sea in the city.

tell me something nice, because...

2009-10-09T11:59:00.001+08:00

celebrating things.

2009-09-13T20:37:00.003+08:00

there are so many things in life to be happy about...

unexpected things...

(like finding the perfect miniature sailboat at rustan's glorietta 4)

silly things...

(like bread shaped like the head of a bear)

ordinary things...

(like being able to eat food that wasn't ordered from outside or microwaved)

small things...

(like shells and photographs and milk bottles)

and big things

(like love)

may everyday be a celebration :-)

making new friends.

2009-08-31T22:22:00.008+08:00

meet my three new friends.

to some, they could very well represent the three wise men, but since christmas is far off, let's just stick to their real names - mr. warsteiner, mr. erdinger, and mr. san miguel.

while grocery shopping at rustan's fresh in the powerplant mall, i discovered that they carry the two german brands in the photo below. having tasted two beer variants during my trip to bavaria, i was excited by the thought of having authentic german beer available in local groceries.

i surprised myself by purchasing both mr. warsteiner and mr. erdinger, particularly because i considered myself more of a cocktail girl as opposed to the beer-drinking type.

some basic education on the warsteiner premium verum:

"a Pilsener with a smooth, full bodied taste and a refreshing finish with no aftertaste" (united nations of beer)
"those of you who have a weak bladder, don't drink it, for Warsteiner beer will send you to the toilet many, many times" (united nations of beer)
"any drinker of Bud, Coors, or Miller would certainly enjoy this beer" (epinions)

the inexperienced beer drinker in me thought this was a pretty strong beer. it's more of a "man beer", if you know what i'm saying.

and for the erdinger weiss bier:

"It is not too overpowering in flavour, but at the same time has a rich and unique taste"
"Very crisp and refreshing - the ultimate beer for a hot day." (oxford bottled beer database)
"Erdinger for lunch makes me strong, like bull." (oxford bottled beer database)

i definitely prefer the erdinger over the warsteiner. it's a lot easier to handle for first-time adventurers. i'm drinking it as i type this, and i must say that it's a great companion for unwinding into the night.

on a sidenote, san miguel has released its oktoberfest edition of the well-loved pale pilsen (i doubt if the taste is any different from the normal edition). i got a taste of this last night on a free ride at the bubba gump bar courtesy of a friend's brother. now i know why it's so popular.

but i'd still go for margaritas over beer, of course.

baker's fair at rockwell.

2009-08-28T22:56:00.006+08:00

last weekend, i had a sudden craving for russian cookies, which can only be found at the baker's dozen -- a mini fair for cakes and pastries held at the powerplant mall in rockwell.

baker's dozen features a number of home-based bakers known for their classy and creative renditions of well-loved goodies such as caramel chocolate cakes, truffles, cheesecakes, cupcakes, cream puffs, pastillas, empanadas, and so on.

one of the good things about the fair is that each of the stalls offer samples for people to taste. this really is an effective marketing strategy because not only did i buy more russian cookies than i initially planned, but i also bought more cream puffs than i can eat.

in photo above : small pack of russian cookies (php280), mini window sampler box (php90)

in photo above : box of 6 classic cream puffs from puff mommy (php150)

the baker's fair treats are perfect for entertaining guests over coffee or tea. since the products aren't widely commercialized, you'll surely impress them with your delicious finds.

dear j., about last night...

2009-08-24T14:02:00.009+08:00

also known as "why i want to celebrate the first five years in a special way on 2010"

because i think you're great...

and because i still really really really like you

and because i'm still really really really happy

even after all this time, and after everything that has happened.

(photos above from jess lorraine)

and also because i think anyone can do a year, or two years, or three years, or four, but there's something about the exactness of five years (and every five years, in that regard) that deserves to be celebrated.

so if you're still as happy as i am by the time we hit 5 years, please come away with me to some remote country where we can both be foreigners excited to uncover new adventures.

otherwise...

well...

i don't know. i guess i'll celebrate alone :-S

back to school.

2009-08-22T23:29:00.008+08:00

i've decided to go back to school in order to fill up my weekends in a productive way. the thought of classrooms and new friends and funky new school things has got me very very excited.

classes start on september 5 at the goethe institut, located at leviste street in salcedo village, makati.

i enrolled for the german a1.2 course, which is supposed to be a little bit more advanced than the "tourist german" which made up most of german a1.1.

the good thing about studying a language course at the goethe institute is that you receive official certification to prove your german skills. this could come in handy for visa application and/or job qualification.

anyway, i already bought my assigned textbooks. so sooooo excited :-)

the institute actually changed the required textbooks since 2007 (when i graduated from the first german course), which means i'd have to pre-study five chapters of schritte int'l 1 before i go to class. the pages are colorful and the dialogues seem easy, so i think it'll be fun.

funny, less than a year into being a professional, i am already itching to be a student again. hello, homework and exams!

saturday coffee.

2009-08-17T21:32:00.003+08:00

(posting late)

i've been living in this neighbourhood for almost two months, and have been well aware of the locations of various cafes within walking distance from my apartment. after spending a solitary saturday holed up in my room, i decided to swing by a nearby starbucks to take part in the lovely coffee shop ambiance.

of course, i could've made myself a cup of hazelnut coffee, put on some billie holiday, and simply brought the ambiance into my own livingroom. actually, i would've preferred doing that 8 out of 10 days. somehow, tonight, i needed the hustle and bustle of an actual cafe. i needed to watch people and make up stories about why they are here at this particular time and day. i needed to listen to the music they're playing and decide that i want it for my own collection. i needed...

to get out, basically.

anyway, tonight the house is not packed. there is a group of muslim women wearing their traditional attire happily chatting away in some foreign language. the best table is occupied by a couple happily nestled in each other's arms. a miscellany of other characters are scattered around the small place. i, however, am lucky enough to get what they call the "conference area" which is actually just a medium-length table with two library lamps in a secluded area of the cafe. one side of me feels like a student studying for a big exam. the other part of me feels like a sophisticated city rat who has chosen caramel macchiato and a good book over a party at some nightclub.

i think i'll swing by here more often and maybe get to know the baristas well enough for them to have my preferred order ready by the time i arrive.

monday jazzy blues.

2009-08-11T13:42:00.005+08:00

after the wildness of last friday night's cocktail-turned-vodka-shooters party, i welcomed the laziness of working from home on a monday. in the evening, i tried out something i learned from jürgen when i visited him in regensburg.

how to detoxify a monday.

light a few tealight candles.

switch the fluorescent lights off.

find a cozy nook at home.

switch on some slow jazz music.

invite someone special to share the night with.

let the candles do their magic.

midweek holiday.

2009-08-05T12:01:00.003+08:00

it's a special holiday in the philippines today to honor former president corazon aquino. no work and a lot of rain makes it a perfect day to stay indoors and be lazy.

i decided to begin this midweek holiday by doing something i've never done before -- making hand-squeezed lemon juice!

got myself a bunch of lemons the other day. six pieces for around php120 at s&r.

a trick i learned from watching cooking shows years and years ago is to roll the lemons around in a chopping board before halving them. this is to get more juice out.

i wasn't quite sure how much juice two whole lemons would yield.

notice that the citrus juicer i bought is the manual type. even if there was a cheap electric juicer, i thought it would feel more fulfilling to say "i made hand-squeezed fresh lemon juice" as opposed to just popping them into the machine and getting instant results.

okay, two lemons don't hold that much juice. this is all i got after squeezing.

i need at least 4 fluid ounces of lemon juice to make one serving of blue lagoon. i guess it's back to the squeezer for me.

but this quick experience made me feel like a real country girl ;-)

the bartender.

2009-08-04T21:51:00.004+08:00

i have no experience mixing cocktails, so i'm not sure why suddenly, i am very excited about creating them in the comfort of my little kitchen.

naturally, i stocked up on the basic ingredients...

back (l-r) : triple sec, smirnoff vodka, grenadine syrup
front (l-r) : blue curacao, gold tequila, antonov vodka, lime juice

i bought a lot of vodka, wanting to experiment on at least 6 different vodka-based cocktails on friday (each guest can try one kind)

something interesting i found out today --although vodka is widely attributed to russia, it was actually first discovered in poland. "antonov" sounds russian enough, but it is actually distilled by a local company, ginebra san miguel.

now, i do not consider myself a heavy drinker but i would consider collecting empty liquor bottles if only for the very artistic labels.

here's an easy but stylish vodka recipe - the CAPE CODDER.
- half-fill a tall glass with ice cubes
- add 2 ounces of vodka
- add 5 ounces of cranberry juice
- decorate with a slice of lemon and serve with a straw =)

i now have a mini-bar in my kitchen, next to the hardly-used coffee cups.

did i mention that i also have margarita and rock glasses, along with a cocktail shaker? do i look like a pro or what? :P

i have a few days to perfect my bartending skills until friday.

twice the fun.

2009-08-03T22:35:00.003+08:00

who says mondays have to be dull? my monday was particularly surreal.

in an effort to prepare myself for the much-anticipated cocktail party that i'll be hosting at my place on friday, i drove to s&r to grab a few party supplies.

today's shopping list:

blender (for cocktail making)
old-fashioned glasses
ice bucket
chips
liquor (vodka, white rum, tequila)

here's where the strange part begins...

meet my blender

meet my OTHER blender

that's right. by the end of the day, i ended up with two.

you can call it a matter of carelessness, really.

i was so excited to make myself a nice peach slushie upon arriving home from alabang. when i took the first blender out of the box, i noticed two huge cracks along its sides. needless to say, everything i blend would've spilled right through the cracks.

it would've been easy enough to have the blender replaced at any s&r branch but stupid little me threw out the receipt even before i got to open the blender box. grosse scheisse.

therefore, i had no choice but to buy another one.

it's a good thing that these are pretty cheap blenders (just around php400 each). i'm not quite sure what to do with the damaged set, though. i've thought about donating it to the beggars who come knocking at car windows but i'm struggling to see what good it would do them.

seaside divisoria.

2009-07-27T10:57:00.007+08:00

a colleague was nice enough to accompany me to a deep dive into the streets of divisoria because i cannot be satisfied until i have achieved an all-out seaside style for my place.

my shopping list included:

boat paddles
white / blue hammock
miniature lighthouses
miniature sailboat

we parked my car at robinson's place manila and took a cab to the "other end" of divisoria. by other end, i mean the end where the sights and smells are more extreme.

recto street (lonelyplanet)

the photo above was taken on a monday morning. we went there on a saturday afternoon. needless to say, it felt like we were countless little ants swarming all over the street. i actually brought my SLR thinking that i could capture some interesting shots but i underestimated the crowd and hyperactivity. i wasn't even able to take the camera out of the bag.

map of divisoria (stoicpassion)

we walked through what felt like the entire recto street, looking for juan luna street (where all the fishing supply stores are). when we finally found it, i asked just about every store if they had boat paddles (the hammock was an easy find).

white hammock for php200 (i know this could be implemented better, but i need ideas)

i seriously need to get rid of those old blinds.

after a few hours and a LOT of walking, sweat, frustration and tagalog (my colleague and i made a bet to see who could survive without speaking in english - i lost.), we finally found wooden boat paddles back at juan luna street. the irony is... this is where we essentially started, except it was on the OPPOSITE side of the street, where we failed to look.

wooden boat paddles for php200 each

my next steps:

smoothen the boat paddles with sandpaper
apply varnish
distress the boat paddles to achieve an antique/vintage look
apply another coat of varnish

"it breaks my heart when something so new is made to look old" - J.

thank you albet, for being the driver, tour guide, and kargador. not to mention, for tolerating the questioning stares you got at robinson's manila when you were carrying the boat paddles.

turning japanese.

2009-07-26T12:04:00.004+08:00

a colleague of mine once featured a curious little japanese grocery located in little tokyo, somewhere near makati cinema square. choto stop carries japanese goodies like instant noodles, rice cracker snacks, vegetables and fresh produce for php75 each.

choto stop (all things manila)

i decided to swing on by choto stop to try out the japanese ice cream featured here. i went on a weekday evening, which was probably a bad call since the traffic at the cramped makati cinema square parking lot was a challenge. anyway, after asking where little tokyo was (just look for the japanese-looking pillars), i arrived at what may be described as a mini plaza of authentic japanese restaurants complete with outdoor tables and kimonoed waitresses eagerly awaiting customers.

at choto stop, i found a selection of interesting frozen delights, but the one that particularly caught my eye was this:

lotte vanilla monaka

apparently, monaka is a popular treat in japan. the one i bought was a simple variant. vanilla ice cream wrapped in what tastes like an ice cream cone minus the crunchiness. the ice cream stays remarkably intact even after being outside the freezer for a considerable amount of time.

it's a huge serving, likely big enough for two people.

and of course, i couldn't resist buying rice cracker snacks (in white packaging) and little packs of the things they serve at japanese airlines (in orange packaging). i really have no clue what the official term is.

japanese snacks

read more about choto stop and see photos of shelf displays at all things manila.

little things on a sunday.

2009-07-22T21:10:00.003+08:00

lately, i've been working on both ends of the day (that's asian and western european, sometimes even latin american timezones) so staying home has taken on a slightly new meaning.

whereas before, i craved for adventures, black markets, city lights and malls, these days i find myself deeply engrossed with the little things that i love about my apartment.

top 5 things about coming home

1. the way natural light enters my windows and makes every photograph beautiful

2. eating on plates that match the colors of the sea

3. lounging in the sofa with a cold drink

4. experimenting with cheap decorating elements

5. making clutter look presentable

enjoy LCD in 8 steps.

2009-07-19T17:10:00.007+08:00

i made up my mind to get myself an LCD TV primarily because i have no space in my little apartment for the normal ones. i've tried fitting my old "normal" TV into every possible "TV area", but it seems that it just wouldn't do.

on my way to avant at greenbelt, i envisioned that this is how it would look like:

apparently, it's harder than it seems. read on to find my step-by-step narrative of achieving a flawlessly mounted LCD TV.

1. i brought home the TV in its box, stared and marveled at it for a while.

2. the avant service crew came, and, as promised, they mounted my TV on the wall. for free.

3. sky cable came and installed a digibox. i was thrilled until i realized that those wires dangling down the wall were just plain NASTY.

4. i discovered that the installation of the digibox had one horrible negative effect -- the need for even MORE wires. this is because the digibox doesn't make use of a normal coaxial cable, therefore eating up the slot for these RED-WHITE-YELLOW cables that are normally used for DVD players.

therefore, i had a "read the fucking manual" moment and learned about composite connections (RED-BLUE-GREEN + RED-WHITE). yes, i'm a total geek.

5. those damned cables drove me crazy. total of four sets dangling from the TV to various slots in the digibox/dvd player/wall socket.

6. i bought plastic molding to match the white of my walls and arranged for one of the building's maintenance people to install them for me.

7. now i have a minimal amount of cable exposed.

8. i can stop bitching and just enjoy 32 inches of virtually wire-free TV.

well, that was a productive weekend!

treasure hunting at dapitan arcade.

2009-07-16T20:48:00.015+08:00

dapitan arcade is some sort of secret mecca for home decor fanatics. it's been widely featured in home and lifestyle magazines, including the likes of real living and more recently, tsuper.

dapitan arcade (journal of journeys)

last friday, i made a trip to dapitan arcade with a couple of friends, hoping to find some nautical or sea-inspired accents to spruce up my place. again, being a preppy former resident of the south, i had no idea how to get there.

highlights from our road trip below...

J was very helpful the night before our dapitan arcade trip. all of the text directions that came up on his net searches didn't make sense to me, so he looked it up on google earth. the image he sent me seemed easy enough to follow. go straight along edsa, get to quezon ave, find the welcome rotunda, turn right on the first opportunity (mayon street), just keep going until you reach the corner of dapitan street.
i did NOT print out this google image. i was super confident that i'd be able to keep the directions IN MY MIND.
as it turns out, you will not find the corner of dapitan street along mayon street. we traversed the entire stretch of mayon until we reached a. bonifacio street. this made me feel stupid, and suddenly made me doubt my long-term memory skills. so much for IN MY MIND.
we should've turned right when we saw suki market. it will be easy from there.

anyway, it was worth getting lost because i found these lovely things, all for a total cost of less than PhP500!

in this photo : 1888 milk bottle (PhP100), three navy blue rattan balls (PhP100), ceramic starfish tealight holder (PhP50), blue old-fashioned kerosene lamp (PhP200) from various dapitan arcade stalls

i'm taking my time, arranging and re-arranging these things, moving them around my place to find the sweet spot that makes each item stand out perfectly.

the different shades of blue contribute greatly to the beach cottage feel.

thank you to khay for driving, and to mike for leading the way to quezon avenue! :-)

i love mickey.

2009-07-15T22:25:00.009+08:00

just because in my kitchen, there is only a toaster and a microwave...

doesn't mean that i can't eat well in my apartment.

in photo above: bockwurst with chili, authentic german pretzel, mashed potato salad all from mickey's deli

the wonderful german deli along jupiter street in makati is just a few steps away from my place. inside the deli is a bakeshop (l'artizan) that carries freshly-baked brezn (that's the german word for pretzel), sourdough, pain au chocolat, and more french goodies. mickey's carries an assortment of sausages and german dishes such as:

schweinshax'n - crispy pork knuckles.. german version of crispy pata?
leberkas - LOVE THIS! it's bavarian meatloaf
schnitzel - i think this is pretty popular all around, anyway
sauerkraut - a staple in any german household
kaiserschmarm - austrian... shredded pancakes with apples and raisins, served in flambé style with vanilla ice cream
apfelstrudel - i heard this is definitely worth trying

cold cuts, cheeses, and sausages are also available to bring home.

they even carry a selection of german beer and canned goods. hehehe the absolute best part of it is that they try to complete the german dining experience by playing bavarian music in the background!

J, you'll definitely have to try this restaurant with me when you come :-)

divisoria coast guard.

2009-07-14T22:03:00.008+08:00

a few weeks ago, a couple of shops seemed to have something common in their window displays -- an authentic-looking coast guard lifesaver. needless to say, i obsessed over it and decided that i absolutely had to have one for my studio.

with a bit of charm and a willing companion, i managed to score one of them.

read the story below...

believe it or not, i actually tried convincing the sales attendants to sell me the lifesaver. i told them i'd pay triple the price they paid for it. this tactic didn't seem to work, so i thought of escalating my whim... to store management ;-)

i asked for the phone numbers of these shops' head offices, got in touch with the marketing department, and again tried to negotiate. since they insisted that they couldn't sell these things, i relented to asking for the supplier's name and contact number.

finally, one of them admitted that the said item was sourced from divisoria.

being a child of the suburbs, i became rather hesitant at the mention of divisoria. for those of you who are not familiar, it is actually a market district known for dirt cheap prices and a wide assortment of... well, just about everything. indeed everything from fruits to electronics to fishing supplies to fabric can be found here. the market itself is comprised of several intersecting streets, and not to mention four major malls.

of course, i forgot to ask WHERE exactly in divisoria i can find the lifesaver.

i convinced one of my friends (seen in the photo below) to join me in this hunt for the lifesaver. we met up after work and drove to taft avenue where we parked my car and hailed a jeepney.

my friend, demonstrating the use of the lifesaver.

we found the item at juan luna street, which, luckily enough, was exactly where the jeepney dropped us off. too bad that it was already late evening by the time we arrived. all the fishing supply shops were closed except for ONE, and the owner exploited this fact by charging me PhP300 for the lifesaver (i'm sure i could get it a much lower price if i got there sooner).

if you plan to head to divisoria outside of rush hours, it might be easier to take the MRT or LRT-2 and getting off at recto station (i haven't tried this, but apparently, it's common knowledge).

divisoria (philippines exiles and stellersjay)

pearly shells.

2009-07-14T13:01:00.006+08:00

now that the styledecision has been made and my landlady's furniture has been removed, the fun part begins --- SHOPPING for home decor!

since i've always known myself to be an impulsive buyer, i had to maintain a clear mindset about implementing the beach cottage style. i kept the following things in mind:

stick to the theme -- if it doesn't fit the beach cottage look, do NOT buy it.
keep your budget in mind -- you will also have to pay for the bills by month-end!
less is more -- this is, by far, the hardest thing to remember.

a quick win for achieving my chosen look is to display shells all around the place. it's surprising how easily it gave my living area a laid-back feeling...

"ten more minutes (until J gets home)"

"the afterhours"

in photos above : big seashells from kultura (php100 each), sand (php30) and glass cylindrical vase (php350) from mall of asia department store

coupled with slow blues music, dim lights, and the evening sky, i'd say my first attempt at inviting the sea into my urban apartment was a damned good quick win.

style deliberation.

2009-07-13T11:44:00.013+08:00

packing what is practically my entire life into five big boxes and four suitcases was a no-brainer. it was actually unpacking and sorting that was a big headache. finishing this was an accomplishment i looked forward to because it meant that i could proceed with choosing the right style to decorate my studio with.

some ideas included...

mod (thomasfj)

warm neutrals (momoy)

and all white (home millwork)

it was a long process involving countless hours of browsing through design blogs, but the final verdict came down to...

beach cottage

above images from sköna hem, a beach cottage, the lettered cottage

since the walls, built-in shelves and elevated bed platform are already white, i've got a headstart on achieving the beach house look. i'm excited over being able to come home to something so reminiscent of the sea, in spite of being located somewhere in the middle of the central business district!

first step -- get rid of all of my landlady's things and begin the hunt for seaside goodies.

starting out.

2009-07-12T13:18:00.006+08:00

i've read from a lot of lifestyle and interior design blogs that the first step in decorating is to pick a style, or at least a color, and build around that slowly.

easier said than done, since girls are known to change their minds rather quickly about the look-and-feel of home.

thank god for this:

flipping through its pages gave me a good sense of how to manage color combinations, storage solutions, etc.

i know ikea has its fair share of critics, but i've always been inclined towards the edgy modern minimalist concept. plus, i'll have to work with a very small space.

the funny thing is that there are no ikea stores in manila.

but we do have small showrooms that carry some of the smaller, more common ikea items - one is in makati but pretty near DLSU (mobler) and the other in quezon city (ikeaph). certainly enough to make the pinoy ikea fan giddy! click on the links to check out their multiply-based catalogs.

a bold decision.

2009-07-11T14:53:00.015+08:00

being 21 and fresh into the world of financial independence, my first desire was to start living on my own. desire, coupled with the justification of horrible traffic along the south super highway (due to the construction of skyway phase 2) led me to the bold decision of moving out of the comforts of the home i've lived in all my life.

after 2-3 weeks of looking for what COULD be the perfect apartment/condo unit, my shortlist came down to three choices rated against the criteria below:

size
location (distance to office)
price
furnishing
bathroom
phone line / cable TV
amenities
security

upon careful consideration and much discussion (including a scorecard with stars as rating - great idea, J!), the final decision came down to this:

a studio condo unit (around 30 sq.m.) on the 9th floor of a building just a few steps away from my office.
it's not much to look at, i know.

but all i needed was the ability to see...
POTENTIAL:

anxiety came over me as i signed the rental contract. i've been told by friends that the price was steep relative to my paycheck, but my family members say the price is a good deal, considering the location.

money aside (since it's the obvious), i was more worried about whether or not i could fix up the place and make it look like a home i'd want to come home to (alone) everyday.

this blog is a chronicle of re-inventing an ugly place and the things i learn along the way.