A creature of habit

Whenever we dine out, I usually get to choose the place where to eat.  We are not the adventurous type of diners so we tend to stick to our usual restaurants.

For chicken we head to Max's.  Japanese it is Teriyaki Boy (where D & I ate on our very first date).  Chinese food we usually dine at Mr Choi's Kitchen.  For hotpot it is Seoul Garden (but only when my sister is in town).  Italian fare is at Italianni's.  For fast food it has to be Jollibee.

When it comes to Korean cuisine, our usual hangout is Kaya Restaurant. They used to have a branch in SM Megamall but unfortunately it closed shop. So our only option is to head all the way to Makati City, specifically at the Power Plant Rockwell mall.  

Bulgogi  (P190)

Pan-grilled marinated sirloin strips

Kalbi Tang (P190)
Ginseng and Short Ribs Soup

 

Kalbi Jim (P240)
Korean Beef Ribs Stew

Japchae (P160)
Sweet Potato Noodles sauteed with Beef and Vegetables

Their food is tasty, usually come in small portions and quite affordable. In fact D has this running joke that goes "Kayang kaya ang pagkain sa Kaya" he he he

Tinted Love

I believe that one of the most fabulous things invented well in terms of make up items is the tinted lip gloss.  It's simply grand. You have a lip gloss combined with a lipstick. So it has a double function. 

In 2005,  I bought an Estee Lauder perfume (a gift for my mom) and it came with a free sample of tinted lip gloss.   The first time I tried it, it felt a bit awkward  but eventually I grew accustomed to it.  Now I'm really hooked and never leave home without it in my make up kit inside my bag.

My current fave is Revlon, Colorburst Lip Gloss which comes in different shades but I prefer the darker red tints like Bordeaux and Wine. When my sister was in Thailand for a business trip she emailed me to say they were much cheaper in Bangkok so I told her my fave shades and she bought them for me.

Another fabulous make up item is the tinted liquid moisturizer which also acts as foundation.  They are known as BB Creams.  I've been using a Korean brand named Missha.  I first came across this brand which is hypoallergenic when we first went to HK in 2009.  There was a sales person doing a make over session on someone and it caught my interest.  They also have a branch here in the Philippines but it seems it is much cheaper in HK.

So here's to tinted make up items! Great beauty innovations!

Book Review: The Casual Vacancy

I wholeheartedly admit, I've never read any of the Harry Potter books by J.K Rowling. So when I received her first adult novel as a birthday gift, I was curious to find out for myself, her writing style. I'd have to say she is quite a good storyteller. She is very descriptive and details oriented. 

The story is set in a supposedly idyllic English suburban town named Pagford which is populated by dysfunctional characters.  Most of them are not your typical model citizens of the world.  Gossips, intrigues and general unpleasant vibes fester in Pagford. A community that must come together as a casual vacancy occurs from the death of a councilman.  There is a mixture of dramatic moments dealing with heavy issues like small town politics, premarital sex, drugs use, division of social class standing, the disparity between the haves and the havenots.  Along with tinges of tragedy, rude awakenings and a fitting ending that brings about much needed closure.

It begins with a good start. The introduction of the myriad of characters was quite elaborate. Dwelling into the inner psyche of each of them, exposing their thoughts and their fears quite eloquently.   The middle part seemed to drag on forever with me losing a bit of interest as it got quite dull and predictable.   Then once the hotly contested election was over and they got themselves a replacement to the vacancy, things picked up quite a bit.  In the last 100 pages of the novel, one dramatic event led to a series of occurrences that grab you back to your senses. Some of them were expected, while others I didn't see coming. 

Overall, I'd say J.K Rowling realistically captured the daily grind of life in a small town. She didn't shy away from the harsh truth and was quite bluntly honest in presenting her wide array of  characters.  It is certainly a well written piece of storytelling.  A book I might not be compiled to buy given the boring setting but I still believe it was a good read.

All decked up

During this merriest of seasons, one of my fave activities is to visit malls which are all decked up with Yuletide ambiance.  But it is rather tedious to be stuck in endless traffic jams just to reach the  malls.  

These were taken at Rockwell, the Power Plant Mall in Makati City.    

Food pictures

I guess we are sisters, after all. Each time we chat on Skype, she would tell me about this new restaurant she discovers when she goes out to lunch with her work colleagues. So I make her promise, she would treat us there next month when we visit. My mouth is watering even though I just had dinner when she sent me these pictures.

Spinach with Century Eggs, Salted Eggs and Minced Pork.

The one on top is Fried Clams with Bell peppers. 

The second dish is Fried Pork Chops with Spicy Salt. (Yes Spicy Salt!!!)

I'm more than willing to let go of my no pork regimen just to savor all these yummy dishes.  Bring it on! 

Yuletide cheers

I got my first and probably only Christmas card in the mail, today. It came all the way from the US of A from a blogger friend.  Thanks so much, Kayni.   Your card inspired me to listen to Christmas carols the whole day.

One of my faves is "Christmas in our Hearts" by Jose Mari Chan which was composed in 1990.  He originally wanted Lea Salonga to sing with him but she was with another record company so unfortunately they could not collaborate. 

His next choice was Monique Wilson but she developed a sore throat and lost her voice the day before the recording.  So he got his daughter Lisa who was then still studying in Ateneo to memorize the song the night before the recording session.  She was game and thus this beautiful song with simply lyrics and a catchy tone became an instant hit.

Plucking

The tweezers is one of my fave beauty accessories.  

 

In fact I have this morning ritual where I face the mirror and pluck out excess hair from my eyebrows.  Yes every morning!  I am what you call a 'balbon' person.  Meaning I'm hairy.

But I'm a late bloomer when it comes to shaping my eyebrows. It was only in 2008 when I got married.  The stylist I hired to do my wedding hair and make-up told me he needed to arrange my eyebrows. He didn't feel it was right for me to get married with thick, unruly eyebrows.  It would ruin daw my day.  He he he.

Until that day, I wasn't consciously aware that thick, bushy eyebrows could ruin one's day. But I reluctantly consented as he was adamant and held me hostage. He said he won't do my hair unless he took care of my eyebrows.  So I gave in.  No choice, really.

Now it seems I'm hooked and tend to obsess every morn over any excess hair that might be out of line of my shaped eyebrows.  So the tweezers is the first thing I pack whenever I travel. I would feel lost and naked without it.  :D

Lucky Numbers

Ok I admit, I place bets at the lottery. I'm not obsessed with it, though.  Unlike my parents who buy tickets for several draws, every single day.

My strategy is to wait for the jackpot prize to reach over 30 Million Pesos before I place my bet. I usually use important dates like birthdays, wedding anniversaries for our numbers.  As well as significant dates like when I first met D for the first time, our anniversary (which is different from our wedding date) as well as our ages.

Even though lately, I noticed our ages are no longer part of the numbers in some tickets. Heh! :D   The biggest I've won so far is 4 numbers which gave me 2,000 Pesos.  While my mother hit 5 numbers and got 56,000 Pesos!  That was quite a lucky windfall.

I collect all our winnings and place them in a piggy bank. At the end of every year, I deposit it at the bank.  So far for 2012, I already have 3,420 Pesos.

D often asks me what we'll do with the money.  His number one answer is to use the cash for fertility treatments.  Although frankly, I've given up on this 'plan'.  I feel that at 44 years old there are way too many health risks involved both for the mother and the unborn child.  But I still can't help but wish we win the grand jackpot, someday!