Special day

Today my hubby turns 49 so we went out in the pouring rain to celebrate.  We had Japanese fare which consisted of California Roll, Seafood Yakisoba and Ebi Tempura.

Happy birthday Hon =)

Where have all the hours gone?

Often times I tend to complain (only inside my head and then I post about it on my blog) that my life is one big boring existence.  I'm mostly at home doing household chores while maintaining my online activities.

But ever so often, something comes up and more often than not they tend to stack up one after the other that I end up feeling tired from so much activities.

Yes I complain way too much, don't I?

I complain when I have nothing to do.

I complain when I do have many activities to attend.

Heh.

But the main gist of my post is that being away from an Internet connection for a certain period of time would merit an accumulated backlog.

Suddenly there are more posts to compose, more movie reviews to write, more photos to upload, more status updates to describe and the general pile of online websites I miss reading. Now that I got my new smartphone I may not miss out on reading blogs and websites but it is a totally different matter when it comes to blogging.  I don't know about you but I rather not strain my eyes and my fingers typing on a minuscule keyboard just to come up with a blog post.  

At the end of the day, sometimes it feels like there aren't enough hours to squeeze in everything I have to do.  I need to better manage my time instead of wasting it playing Candy Crush or Temple Run on my phone.  Yes get used to the fact that I will be mentioning my new phone ever so often in my blog ... so deal with it. 

Chef's Noodle, SM North The Block

I heard so much about this restaurant so when it opened a branch at SM North (just a few minutes away) I wanted to try their dishes.  I had a difficult time finding it because I forgot to jot down the exact location.  I asked the information desk and the lady at the counter directed us towards another wing. So we decided to go to another eatery for lunch because I was already hungry.

Lo and behold we literally stumbled into Chef's Noodle as we were heading towards another establishment. I had a misstep and almost fell and when I got my bearings back the Korean restaurant was within sight.

It is a rather small place with a second floor or rather a loft. We were directed to a table for two at the loft.  Another place where they maximize every single space so the tables are pretty close to each other.  

I ordered the dishes on their chef's recommendation list. We had their signature soup dish Chef's Noodle which is Korean fresh noodles with beef, anchovy broth topped with leeks, bean sprouts, fried tofu, spring onions, egg roll and beef Bulgogi. It was still boiling hot when it reached our table.

Japchae -  Sweet potato glass noodles with beef and vegetables.

 

Bibimbap - traditional Korean steamed rich with seasoned beef, vegetables and fresh egg.

The portions are of decent size. In fact, they can be shared for two persons well because I don't really eat much.  But the best thing about Chef's Noodle is how affordable the dishes are.  Our bill was less than 500 pesos (meals + beverages) which is a good deal for people on a budget. So if you are in the Q.C area and craving for Korean cuisine, I'd recommend you try Chef's Noodle. 

P.S
The pictures are c/o of my new smartphone. In fact those were the first images I took using the new phone. It was mostly a trial and error basis as the settings on the camera were still unfamiliar to me. I almost dropped the phone into my soup because I'm not used to utilizing a phone to take pictures. he he he But overall, I was quite satisfied with the resolution and the quality of the images.   =)

It has been a week ...

... Since the hubby and I got our new smartphones ... so I've been pretty lazy!

It was supposed to be my birthday gift to him because his old cellphone is barely functional.  But he tagged along so he could have a feel of how to operate it and if he could handle it with one hand and/or if it would fit his jeans pocket.

But I also ended up buying one for myself because they had a discount on 2nd item cash promo so voila we are now hopping onto the smartphone bandwagon.

No longer relics with chunky cellphones, we have moved into the android phone technology.  But they are just the basic versions not the expensive branded varieties yet they give us me so much joy I can hardly stop myself from playing all day and all night.

Thus a neglected blog situation. He he he

Medical Drama

Yes one of my favorite TV shows is back for its tenth season. I'm eagerly looking forward to the shenanigans of the doctors (and the interns too) of Seattle Grace.  Ooops I mean Grey + Sloan Memorial Hospital as it was renamed after two of the doctors who didn't survive that plane crash.

Thai Time

Sometimes, my beloved mother craves for certain types of food. For the longest time, she wanted Pad Thai, the famous peanut flavored Thai noodles.  She also reads the newspapers daily so she came across this Thai restaurant named "SOI" (pronounced "SOY") which opened a new branch at Glorietta 2, Makati.

We headed out on a weekend, Saturday lunch time to be exact. It is a relatively small yet cosy place with what I assume are Thai lanterns dangling from the ceiling. They seem to have maximized the entire place so tables and the chairs were close to each other. Too close for my comfort as I can actually reach out to the adjacent table and grab a complete stranger's meal with my chopsticks. It was a weekend and lunch time so the place was quickly filled with hungry customers.

We ordered Prawn Cakes (P260 for 3 square pieces), Chicken Satay (P170),  Fish Fillet with Black Bean Sauce (P238) and naturally the Pad Thai (which comes in 3 varieties Shrimps (P298) Chicken ( P248) and Vegetarian (P198)).  We had the chicken variety together with 2 bowls of Jasmine Rice. One bowl is pretty good portion so Mom and I just shared one bowl. 

I wasn't able to take any pictures since the digicam was with the hubby who was at work.  The picture above is taken from this informative article about new restaurants in the newly renovated Glorietta 2 area.

The total bill for 3 persons amounted to about P1031.00. Of course with two senior citizens discount card. The food was tasty and they followed our instructions to have the spicy factor as mild.  We didn't wait too long for our orders to reach our wooden table.  Overall the ambiance is cozy and has an air of fine dining yet the dishes are affordable and good sized portions. Mom loved the food and she will definitely return to sample their other dishes. Believe me that is a good sign since she can be quite picky when it comes to food, she is from Pampanga, after all!

Not Wired

The original plan was to meet up with my parents for our monthly First Friday mass cum food tripping date. But I ended up spending almost a week with them (at the condo) as some important matters came up which needed my attention. As fate would have it, the old rickety computer at the condo (my parents are not computer savvy so they keep it hidden under a blanket) had a tantrum and won't load the operating system. 

After my many (failed) attempts to jump start it with my somewhat limited hardware knowledge, I simply gave up and resolved to find other ways to entertain myself. I finally finished reading Dan Brown's latest novel "Inferno". We had given my Dad the hardbound copy of the book as his birthday gift. But guess who ended up reading it first => me. I will review it in a future post.

It was also good timing as Cine Europa - the film festival featuring European movies was having its run at the Shang Cineplex which is just a few minutes away from my former residence.  So after we were done with the tasks, I would end up queuing to watch a European film.  Great way to relax and just get lost in the cinematic offerings of Europe. 

So I was able to survive 7 days without an Internet connection. It was refreshing and quite an eye opener for me whose first move in the morning after I get off the bed is to switch on my PC even before I go down to answer the call of nature. Heh!   And in this digital age where we are connected 24/7, I do recommend we take some time off to disconnect ourselves from being wired, most if not all the time.  

Lack of Common Sense

Kindly allow me to express my opinion on a controversial matter.  Lately, there have been a couple of instances where celebrities made headlines. Unfortunately, the publicity isn't good feedback but smacks of bad taste. Videos of their most intimate moments were uploaded online. Naturally they would insist they didn't upload it themselves. That their hard drive was stolen and someone got hold of these files and thought it was a good idea to post it online where majority of the teeming public will feast on it like it was the soup of the day on a menu.

By the way, I haven't seen these videos and I have no intention of viewing them.  In the first place, I believe it is a violation of their privacy. Secondly, more often than not, it is the woman who has a lot to lose in these types of situations.  The lost of  trust and respect, the sheer humiliation, the embarrassing blow to one's dignity is the sad part of this whole messy imbroglio. 

It is just a simple matter of common sense running out of the window that got these celebrities into trouble. Given that you are a known figure is enough for one to behave appropriately not only in public but even in the privacy of their own adobe.  Now, I am not saying they should not engage in the most sacred, intimate act but they should be more responsible with their actions (pun intended!) and keep it private and within the confines of their bedroom.

Unfortunately, in this 'macho' society, most would even applaud the guy for not only having the guts to film such an act but would even critique his 'prowess' and his 'performance'.  In such a delicate situation, I would place the blame entirely on the guy.  Women need to be convinced to be a willing partner in allowing the act to be filmed.  Of course, the guy can always insist that it is safe and that no one can have access to these files. Yet in the digital age, no one can be 100 percent sure of being completely safe.  There are always several risks involved and this pertains to life itself not just in making sure your files are password protected.

In these cases though, it is quite apparent the women in these videos knew they were being taped and willingly participated in it. Perhaps they thought it won't be leaked.  They trusted their partners too much and didn't feel the need to worry about the bad exposure. Or it could also be they are shame-less and couldn't care less about this sort of behavior being recorded for whatever purpose. Ultimately, it seems having a respectable reputation and good dignity doesn't count much for these days. Proper decorum and a sense of propriety are perhaps not part of their limited vocabulary.

These type of videos also cheapen the act of lovemaking.  It isn't meant to be that way. It is an act that is supposed to be sacred and done with the affection and intimacy.  It is an expression of love but trust and respect must also be present.  It isn't something to be taped and then uploaded so perfect strangers who have nothing better to do would gawk at it like it was some exotic animal at the zoo.  

It is time we all be more morally responsible for our actions, not only physically but verbally as well. A return to good family values and a higher tolerance towards each other is clearly in order.  Our society is morally decaying in these "selfie"  times.  That for me is the most scary aspect of this present digital generation!!!

Physical Exertion

P.E was my most dreaded subject. In Brussels where I had my elementary schooling, our P.E (Physical Education) was gymnastics, softball and swimming. 

Although I was pretty flexible because I was such a shortie, I didn't relish the fact that we had to do several somersaults on the 'horse' just to get a fairly passing grade.  I also had to wear those really tight long sleeved leotards which was really not flattering to the figure.

Me and the water don't go well together.  So you can just imagine how I dreaded my swimming classes. For some strange reason, I cannot for the life of me float in water. Someone had to physically hold my mid section so I could pull my legs away from the ground.  To this day, all those swimming lesson didn't serve me well since I still don't know how to swim nor do I even attempt to go near the sea.  So obviously I'm not a beach person.

Back in the Philippines, high school life itself was pretty miserable. I was such an oddity so I couldn't fit in. I couldn't speak the local language. I was an ugly duckling (thick eyeglasses and even thicker wavy hair).  So sports like volleyball was sheer torture for me. I had this fear that the ball would hit my face so my eyeglasses would break and I would be blind without them. I was always last to be picked to be part of the team. During the game itself, the opponents would specifically target me knowing fully well I couldn't hit the ball. Terrible!

At the University of Santo Tomas, our P.E classes were volleyball, table tennis, dance and some activity I can't recall.  I've probably blocked it out of my memory forever.  My hand and eye coordination is practically zero.  My brain isn't programmed to act quickly on my feet and so my sight would be greatly hampered.   

Since all of these activities involved my most hatred 'action' - sweating like I was burning in the fires of hell, I was totally miserable when it was P.E time. I'm glad those years are way past behind me. I'm grateful I passed all my P.E subjects without the need to re-take them during summer.  

I still sweat a lot but I figure the main culprit would be the balmy weather and all the meds I have to take to control my hypertension and my cholesterol levels. The only time I don't mind sweating is an activity done in private. But this is a wholesome blog so no details would be forthcoming. :D