Burgoo and a Book

After my dental appointment last Saturday we had a quick lunch at Burgoo, one of our favorite restos. My daughter's too because she loves to write and draw on the paper mat which also serves as the table's cover while waiting for the food. This is a good strategy to pass away the time.

From my previous experiences, the service people are very attentive even if it's their peak time. But last Saturday, Burgoo's service (The Block, SM North Edsa branch) was not good in terms of attending time and service time. We were greeted by the customer relations person and lead us to our table. Menu was given promptly. The thing is, fifteen minutes has passed and no one is coming to our table to ask for our orders. I'm sure there is a person assigned for each table. Anyway, I have to call on someone to ask if he can already take my orders. He did. We waited for twenty minutes for the food. Jambalaya and baby back ribs for me and hubby. Chicken and fries for Andrea which the waiter thought of taking back thinking it was fish fillet. Oooops, product knowledge is very important for the frontliners. I came from the food industry so I know the standards.

Time to pay the bill. My husband called on the food attendants thrice before we were attended properly. And that's not all, we have to wait for another fifteen minutes for the change. The manager asked how's the food while handing over this coupon for a free something on our next visit. I said they were fine but the serving time took so long. He just smiled and said it's kind of peak. Of course, that was lunch time. That was the only thing he said. Maybe he forgot the script on what to tell customers when given such comments.


Jambalaya, this is my all-time favorite at Burgoo. The regular size is prized at around P240 and it's good for two already.


The fries are soggy. :(


Baby back ribs are like drowning with sauce.

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Before going home, we passed by Fully Booked. Actually, this is a mother and daughter habit as my husband described it. We always have a look around bookstores if we know there's one in the vicinity even if there's nothing in particular we are going to buy.


Andrea with her HSM book. :)

Andrea and I went inside to check on books and magazines. I was thinking what could Andrea have seen that she ran like mad towards this book shelf. She saw a High School Musical book! It was a hit especially with tweens since last year. I thought the hype mellowed down with my daughter. But still she has to have a copy of the book never mind that she has the DVD and has watched it several times over at Disney Channel. :)

Anyway, it's vacation time already for my daughter but not for Daddy and Mommy. Sleep time! Happy week ahead!!!

Empty

This is a hallway of Caleruega Church in Tagaytay City. This church is famous for its serenity and nice landscape. Most dream weddings are held here. About two hours away from Manila, it's a frequent destination for Catholics and non-Catholics for some contemplation and sightseeing.


An empty bench. I can feel its emptiness. Taken from the balcony of my colleagues' house in Tagaytay. You can tell that I'm a frequent visitor of that city. :)

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The clock just hit 12:00 midnight, March 24. It's supposed to be a 'world shutdown of computers day'. It's an experiment to see if we can do that and what will happen if we do that. I'm not 100% sure I can do that since mostly, it's only during weekends that I get to go online. But I have an appointment with my orthodontist-bestfriend in the morning and will have a tooth extraction. So I have to rest in the afternoon and will probably catch up on my movie backlogs.

So far from the survey in the site, "I can" is a lot, lot higher than "I cannot". Let's see what we will get from this experiment. :)

Friday's Feast No. 3

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
Larry King because he is credible. I can feel his sincerity whoever he is interviewing. Anderson Cooper for his intelligence. Rob Marciano simply because he looks good. Is Ryan Seacrest qualified here? :)

On the local scene, Angelo Castro looks dignified. I like his accent. But he seems detached with the news he is delivering. I don't think I really like any reporter or anchor from any networks here. Documentarists/magazine show hosts interest me more - Howie Severino, Abner Mercado and his partner during the first few years of The Correspondents whose name escapes me now, and Atom Araullo. Atom? Yes, the 5 and Up kid who is all grown up now. He's a good role model. The other guys, they are all passionate being broadcast journalists.

Okay, I'll stop. I overdid this. :)

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Fish (tilapia), ground pork, shrimp.

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
Utopia maybe.

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?

Me, Talk Pretty One Day, I bought this a long time ago but have been bumped off by all the Murakami books I bought. Before Da Vinci Code, there's already Holy Blood, Holy Grail. My husband read this years ago, I haven't yet. The next five books are gifts from friends which I have browsed on but not actually read. Their time will come. :) From the line-up, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell will come first.

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Aside from the face, it's the general personality - the way he speaks and how he carries himself.

Letter of the Month

Before anything else, congratulations to Hubby G! His email was chosen as "Letter of the Month" by the Top Gear guys. Haha! :) Big deal. But it was fun seeing his short and 'cute' note published in his favorite car magazine. And for that he got summer goodies - sunscreen, sunblock and dark tanning. Haha! But the better give away is the gift certificate worth P2,000 of gasoline from Total. That will save us a week's budget of gasoline. Good enough.

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This is my VisualDNA. I got the link from Rach. I had a good time making my choices. *Though I meant kid as in my daughter instead of "kids" in one of the slides. Will edit as soon as. :)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

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Internet connection is acting up on me. I had my laptop configured yesterday in my school so I can have access to their wifi. I guess the librarian at the computer room did something I don't know (obviously) because at home now, I cannot connect I am connected through our router but I cannot browse. :( There are times I cannot work or post if it's not my laptop I am using. And then our DSL connection gets cut every 20 minutes or so. And Blogger is having some glitches. Hmmm. This means I better sleep before I get disconnected again. Sweet dreams! :)

Drink

The family that drinks together, stays together.
Drink fresh buko juice, Daddy.
Iced tea drink for the dear daughter.
And ripe mango juice for the Mommy.

This picture was taken at Leslie's in Tagaytay City, the home of great bulalo (bone marrow soup) and tawilis (freshwater sardine). The resto is open air and it is overlooking the scenic Taal Volcano. A quick drive if you want to have an eat out somewhere outside but near the metro.

Friday's Feast No. 2

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.
One, a very good career opportunity. Two, my professor's "street smart" approach to teaching. Let me make it three, my daughter's hugs and kisses.

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when ________?
When people save their own necks at the expense of others especially those who seem 'powerless'. Hmmmm.

Salad
When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?
Honestly, I love reading but one thing that makes me put to sleep is when I read while on our bed.

Main Course
What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?
Is my best good enough to be a great mother to my daughter?

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?
Arabiatta! And of all the restos I tried, Figaro offers the best Arabiatta in my own
unbiased opinion.

Architecture

This is my first post for the Photo Hunt. The theme for this Saturday, March 10, is Architecture. The photos above were taken a few weeks back during a workgroup with my classmates. We met at my classmate's office in RCBC Plaza. I took part of Makati Central Business District's landscape while we were having a break.

City landscapes fascinates me sometimes. Offhand, they speak of progress, a fast paced life, a concrete jungle as they say. Oftentimes, for no specific reason, I just love looking at them especially the city lights at night.

Friday's Feast No. 1

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?

Around 11 pm to 12 midnight. I do a lot of things during the night. I check my daughter's school works, I watch tv, I read, I blog and surf the net, etcetera. Well, eleven in the evening is fine by me since I'm able to do the things I've mentioned before getting really sleepy.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I give more. I'm naturally interested with what one has to say. I guess they sense that in me. Most just tell their stories on and on and I find myself giving an advice or two.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.

One of the memorable meals I've had was when we had our breakfast in a hotel after spending New Year's eve (2005) on the 22nd floor. What a good morning, feeling so refreshed. It was, and still is, special because it gives me that great feeling of being so bonded with my family.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

I have not just one but three works of fiction. One, a book, The Little Prince. I took to heart the quotable quotes that I am able to relate to in this book. Another book, Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, if you want something so much, the universe will conspire for you to achieve it. The other one's a movie, one of my all time favorites, Cinema Paradiso. Reflections on one's young life, one's youth and adulthood.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

No, not avocado. Ripe mango juice! Quenches my thirst so easily. And I like the color, the presentation in a clear tall glass with a bended straw, and a tiny slice of ripe mango fruit on the side.

Choices

I feel grateful I am able to have choices in my career. But that makes me in the middle of a dilemma too. Choices, choices. Weighing options. Questions, questions.

What is more beneficial for me and my family?
Is work-life balance just a myth?
Is it just about time management? Or about quality time spent at home?
What will really make me happy? And contented? And fulfilled?

I have to get back on all these quick. I need to be enlightened. In the meantime, I'll take a look and see in this new prospect.

Along the Road

One Saturday afternoon I brought my daughter along with me going to Serendra to meet my groupmates in class. As always, we say a little prayer before we leave home. Hubby has his own business that day so it was a mother-daughter bonding along the road. We took a cab and everything was going smoothly except when we reached QC Circle or what you call the Elliptical Road. Anybody familiar with the area know that it's quite chaotic there. Vehicles going to the right are on the left side and the vehicles going left are on the right side. Just imagine how all sorts of vehicles criss-cross at any given time on any given day. But I can deal with those. I'm used to the scenario.

There was this truck carrying a container van which do not have any lock or support to make it stable. That's the first thing I check whenver I see one alongside our vehicle. More than buses and unruly motorists, I fear those huge container vans which seem to give in and collide with the nearest vehicle anytime that it hit any protrusion on the highway. When I saw it inching the cab's way, as in it nearly hit our cab, I sort of panicked and told the driver to just give in. Maybe I said it in a slightly raised voice. Who would calm me down but my dearest daughter.

"Mommy, it's okay. Nag-pray naman tayo eh." The only thing I was able to utter was "oh, yes". It struck me and at the same time I felt some shame on myself. Suffice it to say my daughter's words made a whole lot of sense. That's one of the reasons why we pray, to keep us from harm's way. And me of little faith didn't realize it, it wasn't my top of mind. Fear was on my mind. Sometimes we learn a lot from an innocent child - take to heart what we do and don't be consumed by worries and fears.
At least try not to be affected too much by unfounded worries. I'd do just that.

A Nostalgic Evening

Welcome to the world, Frankie! She's the youngest addition in the family, my youngest brother's first baby born in Las Vegas. She's quite big at 19 inches and 7.2 lbs. She has some resemblance with my daughter. When I saw Frankie's picture for the first time, I can't help but feel nostalgic. I remember how my daughter seemed so fragile then. And me and my husband felt so helpless being first-time parents. That was almost nine years ago. Our baby is a big girl now. I do miss having a baby at home. I will have to content myself looking at Frankie and Wazzie's pictures. And yes, my darling daughter will always remain my baby. :)


I was browsing my cousin's Friendster account when I saw this picture. Again, I got all nostalgic. This was around late eighties. That time when all of us were just "kids". Now, half of them are based in the States, one has a good job in the Middle East, the little girl holding a gun is having her debut this year and will migrate to California within the year too. Our Lolo will always be remembered as someone very generous. One day millionaire one could say. Now that I am more mature, I look back and gets to appreciate better what he has given us, how he unselfishly shared his "wealth" to everyone.

Things change as we grow old, we get to have our own lives. I can now understand what my mother keeps on uttering then when the family, the clan was starting to move from one place to another. The time being together, the celebrations during special occassions are sorely missed. We have emails, we have YMs, text messaging and all those virtual 'keeping in touch' channels but there are times like these that you just miss them. But then again, distance is not a hindrance. A family is a family is a family. Nothing can change that. :)