Celine's Life Adventure

This post is first of my PH vacation series: Day 0 of PH Vacation . Valentine's Day at Vancouver International Airport Day 1 of PH Vacation . Time with Family Day 2 of PH Vacation . Confirmation and Time with Friends Day 3 of PH Vacation . Errands Day 4 of PH Vacation . Interview and Ocular Day 5 of PH Vacation . High School Friends Day 6 and 7 of PH Vacation . Jomar's Hometown Day 8 of PH Vacation . Food and Pre-Cana Seminar Day 9 of PH Vacation . Last Day This post is about our 5th day in Manila. Morning at Linden Suite I woke up at 6 in the morning and took a quick shower for another busy day. View from Linden Jomar and I had breakfast at the buffet (I didn't enjoy it but the service was excellent - super friendly staff) while waiting for Mary, my high school best friend. Not good breakfast buffet at Linden Mary arrived at around 8 am and I joined her for breakfast and we were chatting for 2-3 hours about life. I pray that everyone will ha

It's my last full day in Philippines and I am heartbroken that I will be far from Jomar again. Today, we had breakfast in KFC. KFC back here is so much better than the one in Canada. Sorry KFC Canada. I also missed their gravy. KFC After having breakfast, we went to Salon de Matt. Haircut is so much cheaper here. For $10 CAD, I could get a great haircut plus tip. In Canada a haircut would cost $30. Moreover, the haircut in Manila includes shampoo. New Haircut Picture After getting a haircut, we went to SM Megamall. My mom asked us to buy contact lenses for her. I also end up buying her preferred coffee from the Philippines. Lastly, for myself I purchased Goldilocks baked goodies. Coffee mother wants. We were supposed to go straight to Glorietta for lunch with Ms. Aileen. Unfortunately, we forgot our gifts for her back in the condo. From SM Megamall, we had to stop by the condo then go to Glorietta. Meeting with Ms. Aileen and Jay My vacation is now com

It was my fourth day back in Manila. I spent it with four different ladies who played a big role in the different stages of my career and life. Mama Chelle My day started with breakfast at the Google Philippines office with Mama Chelle and Wayne. I first met Mama Chelle when I was at Orange and Bronze Software Labs, Inc (O&B). She was head of sales and I was a fresh grad Jr. Business Analyst and Quality Assurance engineer. We had not much interaction then, except for that one time where we went to Gelatissimo and I shared my work challenges and she gave me advice. We became so much closer when she moved to Codeflux because that's when she started helping out with the Google communities. She and Jomar worked closely for the community and since I am Jomar's plus one, I became a volunteer for the Google Developers Group. I helped with registration and welcoming attendees, usually with little Josh (who is now a teenager). Breakfast at Google Philippines with Mama Che

It's my third day back home and it feels great to take a break from my routine life in Canada. Date with Jomar When I planned my itinerary for this vacation, Jomar requested that we have a date. I moved things around and told him that I would free up Tuesday morning and we could go out then. I asked him to surprise me with what he had in mind. Manila There is a building along Pedro Gil that look likes a dome. I have been curious about it but didn't thought of checking it out. Apparently, it's the National Museum Planetarium. It was close for so long until recently and Jomar wants us to visit the Planetarium while it's still open. We went there at around 9:00am after having the remaining Kare-Kareng Gulay for breakfast. The exhibit was okay. There was nothing that made me say wow and it was last updated 2009(?) so the information is a bit outdated. National Museum Planetarium Jomar also wanted to see one of the shows which costs Php 50.00. It was a 30-minut

SM Makati has been doing a lot of renovations the past few months, and the first part that got completed is the newly renovated supermarket and food court in the lower ground floor of the mall.  +Jomar Tigcal  and I said we would try all the stalls in the food court and the first one is Bibimbob Express. Large Chicken Bibimbob (Php 119.00) The thing about the new food court is that the stalls offer more expensive food than before the renovations. As we walked around, I noticed that the food they are selling (on average) costs more than Php 100.00. Anyway,  I liked Bibimbob. The way they presented the food would remind you of Pepper Lunch. We also ordered the Korean Dumping (Php 55 for four pieces), and it was way too oily. Can't wait for our next food adventure! Happy eating!

When I have those bad days, I often crave for a feel-good meal (usually during dinner). On top of my head, I would always choose, Giligan's, specifically their Kare-Kareng Gulay! I've been to their branches in Greenbelt 1, Glorietta 5, SM Megamall, TriNoma, Robinson's Galleria, and SM North EDSA. November 4, 2013 @ Glorietta 5 November 21, 2013 @ Greenbelt 1 December 17, 2013 @ TriNoma August 21, 2014 @ Glorietta 5 Always and will be my fave comfort food. :)

I love Pancake House!  +Jomar  and I had lunch in Pancake House (Makati Medical Center branch) today and tried the #DoubleyourLove promo which serves two plates of their Spaghetti and Taco plus iced tea only for Php 350.00. It was a decent deal. My usual order in Pancake House is the House Special Set (spaghetti, taco, chicken, and iced tea) so I was happy to be eating both the spaghetti and taco. As an additional, we ordered 2-piece chicken with rice. Hehe. Gutom. Be sure to try the #DoubleyourLove promo of Pancake House! =) Happy eating!

Our Awesome Planet released a blog about the 10 Most Awesome Ramens in 2013 . So my ramen monster friend  +Jerome ,  +Mitch , +Jomar and I tried to clear the list around Makati. From the list, we have only tried Ukokkei Ramen Ron and Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. Because of that, we decided to add a 3rd one: Kichitora of Tokyo. Honestly, by far this is the best ramen I've tried EVER! Now, whenever I try ramen, I will order Spicy Miso Ramen to compare it off with this one. Their gyoza is so-so and the oyakudon Jomar ordered was soupy (if there's such a word). The Ramen was spicy, but it's just the right amount of spice that would allow you to taste the miso based soup. Overall, Kichitora of Tokyo is my fave ramen place so far. Oyakudon and Hokkaido Spicy Ramen Kichitora of Tokyo is at the 2nd Floor of Glorietta 5 in the Ayala Center.

Last February 6,  +Jomar ,  +Mitch , and I received our Korean Visa. To celebrate, we set forth to Malugay Street and had a fun Korean dinner at Ara Korean Restaurant along Malugay Street in Makati City. It was not the best Korea place I've tried in the Metro. I still prefer the authenticity of Happy Han Bapsang in Ortigas, the ambiance of Maru in Jupiter Street, and the delicious food from Samgyupsalamat near De La Salle University-Manila. Grilling the Samgyupsal at Ara Korean Restaurant

Press Cafe is a restaurant inside the posh Power Plant Mall. It is near Fully Booked and the Cinemas. Around three weeks ago,  +Chelle ,  +Mitch ,  +Wayne ,  +Jomar , and I decided to watch the Filipino movie Starting Over Again starring Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga at the Power Plant Mall. Before the movie, we had dinner at Press Cafe. It was a bit expensive, but I was hungry and would want to eat before the movie. I had the Cheesy Eggplant which was cheesy and yummy. Though, half-way through it, I want to stop eating since the appetite is gone. Wayne had burgers while Mama Chelle had pasta and Mitch had steak with potatoes. Jomar had chicken with rice. My Cheesy Eggplant on top. Wayne's burger on the lower left. Jomar's chicken on the lower right. The food is good, but the price is a bit on the mid-range. You would need at a minimum Php 200.00 for a decent meal.

I have to come to love Japanese cuisine, from a steaming bowl of ramen to the raw sashimi and sushi but of all the Japanese food I have tried, my ultimate favourite is the Japanese Curry. I have tried a lot of Japanese restaurants around Metro Manila and would always order the Japanese Katsu Curry. Last Sunday, I had my "love myself more day." I went shopping around Glorietta for corporate attire since I am about to start my new work. When consulting my trusted app,  +Foursquare  it suggested that I have lunch in Yabu in Glorietta 5. Thus, I had my Sunday lunch there alone. At first, people were looking at me like I am weird eating alone. The table on my left is a family while on my right is a couple, and here I am in the middle being in my usual Sunday alone-ness. Upon checking the menu, I decided to have the Chicken Katsu Curry Set. After giving my order, the waitress explained the Yabu tradition and discussed that all sides are unlimited. After around 10 minutes, my

I've been working in Makati for three years now and have tried different food places around the busy city. In the first round of my food trip around Makati, I will be sharing about Commune ! It's a coffee + bar + restaurant found in the corner of Valero and H.V. Dela Costa (near Trafalgar and BDO Towers). All-Day Breakfast I loved their chicken longganisa! It was the first time I tried last October 2, and it was delicious. The only reason I don't have a photo of it is that I finished the food before I remember to take a picture of it. Gutom eh. Ultimate Food Trip I love Commune and the different food adventure  +Jomar Tigcal , and I have when we have dinner here. Jomar is more adventurous in trying all the viands available while I stick to the food that I like. August 8, 2013: Daing Na Bangus and Chicken Adobo Sa Gata

When I was in grade school, I remember my parents bringing us to Makati City. As a kid, the tall buildings look taller, and everything is just so big and amazing. Fast forward to now, Makati is a place I go to work every day for the past two years with hundreds even thousands of other Filipinos. Yesterday, Jomar and I had our first Saturdate for the year. We decided that we would be like tourists in Makati. Here is a list of places of interest that we had or are going to visit: Places of Worship Nuestra Senora de Gracia Parish Church - Who would have thought that in a neighbourhood known to be full of informal settlers, there would be a gem? One of the oldest Church in Makati City is near Guadalupe behind the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary. A lot of couple from all over Metro Manila decide to get married here. Also, according to a Foursquare tip, a lot of local TV shows and movies are shot here. To get here, go down from Guadalupe Station and walk along Bernadino Street.