"Life has a funny, funny way..."

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

Oh, the irony!

Since then, I always have this unexplainable enchantment over life's ironies. I like how the idea of having two opposing statements result to a better expression. For the longest time, this rhetoric language has been used to exaggerate things while it unravels sarcasm in the long run. While irony itself has various meanings, there are simple ironic situations in our lives that one can pinpoint after a number of experiences.

To cut it short, I just wanted to share some facets of my life that I find undoubtedly ironic. Just bear with me.

1. I like watermelon/melon scents in perfume and cologne but I don't eat watermelon/melon.
2. I like cheese-flavored food but I don't eat raw cheese itself. I find cheese to soft.
3. I like grape-flavored food and drinks but I barely eat grapes.
4. I'm not really fond of chocolates but I always choose the chocolate flavor in almost anything from shakes, smoothies, lollipop, ice cream, etc.
5. I like drinking milk teas and iced teas but I despise the taste of warm tea. I don't like the latter.
6. I hate eating marshmallows because again, they're too soft. But one of my comfort foods is Wiggles which is actually a chocolate-coated marshmallow.
7. I was a Jollibee kid, now I'm a McDo grown-up. I couldn't think of a better term. Haha.
8. Almost all of my stuff are pink, but my favorite color is mint green. While my wardrobe is almost pink, I only have a single shirt in mint green color.
9. I hate cigarettes but I'm living with two room mates who are cigarette smokers.
10. I breathe, eat, and drink news but I wouldn't want to marry some guy who has the same profession as mine. He should not be working in the media. *winks*
11. People think of me as a strong person but I'm actually the biggest crybaby.
12. I hate cheesy and sappy love stories but I like watching movies with the rom-com genre. In fact, my external drive is filled with romance and romcom movies.
13. I prefer guys who are neat and clean but I find the ruggedly handsome ones more attractive.
14. I like the thought of marriage and getting married but I can foresee myself as a spinster.
15. I like Betty over Veronica but in real life I believe that brunettes are more fun than blondes.
16. In college, my circle of friends think of me as the one who is likely to end up being the richest money-wise, now I'm actually the poorest with my meager salary.
17. I think buying bouquet of flowers is impractical, but I secretly wanted to receive one. I never had the chance to have one in my whole existence.
18. I also think shopping is impractical but hell yeah, grocery shopping is a therapy for me.
19. I was born with a sleek straight brown hair, but I ended having a thick wavy hair while growing up.
20. When I was younger, I like feminine-looking, chinito and fair-skinned guys. Currently, I am drawn to guys who are masculine, moreno and the alpha male type.
21. I work for a news and current affairs program but I am awful at writing news. For heaven's sake, I am and will always be a feature writer!
22. I wake up early but I often end up sleeping late.
23. I'm sort of a Grammar Nazi but my own grammar and writing sucks big time!
24. I like to read. I like to consider myself as a bookworm but I barely read books. I prefer reading magazines, comics and articles on the internet.
25. I like the songs of Mariah Carey but I kinda hate her due to her slur comments on Filipinos. Remember the 'Filipinos are monkeys.' statement?
26. I am a girl but I'm living with two guys, more like a gay couple. Does that make any sense? :)

Sorry if this post has become too narcissistic but this is my own blog so it's supposed to be filled with egotistical thoughts.

I still have more ironic stuff going on in my life. But I'd rather leave you with Alanis Morissette's song:

Ironic by Alanis Morissette

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc

"Life has a funny, funny way."

The Exotic Route, A Haven for the Thrill-Seeking Gastronome

Pinoys are known for their huge appetites. Admit it, we love to fill our empty stomach particularly with  the usual classic Filipino dishes and the like! We can be gastronomic in our own rights!

But have you ever tried going the "exotic route"? What I'm trying to say is that have you made an effort on trying something unusual to your taste buds, something that can make you think twice or more before having your fill? To be honest, the only exotic food that I've tried in my entire being is the Crocodile Sisig, well if you can consider "balut" in that category then that'd be an addition.

Today, I just had my share of the unusual. I have been featuring a variety of dishes here in Davao since last week, and to complete my story I thought of featuring exotic food. Then there's this certain restaurant in Crocodile Park which is widely known for its "crocodile" recipes but never did I know that they offer more bizarre, non-croc menus.

Here in Riverwalk Grill, I can simply say that this is the perfect place for every  adventurous foodie! It is an outdoor resto with a somehow native ambiance. You can have a pretty scenic view of the Davao river. Plus we had the chance to go inside their kitchen and watch the chefs doing their thing. Moreover, the aroma of the place is totally inviting!

Riverwalk Grill at Crocodile Park, Maa, Davao City

Crocodile Meat in flesh (literally). Wuhoo!

Riverwalk Grill's manager Mr. Dhoods Cane accompanied us throughout the course. He was just too nice and accommodating. I was only asking for the Spicy Bat delicacy but he included the Ostrich Steak and Ostrich Sisig to my surprise. Not only that, he also had us served with the classic chicken barbecue and pancit canton. Delish!

Top to Bottom : Crocodile Sisig, Crocodile Steak, Spicy Bat (each at 460 php/ serving)

Rice and Classic Chicken Barbecue

Frankly, I was hesitant to give that Spicy Bat a try but in the end I tasted it. (A certain specie of fruit bat which they've imported all the way from Maguindanao. Only two servings were left, lucky us we had one!) Sorry to say, but my taste buds weren't that happy. Perhaps the taste is just unfamiliar. Instead, our driver was the one who devoured the whole plate. BUT I just looooove the Ostrich Sisig. Up to now I can still remember its taste, how its spicy and sweet flavor seeps through my taste buds. Two thumbs up! And the medium rare Ostrich Steak was a definite winner too. Funny how I can compare ostrich's meat to a cross between chicken and pork. Haha. Let's not forget the grilled chicken and pancit canton that were undoubtedly scrumptious!

To sum it up, this gastronomic experience is just memorable. For those who aren't that adventurous like me, I recommend you to give it a try. It's nice to be venturesome once in a while! 

Choose Philippines! Choose Davao! :)

My cameraman and I are ready to fill our tummies.

Two-thirds of Team Habhab enjoying their "exotic" food trip.

With Riverwalk Grill's s Manager, Sir Dhoods.

Boom, the aftermath!

"Smile Ka Din, Konti Lang"

Kuya: "Kumusta crush mo?"

Bunso: "Ok lang."

Kuya: "Smile ka din!"

Bunso: "Ganito?"

Kuya: "Hindi, konti lang."

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

How many of you have watched this Mcdonald ad entitled Kuya? For those who haven't seen it, well here's the link:

Mcdonalds' Kuya Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M6nSUVqo4c

Anyhoo, for years Mcdonalds Philippines have been giving the Filipino viewers an array of compelling ads. Simple, pero tagos sa puso ika nga! Remember the Karen-Gina ad? How about that one with Huling El Bimbo as the OST or Hurray for Today?

For Philippines being the world's Most Emotional Country in the year 2012, there's no hesitation that these ads have been touching the hearts of the many Filipinos. Recently, Mcdo's latest endeavor in promoting one of their taglines 'simple joy that make you smile' brought about their latest ad, 'Kuya'.

The first time I glued my eye on the TV commercial, I felt this sort of emphatic twinge in my system. How come they did it again? Nevertheless, I was emotional in a positive light. 

Truth to be told, it's my first time to watch an ad where a person with special needs was a part of the cast, he even took the lead part. Indeed, this one is inspiring to all the families who have children with special needs. The ad also implies that instead of being indifferent to these children one should learn to cope with their developmental differences. They have more important needs and no one should suppress them from living a normal life. They are and will always be 'blessings'.

Nonetheless, whenever I watch Kuya saying his now famous line 'Smile ka din, konti lang' I just can't help but put this curve on my face. Kuya, thank you for leaving us with light hearts whenever you grace the boobtube. You may think that you're different from the rest but you're not, you are just unique in your own ways.

To everyone who's grumpy like me, let's start smiling, kahit konti lang! :)

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing Mcdo here. Nor I wasn't paid to promote the company in my trivial blog. 

P.S. Thank you Lawideena Araujo for constantly blabbing the 'Smile ka din, hindi, konti lang line' today. It inspired me to produce this write-up! :)

Lawi and Kuya Philip

Moi :)

On Bomb Scares and Bomberman

Photo Courtesy of www.consoleclassix.com

Bomberman---- most of the 90s kids can relate to this!

Back in the 90s when my innocence had its fair share of glory, I was in total fascination with video games. We had our own play station, but I had this peculiar obsession with that slot video game machine which we called "hulog-hulog piso". After inserting a coin, we can like play a video game for about 5 to 10 minutes. It was quite an addiction for me! Since our neighbor had this machine, I often sneak out the house and play with my childhood friends, enjoying the thrills of pushing the buttons like there's no tomorrow and moving the joystick to and fro!

I admit, violence dwells in video games. Some of my personal favorites were Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter and Ghost Fighter where killing and exterminating the enemies in bloodbath are highly acceptable. There's Top Gear where it's okay to drive recklessly in full speed. Even Super Mario World  taught us to slaughter various creatures like those brown mold-like organisms, turtles, fishes, etc. And there goes the game Bomberman where you strategically place bombs so as to kill your nemesis.

I just have pondered on these thoughts---- is it possible that terrorists and bombers have this fixation for the game Bomberman once in their lives? Can we even associate their behavior with this maze-based game?

But one thing's for sure though, all of us gamers have experienced this certain delight in violence.

For the past ten days, successive mysterious bombings and bomb threats in Mindanao have been causing fear to the people. Eight lives were lost in the CDO bombing, another eight in the recent Cotabato blast. Then here's the Maguindanao bombing which happened yesterday morning. 

For the past days, the government of Davao is in full force in tightening the security unit of the city. Text messages have been spreading like wildfire nowadays as regards to bomb threats. This is one of the two circulating text messages in the region:

"A car bomb, Mitsubishi Galant with plate number TLP 535, is on its way to Davao City". 

Just this morning during our media coverage, his excellency Pres. Benigno Aquino III managed to come here in the city despite security threats to attend a business conference as well as to address several issues. Apparently, checkpoints in SM Lanang were visible. Policemen, military members and even firefighters were in the area. Even the mall guards were strict, I have to get my bag checked every fuggin' time.

Just this afternoon, there's this suspected car bomb along the parking area of SM Ecoland. Thankfully, no bomb paraphernalia were found. Actually, the Pajero was just odd looking and because it's antiquated with too many wires of red, green and blue inside, it was meant to be under suspicion. Plus, funny how the bomb-sniffing dog also sat down at that instance. Turned out, the family who owns the Pajero were just mall goers who were watching a movie in the cinema.

My point here is that Dabawenyos have to be more cautious and vigilant during these crucial times. These mystery bombings have remain unsolved, but what's certain is that these blasts' target nowadays are civilian populations in urban areas. Up to now, the culprits are still unknown.

Moreover, there's a huge possibility that Davao's Kadayawan Festival will be postponed. (Oh well, this will have been my first actual Kadayawan experience. But for everyone's safety, I'd rather have it shelved.) Mayor Rody Duterte will have his final say this Tuesday, August 13.

Anyway, might as well follow John Lloyd's piece of advice, "Ingat!"

And yes, Bomberman is real, dauntingly real.

2NE5 and Counting

Kapamilya

-a Filipino term that literally means "member of the family".

This tagline was coined in the year 2003 which has become a staple word in every household. According to Telebisyon.net, the word simply "reaffirms the network's commitment to quality programming that will foster Filipino moral values, which is dominant and characterized in a typical Filipino family."

All throughout the decades, ABS-CBN has been also devoted to the the slogan "In the Service of the Filipino."

Speaking of the word "service", the RNG (Regional Network Groups) has also rendered the equal amount of service shed out by its national counterpart. And one of the oldest and probably one of the largest RNGs is ABS-CBN Davao.

I'm quite a lucky girl for I have been a part of the group's month long celebration of ABS-CBN Davao's 25th year anniversary. Today, as a part of our gratitude to our Kapamilyang Dabawenyos for their unwavering support, we had managed to carry out our biggest activity to date which is the Grand Halad Kapamilya.

With the medical mission and free services such as massage and mani-pedi, of no doubt Almendras Gym was jam-packed with our fellow Kapamilyas. 

And since the news team was assigned as the food committee, our efforts were doubled, tripled, no... more like quadrupled. Just imagine the 23 large cauldrons of "lugaw" or porridge being consumed in six hours. It's a record breaker! Just when we've thought that we'll be having a surplus of porridge... well, we just didn't see things coming. 

I admit, it was exhausting! But seeing the long queue of people, you just can't help but acquire this sense of accomplishment. You just can't help but feel the love from these people for the network.

Before this post ends, I'd just like to recognize our sponsors particularly to the City Mayor's Office, Office of the Vice Mayor and the councilors (you know who you are) for helping the food committee, I just couldn't imagine the upshot of the event without your aide. It's a part of public service after all. 'Til the next "lugaw" service! :)

Kudos to the ABS-CBN Davao team! 'Tis a social responsibility well-defined, well-performed!

Sa 25 ka tuig nga panagdait, Daghang Salamat Kapamilya! 

P.S. Excuse our group vanity!

The White House Experience

My title sounds kinda creepy, but no, it's not what you think it is. Nor I ain't referring to the famous residential White House of the United States.

This is for all the epicureans who would like to sink their teeth into another set of delectable dishes offered by a certain restaurant located in the heart of Davao City called the White House.

Situated along JP Laurel Avenue, one will notice an old ancestral house that stands on a hill. It was originally built by the owner Robert Ker in the 1900s and right now it's converted into a fusion restaurant without losing it's original rustic touch.

Owned by an old rich politician Mr. Tony Boy Floirendo and co-owned by Chef Cathy Binag, this Japanese-Europian infusion cuisine is one of the most talk-of-the-town food realms in the city.

If one can remember Kris TV's episode when Kris Aquino tried a cheesecake and couldn't contain her love for the dessert that she exclaimed "Heaven!", well this is the place!

Last Saturday, my team and I had a chance to cover the resto's food tasting event, somehow a pre-Kadayawan feast. Graced by the print and broadcast media, the aroma of the place simply enticed our senses. It's like, "We're ready to attack!".

But wait, it's "fine dining" after all. Something I loathe. Nevermind, we're there for the coverage, we're there for the food! Who cares about the queue of utensils? Duh.

Chef Cathy worked her magic on classic Filipino cuisines, those dishes that your cook-of-a-mom would love to whip up in your kitchen. And then I asked her:

NV.

Me: Can you describe the appetite of the Dabawenyos?

Chef Cathy: Filipinos are food lovers. Dabawenyos are big eaters!

She served us six dishes plus two desserts. Here are some of the food we've feasted. Definitely, they looked yummy but even yummier when eaten. Trust me. My favorites were the Pork Binagoongan and the Fried Bangus.

So for those who want to have a unique dining expedition, try the White House restaurant. It may be quite pricey but you are free to cut my tongue if you think that every centavo you've spent wasn't worth it. :)

Pork Binagoongan

                                                
                                             Veggie Fried Lumpia with Sukang Pinakurat

Kare-Kare w/ Ox Tongue and Ox Tripe

Tuna Kinilaw with Caviar and Coconut Milk

                                             Fried Bangus with Garlic bits and Salted Egg

The "fat girl" is getting fatter. Haha.

Someone's enjoying Kare-Kare so much.

May high blood po ang taong ito, pero habhab pa rin.

On Being the Valentine Grinch

‘Tis the time of the year when Hallmark Greeting Cards, flower shops, restos and chocolate companies conspire to extort a huge sum of money from those who were struck by the ever mighty Cupid. ‘Tis the time of the year when you’d be blinded by all the shades of pinks and reds tinting those heart-shaped stuff, anywhere & everywhere you go. And ‘tis the time of the year when the Valentine ‘grinch’ comes out from his/her closet to spread hate and disdain toward what’s supposedly a feast for St. Valentine.

What about the Valentine GRINCH? Putting things forward, a Valentine ‘grinch’ can either be any of these:

1.) Somebody whose blood curdles whenever he/she sees a couple in an oblivious state of lovey-dovey cum PDA. In fact, he/she considers puking while at the same time endlessly cursing that ‘couple’ in his/her mind.

2.) Somebody who thinks that this day becomes a money-making activity for businesses, say ‘commercialization’. From expensive stuff toys, cards with silly messages, chocolates of different variety, it all boils down to one thing----VALENTINE EXPENSES.

3.) Somebody who believes that V-Day sets standards for everyone else to follow like everyone should wear red, everyone should listen to cheesy I-Love-You songs, every guy should offer his girl grand gestures, & many more to boot.

4.) Somebody, whose heart has been crushed & damaged on the very same day of February 14 because he/she was dumped, cheated and lied to by his/her –ex. And by the end of the day, he/she is back to being UNATTACHED.

5.) Somebody who’s ATTACHED but was left unsatisfied on how his/her day turned out to be what you can call as ‘not-so-special’.

6.) Somebody who doesn’t have the concept of Valentine’s Day in his/her mind because he/she has been SINGLE in his/her entire being. That way, you were reminded that the season wouldn’t be justified if you don’t have anybody to share it with.

7.) Somebody who is an old angry spinster or just a trying hard one who thinks he/she can’t set free from the curse of ‘singlehood’. Nyaaay.

8.) Somebody who’s already married with the thought of creating the perfect scenario in his/her mind, only to find out it’ll never be like it once was.

9.) Somebody who thinks he/she is better off-alone with matching ‘the-hell-I-care-with-what’s-happening-in-the-world’ attitude.

10.) Lastly, somebody who just irrationally hates and is allergic towards his/her own definition of LOVE as a sickening sappy circumstance.

So, what sort of Grinch are you? *grins*

If you’re more than one of the above, then you’re almost a hopeless case. You need an immediate knock on the head to shake off the cynic in you. Why hate Valentine’s Day and loathe those who celebrate it just because you have so much bitterness inside? I mean, come on, you can erase that frown off your face and drop your raised eyebrow. Just be happy for those couples as they give a little more love in the world. It’s a whole lot better than harboring resentment in your heart. Chances are, you just might end up being a spinster yourself. (That is, if you’re not one yet.) Or worse, a larger than life, scowling Grinch. (Uh-oh. I’d never dream of it if I were you.) Well pal, I leave it to you.

P.S. This post is a collaboration between moi & my roommate Michelle Rendaje. She just wrapped up my post. (Yes, she wrote the last paragraph/conclusion! Wee.) Thanks Mitch! You were of no doubt an awesome writer! <3

HAPPY VALENTINES! :)