhere. You get free gifts from wonderful colleagues you just have met. And for some curious reason, you may also get invited to sing or dance to the company's Christmas party or represent the company to sing or dance in a contest.

Let me share you an experience.

My first biggest task for my new work is to sing for Health and Dietary Supplements Association of the Philippines' (HADSAP) Christmas Party.

It was held in Centerstage in Jupiter.

Kusinerong Pinoy's Awesome Beef Kaldereta

It's almost been a week since I started working in Makati! I have eaten in the Jolly Jeeps, La Grotta, Shakey's and other know-to-many restaurants near our office but so far, this lutong-bahay eating place is the stand out among everything else on my list.

Kusinerong Pinoy!

Look here.

Beef Kaldereta PhP60

Where is Neverwhere, Batangas?

My mother hails from Neverwhere, Batangas.

Just kidding.

There’s no such location. But my mother’s hometown is so far-flung I am not sure if I can see it in Google Earth. She grew up in a barrio in Talisay, Batangas. It’s a small village where almost everyone is a relative. I can still remember when our parents used to take us there, our mother will introduce us from house to house to greet our cousins, tiyos, tiyas, kakas*, mamays* and nanays. Our mother told us all of them are our relatives and we are free to step inside their house and eat with them anytime we want.

I still like the idea of absolutely feeling at home and eating together with people I barely know in my mother’s hometown, even until now that I grew older and spent most of my days in Manila where you can’t exercise such a great freedom like that.

It’s the best of all the Filipino family customs and traditions.

---

Let me take you to my road trip.

Hangzhou is the Best Tourism City of China

The Best Tourism City of China. The Oriental Capital of Leisure. The City of Quality Life. The Tea Capital of China. The City of Silk. The Happiest City of China. The City of Love.

The city of Hangzhou in China may have given you the slightest hint of what kind of place it is through the titles and descriptions it was given, but you can only know Hangzhou if you’ll be there to experience it for yourself.

The Lady of the Fans

This essay won 3rd Place in Essay Category during the Ika-22 Gawad Ustetika, the university-wide literary competition organized by The Varsitarian of the University of Santo Tomas.

It happened last semester. I found myself walking along Dapitan Street searching for a new pen to buy after giving in to the idea that, indeed, searching for the pen I had just bought and lost earlier that day was only an exercise in futility. I felt the need to just run away and give myself the relief of purchasing a new pen upon realizing (a) that I had just made an extensive search-and-rescue operation for the lost pen, (b) that I just stood frozen upon remembering that I got loads of school works to do inside the organization room and I can’t afford to waste any of the remaining hours that I have, and (c) that I surely need the pen but I am already getting tired looking so I need to move on and just get a new one.

[Photo Credits: http://www.tagaloglang.com/]