Life in Manila

My Binondo Food Trips

lifein — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:30:57 +0000

Binondo, the oldest Chinatown established in Asia (outside of China, of course) is home to many Chinese tea houses that serve authentic Chinese fares at affordable prices. I’m not saying it only has that because it definitely has more than that. It’s like a time machine that transports people to the olden days when Chinese migrants first settled here in Manila to earn a living and influence the Filipino way of life in more ways than one. But I digress.

As a big fan of Chinese food, I only got to explore Binondo restaurants fairly recently. But more than anything, I think it gives me an advantage because I got introduced to Binondo and its culinary treasures at a time when I’m already earning money. You see, if I didn’t have purchasing power yet, how would I be able to enjoy the delicious Chinese food in Binondo? Haha.

Anyway, I actually wrote this post to share my Binondo food trips so that those who would like to check out Binondo and experience gastronomic pleasures could have some ideas on the wide variety of offerings of the food places there. Below are the Binondo restaurants I’ve tried so far:

Masuki

Wai Ying Fast Food

Estero: LGA Fastfood

Dong Bei Dumpling

Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant

Cafe Mezzanine (the volunteer fireman’s coffee shop)

I’ll add more to the list once I’ve visited new Binondo restaurants in the coming days.

If you’ve eaten in Binondo countless times already, why not suggest new food places for this Binondo newbie to try? I’d love to hear from you!

Lights and Sounds. Check.

lifein — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:25:06 +0000

Finally, we now have a lights and sounds supplier for our wedding. We only wanted this particular service but God gave us more than that. He gave us a wedding consultant that’s overflowing with nice wedding ideas but charges nothing. How cool could that be? We’re really super lucky we are surrounded with good friends who will do anything to make our wedding more special and memorable.

Now that our lights and sounds supplier is done and dealt with, all we have to do is assign a place for them at the reception layout. But first, I need to find out first the amount of equipment they are bringing. Since we have decided not to hire musicians anymore, I no longer have to worry about the space needed for musical equipment (if it were a normal string group, they surely have those Egnater guitars, amplifiers and speaker cabinets that eat a lot of space).

Who says wedding planning is no fun? We’re having fun doing ours! It’s not stress-free, yes, but sometimes, you really have to experience pain to gain something good. It’s all a matter of rising above the challenges all the time.

I Need a Wedding Checklist

lifein — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:05:02 +0000

It looks like I really need my own wedding checklist as my big day comes closer and closer. You know the feeling when you’re overly excited and at the same time you’re having big expectations and only giving yourself very little room for error? That’s what I’m feeling exactly right now. I feel like I’m about to do something big and yet my heart is beating louder and louder due to anxiety and nervousness. Not a nice, great feeling, I tell you. But it’s there, and I can’t help it.

That’s why a wedding checklist has to be made. It will contain all the things that the fiancé and I need to accomplish. I’m just glad and thankful that so far, everything’s been doing good. We just need to make some confirmations and follow-ups and we will be okay. At least, that’s how I see it.

Oh well, it’s Monday today and I should be focusing my energy on my work. In the office, that is. I better worry about my wedding in another day.

Wedding Musicians

lifein — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:42:59 +0000

If there’s something we have not yet decided on for our wedding, that would be musicians. (Actually, the fiancé and I are not musically-inclined people.) Sure, live music adds a nice touch to a wedding but then, we also have to think of our budget. We need to be practical. We’ve already spent more than what we wanted so saving up for extras such as this may not be a good option already.

But if ever we do get musicians for our wedding, I’d like it to be a string group. I once met a blogger friend with a student musician son and she said I could ask for his group’s service anytime through her. It would be nicer if they have like a taylor 110 in their music arsenal, but that’s not at all a requirement. As for the playlist, I prefer those classic love songs and some jazz, of course.

Do you think wedding musicians are really a must in weddings?

Stuck at 130

lifein — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:46:22 +0000

I don’t know if I should be happy or sad about this. Happy, because it means my metabolism is improving. Sad, because after exerting ~~so much~~ little effort in losing weight, I got stuck at 130 lbs. I know, it’s all my fault. I should’ve eaten less when I could.

My big day is just a month away. And I’m weighing 130 lbs. Imagine that. When I looked at my face in the mirror this morning and smiled a bit, I saw a girl in her late 20′s with full cheeks and a double chin. For some reason, my skin also looked quite dry. I need to do something about this. I know I do.

Happy Friday, people! Sorry but this is just another shallow post from the mind of a fixated girl.

Today is Valentine’s Day

lifein — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:17:43 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day, people! I hope you’re having a great time with your significant others. As for me, I prefer working first (in the restaurant) before celebrating with the fiancé. Actually, Valentine’s Day isn’t a big event for us. It has never been. He has sent me flowers and chocolates before (surprise delivery, you bet!), but that’s just about it.

Speaking of the love season, it seems this is gonna be my last Valentine’s Day as a bachelorete. Funny, but I’m having some crazy thoughts right now. Like what’s a Valentine’s Day gonna be like once I’m married? Would my husband and I still be able to celebrate Valentine’s Day when we’re already experiencing married bliss every day of our lives? Haha.

I don’t know the answer to the questions above, all I know is that my life is gonna change for the better once I’m married. I bet all bride-to-be’s think of the same thing.

McDonald’s 24-Hour Delivery

lifein — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:40:12 +0000

I didn’t know McDonald’s delivered 24/7 until last, last midnight when my siblings and I suddenly had a fast food craving. I liked that they have a flat delivery rate of just P40. We could order as much or as little as we want and never worry if we’d pay high for delivery charge or that our call would be accommodated at all.

Ordering can be done online but my brother D preferred the traditional way. After listing down our order, he dialed the magic number (8-MCDO or 8-6236) and talked to the girl on the other line. After that, we waited for like 30 minutes before the McDonald’s delivery boy showed up on our doorstep with our midnight snack.

Sometimes, the best things in life are just a call away. Thank God for McDonald’s 24/7 delivery service!

Lazy Saturday

lifein — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:27:04 +0000

Today is one of the very few Saturdays that I managed to wake up late. I see it as a blessing because not only did my body get the rest it wanted, I was also able to cook some breakfast for me and my siblings in the apartment. Later, I’m going to the mall to pay bills and tonight, I’ll be working at the restaurant. It’s a normal day and there’s not much to do, and yet I feel truly blessed.

Right now, I’m thinking which mall to visit. I only have a few choices so deciding should be easy. Aside from the bills that need to get paid, I think I need to get myself a new pair of flats (the one I’m using is worn-out already), a new dress and perhaps some discount cds for my teacher brother who’s currently working on some VisualBasic programming for the IT workshop he’s giving next week.

Now, excuse me as I hit the shower so I could start my day right.

Life is Good. Period.

lifein — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:20:01 +0000

I just love it whenever I eventually get what I wished to get and receive what I didn’t expect to receive. Life is really full of surprises, it’s just a matter of positive thinking. I especially love today’s surprise that arrived in the form of cash. Who doesn’t want cash these days, right? I will definitely welcome all blessings that would add a substantial amount to our fast-depleting wedding funds!

Speaking of our upcoming wedding, I’m just so happy that we’ve almost covered everything. We just need to talk with one more supplier and make some follow-ups with the other suppliers and we’re good to go. I’m lucky to have a fiancé who’s very hands-on with our wedding preps. He inspires me to do more for the wedding and give my best in ensuring that our wedding is gonna be unique and special.

Today is a happy day. A happy Friday, to be exact. I’m richer by some thousands and my wedding preps are doing good. I thank God for the good turn of events. I really do.

Love Your Kidney

lifein — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:06:40 +0000

I attended an intimate event last night and met a young adult (her mom said he’s just 21 years old) who has recently undergone a kidney transplant. I was shocked to hear about it. I mean, he’s so young and yet he’s already had such a traumatic experience. Blaming anybody is futile at this point. The damage has been done and the emotional and financial burden on the patient and his family will surely linger for a very long time.

It was so short a meeting but it left me thinking about my own health. The health of my kidney, that is. The past months, I’ve been eating a lot of junk food. I’m also fond of eating salty and fatty food which are the main kidney destroyers. Ouch. I need to cut my intake of those tempting food.

Now I’m starting to feel guilty. It’s a good thing I’m a serious water drinker. I love my water. I make sure to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. You know, the recommended volume for good health. I hope I’m doing enough. I can’t imagine looking for a kidney donor at this time when I’m about to marry and have my own family.

Right now, all I can say is, let’s love our kidney!