Il Mercanti

 Similar, i guess to the Banchettos that have sprouted in the different areas in the metro, Il Mercanti offers the same concept of showcasing a lot of different varieties of food stuff. I have never been to any Banchetto site so i can't really compare, I have been to Mercato and although i prefer their food line up there, Il Mercanto is more airy and spacious not to mention more accessible since it is located just right inside Metrowalk.

spacious halls

a short walk from the main establishments of Metrowalk towards the parking lot will lead you to this...

roast pork loin, pastas, potatoes

just follow your nose, the waft of the different aromas of food will definitely entice you. 

there are different varieties of food to choose from, there's rice and viands combo, or  meats and potatoes and pasta, there's different kids of pizzas...

the Korean food stall

 there's a Mongolian stall somewhere, and this Korean food stall which i personally love, and some Japanese sushi and rolls too.

street food all-you-want

 street food abounds as well, i must have seen two or three stalls in there somewhere. there are also different varieties of seafoods and even lechon!!

desserts table

 there is also a wide selection of dessert items for your sweet tooth.

the spacious dining area

I'm not quite sure if it was just a slow night or word still hasn't gotten around much but there  were but a few people when we got there that we never had any problem getting a table. and several helps were around to clear the tables at once when the guests leave.  we must have spent a considerable amount of time checking out each stall, taking photos and deciding what to sample. we wanted to try different varieties and here's what we finally got:

some Korean dumpling soup--spicy!

 i don't know what it's called, it's sold for 99 pesos per order. it's like a kimchy soup, spicy and sour with some rice/ flour dumplings. it tasted like rice balls hehe...good enough for me.

chap chae noodles (80.00)

 this noodles is part of a combo meal which you could pair with rice and chicken or pork dish which costs 99 pesos. we didn't want any rice so i merely ordered this dish. it is cold but very tasty, i like it.

baked lasagna

 this baked lasagna is so-so...

Smore's bar at Med's 59.00

this smores bar is really good, it's like a moist chocolate bar with burnt marshmallow toppings. too bad we were so full when we got this that we didn't finish everything. i took this home along with other revel bars we bought for 3 kinds for 100 pesos but i ended up giving them to the taxi driver who took me home. i felt too stuffed already and i didn't want more temptations teehee! i hope mamang driver liked it.

steak sandwich, a bit mediocre for 135.00

 the steak sandwich was one of the first stuff that i bought, it's supposed to be beef steak cut into strips and garnished with onions and bell peppers topped with cheddar or blue cheese. i let them take out the onions and pepper because i don't eat them and chose blue cheese as condiment, ahhh it tasted blah. the beef was bubble gummy, the blue cheese tasted different, the bun is mediocre. it's too expensive for me for 135.00. maybe i should just have tried their pulled pork sandwich.

wintermelon milk tea, quite expensive for 90.00

 milk tea!!! i've been on a milk tea frenzy the past days, this was actually my second cup for the day. it tasted alright but i find it expensive compared to Moonleaf which only costs 70.00.

this is a winner, taro ice cream for 25.00, yum!

we capped the night, er morning with this yummy taro ice cream. and it's a steal for 25.00 per small cup. it's so creamy and delicious indeed. we were there from 10:30pm to about 12:30am stuffing ourselves crazy and digesting all the food sights and smells and some sightings of a few celebrities. Reporter, TV personality Connie Sison was there and i just learned that she's one of the organizers for this event. 

OH WAIT!

this was our STAR OF THE NIGHT...

The Juicy Lucy stuffed cheeseburger...

uhm, it's got fried mozzarella cheese hugging the enormous beef patty which has more melted cheese stuffed in it. cardiac delight indeed but it was really yummy! ;)

I'm not sure when we are going back to Il Mercanti, i guess we need more time to digest everything that we ate there that night (till morning). teehee!

Il Mercanti is located at the parking lot of Metrowalk in Ortigas and is open Wednesday to Friday nights at 10pm onwards.

memories of 9/11

Sept. 11, 2001--we have just arrived in our hosts' house in Chiba, Tokyo when we saw them sitting in front of their TV enrapt. we just came from a long flight and another long drive from the airport to their home. it was past 10pm and we were weary lugging in our bags. the hosts were not able to greet us at once so we sat beside them and watched as an airplane crashed into this tall building and people screamed. i initially thought it was a scene straight from a Bruce Willis movie since we could not understand anything with the voice over in Nihonggo. then we were told it was the World Trade Center in New York and it was a news cover happening almost in real time. i was already tired yet i felt my knees got weaker.

most of the days we had in Tokyo was spent watching the news. even if we could barely understand it their graphics and illustrations were pretty impressive. we didn't have that kind of news reporting yet back then in the Philippines.

a few days later we were on the 48th floor of the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku for a view of the city. our host told us that we must still be very careful since there might be some prank terrorists in Tokyo. By that he meant people who only wanted to mimic any celebrated crime just for the heck of it. weird people eh!

when i went back home to Manila a couple of weeks later i was able to talk to an old friend who was then lovelorn and depressed. she called me up and in between sobs told me about her realization on the said tragedy, that at least her heartbreak is nothing compared to the loss of all those people who were victims of 9/11. that at least she was still alive and her loved ones were still okay. something like that. such a realization indeed.

stories and powerful photos now abound once again as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks but i'd like the words of then New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani's "We will rebuild!' to reverberate most of all.

early this year i was able to visit Ground Zero, and yes on its site now is the rebuilding of the new towers which will include a memorial and a museum. it is a stark reminder that people's lives, like these buildings can still be rebuilt and rise from the ashes and tower once again. here's hoping that most if not all of the victims and their loved ones were able to rebuild their lives somehow.

the blackberry story

(photo credits to the owner)

i'd almost always come home via cab each time i have a night out with friends. last night was quite atypical though. a few minutes after i got in the cab, the driver asked me if a blackberry is expensive. not really knowing where the conversation could lead to, i merely said yes, but i'm not so sure since i don't have one. he then said it was because somebody left a blackberry in his cab and he does not know what to do with it. he hasn't been turning the radio on thinking he might miss a call in case it rings. i told him to take it to a radio station like the one where Papa Jack works since he's always onboard during the wee hours of the morning and i'm thinking he's a got a lot of listeners and fans. i could have told him to go the police station but i realize we might not be able to trust them (bad!)

then he showed me the phone and asked me to check how it could work. i saw that there were already several messages but since i never had a blackberry i didn't know how to operate it. i tried to compose a reply but i didn't know how to send it. i tried to call but i could not hear anything.

so i asked the driver if it is alright that i copy a number from the phone. one message there said that whoever found the phone will get a reward, or something like that. i copied the number and also asked for the driver's contact details.

when i reached home i just bid the driver adieu wishing him good luck with the phone and he also told me to try contacting the owner as well. i then tried to call the owner using my phone and sent him a message about a blackberry left in a cab.

the following morning i got call from the owner. i gave him the details and he said he's going to contact the cab driver.

a couple of hours later he said he finally got his phone and was thanking me profusely. i told him to thank and reward the driver instead

so to Mang Ben Martinez of Glowing Stone taxi with plate number UVH 133, good job!!!

here comes the blog...

and so i got engaged!

i know it's been more than a week since the proposal but i'm still a bit floating and dreaming as i continue hearing well-wishers and even suggestions for the yet undated wedding. i am grateful for everyone though and everything is still overwhelming.

so how did it happen?

no, there weren't any frills, no fanfare, but i have to say i was a bit surprised. it was a Sunday, July 31 to be exact, we just got home from a really heavy lunch with friends and after tinkering with my laptop for a while he turned the TV off (which i barely noticed), sat beside me, held my hands and started telling me about quite a long list of people who actually knew what he was gonna say to me that very moment. heck, i didn't even know these people were his confidantes! i was bewildered for a while that when he finally asked, "will you marry me?" i merely hugged him and cried and said "shit! ! shit! shit!" that he asked me "are you really saying shit?" so yes, he had to ask me a second time because i didn't know that just like what we see in the movies I have to actually say "yes!" instead of just nodding and hugging him.

wedding preparations are in the works but we are not in a hurry yet to plan out the details after all it's still but a year before he could finally graduate and come back home to us. the girl in me continues to daydream and fantasize about our big day though but most likely we'll just have a formal but fairly simple event with close friends and family. what matters most is that in those dreams there's us and my little boy in it. we will surely keep you posted.

suffice it to say i feel like i'm the happiest girl in the world!

panic mode!

i'm in a sort of panic mode as i write this. it is after all the final hour for NU 107, the radio station that rocked not just our country but my young life as well. yes, i was one of those who'd leave their radio on and tuned in to NU even as i sleep. it was a comforting companion as i battle homesickness being far away from home during my adolescent years.

and more than 10 years hence, and even if i have missed listening to the radio as i faced my more mature life i sort of rediscover listening to it again via their online live stream. and it felt like coming back home as i get to listen again to the songs i've grown up with. the songs from the cassette tapes i have accumulated through the years which remained kept and mildewed somewhere became fresher and more recent as we get to listen to them again on air.

argh, the final hour! it's like slowly saying goodbye to our youth! it's like saying goodbye to all the memories most especially during our grung-y years (now more currently known as emo c'mon, let's face it, guys! ):p

i guess we'll just have to face the fact that our golden generation has passed and it's now the younger ones turn to enjoy their slot of the airwaves perhaps?

ah, well...let me just relish this till all i hear is white noise by the time this day is over. farewell, NU.

want some french?

Happy Easter!

“Christ is risen; Christ is truly risen.”



and it's meat time too! :D

DIY Holy Week 2010: Black Saturday

nothing much really...fed on corned tuna fried rice with mushrooms, baguio beans, and egg...slept...sufed the net...watched a bit of Brothers and Sisters on Studio 23 and Agua Bendita on Channel 2...ate instant noodles for dinner...and watched American Beauty.




back in the day, i remember how we siblings would sneak out of the house one by one once my mom leaves the house for her church service only to find ourselves meeting up again in our usual hang out area in the city. :p

=======

Black Saturday or Holy Saturday is actually the last day of Lent. this is when we start waiting for Christ's resurrection which is on Easter Sunday. as we wait in anticipation for that wondrous event it is but fitting that we thank Him for not having left us even in our darkest moments.

Thank You for the pains You took
in order to enter the dungeons of our lives.

Thank You for entering
the innermost, darkest chambers
of our dungeons.

Thanks to Your loving self-sacrifice,
now I know that no distance is too great,
no dungeon too dark,
and no sin is too great
for Your love and light.

Help me
to love You back as You deserve.

AMEN.

DIY Holy Week 2010: Good Friday

Good Friday is generally the time for fasting and abstinence. I have somehow succeeded in abstaining from eating meat the past Fridays this Lent except for that one time when i had a meeting with my staff and not one of them observes abstinence anyway.

I have noticed though that the abstinence rule has kinda changed even at home. i remember us not having any meat for the entire week then starting Monday up to Saturday. imagine how much we'd be craving for meat come Easter Sunday, lechon anyone??? these days though, my mom says we only need to abstain on the Paschal Triduum or Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday. it's not really a mandatory thing. i just don't see anything wrong in sacrificing a little bit, besides it can be healthy too.

Good Friday is also that day commemorating Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death in order to save us from sins. quite mushy for kids nowadays but whenever you think hard about it you're supposed to feel extra special.

Faith is indeed a gift one has to receive (Robert Langdon, Angels and Demons). It's either you have it or you don't. or there will be times when you do question or even get angry. My faith has always been a more personal, more unorthodox one. it's like having a father, a brother, a confidante all in one. it's like having an enemy too. i'm not one who religiously follows rituals though i have been finding myself going back to church and attending mass each Sunday. and praying the rosary whenever i can. but there are more times when i would choose not to listen to him like some bratty kid. i guess this is the beauty of the Catholic faith really, we get to design our own faith, how we live our life, how we practice our faith. the basic tenet would really be to do what is basically and intrinsically good as a human being above all else. I don't know, maybe the elders and the more religious ones would frown at this practice. but for now i am at peace. i am loving the thought of being loved and basking in His glory.

i failed to attend church services today and have found myself listening to Jars of Clay almost the entire day...and here is my most favorite:



I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
and wipe away the crimson stains
and dull the nails that still remain
More and more I need you now,
I owe you more each passing hour
the battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
and wash the feet and cleanse my pride
take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
the sin-soaked heart and make it yours
take my world all apart

this song never fails to rip my heart apart. it's just so meaningful and beautiful i couldn't help but cry or stop whatever it is i am doing and drink up each word, each melody of this song.

DIY Holy Week 2010

Holy week and most special events make me miss my family more. I couldn't help but feel nostalgic at what we do together during those special times. I miss it when my mom would forever remind us to go to church, join the processions or at least light a candle and say our prayers as she serves us non-meat dish every meal. I long for her malagkit and ginataan dishes too which we would enjoy even if were supposed to fasting and abstaining from too much food.

this year I am not home for this event though. The last time that i didn't go home for the holy week i found myself shocked and bewildered in the island of Puerto Gay-lera. we all know what Galera is like during the holy week, ayt?! which is exactly why i chose to just stay home and try to recall our usual activities back home and at least have my own peace and quiet for the solemn observance for this year.

Holy Thursday's Visita Iglesia

Holy Thursday however was spent for Visita Iglesia. this is my first Visita Iglesia ever and i'm glad i have my friends i could join for this activity. Visita Iglesia or church visit is a Catholic tradition wherein 7 churches are being visited as we recall and reflect on the on the sufferings of Jesus Christ leading to his crucifixion. we initially listed down 11 churches around Quezon City and Manila areas though we actually made to just 8.

after having late lunches for some of us at Mc Donald's Quezon Ave., we hopped on a cab to take us to our first church which is at Sto. Domingo Church.

First Church: Sto. Domingo

Sto. Domingo also known as "Our Lady of the Rosary" or "Our Lady of La Naval" is built by the Dominicans in the 1600s. The main altar has a mosaic of St. Dominic designed by Architect Jose Zaragoza. Galo Ocampo designed the stained glass windows.

we bought our Stations of the Cross guide at the peddler in front of the church and agreed on 2 stations per church. From St. Domingo we then rode a jeepney to take us to the University of Sto. Tomas campus where the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church is.

Second Church: UST

here we prayed and reflected on the 3rd and 4th stations of the cross.

Third Church: San Sebastian

from UST, we took another jeepney to San Sebastian. San Sebastian church also known as the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is the only all-steel church in Asia. Its interiors feature a Gothic architecture style with its high spires and columns.

from San Sebastian we hailed a tricycle to take us to our fourth stop which is Quiapo Church.

Fourth Church: Quiapo

Quiapo church is officially known as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. every 9th of January, thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene would flock here for their yearly procession.

from this church we walked though Plaza Lacson and found Sta. Cruz church which is actually built by the Jesuits in the 1600s. this church is also home to Our Lady of Pilar.

Fifth Church: Sta. Cruz

farther down the street passing through Chinatown, we made our way towards Binondo to our 6th stop which is the Binondo church.

it was an added delight passing by the Fire Brigaide volunteers offering us free mochi and water from Eng Bee Tin.

we finally reached that end of the road where the Binondo church is.

Sixth Church: Binondo

Binondo is predominantly populated by Chinese settlers and used to be the business and finance district before Makati. Binondo church is officially known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz for this is where San Lorenzo Ruiz was born along with Mother Ignacia del Ispiritu Santo, founder of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

from Binondo we rode a tricycle to take to Intramuros which has our final two stops.

Seventh Church: Manila Cathedral

the Manila Cathedral is also known as the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and is the official seat of the Archbishop of Manila.

the late President Corazon C. Aquino had her wake and burial mass in this cathedral making her the first woman to permitted to lie in state here.

we finished up to the fourteenth station here before we headed to our final stop which is the San Agustin also in Intramuros since it was already getting too crowded.

Eighth Church: San Agustin

San Agustin Church is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines with its ornate carvings on the wooden doors.

its ceilings and walls have this trompe l'oeil or "trick of the eye" art technique creating an optical illusion in which objects appear as three-dimensional.

We finished at around 8pm, tired, hungry yet feeling blissed-out and sated. we then proceeded to Dampa in Macapagal for a much anticipated seafood feast. Kudos to us all.

time whizzes by kinda quickly....

no, it ZOOMS!!!!

Blue Christmas

a blue and white christmas for ateneo's back to back championship and my kinder to high school alma mater's school colors too haha! and yes, world peace! merry christmas to all!

waiting for the purple summer

I was able to catch another Tony award-winning musical at the RCBC Plaza last Friday, Oct. 9. Atlantis Productions' The Spring Awakening introduced me to another star-crossed lovers Melchior and Wendla. Set in the late 19th century Germany, these teenagers tackle issues on puberty and their raging hormones amidst repressions in the society.

it is particularly interesting to note that Duncan Sheik composed most of the songs here giving it some pop rock feel.

Joachin Valdez and Kelly Latti stars as Melchior and Wendla who both shine in their roles. i am amazed at how melodic and youthful their voices are. it particularly disappointed me though that Jet Pangan was not given a solo but i got impressed upon hearing that Sitti Navarro could actually sing and it doesn't sound bossa!

there is some bit of nudity and vulgar language amidst all the innocence and naivete. it is sweet and angst-y at the same time, gloomy yet hopeful too.

The earth will wave with corn
The gray-fly choir will mourn
And mares will neigh
With stallions that they mate
Foals they've borne

And all shall know the wonder
I will sing the song of purple summer

The show will run until Oct. 18. For tickets and more information, call Atlantis Productions at (632) 892-7078 or 840-1187. You may also visit www.atlantisproductionsinc.com .

a real hero

at the height of Richard Gutierrez's controversial rescue of fellow movie star Cristine Reyes, i sent Kuya Ef some news bits and asked his opinion on the so called heroic act. all he said was, "Hayaan natin si Chard kung doon siya masaya".

i felt a bit ashamed of myself especially after having religiously followed the scoops and controversies regarding the issue. true enough, now is not the time for us to merely dwell on trivialities and nitpick on other people's weaknesses and mistakes, admitted or not.

i first met Kuya Ef or Efren Penaflorida, Jr. in 2004, when we opened our Bayaning Pilipino Awards search for young people who also chose to make a difference. He was nominated for his active involvement in the values formation of young people in the depressed community in Cavite. and he is a young person himself and as economically challenged like most of the younger ones in his care.

he did not emerge as the top winner but this did not hinder him from his continued service and dedication to help others. he is now one of the endorsers of Ako Mismo! and is also one of the Top Ten candidates for CNN Heroes to which i'm going to solicit for your votes.





if you are as convinced of his ideals as i am, then click here and vote for him. note that you can vote as many times as you want.

I vote for Kuya Ef!

let us all spread the good news!

what to save?

i am currently staring at the stuff scattered around my room. i realize i have indeed accumulated a good number of things since my stay here last year. to think i have already lost and discarded more of my things from the many instances when i had to move from one place to another. after all, i must have moved homes more than 5 times for the past 16 years since i first came here in Manila (which also means i've been living here like half my life hmmm..)

i've been reading a lot about disaster preparedness lately. been trying to make a checklist as to what i should store and keep handy around the house in case an emergency arises. i realize i don't have a flashlight nor a candle. i don't have extra container/s for water in case the service is disrupted. i have enough food somehow to last me a few days. heck, i've been eating several times a day just to curb the nervousness and fear (yeah right!).

i have given already bagfuls of my clothes to charity. some of those items i'd have to close my eyes and not think twice before i chuck them into those bags. i thought i have given away most of my clothes back then to my nieces anyway. i have even had garage sales with some close friends before. purging one's closet can actually be cathartic. and yeah, it gives me the excuse to buy some more in case i'll once again have the urge to shop.

Typhoon Ondoy has become such an eye opener for most of us. it isn't just about the idea of mortality but also on how we hold on to our possessions. and how we've focused more on the finer things in life and neglecting the necessities.

exactly a week ago, i have been talking with friends and making plans on the parties, the events we could go to. fast forward to a couple of days ago, i could not even bring myself to go out and drink even with just the prospect of being able to meet up and hang out with friends. i was also contemplating on getting more stuff for my tiny home. more linens, an additional furniture perhaps. but such idea is so remote right now.

so what do i need to save in case i do need to evacuate in a flash? (God forbid!)

I don't know really.

must be my laptop (mostly because it's not mine). it conveniently contains most of my files.

my passport and all my other identification cards perhaps.

my cellphone and charger.

a few clothes.

my books! but they all seem so heavy.



oh wow, i don't know.



i just wish i won't have to be confronted with such a predicament ever.

i cannot possibly keep on buying anymore stuff. i won't be able to take them all with me anyway when the need arises.

i grieve for the people out there who just lost everything so quickly. some of them have been accumulated and saved for for years on end. maybe we should just stick to the basics and not have to spend so much on luxuries and everything else that are deemed disposable.

i really don't know. but i do know that as long as i will be able to save myself then i should be alright.

images from katipunan

my brother who is in the province sent me a text message late yesterday afternoon asking how i am. katipunan was reportedly neck-deep in flood water. i didn't know about it since i was warm, comfy and dry inside my apartment which is on the third floor. i went downstairs and checked, even up to the streets. it was still raining hard but glad to say, i didn't see the streets flooded from where i was.

then i saw these photos on facebook just this morning:

that's katipunan avenue just along ateneo where i work. i'd cross that street everyday.

the entire highway is indeed flooded that the street became impassable for a while.

this is the side street just beside the barangay hall. back in the early 2000, i lived near that area too. there's a creek nearby and the street would slope down like some catch basin for rain water which would tend to rise fairly quickly once creek water overflows. not a good place to stay indeed. the situation is much worse now since there is a construction site just beside it.

i could say i am fairly lucky for having stayed home that day. heck, i didn't even notice how disaster was that imminent till i received text messages from my office mates who resides in rodriguez, rizal. they say they were already stranded up there on their rooftops as early as 11am that morning and were asking for help. shame on me as i only woke up around that time. it felt cozy and cold having rained the entire night till that morning. i was only set out to attend a baptismal mass later that afternoon. such event was of course canceled.

i spent the rest of my day texting and calling hotline numbers for rescuers, checking out updates and reports on facebook and online news and reports on TV. it was plain heartbreaking. i don't think anyone could ever prepare themselves for such tragedy.

people frantically called out to their loved ones who were in school or at work. cars start floating or get swallowed in floodwater. lives and livelihoods have been lost. large concrete houses were damaged and submerged up to the second floor. shanties were wiped out in minutes. i heard there are still stranded people out there.

it is plain devastating. i'd cry seeing these dramas unfold before me. but i could also not help but smile and marvel at how these same people could still wave, pose and smile back at the cameras when rescued.

this ordeal is far from over. bodies out of nowhere are starting to float and be found. destruction is now revealed as the waters start to recede. although the storm has left and the rains intermittent, it left us more chaotic, muddy, and gloomy.

i am especially grateful that i am safe. but my heart still cries out for those victims and everyone who faced the storm right upfront. i could only imagine the horrors it brought them. the trauma. the pains.

i know, us Filipinos are possibly more resilient than any race out there. just the same, i'd like to urge everyone to keep on praying. to remain sensitive to their needs and their feelings. to try not to lash out at anyone at this time if only to point out on who to blame. there is a time for everything. and now is definitely not the time for that.

donations and volunteers are still needed at evacuation centers nearest you. here, ateneo is accepting donations and can be dropped at the College Covered Courts as early as 6am later this morning.