My Maundy Thursday: "Fast-eating"

In the previous years, my Maundy Thursdays were always boring and sad, with the exception of last year's bora holy-week holiday. Since I'm not in Bora now, I thought it would be another one of those sleep-all-day days. Good thing I was wrong. If I can't be in bora now, at least, I'd eat as if I was in bora. Ha!

And so we scoured Makati for places to eat. And thanks to my Tito & Tita, we ended up in Bonifacio High Street, whose resturants were thankfully open to the hungry public. But the place, usually brimming with people, was experiencing scarcity in patronization.



Clawdaddy's had the most appeal to us. It had seafood, since we were trying to avoid meat. We had no idea of the serving size, so we just ordered 1 serving of each. There was Creole Razor Clams with Fettucine (minus half the fettucine -- the pictures was taken a bit too late)



And this chicken burger with a mound of fries and a LOT of other stuff in it



And this Opaka-sumthing fish that the waiter said was cooked Hawaiian style (ooops, not much left there I guess...)




oh, we also had this pink salmon salad that sadly wasn't able to survive long enough for me to take a picture of it...

And lastly, there was this tuna ribs thingie who's supposed to be for 1 person only. "Supposed to be" is pretty accurate, coz we had no idea where they got the idea that an average Filipino person could eat all of this by his lonesome.



To say that we kinda "over-estimated" is an understatement. We were drowned by the food, and we were supposed to be "fasting". Well, "fast-eating" is more appropriate!




We didn't even get to touch the chicken burger (except for half the fries).

But if you think it ends there, think again. All those major courses made us crave for some dessert. And the first thing that came to mind was...



Hey, I'm just human. Their dark chocolate doughnut always drives me nuts. And this was taken by my Tito who caught me enjoying my doughnut.



So there. We pretty much headed back to the condo after that. The day was tiring, but fun nonetheless. My stomach was severely satisfied, despite having to shed some inches.


Tip: Clawdaddy's servings for 1 person may also mean either 1 American or 2 Average-sized Filipinos. Trust me.

Smitten... and I thought i don't swoon...

I have never really "swooned" over a local artist, much less have my picture taken with them... except maybe for the Streetboys during their heyday (but that's a different story already). Usually I'm just content with observing from the sidelines... if the famous person happened to glance my way, i feel like it's just TV, where the made-up faces of the celebrities seem to stare right at your eyes...

So what happened last Sunday was the absolute last thing on my mind...

Jon and I came from watching 10,000 B.C. and went to do a little shopping. We went to Penshoppe, and I picked out a nice shirt for him, and a wallet too... he was still looking at some pants but since my legs were tired with my 3-inch platforms (they were comfy but gravity is still real, it seems), so i decided to sit down on the couch in the middle of the store....

And then it happened.

I saw this guy smiling around, and people were approaching him... some wanting to take pictures of him, some even with him... I muttered a short expletive under my breath and realized it was Jericho Rosales.

Suddenly, I was struggling to get up from the couch when i suddenly stopped and said to myself,

"Teka, bakit nga ba ako nagkakandarapa. Eh ayaw ko nmn sa knya?"

You see, I'm not a swooning, shrieking and super fan of local artists. I find Jericho to be a good actor, but as a singer, I have yet to be convinced. Let's just say he can do a mall show in the background and I can get by without watching it, just continuing my shopping and walking. I had that attitude.

So imagine my utter amazement when I suddenly realized someone from my direction was rushing over to see him closer. What was more incredulous was -- it was me. I don't know, it was either my feet were not connected to my brain (brain: "i'm not even his fan!" vs. feet "outta my way! i'm gonna get there!"), or i just didn't want to be the odd person out na parang walang pakialam... coz even Jon was near the crowd, looking at the commotion hehehe!

I had my camera with me, and by a sudden inspiration brought about by the thought of this blog, I whipped out my camera...

And then i started taking pictures of his back...

And then I moved to his side...

Elbowed my way up to the front...

And, well, with the help of my loving fiance, I became a part of this echo-perfect view.

So there, I gave in. I actually have a picture with a celebrity whom I thought I didn't like. Haha. "It's for my blogs...", I thought. But actully, it was for me too. It was a different experience for me, since I don't do it often, if not at all. I'm usually the "paparazzi"... not the "paparazzied".

In all fairness to him, I honestly think he's nice. It's hard to pretend to be nice up close coz it won't show up in the eyes... but he seemed sincere, especially when he looked me in the eye as he said thank you for taking a picture with him. And damn he had good skin. I'd kill for that skin, and that complexion too. What's with that? he's nice, and he has good skin. Hmph. The world ain't fair. Hahaha!

Although I know this won't reach him, I just want to say thanks to him. I hope he will always be that nice especially to his swooning, shrieking fans, as he was nice to someone who just wanted to experience being in the same picture as a famous person. (Him being a hunk don't hurt either, hehehe.)

Wedding Expo Philippines Day 2: Free Creative Shot

In my previous post about the first day of the Wedding Expo, I mentioned winning a prenup thingie from My Portrait Box. It's actually a free Prenup/Creative Shot (just 1 pose) done on the spot. Yes, right there beside their stall, in full view of everyone. But since Jon wasn't with me at that time, I had all the more reason to go back on the second day. (Hehehe.)

So there, I dragged Jon to the second day of the fair last Sunday, and we made sure to claim our free creative shot/prenup thingie from My Portrait Box. I stared incredously at the tiny backdrop and faux frame that was placed on the side. I asked jokingly,

"Ay, hahawakan ba namin ung frame?"
"Opo mam." Whaaaat?!?

Ok. Their location was in the middle of a cramped row of different photographers/suppliers, with no dividers to give privacy to each of their spaces. I've been to my share of cramped stalls, my parent's being in the bazaar business and all, so the setup was not entirely alien to me. But we had our own "wall", or at least a divider to -- well -- divide the space between us and the vendors next to us. But this here is a (not so) wide open space, with a backdrop and a single lighting on one side. Jon and I was supposed to stand there, amidst wires, chairs and boxes, and have our "creative shot" taken, in full view of people passing by. It was so weird I swear I could feel the movements of the people from the next stall behind our backdrop. But the "hawak-frame" effect was actually nice, and in all fairness to them, the outcome was really nice too. It was just so unreal to me because the shot looks like it was done in a dark studio. Who would have thought it was actually done in a cramped but well-lighted area in the middle of a crowd? It made me feel that pictures really do have a story behind them...

So while waiting for the pictures to be printed, we decided to disturb our videographer's peace. We really had fun hanging out with Buddy and Cathy Gancenia of Reality Wedding Videos. And by a wonderful coincidence, our photographer Jomel Gregorio and his wife Nanette (they weren't able to join the fair coz they ran out of slots) suddenly popped up! They were going around the venue and happened to pass by Buddy's stall while Jon & I were there. It was actually a very happy impromptu meeting that had me realizing: I'm really getting married, and it's happening soon, and there are loads of stuff to do and pay for!!!

This realization was brought about by Jomel, who bombarded us with very creative ideas about our pre-nup shots. My mind was reeling with thoughts on how to make his vision possible, coz we really like his ideas. Which brought me to think of my worst fear: going over-budget. I am presently wrestling my brain not to think along that lines just yet.

Having maximized our time there, we felt the gravitational pull of our stomachs heading towards Mall of Asia. So we went to MoA to spend quality time...eating. Yeah yeah, I have to head back to ringside soon.

of Boxing & Bridal Fairs, Thanks to Marge & RG

Yep. Boxing. And Bridal Fairs. Two activities that have nothing in common except for their first letters.
Highschool friends Marge & RG are heaven sent -- I had a blast last Saturday.

First up they brought me to the wonderful (and now painful) world of Boxing yesterday (saturday) morning. I swear I almost passed out after doing 6 minutes of skipping rope. Damn skipping ropes! hahaha! I asked for a break and headed for water. Turns out I was dehydrated, coz after I chugged almost half of the bottle, the little blue dots slowly disappeared. Then I was back in my sluggish fighting form. Then kuya asked me what my fighting stance was. So I showed him. He asked me if I was right-handed or left-handed. I said I write with my right hand but I often do things the other way around. He said ok, coz with my preferred stance I was South Paw. Huh? I was left-handed in boxing?!? Interesting!

So I did the boxing thing with him, then with this huge punching bag, then with this ball tied up floor-to-ceiling, then with this pear-shaped one that's hanging from my head... the small one that I often see Pacquiao punching very fast... I pathetically attempted to punch it fast and almost hit my head with it. That damn thing was sneaky! You have to have a certain rhythm going there, so you can punch it continuously without it recoiling in your face. Haha. So I started counting.

"Punch, 1, 2, 3. Punch, 1, 2, 3. Punch.... oooops..." Ok. There goes my combo. Pathetic.

Then they made us do the ab thing. Crunches and the works. Jeez, I thought I'd given birth. In the middle of leg-raises I told Marge I can't go with them to the bridal fair later on, coz at the rate I was going I'd be unconscious by then.

So then RG picked Marge & me up, they dropped me off at home, and despite my excuses of being uncounscious and bed-ridden due to the sudden workout, RG said they'll pick me up in the afternoon so we can go to the Wedding Expo.

So I struggled to keep myself alive at least for the rest of the day. And am I glad I did. Marge & I had fun going around the huuuge venue, talking wedding... while RG was on his own, prowling for food (hehe) and rings for Marge (how sweet!). We were there for 3 hours, I think, and I think we pretty much covered everything. I booked our florist there already, and even won a Pre-nup thingie with My Portrait Box. Haha.

Muchas Gracias to my sweet friends, Marge & RG, for the wonderful day. Til next boxing session, ate Marge! ( i have to recover first haha)

Fit n' Right ba un? Akala ko Eat n' Write

Yan. Yan ang sagot ng butihin kong future husbandry nung sinabi kong sabayan nya ung nag-eexercise sa Fit n' Right challenge sa channel 2.


"Ah, Fit n' Right ba un? Akala ko Eat (gestures) n' Write (gestures)" Hahaha!


But seriously, I know I have to start exercising. Pano ba nmn, nagpasukat na ako ng gown na pang-abay sa kasal ni Meenah. So ibig sabihin, hindi nako pwede tumaba. Todo na ung vital stats na kinuha sakin. Pero kahit dalawang mabibigat na rason na ang andyan pra mag-diet at mag-exercise ako, hindi ko pa rin mashadong magawa (ano kamo ung 2 rason? 1. kasal ni meenah. 2. kasal ko. hahaha!)


Yes, nagbabawas nako ng rice. Bread ang inuupakan ng lola nyoh. Kya lng, dapat wheat or organic chuva, or else makakaubos ako ng 1 loaf bago mabusog. So gudluck sa pagbili ng kakaibang tinapay dba. Mahilig ako sa pan-de-sal, pero, like I said, makakaubos ako ng mga 10 piraso bago mabusog. Haaaay.


Pero more than a diet, kelangan ko mag-exercise. Pero bakit hindi ko magawa? I guess I'm writing this blog to force myself to answer that question.


"Bakit mo nga nmn tlga hindi magawa, Eva?"


Aha. Alam ko na.

1. Computer/Internet


2. Janet Evanovich


3. Trabaho

Yan pa lng, wala na nga tlgang pagkakataon na mag-exercise ako. Parang gusto ko magpa-member sa isang gym. Ung monthly membership lng ha, kasi mas nakakatamad pag yearly membership or lifetime membership (iisipin ko, madami akong panahon bawiin ung binayad ko so ok lng kng hindi muna ako makaka-exercise). Pero wala akong pera (nag-iipon kuno) at wala akong time (nagttrabaho kuno). Hay nako. Ang dami kong dahilan.


I know it takes discipline tlga. Kahit gaano kadaming HipHop Abs DVD ang bilhin ko, kng hindi ko nmn susundan un, wala din tlga mangyayari.


Although.... may naiisip akong medyo magandang motivation para sakin... Isipin ko nlng, gusto ko mag 2-piece pag nagbeach ako this summer. Kaya kelangan, magka abs ako. Eh isang malaking "ab" lng cya eh, tsktsk... hindi pala dapat ganun.


I need to exercise. But I always say that -- I rarely do it. Sana masimulan ko na! Daig pa ako ng aso, nakakapag treadmill.

Mahiya nmn ako dba?

New Year, New Profile, New Me?

(This was originally posted in my Multiply and Friendster blogs dated Jan 11, '08 )

I changed my friendster and multiply profile. New year, new profile, new me? I guess so. I think the change in profile is symbolic, because it also shows the changes in me since the past years. I changed almost the whole profile- - however some small details remained the same -- just like what I went through. The change in me last year was so drastic (from stupid martyr last 2006 to pampered princess last 2007 to bridezilla this 2008) yet, there are still things that did not change.

I noticed my change in tastes. I no longer like some of the stuff i used to (gothic stuff etc). I grudgingly admit I'm slowly turning into a girl, my interests transforming from rugged to sexy. I'm forced to mature and primp myself up for my beloved, lest he leave me hahaha! Kidding. But my interest in bags, shoes and tops increased alarmingly. I found myself wanting to learn how to do the "smokey eyes" (i'll be damned haha!) and the unruly curly look (which I achieved last Noche Buena, see my profile pix). I also became a fan of the "out of bed" look (which I also achieved last Noche Buena, when my unruly curls got limp already haha! See my profile pix). I chopped off a part of my bangs to try to achieve the "angled bangs" look, whick sometimes works -- on a good hair day. Otherwise, my officemates ask me,

"Bakit parang ang gulo-gulo ng buhok mo?"
To which I retort,"Hmmp! Style yan!"

Yep, the boy is turning into a lady. Hahaha!

Seriously, the change in me is more than superficial. In fact, changing my looks usually signifies an internal change. I usually change something about the way I look when I resolve to change / move on / improve something. I feel like a change in the outside completes my change on the inside. Ever since I got engaged, my priorities, goals and dreams have changed. I have learned a lot, but I still have to learn a lot, pun intended. Planning for something that is life-changing suddenly forces you to grow up and it molds you into someone more mature, practical and decisive. It makes you organized, responsible and firm. You have to know what you want. If you don't, you have to learn to know what you want... and eventually get it. Yep, that's how it's gonna be -- for me, at least.

I'm looking forward to the year ahead of me. It will be crazy and exhausting, stressful but fun. I'll be making lots of discoveries about myself and my beloved, and the people around me. I would be meeting different people, dealing, trusting and hoping they don't frustrate the crap out of me. I hope to strengthen my faith as I'll be lifting everything to God, hoping to be reminded that if things don't go as planned, He has a reason for it. And most of all, I look forward to starting a whole new life with the man that I know God has intended for me -- because it's meant to be when He means it to be.

Coffee & Love

(Originally posted in my Friendster and Multiply blogs dated Nov 13, '07 )

I'm not a coffee fanatic and I always go for non-caffeine drinks but I love spending time in coffee shops, chatting with friends, gossiping about other people (with my soul-burning partner Jen R. haha) or just reading a book. Heck, I worked in the E-banking hub INSIDE Starbucks Chinabank for several months, so I've learned to inhale the aroma of roasted beans for hours at a time.
I've also spent countless dates in coffee shops with the men who became part of my life (some, regrettably) and have spent hours talking about anything, sometimes alluding to a future together. There was always the same scene in every relationship: "cozy coffee shop, lazy afternoon, having "our future" talks over hot or cold drinks". But those relationships ended up the same way -- vamoose! Yep. Deja Vu.

However, last Saturday's Starbucks trip in Greenbelt 3 with my fiance proved to be different. This wasn't just another "cozy coffee shop, lazy weekend afternoon, and 'our future' talks over drinks" (and cinnamon roll) kinda thing. This time, our future was as clear as the bakery case beside the counter. We had a future, and the man sitting across the table from us is going to document it. His name is Buddy.

Buddy Gancenia, a Reality Wedding Videographer, is going to make sure i have something to bitch-slap myself with if ever I start having an early mid-life crisis.
I think I just sealed my future -- amidst coffee and love.