Lil’ Chefs Summer Academy
I’m proud to say that I’ve found my first uniform gig for Stitch In The City. Aside from the RTW online store that my sister and I run (Facebook page here), SITC actually does office & school uniforms, and some of our clients include Castle Peak Hotel, M. Lhuillier, and Sophia Suites (these are also the reasons the production for our RTW line is always placed in the backseat. Haha).
Anyway, we did the aprons and toques for the Lil’ Chefs Summer Academy at the BTC, where kids aged 8-13 can learn how to cook Dimsum Break Chinese cuisine, Royal Krua Thai Cuisine, Formo Tex-Mex and fusion food, & so much more. Chef Lor Torres, one of the chefs from school, handles the classes. Makes me wish I could go back to being 9 years old again, really (9 because that was the year I had a really fun birthday party, but that’s beside the point).
But speaking of toques (chef hats), there used to be a restaurant in Ayala more than a decade ago that I really, really liked. I can’t remember what it was named, but it was located by the Activity Center and they had an open kitchen. You could see the chefs preparing & cooking the food, and one time, I told my Lola (grandmother) that I wanted to eat at the place “nga ga sul-ob ug taas nga hats ang ga luto” (where the people cooking the food wore long hats). My Lola brought me there, and she told the head chef that I specifically asked to eat at the place where the people in the kitchen wore those long hats, and they had a really good laugh about it while I, on the other hand, threw a tantrum because I found that to be extremely humiliating. I was such a temperamental kid, and I hated talking to people, too! Thank God I’ve changed… or so I’d like to think.
Watched the kids make Adobo Burritos, something that I will try to recreate one of these days. Took mental notes of the recipe, and I hope Chef Lor won’t mind. Haha.
Current obsession: Bubbletea Station’s Wintermelon milk tea (located at Btc’s ground floor)
Thanks to Chef Lor, Kyle of BTC, and April & Jaja of Bigseed Media & Marketing Solutions Inc. for the, ummm, “project”.
For quotes on uniforms, contact Stitch In The City at 254-2040 and look for Arvee.
AmiSa
My family & friends can attest to the fact that I am obsessed with the beach. I was at the beach so much during the first half of this summer that I now resemble an Oreo cookie – my upper body is dark, my thighs are white, and my legs are dark.
This love for the sea comes from my grandfather, who took us to the beach every single weekend when I was younger. Also, he was the person who taught me how to swim, which I learned to do at the age of 4, and would brag about it to everyone (“Tan-awa ninyo si Paolo o, antigo na mu langoy”). As far as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to own a beach house – despite the warnings by my grandmother that the sea breeze causes electrical appliances to rust… or something like that – which is why my heart skipped a beat when I heard of AmiSa, and immediately broke into countless pieces when I remembered that I can’t afford my own property… YET. Hahaha.
AmiSa boasts of Gold Coast Australian architecture swathed in cool blue and white hues. With its 210-meter wide beach front, you can spend the day gazing at the magnificent view of the Magellan Bay and the picturesque northern towns of Cebu.
Sprint across AmiSa’s biking and jogging trails. Get some hard-court action or kick up some sand in a game of beach volleyball and Frisbee. If you can’t stand the sun in your face, you can opt for a run on the treadmill at the indoor gym and fitness center.
Feast on the fresh catch of the day cooked in different ways at the various restaurants and bars. Or you can opt to cook your own feast and dine al fresco at the picnic area.
Chill Out
Laze around at the viewing decks and take in the spectacular scenery of the sea and Cebu Island . Spoil yourself even more with a soothing massage at the luxurious spa.
Keep yourself, your family and friends entertained at the mini theater, KTV Room, playground and game room. Or bet on your lucky number at the casino.
Clutter
An essay from 6 mos. ago, written after unsuccessfully trying to fully move into my then-new room
For the third time in the last 4 or 5 years, I officially transferred rooms the other week. My two previous ones were never completely cleaned out, so each one still contained my belongings. However, when ALL the things from the said two rooms were brought down to the living room for sorting, I realized that most of the stuff I had were kept because of sentiment rather than use. Sure I had a lot of old clothes, but most didn’t fit anymore, so those were stowed away. I also had a lot of books, in various degrees of yellowness (I had to keep all of them, of course).
Most of the other boxes, however, contained things I can’t even believe I still had! There were notes passed around during college, making fun of people I cannot even remember anymore. There were journals I guarded with my life, the ramblings written in them making me cringe more & more as I turned their pages, with “Did I really write this?!” a constant though in my head while reading the entries written by a then-angst ridden teenager.
I also found rings from when I was in grade school. They used to fit even my thumb but now only fit my pinky. There were empty boxes of my favorite shoes that I refused to be thrown away, paper bags of clothes that I had bought from trips abroad, ticket stubs of movies that I had seen (most of them a complete waste of time and money, really).
I liked keeping these things, and I used to need to know where all these pieces of so-called memorabilia were, but since the room I moved to didn’t have enough space for all the “valued” things I kept, I had no choice but to dispose of them. After all, these were just physical reminders of things and events that I both longed to remember and wanted to forget. *Insert cliche about how memories are what matter here*
I used to hold them with so much importance when I was younger, but when I was sorting through them, I couldn’t even understand why I had kept most of them. They may have been a huge part of my, say, sometimes dramatic temperament a long time ago, but they were really just clutter. Like deleting messages that you’ve kept in your phone for so long, letting go of all those things made me feel so much lighter…
…but the journals I had to keep. I may cringe when I read them, but they’re great reminders of who I was and what I was like years ago.
What Paolo Eats: Siknoy Noodle House
One of the two restaurant reviews I contributed to Zee Magazine’s Youth Issue 2012
The term Siknoy was coined as another name for Chinese-Filipinos, but Wilson Yu, owner of the newly opened Siknoy Noodle House in JCentre, which is a partnership between him and Richard Lim, would like the word to mean more than just that.
The idea of Siknoy Noodle House was born out of pure love for both Chinese & Filipino food. Wilson, a Siknoy himself, humbly claims that he isn’t exactly the best cook, but has a discerning taste for what he likes and dislikes in terms of flavors. After traveling to other Asian countries, most especially Singapore, and enjoying the food served in their noodle houses, he decided to open up his very own right here in Cebu.
Envisioning a place where people from all walks of life can feast on good Chinese-Filipino food, Siknoy is not your fancy fine dining restaurant, but it’s not exactly a fast food joint, either. More of a casual restaurant, the restaurant is unassuming and modest, relying instead on the promise of a delicious meal.
Siknoy’s Siomai, without a doubt, is one of their bestsellers. They use their very own wrappers, and their special chili sauce only makes their siomai taste even better. In fact, I once ate nine pieces of Siknoy’s siomai in one sitting. But personal stories of my insatiable appetite aside, another dish to try is their Sweet & Sour Pork. The meat is tender and flavorful, and must not go unmatched with their fried rice.
Let’s not forget that Siknoy is a noodle house, and it should be noted that they make all their noodles themselves! Their Beef Goto Noodle Soup, Batchoy, Pancit Canton, and Big Noodles Special are the reasons they have gained a loyal following of customers.
The term Siknoy was coined as another name for Chinese-Filipinos, yes, but it should mean more than that. Siknoy can be someone who purely enjoys eating Chinese-Filipino food. After all, the love for good food isn’t restricted to culture or race, but is something all people possess.
Siknoy Noodle House is located at the 2nd floor of JCentre Mall, A.S. Forunta St., Manduae City, Cebu. Call them at 2665700
The Dog Days Are Far From Over
Shangri-la
Wearing the HFL Tribute Shirt from Rhipstop. For PHP 500, you get the shirt and your money goes to the Japan Disaster Relief Fund through the Japan Red Cross. To order, click here. It’s never too late to help.
Mid-afternoon snacks at the Buco Bar
Ice cream from Scoops (try the Dolce Vita!) and happy hour at Cowrie Cove
Dinner at Maribago Grill – their Garlic Shrimps are delicious!
I’ve always loved the beach, thanks to my grandfather, who took us to the beach EVERY single weekend when I was younger. He taught me how to swim when I was 4 years old and would always tell anyone that was willing to listen that I could already float by myself at that age. Haha.
After a loooooooong hiatus from the beach (heck, I can’t even remember the last time I went), I was finally able to swim in sea water again (filling a bath tub with water and pouring a jar of salt into it is not included). The family slept over at Shangri-la Mactan last night, and my mother could not have chosen a better date to book our stay. After some much-needed R&R from that more-tiring-than-usual week of school, I feel incredibly energized… well no, not exactly- swimming the whole morning has actually drained me of all my energy. I’ll be energized after I take a nap.
Yey For Winning Free Dinners!
Photos from SnagTheCity’s informal launch
Can I just say how happy I am to have won a 4-course dinner at Anzani? It was SnagTheCity‘s informal launch at Chika-an last night where they raffled off prizes and I was one of the lucky few whose names were called out. After one of the more stressful days at school (I found out that deep frying isn’t as simple as I thought it would be), this definitely made my day much better.
Once again, thank you to Cebu’s first ever online deal site, SnagTheCity!
SnagTheCity
I’ve been seeing a whole lot of online deal sites recently, but they’re mostly for stores and services that are located in the nation’s capital. “I wish someone comes up with a Cebu City online deal site”, I thought to myself, and my thoughts must have some sort of magical power because I received an e-mail inviting me to the informal launching of Cebu City’s first ever online deal site, SnagTheCity.
SnagTheCity, which is the brainchild of 3 very business savvy long-time friends, offers products and services from Cebu-based companies and establishments at very, VERY low prices (take for example 55% off on a 1-month membership at Citigym or 62% off on a 4-course beef meal from Anzani?).
Gillian of By Details registering for her account
For those of you who think that online shopping is as complicated as rocket science, I’ve got great news: availing deals from SnagTheCity is very easy. All you need to do is register for an account (the process was incredibly fast and simple), choose the deal that you want, click on BUY NOW, and you will then be taken through the payment process. Here’s even more good news: SnagTheCity accepts 3 modes of payment – PayPal, credit card, and direct bank deposit.
Once you’ve successfully purchased your deal, they will send you a voucher via e-mail. Just print the voucher and present it together with a valid I.D. at the establishment you’re claiming your deal from.
The guests with Carla, Lorraine & Ingrid of SnagTheCity
To learn more about SnagTheCity, visit their website by clicking here.
Boat Trips Need Checking-In, Too?!
So I found myself in Bohol over the weekend to attend my cousin Marla’s birthday party. I came here all by myself, feeling independent and all traveler-like, as though I was embarking on such a huge adventure. HA HA. I had no idea you had to check-in on boat trips, so when I gave my ticket to the float attendant (why, how clever of me HAHA), our conversation went like this:
Me (handing my ticket to the F.A.): Asa ni siya dapit?
F.A. (looking at my ticket): Wa ka ning check-in?
Me: Ha?
F.A.: Check-in ba
Me: Aw, naa diay check-in ang barko?!
F.A. (exchanging looks with another F.A. and trying not to smile): Pangita na lang ug bakante nga seat unya didto na lang lingkod.
And so I did, walking shamefully down a row of seats until I got to the front most, where there was luckily a huge number of vacant chairs. I panicked so bad that I called both my mother and my cousin and needed assurance that I wasn’t going to be kicked out of the boat.
⚡ Could not get that song that goes “Sunshine through my window, that’s what you are” out of my head
⚡ Sandals from ASOS, for Marla’s friends that asked
⚡ 47 minutes into the trip (brown bracelets from CottonOn while the black & blue ones were taken from a friend… and I now believe that he has accepted the fact that these are mine already)
⚡ Weesam’s Cebu-Tagbilaran-Cebu tickets are currently on promo, just PHP 500 round trip if you buy at least 2 days before you travel
⚡ Season 2 of “Parks & Recreation” to save me from dying of boredom
ZeroThreeTwo’s The Assembly (March Edition)
After the success of ZeroThreeTwo’s The Assembly Bazaar last February, they decided to bring it back last night at The Outpost. The aim of this event is to create an avenue for indie-pendent sellers to show their wares.
I went straight to The Outpost right after school, was incredibly hungry since I hadn’t had dinner yet (wait, who am I kidding? All we do in school is cook. Of course I had already eaten! I was just still hungry =/ ), and ordered their Bistek Tagalog… which was TOO salty for my taste.
Rings by Neil Felipp
Also available were Neil Felipp’s Maraya Accessories (I got a bangle for my sister and was given a huge discount. Thank you, Peds!)
Innuendo Swim and Lazy Daze by “Moanster”
Flyn Fish and The Tech Hub (which gave me a free sticker. Haha thanks!)
Wallets and coin purses by The Junks Collective
More stuff by The Junks Collective
Other retailers included Fugitive Clothing, Trash Talk, and Fushu.
If you missed out on last night’s The Assembly, there is definitely no need to worry since it’s happening every month. To know more about the event, visit ZeroThreeTwo.
SHS-AdC High School Graduation 2011
It was my sister’s high school graduation yesterday, which made me remember how much I missed high school after I graduated – to the point of depression (I got over it, just in case you’re wondering… and I exaggerate, of course). It was really nice to see old teachers and familiar faces, and call me corny, but I couldn’t stop myself from singing along when the graduates sang “Sacred Ties”. Also, during the mass, there was a surprise part wherein the graduates sang to Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” and gave the parents roses and letters. All of the mothers (and a few fathers, too, mind you) couldn’t help but cry their eyes out.
ANYWAY, had dinner with the family at Ching Palace afterward, where I was surprised to see that all my cousins had lost a whole lot of weight… which I have come to understand as a sign telling me to do the same, as well! Now if only my school doesn’t make me stuff myself with food so much…
Congratulations to my sister and to all the graduates of batch 2011!
