The start of something new

There's something new in my life, that is, I have a new job. Yes, after 5 years and 10 months, I decided to leave my job and look for a new one. It was really time for me to leave. I didn't see any growth for me there, no challenges awaiting. I have made quite a few friends and I miss them. Even if I miss my colleagues, I look forward to this new job, new friends and new challenges.
 

The Phantom of the Opera in Manila

No time to write a long post. Watched The Phantom of the Opera at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on October 4th and it was spectacular! I didn't imagine that I am having what I call the "Phantom fever" seeing that I prefer Les Miserables over it.

The "Phantom fever" means that I am listening to the music over and over and over again. I keep hoping that I would hear Jonathan Roxmouth's voice again; he's playing the Phantom. His voice is heavenly! Perfect pitch, controlled and with so much emotion in it. 

I'm now a "The Phantom of the Opera" fan. :) 

Drafted on 10/05/2012 and published on 11/02/2012.

Who wants some homemade squash doughnuts?

Disclaimer: No recipe here.

It was my first time to make / bake / fry doughnuts today. I have been bugging my sister to send me the recipe since last week. She sent the recipe in grams.. and I was like, "I don't have a weighing scale for baking!" So anyway, I went ahead and bought the ingredients on Monday night and was able to make them just this morning.

When I was combining all the dry ingredients, I suddenly freaked out. There in the ingredients list was water and shortening. But my Mom's directions were, "Combine all dry ingredients. Beat egg yolks. Add dry ingredients to beaten egg yolks." Where and when do I add water and shortening?! LOL

I called home while beating my egg yolks and demanded to talk to my mom. In a panic voice, I said, "Mom, is this water just for boiling the squash or do I add it in the mixture? When do I add it? It's not written on your directions!"

Anyway, when I mixed all of the ingredients, the dough was a bit sticky.. so it meant that I lacked flour. I added more flour, then a little bit more, and some. Rested the dough to make it rise a bit. After 30 minutes, I shaped them into doughnuts.  They doughnuts turned out a little bit on the burnt side because it was our household help who fried them. She said that she was afraid that the inside might not be cooked well. The inside wasn't burnt.. it was still soft and yummy.  :) 

All in all, I am satisfied with how my squash doughnuts turned out... I just need more practice.

Vacation - GenSan

Gen. Santos City Airport

I haven't been back in GenSan for almost 15 years! And the years would go on  had I not decided to go with my parents about 3 weeks ago.

My dad's side of the family is in General Santos City, well-known to be the city where Manny Pacquiao is from and where tuna is abundant. GenSan is my summer vacation go to place when I was a kid.

Here are some pictures of fresh fruits & scenery I took. We didn't really go to places because my vacation in GenSan was always house to store and eat to house and eat more food. :)

(PS. Pardon the picture arrangement!!)

Pineapple field on the way to the farm.

A Rambutan Tree bearing fruits.

Have you ever tasted a cherry blossom (sakura)?

Have you ever tasted a cherry blossom (sakura)? I have. In chocolate form, that is.. but it tasted more like green tea than cherry blossom, not that I really know what a cherry blossom takes like..

KitKat - Cherry Blossom flavor! Don't you just love it? =)

PS. Thank you to Prim for this pasalubong. :)

Sharing good food with great friends.. a post birthday celebration

I went out with my college Comsci friends last night as a post birthday celebration. I was supposed to celebrate my birthday with them but one of my friends was in the US at that time and asked if I could celebrate it when she's back in Manila.. and so we did last night. 

We had dinner at the Mango Tree - Bonifacio Global City Central branch. I had reserved a table for 5 but due to unfortunate events, Alpert wasn't able to make it. 

Mango Tree is a fine dining Thai restaurant. The food was delicioso! We ordered Pad Thai Jay, Pork Satay, Chicken Pandan, Prawn Pomelo Salad and Tom Yum Goong -- which is pretty spicy for us..  The names of the dishes were in Thai but since I cannot remember them except the Pad Thai and the soup - tom yum goong, that's why I have written them down in their English names. 

The brew of my Thai lemon iced tea (lower right corner picture) was too strong - which I didn't like.. However, Prim enjoyed her Thai milk tea. (no picture of the milk tea)

Since Pau is working and living in the BCG area, we contacted her and asked her to meet us. She was able to meet us and we had dessert with her.

We had dessert at The Cake Club, an establishment away from the Mango Tree. And boy, the cakes are really worth their prices, i.e PHP 250.00! Pau, Paul and Arthur ordered Le Royale which is a chocolate cake with wafer and I don't know what else. It's very rich chocolate with a crunchy part because of the wafer... heavenly chocolate-y goodness! Yumm!

Prim didn't order anything because she was already full. She still had her Thai milk tea from the Mango Tree. Whereas, I ordered the baked cheesecake which is to die for.. absolutely pure cream cheese with sliced almonds on the side, and topped with a small thin square slice of dark chocolate and blueberries. I was speechless when I ate my first forkful of cheesecake... yes, that good!

It was a fun night of catching up especially with Pau whom we haven't seen for more than 4 years. We were all excited with our food and cakes that we didn't take a group picture of ourselves. :)

Tick, tock said the clock...

"To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour." - Auguries of Innocence, by William Blake

I first heard of this line when I watched Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Then, I read this recently in a book I'm currently reading - John Ortberg's "God is Close Than You Think".  I would like to think that the line spoke to me. It reminded me that time seems to pass by with me doing nothing really significant.. restlessness is closing in. Everything with work is changing. Maybe turning 29 is really hitting me hard. Next year I'll be 30.. and then what?