Ok. I was in lazy mode these past few days so apologies for the delay. But heeeeeeey! Celineism is officially up and running! Woot! woot! Technically, this one is the Buena Mano post for my very own blog but all my previous posts from Facebook have been transferred here also.

After NJ and I went to Rub Ribs in Kapitolyo early in May (or was it late April?), we started formulating this list of the top three foodscapes that we must try before she goes into maternity leave. We came up with an initial list after some googling by me and some er, um, well I don’t really know how NJ conducted research but it doesn’t really matter. Anyway, here was the original list:

For fellow foodscapers out there, you may notice that these three are all along Connecticut Street (near Greenhills Shopping Center). NJ and I agreed that we’d shift to that area so I’d get over my Kapitolyo addiction. You know, probably. At any rate, I really can’t tell you what happened—it now seemed like a badly recorded video in my head—but the list underwent a series of revisions and eventually became this:

However, in this world, things are always in a constant state of flux, so I was not surprised when, in addition to mixing up the list, the duet—NJ and I—who were set out to embark on this foodscapade became a quintet. Well, truth be told, we did promise Marian a three-person fete so including her into the fold was not startling. What I believe is that NJ and I weren’t really expecting Ma’am Cmae to actually join us. Well, let me clear this up. NJ and I casually mentioned to Ma’am Cmae that we were going on a foodscapade in Greenhills (Zark’s, by the way, is in Katipunan. So Lugang + Sunrise Buckets). We asked her if she’d like to come. She didn’t give us a definite answer so NJ and I shrugged it off. Ma’am Wilma was a different story. She had this tampo for me and NJ because we didn’t invite her on our last date (read: Rub Ribs). NJ, to make amends, invited her to join us on our June 22^nd date. Again, no definite and clear answer. Well, all these happened earlier in June so NJ and I agreed that we’d clear things up when the fireworks are about to go off. (Forgive the pathetic metaphor.)

What happened was Ma’am Wilma wasn’t able to come because she was fairly busy, I guess. So the crew was composed of NJ, me, Marian, Ma’am Cmae and her husband, Tito Lem.

IN A NUTSHELL Part 1: Lugang Café

1.) We are staunch advocates of the Filipino Time. I’ve explained to NJ and Ma’am Cmae that I had an MBA class that Saturday from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM, so I’d just have to meet them at Lugang. “Pero mas maaga naman kaming palalabasin dahil Research naman ‘yun,” I assured them confidently. Boy was I wrong. The Research class I was enrolled in apparently was too big for one professor so the natural thing to do was to divide the class into two. The division was alphabetically-based and, surprise, surprise, I was transferred to another class under a new professor. Dr. Mateo, our new Research adviser, then engaged us in an impromptu title defense after we informed him that most of us had already prepared title proposals. I was third to defend. Dr. Mateo didn’t have any major issues with it so he quickly gave it the nod of approval. Beaming, I immediately texted NJ and Ma’am Cmae that I was on my way—which was a mistake as Dr. Mateo dismissed the class a little after eleven. I assumed that after you finished your defense you can go on with your life. Like I said, boy was I wrong.

Ma’am Cmae arrived at the Lugang Cafe a little too early because of my SMS. Sorry naman. I should mention that a couple of days before the foodscapade, she and Tito Lem and Ate Faye (their daughter) went on and took the liberty of checking out the Taiwanese/Chinese place. Nangunguna lang. Hoho.  Anyway, I arrived a little past 12 noon. NJ and Marian weren’t there yet. Even after exchanging a couple of stories with Ma’am Cmae and Tito Lem, NJ and Marian weren’t with us still so we decided to place our orders. They arrived way later, it was almost two. The nerve, right? Hahaha.

Well, all in all Lugang Cafe temporarily changed my mind about oriental cuisine. The things we ordered didn't make me nauseous like most of the oriental cuisine I've tried. Prices are reasonable, the servings are perfect for sharing and the ambiance is very cozy and elegant at the same time. Do visit this place and try out their Xia Long Bao. I, for one, would definitely come back to try the pork ones! 

3.) We are bounded by the innate confidentiality of a lunch date. Of course, we talked and talked and talked. You must understand that what happens in Lugang stays in Lugang. I can tell you this, though: Lugang is pronounced Lukang. (Well, according to Ma’am Cmae, anyway.) Oh, and at one point, we were using the word “mapanga” and Tito Lem made a banat, “Mapanga-nib.” We burst out laughing. Benta lang.

This was also when the phrases, “Bawal ang pikon,” “Wala ka sa lolo ko,” “Bawal ang sad,” and “Topic: <confidential>” became inexhaustible as Tito Lem’s patience.

1.) A Strawberry Nutella Pitstop. We definitely overstayed our welcome at Lugang. We were just lucky many a table was unoccupied, otherwise we’d be asked to leave right after we finished our meal to accommodate other patrons. In any event, we left Lugang at around 5pm and proceeded to Greenhills Shopping Center to watch a movie. NJ and I hitched a ride with Marian while Ma’am Cmae and Tito Lem rode off with their Adventure. The three of us ended up near the mall chapel. I informed Ma’am Cmae where we were by sending her a text. Before I knew it, NJ was lining up in a quaint predominantly-green stall—Crazy Crepes. She wanted dessert, of course. Marian and I did not immediately queue up for a crepe-y treat. I, for one, was having reservations. But, upon reading the word “Strawberry” alongside “Nutella”, I was convinced. Marian had the Almond Nutella. NJ had the Banana Nutella. Do you now understand why we’re friends? Ma’am Cmae and Tito Lem, upon meeting up with us at this store, ordered something for themselves as well. Didn’t know what it was called. Here, take a look:

Anyhow, I didn’t enjoy my crepe. I didn’t taste the Nutella—the slathering was quite thin and sparse. The crepe was floury and dry (is that how it’s supposed to taste?) and the strawberries tasted like sour paper. Ack. I didn’t bother asking the others if they had better luck than I did. I was too shaken up by how the thing tasted so bland. They make strawberries and Nutella look bad, ergo, there is no photo of it. Again: ack. NJ seemed to enjoy hers, though.

2.) We bought popcorn at the other side of the mall. After the disappointing dessert, we walked towards the Promenade. It wasn’t a short walk so imagine my alarm when we found out that the 7:30 showing of World War Z was in Theater 1 which was on another part of the mall. NJ and Ma’am Cmae had already bought snacks. Haha. So we traversed back to the Theater Mall, popcorn buckets in hand. Well, it wasn’t that far from the Promenade so I guess I overreacted. Hihi. In any case, it was only 6pm when we purchased the tickets so we had to wait somewhere. We walked around for a little bit but eventually settled on the steps near the entrance to the theater. We’re koboys, you see.

3.) A movie that promotes unhealthiness. Warning: may contain spoilers! World War Z was not bad. It was, in fact, thought-provoking. 

After the movie and even during, Marian, NJ and I were already having little comment exchanges about the events in the film. World War Z was really scary because it could happen if you really think about it. “Hindi sila nakahanap ng cure ‘no?”, remarked NJ. By the way, kudos to her; her control of her hitting reflex (which I was at the receiving end of) was not bad considering her claims that thriller films do not sit well with her. “Kaya dapat tayong mag-cardio para mas malaki ang chance of survival pag nagka-Zombie Apocalypse,” I said in a serious tone. “Magi-start na akong mag-jogging!” swore Marian. “Hindi na lang ako gagalaw,” said NJ. “Edi magiging zombie ka!” Marian pointed out. NJ thought that the mere lack of movement would spare one from a zombie infection. (Before we proceed any further, please note that the following statements are in the context of the movie we’d just watched.) We explained that one had to be terminally ill or disabled in order not to be bitten. The solution to the epidemic was actually a vaccine developed from strains of diseases like SARS and H1N1 (which were curable—at least according to the actors who played the health experts). The solution—or, rather, it’s theory—was proposed by Brad Pitt’s character after observing three incidents where zombies avoided individuals who, Pitt’s character explained, were ill or deemed unfit to host the virus. (Which makes sense since viruses do need a healthy host in order to thrive.) This theory was proven true after a series of heart-wrenching, gut-grinding, mind-blowing events. But NJ was right, there was no actual cure. The vaccine’s purpose was just to “camouflage” the uninfected from the zombies. It was sad that the non-zombified had to resort to nuclear weapons and carpet bombings. It showcases, in a morbid way, that humans are willing to go to extreme lengths for self-preservation. I recommend you watch this movie. Refrain from watching it alone, though, because it’s more fun if, immediately after you watch it, you get to discuss the what-went-wrongs and the what-could-be’s with someone. Oh, another testimony that should convince you: “First time kong ‘di nakatulog sa sinehan,” – Ma’am Cmae.

1.) Walking in the rain is a glorious feeling. After the movie, we set off to go our separate ways. We bid Ma’am Cmae and Tito Lem goodbye and headed towards the rooftop parking. And you know what, it started to rain. It’s a good thing NJ had an umbrella. Girl Scout ang peg. We tried to fit under the sole parasol but we just couldn’t. We’re still lucky the rain was just gaining momentum. NJ suggested I post it here so I took snapshots:

2.) The dinner that almost never-was. “Hindi ba tayo magsa-Sunrise Buckets?” I asked, after we got settled into Marian’s car. “Ok lang. Text mo si Cmae,” said NJ. “Saan ba ‘yun?” inquired Marian while I was sending Ma’am Cmae an SMS. NJ gave Marian the address. Moments later, Ma’am Cmae called on my phone. I handed it to NJ. A rather confusing phone conversation transpired. We eventually agreed to meet in front of Unimart. “Si NJ ang navigator. Good luck sa atin. Hehehe!” was the content of my second text to Ma’am Cmae. Marian drove on, with Tito Lem and Ma’am Cmae behind, relying on NJ’s directions to get us to the place. “Ay! Sarado na!” cried NJ when we passed a complex. Marian panicked a little bit and slowed down. “Ano? Itetext ko na si Ma’am Cmae,” I asked. Marian kept driving and, thank goodness, spotted Sunrise Buckets on the other end of the complex. Hahaha! Woohoo!

3.) We just had to “wing it!” NJ and I practically decided what to order. We asked for the five-pound chicken wings in Garlic Parmesan, Mild Real American Buffalo, Jack Daniel's, and Honey Mustard. “Hindi tayo magra-rice?” I asked. “Puwede naman,” replied NJ. She then turned to our server, “Nakikipag-compete kasi siya sa akin eh.” Whatever. Haha. But anyway, we then added an order of Chili Cheese Fries, two orders of white rice, and the Sunrise Iced Tea Pitcher (which I hated because it had cinnamon—or, perhaps, vanilla—in it. Ack, after-taste alert.)

I swear, I began salivating when I saw these. I had many a chicken wing before but Sunrise Buckets' Jack Daniel's-flavored wings were the best I had by far. They're perfectly cooked (not like the icky wings of Pizza Hut. A review of that later on). You just want to devour them all. I wanted to keep eating but was afraid of my stomach exploding. As for the other flavors, the Garlic Parmesan was too salty for my liking. The Mild Real American Buffalo was a bit bland but it was spicy so it was OK. The Honey Mustard tasted strangely like Joy Dish-washing Liquid. (Wait, what?)

PROLOGUE

New title format (again): (Event Name): (A More Clever Title).  

So why strip off the "Celineism"? Well, I'll be transferring my entries to my own Blogger account very soon so that would be unnecessary. It'll be a redundancy, really. And no more sequencing because, let's be honest, that's just tacky.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day!

THE PRELUDE

I've been running regularly for more than a month now. I actually want to do strength and core training like yoga and pilates or even weight training to tone my flabby self but haven't gotten around to finding an accessible (and affordable) gym to do so. Also, I have my Research subject this semester. I don't know how else to justify my inability to join a gym other than these reasons. They are very legitimate, as far as I'm concerned. So for the mean time, I'd have to settle for cardio.

At any rate, I think it was last Wednesay when I got a text message from Tita Karin asking me if I wanted to join a fun run on June 16. Now, participating in a road race has always been on my bucket list and I actually got to cross it out last January 20. I didn't fare so well the first time but I did enjoy the experience. I decided I'd run a road race as often as possible. In other words, "Yes, tita."

IN A NUTSHELL

1.) I ride for my singlet and a cause I know not. After I confirmed my participation in the fun run, Tita Karin texted me the Sunday before about the registration fee. She told me to drop it off at my Lolo's house which is two streets from where I live. She would just pass by Lolo's the next day, before she picks up the singlets. Funny thing: I forgot to do it. Hahaha. I remembered it when I arrived at the office, so I immediately texted Tita Karin that I'd just come over at her place after work (but I really meant after my run). Well, being the understanding Tita that she is, it was no problem. 

So after I finished my jog, I hopped onto my Honda Wave (this belongs to my Ate Ingrid but is currently in the custody of my dad, so by consanguinity and the transitive property of having custody of things, it's in mycustody as well.) I vroomed to Tita Karin's place (which is in the same compound as Tita Luz's) to pay up and also to pick up my singlet. 

When I arrived, my cousin Gelo opened the gate for me. He mistakenly announced to Tita Luz (his mom) that it was Ate Ingrid who had decided to show up. Seeing that Tita Karin's house looked without-anyone, I walked into Tita Luz's living room with my helmet still on. Tita Luz walked out from the kitchen, barely recognizing me. She then turned to Gelo, "Hindi naman si Ate Ingrid eh. Si Ate Celine to."  "Eh akala ko lang naman," Gelo said defensively.

Anyway, after some small talk, I told Tita Luz my rendezvous with Tita Karin. "Nandiyan po ba siya?" I asked. "Halika, tingnan natin," said Tita Luz. It took no more than ten steps and a heartbeat before I found Tita Luz opening Tita Karin's front door. It wasn't locked, to my surprise. Tita Karin must be really into energy conservation, I thought. We went inside and bounded upstairs. Unbidden.

 "Carina?" called Tita Luz. We were, in this moment, in the doorstep of the master's bedroom. Tita Karin peered from the door. I didn't saw her reaction as the lights were turned off. "Bakit hindi kayo nagbukas ng ilaw?" she said in between laughs. "Baka kasi bawal," I jokingly replied. We then fumbled our way down the stairs, to the living room, and waited for Tita Karin to yell "Lumos!" No, just kidding. We waited for her to turn on the lights. We then sat down on the sofa and gave Tita Karin what I owed while she started distributing our singlets.

At one point, I asked Tita Karin for what benefit is the run for. She stared at the front side of the singlet and furrowed her brows. "For the benefit,"  she started as she traced the printed design of the shirt with her index finger, as if reading the answer from there. She looked up, "of the doubt?" The three of us burst out laughing. "Benta," I remarked. 

The run was, if you're wondering, for the Saint John the Baptist Parish Church. For construction or renovation? That I don't know. *shrugs shoulders*

2.) It was top of the morning before the gunshot. So the day of the run, Tita Luz et al picked me up at around 5 am. Tita Karin's family was full force--she, Tito Ric, Ate Kim aka Mirajane aka Sky Maiden, Boss Kevin, and Ken. Aside from Tita Luz, Gelo joined us. Dadoy (Tita Luz's eldest) got home late last night so he wasn't able to join us. 

We were a little worried that the event had already started but, to our relief (which later turned into a very mild annoyance), it hasn't. We, well, at least I, got a little irritated because it was past six and we weren't running yet. I pacified myself with a helping of street taho (courtesy of Tita Karin) and relieving my bladder. The 3K runners eventually set off at 6:30 am, when the sun was already up and about, blaring impolitely.Mainit na. 

But, oh well.

Fambam

3.) A wrong turn and random boosts of confidence. The starter's pistol was shot and so we went for it. I had a good start but Tita Luz sped past me after a short while. The Sky Maiden cheered, "Takbo takbo din pag may time," after leaving me behind. This won't do, I mumbled. I then picked up my speed and went past Tita Luz. I caught up with Mirajane but was not able to go past her. She gained a considerable distance from me but after the first turn, I saw her stopping to walk. Before the second turn, she was metaphorically eating my dust.

Upon seeing that I did not have a "ribbon" (the facilitators ran out of this necklace of straw that indicates you have passed a turn), Tita Luz crossed to my side of the road. She cheated, simply put. Muhahaha. 

Having found my rhythm, I kept running and caught up with Gelo and Boss Kevs. I ran past them too. Woohoo! I got to the third turn and got myself a blue ribbon. I was making good time and covered almost half of the course but my energy was dwindling. I decided to proceed walking. After a considerable number of strides, a biker kept up with my pace and said, "Takbo na, ate." So run I went.

I almost covered a third of the track before Gelo ran past me. Seeing that we were near the finish line, I ran as fast as I could. I (and apparently, Gelo, as well) thought I only needed to make a final turn but, as a red-clad guy signaled me to go straight, found that I was wrong. That was it. I was spent. So I just walked, gasping for dear life and sweating bucketfuls. A few moments later, a fellow runner, albeit older and of the opposite sex, (I think he was a friend of Tita Karin) urged me to go on. "Tara na, konti na lang. Malapit na." "Wait lang po," I croaked. I wanted to curl into fetal position at that point but then I saw the final turn in the distance. It was close. So inhaling deeply and exhaling loudly, I imagined a knot of toads hopping after me. This triggered a wave of adrenaline (and a bit of panic). I ran as fast as I could and, in all my sweaty glory, crossed the invisible finish line in 30 minutes, more or less! Woohoo! 

Gelo went on and finished a few seconds ahead of me. I was followed by Tito Ric. Boss Kevs shortly followed. Tita Karin finished a few moments after. I guess Sky Maiden waited for or kept pace with her friends from the medical community because she finished a little later. Tita Luz took a short cut and did not take the final turn but went on after being goaded by us to go ahead and finish the race. She and Ken were neck-and-neck to the finish line. 

After the race, we were treated to a feast of nilagang saging na saba, boiled egg, lugaw, and Zest-o. I wanted to lie down and doze off. I was exhausted. Definitely need to train more.

Bottom: Blue ribbon + faux ice watch; Top: Unflattering photos

4.) The medal that was not mine and the spontaneous gift. One of Sky Maiden's friends won a medal. (Congratulations! Good job!) I'm not sure which category. 5K, perhaps? At any rate, we borrowed it and took pictures of ourselves with the medal on. Props only. But I made a mental note that I'd win me a medal one of these days. A medal for a road race, that is. (I've loads of medals but those are for other things.)

After the announcement and awarding of winners, we went to McDonald's drive-thru and ordered ourselves some snacks. I got a Crispy Chicken Sandwich (my favorite). Tita Luz dropped me off near the tricycle terminal. I decided to pass up on walking and rode a tricycle. When I got off, a man was yelling, "Tahooooo! Tahooooo!"  I was going to buy just one ten-peso cup of taho but saw my dad and ordered two. Best Father's day present, or what?

Things to do: Win a medal for a road race

THE BOTTOMLINE

Not only did I had my day's worth of cardio, I get to spend time with my extended family. Plus, I get to put my month-long running into good use. And, found out that my running pace and endurance definitely needs improvement.

Cheers to the next adventure!

PROLOGUE

Ok. This one’s not that late. Last entry and then I start blogging real-time again—hopefully. *fingers crossed*

THE PRELUDE

June 9 marked the 66th month of pure love and happiness with Loves kong Dennis. The plan of celebration was simple: hang-out at my place—which we did for a little while. But out of nowhere, I had this yen for BonChon chicken that cannot be denied. (Waaaay too much chicken, I know.) I asked Dennis if we could grab a meal at the newly opened BonChon at SM Taytay. “Libre mo ko,” I said. And to his credit, he immediately said ok. However, I was having second thoughts and was feeling a bit lazy. I know it was myidea in the first place but I hadn’t taken a bath yet and was in my jammies. (Dennis still finds me beautiful in this state so back off. Wahaha.) After Dennis finally convinced me to get my lazy bum off the couch and take a bath, I felt a pang of guilt. Why? Well, I left him waiting for a long time. You know how girls are when it comes to bathing and getting dressed. But, oh well.

After I cleaned up, we went back to his house to fetch some cash (he did not prepare for this date as it was, as the title of this note suggests, on-the-spot). The whole time, I was convincing him to let me go with him to his dorm (he was scheduled to go there later that evening) so that I’ll know how to get there in case I wanted to drop by and check up on him. He remained steadfast at saying no. He argued that it’ll be late when I get home, unfavorable things might happen. This was fairly reasonable so I gave in.

Well, we turned up at BonChon at around, er, 5PM? Not sure, didn’t really care. You lose all sense of time when you’re with the one you love, you know. Anyway, we were surprised at how jam-packed the place was, but only mildly—it was a Sunday, after all. Seeing the long queue, I asked Dennis if he would mind waiting. “Ang bango,” was his reply. I took this as a no. The smell wafting from the place was indeed inviting. So we had our names queued for seats, and lined up to place our orders.

To SM Taytay BonChon’s credit, we were seated right after we placed our orders. Hoorah!

IN A NUTSHELL

1.) The Lady in the Counter thought we were ordering for four. After a thorough discussion of what to eat, we settled for the four-piece spicy chicken chops package and four servings of plain rice. The lady who took our orders then asked if we wanted four plates. I got confused and probably looked it because the counter rephrased her question, “Ilan po kayo sa table? Apat po ba?”  I smiled. “Dalawa lang kami,” was my polite reply. These things do tend to happen to us. We’re used to it. ;)

2.) It’s weird but it’s delicious. I decided to try the sweet potato fries. I don’t know, just wanted something new, I guess. Dennis was such a gentleman to go along with my caprices. (He’s always this gentlemanly, mind you.) I took the first bite and was astounded at the marriage of the flavors—the sweet and the salty. “Sarap,” I mumbled between bites, wide-eyed and all. “Ang weird pero ang sarap… Parang ikaw,” I added. Dennis smiled a sort-of-embarrassed smile and said, “Ikaw din. Ang weird mo pero masarap.” Haha. Whatever. Anyway, the sweet potato fries give your conventional French fries a run for its money. I even remarked that they were a healthy alternative. I didn’t really know what in the world I was talking about. The sweet potato fries could’ve been double deep-fried in lard, for all I know. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

3.) Too much spice? Nah. While we were down to our last bites of the spicy chicken chops, Loves ko started coughing. “Wooh,” he said. He drank all his water and was cheating gulps from my glass. “Weak,” I scoffed. I then gave him some of my rice because I knew he liked lots of rice with his viand but he used it against me. “Wala ka pala e. Gusto mo lang bawasan rice mo,” he jeered. “Di kaya,” I said, and stuck out my tongue. I didn’t know what’s with him but I liked the spiciness of the chicken. We had spicier things than these. But we had agreed to order some soy garlic chicken next time. You know, to balance out the heat.

 

Koreans ang peg.

4.) MMPC shows up in a picture. While waiting for our food, we started taking pictures of and with each other. Funny thing happened: Dennis was taking a picture of me when he said, “May MMPC.” I was like,“Huh?” Well, this picture says it all:

 

The guy in the “MMPC Badminton” shirt was Sir Cris Bas from MMPC’s Purchasing Office. Whoops!

5.) Martian Dessert. After our BonChon meal, we walked around, trying to decide where to have dessert. Dennis suggested McDonalds’. “Ack,” said I, which he understood as no. He then suggested we go buy some Mars chocolate bars. I had a big smile on my face. Perfect!

Noms Needs Mars. I'm Noms. Nomnomnom. :)

THE BOTTOMLINE

Although the day didn’t go as planned, things turned out ok. We got to spend time with each other and got to celebrate sixty-six months of togetherness. We’re still counting!

Cheers to Forever!

Originally Posted on June 11, 2013. Reposted from Facebook.