"Out of sync but never out of style."

One beautiful early Tuesday morning, while I was eating Breakfast which consists of an amazingly done Egg Sandwich and a Milk Chocolate, my Mother went crazy, blasted the stereo to a high volume and started playing Pussycat Dolls out of nowhere. I love the Pussycat Dolls like mad crazy but playing a loud pure pop sound in the morning.. wakes the neighbors up.

After about 5 minutes, realizing everyone is still asleep, she changed it to soulful golden oldies. Currently playing: How Do You Keep The Music Playing. Maaan I love these Golden Oldies, Pop Music would have to wait until the night.

***

As some of you might know, I'm going to Tagaytay this Sunday. Tagaytay is a popular tourist spot in the Philippines, often visited by people due to its cool climate. It's maddeningly hot here in Manila, I wanna pack my bags and just get out of here!

Only problem is, my Dad is having second thoughts about me going. It's such a bummer, I've waited 2 weeks for this trip and I asked permission like many moons ago. He already gave me money and then he goes, "I don't want you to go, your safety is at stake." Sure, I understand him being worried about me but I'm so looking forward to the trip, it's not like I'm going to another country. Tagaytay is only almost 2 hours away from Manila. It's just so stupid that he suddenly changes his mind!

However, I don't take no for an answer. The trip is still 4 days away, a lot could happen. Nothing's gonna stop me now! Yeah, I'm stubborn! I'm goin for the gold, bitch!

There's this place I wanna visit in Tagaytay, Bag Of Beans. I mean, just look at their food I got from their website:

Do you wanna miss out on these foods for the rest of your life?

I plan on posting loads of pictures from that Tagaytay trip! The food, the price, how to get there, everything! But then there's this old man that doesn't want me to have fun. I'm a big fan of trying something new while he just wants to play safe.

***

On Movie news, I watched Soul Men yesterday. Pretty great movie. Samuel L. Jackson's acting is never to be missed out on. Remember when he played Jules in Pulp Fiction? He's just amazing, the way he embodies his role, making everything so memorable. May Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes (who are both in this movie) rest in peace. P.S., if you love Soul, I suggest watching this movie. They got good music.

Much Love,

Half.Crazy

Food from Cooking Academy 2 and its real life counterpart.

How are all my beautiful people? It's Holy Week but it's not gonna prevent people from doing vices and eating meat. As years go by, this tradition seems to be gradually forgotten by Christians, and I'm guilty of that. I don't even go to Church anymore, pray or read the Bible. I make sure that I do what I think is for the best, that's more important.

***

It's summer here in the Philippines, I have a few more days to go before school starts. Of course, I've been bored and I got nothing to do and I got no money, that's the worst part of it! I've been spending my time just hanging out with friends and playing a lot of games. Recently, I've been addicted to Cooking Academy 2! I play it a lot especially at night so that before I go to bed, I'm gonna be daydreaming about Food and I know what to eat the next day.

I just had this weird idea to show to you the 2D version of the food from Cooking Academy 2 and its real life counterpart to get us all hungry. I'll be posting the Italian Menu! Note: The real life counterparts are not my property, therefore, they're someone else's.I worked hard to find the perfect match, haha!

Tiramisu
I thought Tiramisu was originally from Japan because its name sounds 'Japan' to me. Haha! Tiramisu, when translated, means "pick me up" or "carry me up". Tiramisu is one of my favorites, it appeals to most people. We're talking about loads of chocolate in here!

Eggplant Parmesan
You might think I'm kind of weird - I don't eat Eggplants. But Eggplant with oozing Parmesan, a cheese favorite, that's a different matter.

Tortellini
This dish is probably the least appealing to me.

Calzone
Of course the real life counterpart is much better. It looks stuffed! I can probably only eat half!

Risotto Ai Fiori
Looks interesting, wonder what this tastes like, I'm curious to know. It's rice mixed with a lot of stuff. Don't you Filos out there think it sort of looks like Kaning Baboy? Haha!

Cannelloni
Yummy! Never tried this before. But anything with red sauce and cheese, I'm sure to like. The real life counterpart looks so much better.

Pesto Chicken
Don't know what Chicken Pesto tastes like but I looove Pesto. I want me a Pesto Sandwich right now! Pesto is a green sauce made with basil, olive oil, Parmesan Cheese, and other ingredients.

Alright, that's all for now, I'm gonna get me a Clubhouse Sandwich but I'm actually craving for something with Red Sauce and a Four Cheese Sandwich or Pizza!

Much Love,

Half.Crazy

Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Macro Monday.

As some of you may know, it was not a very Merry Christmas for me. You can read why in here. New Year's was not exactly THAT happy too but it's decent.

Christmas Tree 2009.

***

New Year's Eve.

First off, me and my boyfriend went to Mall of Asia, the largest Mall in the Philippines and my most favorite too. When we got there at around 4PM, there were a LOT of people waiting for the countdown. A stage was erected in the middle of the highway, and tables and chairs were prepared for the celebrities coming. We decided to sit on the ledge beside Manila Bay to take a picture of the Sunset.

Damn I had to take this with my Camera Phone cos I forgot my Digital Camera.

A big Christmas Tree was erected beside the Bay.

Stage I was talking about.

We ate at Kenny Roger's Roasters (SM Mall of Asia branch) that time too and we didn't get good service! The cashier, when we were placing orders seems to be too bored with what she's doing and she punched the wrong orders! I really like Spaghetti but they said it was out of stock! When they served us our Iced Tea, it didn't have Ice! And everyone just seemed too lazy. This is the first time I received bad service from Kenny's!

After that, at around 8PM, we sat on the ledge again, this time we found it hard to look for some space LOL. People literally covered the ledge, the bars and the restaurants beside the Bay. At around 10PM, it was time to go home to our families and embrace 2010. At 12AM, the fun began at Mall of Asia and the spectacular and traditional Fireworks display came to life.

***

At Home.

I got home at around 10.30PM, my neighborhood full of life, every house there's a Videoke set up, People were abundant, made a lot of noise, and there's music everywhere. And oh yeah, the streets were full of litter too. Ano nga ulit ingles ng paputok? LOL.

Relatives came over, the usual chatting, while waiting for 2010. Man, there was no shortage of food and yes, I took pictures! Try not to get hungry!

Shanghai Rolls frying.

Finished Product. Ooh, I love Shanghai, especially when you dip em into Ketchup. These ones were so damn crunchy. Just the way I like it.

Macaroni Salad. Way too good. I'm eating it right now! I piled loads on a small bowl.

Chocolate Cake with Cashew and Almonds. I've never tasted anything like it. So damn good. My Aunt made it.

.. and many more. I just attacked everything, made sure I get a taste LOL. I slept at around 3AM. Hanged out with my relatives and just ate a lot of food. Not bad to start the New Year.

***
Macro Monday.

Not yet Monday in here but this is the only time I can write my blog. School's gonna start tomorrow! So I'm posting this early. If you wanna join Macro Monday, click here.

McDonald's Chicken Nuggets. YUM!

Much Love,
Half.Crazy

2009: A Look Back.

2010 is officially in, folks! Start a new chapter in my life; my new sheets needs to be filled up with stories of happiness, sorrow, new adventures, new people, and other stuff I have to deal with. 2009 has been an eventful year for me, it seems like a lot of things happened, all went by in a blur! It has been a good year.

Join me as I look back and recall things that happened in 2009 - good and bad.

Blogging.

I met a lot of really fantastic bloggers this year. A lot of them I met through Friday Town Shootout where you get to show off your place. To the Friday Town Shootout Gang, I'm grateful to have met you guys, you know who you are. Here's to another year ahead of us!

Not to forget, the truckload of Filipinos I met this year. Let's all continue to blog and represent our beloved Motherland.

Also, I met a lot of people outside these circles. Shout out goes to: MAKE MONEY ONLINE FREE!!! -- testimonial of a skeptic, TRAVELOG, Reena's Thoughts, John abuzz, Lend Me Your Eyes: Abstract Paintings Art Blog, Blogtrotter, Cottage Farm Villa.

And of course, I can't put everyone up there LOL! I am grateful for the comments each and every one of you leave. They make my day and really motivates me to blog more. So never stop giving me some love, haha!


Last but not the least, this is the year I started to blog on Blogger! I remember back in February, I was struggling with my blog cos I'm trying to figure out how to get comments. But that's another story, all is well now!

Me.

This beer is best served cold. On the rocks, beybe! Not a fan of too much Beer, though. I vomit easily, dunno why. I go hard!

The first time I really got myself into Alcohol was during my birthday last May. After my birthday, what followed is a weekly drinking session in different bars around the capital. I danced my ass off, met a lot of new people through drinking, burned a lot of money, and angered my parents. But hey, I am completely aware of all the things I do even when drunk. Nowadays, I'm trying to change by not drinking and partying too much lol!

I'm addicted to trying new things so I end up not going at home at least once a week lol! I go with friends to nearby provinces to eat and drink the whole night long.

Broke up with a boyfriend then found a new one after a month.

I shifted from Computer Science to Psychology. Now I'm loving every minute of Psychology, except when I have to take Statistics and Probability and Chemistry lol! I still meet with my old buddies from Computer Science and continued to meet loads of new people in Psychology.

Participated in Psychology Night.

Not a really good shot but this is where I tried loads of things. Bring it on!

Yay campfire! Before and after shots.

Went to loads of new and exciting places. Tried a lot of things. Ate a lot of food.

Watched a lot of movies especially classic Films (12 Angry Men, A Streetcar Named Desire, Breakfast At Tiffany's, Sunset Blvd., Casablanca, The Godfather, AND LOADS MORE!) downloaded a massive amount of songs and read a lot of books. = More information, I learned to appreciate Life and the World more.

Family.

A dear Grandfather died. A respectful man, the first Filipino Professor in the University of Pennsylvania. May he rest in peace.

Marco.

Kent.

Godmother to 2 handsome little boys.

Visited the Cemetery to pay respects to the roots of my Mother's side.

Bonded a lot with my Mother's clan. This really means LOADS OF GOOD FOOD.

Not really a merry Christmas.

***

Damn, I think I wrote a lot! It's like the Summary of my life this 2009. It's great to make something like this, though. I'm sure I left out a few minor details but the major ones are all here!

Hmm, I'm craving for Hot Chocolate, Swiss Miss in particular!

Have a Happy New Year, everyone!

Much Love,

Half.Crazy

Pop! goes my post.

Oh shit I left this blog in the gutter!

My apologies for the opening line. I've been really busy, College Life has been hectic with all the Experiments, Research Proposals and Defense, Social Life and the things that go with it: vices, parties, lots of money spent on unnecessary things and all that stuff. I had to put aside my interests and hobbies just to go with the flow! Of course I enjoy going with the flow and getting caught up with the cycle of life. I barely even get some sleep; I get lucky if I ever get to sleep for 5 solid hours.

Now I'm on vacation, I still have to report back to school on January 4 for final requirements. Just thinking about all the undone school stuff makes my blood boil and my head spin. But I'm a Procrastinator at heart so you know what comes next after that..

As for my life update, I have a new boyfriend, a tight circle of College friends, I lost weight and I'm trying to gain some but it's proving to be hard, I barely stay at home mostly because of parties and trips, I recently discovered I'm really sensitive and I'm trying really hard to get that off my system because I don't wanna sulk around every time just because someone said something I think was offensive. And blah, blah, my life goes like that for now.

Enough about me, how about you? Christmas is fast approaching! More food and parties!

Much Love,

Just a little Ping! from here.

Wow, I haven't been in this place for a while! I missed you guys, just thought I'd let y'all know that I'm alive and well; I'm sure you've heard about the tragedy in the Philippines and yeah, we've been affected too but not as bad as the people in other places. Ever since Saturday, it was hell for everyone in the country's capital and other neighboring provinces when a Tropical Cyclone unleashed hell on us.

Many lives were lost, properties destroyed to the fullest due to landslides and strong currents of the flood. Now many are homeless, a lot of streets are still flooded, and people ain't got basic needs like food, clothes and medicine; It's this time when you can really depend on your countrymen. Currently, a lot of companies, foundations, and individuals are helping out. They volunteer to pack the goods, donate food, clothes, medicine and other needs. It's just so overwhelming, it just made me prouder than ever that I'm Filipino. Shit, you can even see Filipinos waving and smiling while hanging on electricity wires, lamp posts, swimming against the current of the flood or wading through mud mixed with garbage and murky water when TV cameras capture them!

Like I said above, we were not excluded! Below are 2 photos inside our house when the flood came unannounced!

One of our couch depended on chairs underneath it. The other couch had cases of beer beneath it but then collapsed when the water just kept rising. We let it float anyway, haha! Sometimes, you just have to let go lol!

You might think, "What the frack just happened here!" Well, let me explain. We couldn't let the poor thing's motor be submerged into water or let it float. Having the motor wet might totally render it useless so my cousins just had to tie the baby up on the sink LOL.

---

Man, the water rose to our thighs, our oven/cooking stove was toppled over by the water, washing machine damaged, no electricity for 2 days, not enough food, we couldn't even cook our food because we need to carry the gas tanks somewhere safe, we couldn't even use the bathroom because it's also flooded, (so yeah, I'll leave the rest of toilet business to you, reader!) no cellphone signal, and the list goes on and on!

But now, we're alright. Electricity is back, we went to the Supermarket earlier to buy food to be donated and food for us; We're cleaning all over the place, I got Internet; and you know, the usual, before the flood came. But we still can't cook our food lol! So we resort to eating out and food delivery instead.

Much Love,

HalfCrazy

Town Shootout: Native Restaurants and Food

It's Friday morning in here so here I go again and the rest of the Friday Shootout Gang (Reggie Girl thought of that) bringing you another week of free trips, fancy photos, adventures and a whole lot more from Metro Manila, Philippines. This week's episode is again packed with adventures and oodles of goodies and is chosen by the lovely Loida of Welcome to 2L3B's World....

Now you know you want to see some more and perhaps better adventures and photos than this one here so I say click and visit on one or two of those links on the right side of this blog under 'Friday Town Shootout Participants'. Trust me, you will never be disappointed. Also, we're asking everyone up for this kind of thing to join us every Friday. No strict rules - just point and shoot with respect to the theme and improvise a little! Hope to see YOU next week.

This fast food restaurant is called Karasa in 168 Mall, Divisoria, Metro Manila. They have various Philippine dishes like Lechon Kawali (Roasted pig), Sisig (Ground Pork or Beef with Liver) with Egg, Roasted Chicken and a whole lot more. People line up, say their orders and these girls hand it to them on a sizzling plate. On the other end of the line is the Cashier and people sit down on various seats and tables in the Food Court. Mom ordered Talong (Eggplant) in Karasa. I didn't eat it because it looks scary LOL.

Another famous Philippine Dish, Liempo or Grilled Spareribs. Filipinos usually eat Liempo with Rice, sometimes accompanied with Egg and gravy. Most popular and the best tasting gravy (or maybe it's a sauce?) would be Mang Tomas, also featured above. Grilled Spareribs is one of my favorite Filipino dishes!

Saging na Saba. I don't know its English name but it is sliced bananas in a sweet concoction of sugar and sago. Mom prepared this, by the way.

This is one of the Fast Food restaurants in Landmark Food Court, Makati. If there is ever a National Fast Food Chain here in the Philippines, it would be Jollibee, strongly competing with McDonald's.

While at the Food Court in Landmark, Makati, we ordered from Porky's. Mom ordered the first photo. Picadillo with sliced bananas, egg and rice. Ordered the second photo, Picadillo with Porkchop and Vegetables. Of course we'll come back for more. Are you drooling now? LOL.

In my previous post I mentioned going to Guilly's, Glorietta 5, Makati, for my brother's birthday. It was a simple birthday with extraordinary dishes! First photo is Tofu with vegetables; Second is Nilagang Baka. I don't really know what it is in English but it is Beef thrown in with potatoes, vegetables and sometimes bananas. Third is Garlic Chicken and 4th, Fish Fillet with French Fries. Okay, the last one is not exactly a native dish but I just had to put that in because it was my favorite dish that night LOL.

Okay, I really hope you guys enjoyed, that was a pretty long post, sorry for taking so much of your time LOL.

Much Love,