Nuninu
The Promise
I just finished The Promise by Danielle Steel - a very touching story of 2 people who are very much in love but were torn apart as a result of a very tragic incident.Michael and Nancy were very much in love. They were planning to get married despite not getting the blessing of Michael's mom. In their mad rush and excitement to start living their lives together, they met a tragic car accident, leaving Nancy with no choice but to let go of Michael.Nancy was confident that Michael would eventually find her, even if she changed her appearance. After all, they made a promise to never to say goodbye. Little did she know that Michael's control freak of a mother would ensure that their paths would never cross again.They led separate lives for a couple of years - both driven to succeed in their chosen fields of expertise because that's all they have left of themselves. Nancy changed everything about herself, including her name, and became obsessed with photography; while Michael continued to immerse himself in work, thinking that Nancy is gone forever.Fate brought the 2 of them together, until they eventually found themselves back in each other's arms.Typical love story, but how the story was written brought tears to my eyes. It was a very touching story of 2 people who are very much in love.So, here I go again, wishing that life is just like the movies or the books we read. I sometimes tell myself to stop obsessing with them, but all these fantasies about how life could be perfect and all its dramas just attract me so and make mo long to live a life just like our favorite heroines.
A little food review on my own
Following the success of The Makati Brunch Club, Kev has been encouraging me to write reviews about restaurants outside Makati, particularly those new places we try. I've been meaning to do it, but there aren't any new dining outlet we've been to, until we decided to go to SM Megamall last weekend.CAVANACavana, located on the Ground Floor, Bldg A of SM Megamall, offers a variety of chicken & beef specialties that are uniquely Singaporean... I think...Ambience
The interior is so typical of fast food chains. - bright white lights, crowded tables & chairs, booths along one side of the wall, a counter where customers can order and pay for their food, and little bits of food remnants scattered on the floor.Food
Kev ordered honey roasted chicken, which he claimed is just plain roasted chicken. I had the satay beef hot plate and it was yummy! The beef was surprisingly soft, I was expecting it to be a bit rubbbery but it wasn't. Its sauce was sweet with a twist! The beef was served with garlic rice, its taste reminiscent of those served by Big Red Hen. Served on the side are buttered vegetables and bean sprouts.
Price
The price we had to pay for everything was about P300. I enjoyed my meal, but looks like Kev didn't. So I guess it was worth it for me, but not for him.If you're looking for affordable Singaporean food on a hot plate, I'd recommend the Satay Beef. But that's about the extent of my recommendation. I've yet to try other specialties.OHANA HAWAIIAN BBQ
Last friday, we passed by this restaurant while wandering aimlessly inside the mall, looking for a new and affordable affordable place to eat. Kev and I have always wondered how food served at the Ohana Hawaiian BBQ, located at the 2nd floor, Bldg A of SM Megamall, would taste.AmbienceDefinitely beats the ambience at the Cavana, with Ohana's somewhat dim lights providing a flattering glow on the diners. A sofa is available by the counter for hungry diners waiting for a table to be available. 
Outside the restaurant are tables and chairs beneath coffee shop umbrellas, which I think should give a feeling of being "outdoors". I didn't think it was cool though...
FoodKev & I both ordered Pork BBQ. Nothing special here - it's just pork bbq. The condiment served along with the bbq is your typical sauce but with a twist, I'm afraid I'd have to say a bad twist. Argh!!! Just thinking about it, reliving the moment when I tasted its sauce without the meat makes me shudder. But it could just be me...
The bbq was served with plain rice and macaroni on the side. The macaroni salad is bland - lacks the flavor of the typical macaroni salad you get from other restaurant outlets. Nothing special with the iced tea either.PriceWe paid P135 for the dish, not counting the drink. For something as ordinary as this, the food is a tad pricey. I think the dish is worth P85 to P100 max, and at that price, it should include drinks already.
UIT - Part 2
For the 2nd day of the UIT, we all headed to Microtel Inn & Suites Eagle Ridge, Cavite. This time, the event was successful.We had almost 3 times as much participants compared to the previous day, we didn't experience downtime, connectivity was perfect, and the feedback we obtained were really valuable since most of the participants were all internet savvy travelers who had an experience in securing online reservations.The overnight stay was for me, unnecessary, as we finished all our UIT activities by 2pm on the 1st day, except for the sunset discussion. We had plenty of time to travel back to the office and catch up on backlogs. But for some reason, we opted to stay.There was plenty of time to rest, or to catch up on emails, or to make chika with others. And for dinner, we all went to Tagaytay, then back to the hotel to get some sleep.The only thing I find weird is how some people claim to be tired, when we actually didn't do much. I guess they're tired from traveling? We reached the office in just a little over an hour, so that was really quick. And it was a really comfortable ride, so I don't get it why some people are so tired. They didn't even stay up until 2 or 3am. So why are they, again, tired?So anyways, with so much time wasted, I'm here, taking a break from work, when I shouldn't be... But here are some pictures...
Setting up before participants arrive
PMMS ready for dinner
Dinner at Buon Giorno, Tagaytay
Dessert at Cafe Breton, Tagaytay
Microtel Inn & Suites Eagle Ridge at night
Microtel during the day
One last picture before leaving
UIT
We're here at the hotel conducting usability interface testing for the new booking engine. The entire morning, we encountered nothing but roadblocks.- We were waiting for the 1st guests to arrive, which is supposed to be at 8am. But due to the terrible Baclaran traffic, 1st guest arrived at about 11am.
- Since its for the hotel website anyway, we decided to invite hotel staff instead. When they finally arrived, we suddenly lost our internet connection. We chatted about hotel stuff for a few minutes before finally deciding to stop the session while waiting for the internet connection to be fixed.
- As soon as it was taken care of, we are unable to connect to the server.
- Luckily, as soon as the next set of guests arrived, everything was back to normal. But instead of testing the new booking engine, we ended up testing the existing interface.
Talk about things going bad and half a day wasted! Tsk tsk tsk...
The Non-Conformist
THE NONCONFORMIST are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk taking, and enthusiasm often land them in hot water. They need diversity, and don't like to be stuck in a rut. The whole world is their school and they see a learning possibility in every situation. The questions never stop. They are well advised to look before they take action and make sure they have all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
Got this from a friend, and according to her quiz, I'm a non-conformist. Now, thinking about it, I might actually agree.
I'm a naturally curious & enthusiastic risk-taker that often finds herself in trouble. I love chaos and I hate routines. I try to always look at the brighter side of things coz life is all about choices. I ask too many questions but I seldom seek advise. More often than not, I go by my instincts, which isn't always right. Do I jump to conclusions? Definitely! But who doesn't?
Bad Day
by Daniel PowterWhere is the moment when you need it the mostYou kick up the leaves and the magic is lost Tell me your blue sky's fade to greyTell me your passion's gone awayAnd I don't need no carryin' onYou're standin' in line just to hit a new lowYou're fakin' a smile with the coffee to goTell me your life's been way off lineYou're fallin' to pieces every timeAnd I don't need no carryin' on'Cause you had a bad day, you're taking one downYou sing a sad song just to turn it aroundYou say you don't know, you tell me don't lieYou work on a smile and you go for a rideYou had a bad day, the camera don't lieYou're comin' back down and you really don't mind You had a bad day... you had a bad dayWell you need a blue sky holidayThe point is they laugh at what you sayAnd I don't need no carryin' onSometimes the system goes on the blink and the whole thing it turns out wrong You might not make it back and you know that you could be well all that strong And I'm not wrong... So where is the passion when you need it the most(oh, when you're down)You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost 'Cause you had a bad day, you're takin' one downYou sing a sad song just to turn it aroundYou say you don't know, you tell me don't lieYou work on a smile and you go for a rideYou had a bad day, you see what you likeAnd how does it feel, one more time,You had a bad day... you had a bad day
Q&A ng Walang Magawa
Ey Ganns, borrow meme idea ha? :-)- Where were you 1 hour ago? - playing computer games with mom & geelyn
- Who will be your next kiss? - who else? ;)
- Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? - yep, throw pillows
- When is the last time you went to the mall? - just this evening. i always pass through the mall on my way to the MRT
- Are you wearing socks right now? - no
- When was the last time you went to the province? - last month, Cavite, company outing
- Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? - no
- What was the last thing you had to drink? - water
- What are you wearing right now? - pambahay shirt & shorts
- What was your last purchase? - bought ice cream for dessert
- Last food you ate? - ice cream!!! yummy!!! :)
- Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? - Kev :)
- Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? - nah, but i want to. I saw this great blouse in glorietta which i'm planning to buy soon
- Do you have a pet? - yep, si Kenok
- What's the last sporting event you watched? - basketball on tv last sunday, but i wasn't paying attention
- What is your favorite class? - call me nerd but I like Math, hehehe... in college, i liked Beverage Management - lab please... aloholic beverages taste test every week for 1 whole semester
- If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? - no place in particular, just not at home. i'd like to travel - there are so many places i'd like to visit
- What is the last thing you purchased online? - mp3 songs for Kev
- How old are your parents? - my mom's 58
- What's your favorite soup? - dunno, i'd eat anything
- Do you miss anyone? - yes
- Last play you saw? - Madama Butterfly back in college =P
- What are your plans for the night? - post this meme, take a bath, read a book, then sleep
- Who is the last person you messaged on myspace? - Eargasmic 'Am
- Ever gone to camp? - never
- Were you an honor roll student in school? - never, hehehe...
- What do you know about the future? - nothing happens according to plan.
- Are you wearing cologne? - not tonight, silly to wear cologne while at home
- What should you be doing now? - what i'm doing now
- What perfume or cologne do you use? - Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden, Lemongrass Sage by Bath & Body Works, Amber Romance & Secret Crush by Victoria's Secret =P
- Do you have a tan line? - very faint tan line from last month's outing
- How old do you want to be when you have kids? - i'd love to have 1 now =D
- Do you collect anything? - Books!!!
- Do you have any tattoos or piercings? - one piercing on each ear
- Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? - naman!
- How do you like your soda? - with ice
- Do you like hot sauce? - depends on what i'm eating
- Who do you like? - Kev, my family and friends :)
- What is your mood? - bored, obvious ba? =P
- Are you someone's best friend? - i hope so :)
- What's the last TV show you watched? - Bakekang... hahahaha
I'm tagging Leigh, Tina, Lean & Ganns... sige na MBC friends :)
My Wants
Here is a list of things that I want:- I want new clothes - My clothes are old. I need to replenish my wardrobe.
- I want new shoes - My shoes are worn out from all the walking
- I want a new book - I've run out of books to read. How am I going to get myself to sleep?
- I want to travel - erm... The person I want to bring along doesn't want to travel - for now
- I want to go to the beach - I just want to relax and stare at the endless sea; and come sundown, to watch the sun set gracefully upon the horizon
- I want to dance - I want to enroll myself in a dance class; don't know what kind of dance I'd like though
- I want to own a Yamaha Electone organ - the type organ players use for recitals; I remember my last recital, it was fun!!! And, I want to enroll in organ lessons again.
- I want a new guitar - My guitar is broken; my brother claims its because of the heat and the rain, but i beg to disagree. It's his fault, he just doesn't want to admit it =P
- I want to play badminton - I need the exercise, and I haven't played in a while.
- I want to get out of the house - I'm getting tired of being the perpetual coach potato
- I want a margarita - yeah.. I think I need a drink
To obtain all these would require cash - lot's of it! Now that's something I don't have at the moment. So I guess I'll just have to settle for being a professional coach potato.
Brain Teaser
I found this puzzle and attempted to solve it. It's Einstein's Brain Teaser which he claimed can only be solved by 2% of the world's population. I wanted to believe that I'm part of the elite 2% who have beautiful minds, so I tried to work on it.
I didn't solve it but I am not giving up just yet - I'm a person with logic... I can do this!!! HeheheAnyways, if you want to give it a try, here's how it goes...Facts:
- There are 5 houses in 5 different colors
- In each house lives a person with a different nationality
- These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigarette and keep a certain pet
- No owners have the same pet, brand of cigarette or drink
Clues:
- The Brit lives in the Red house
- The Swede keeps the Dog
- The Dane drinks Tea
- The Green house is on the left of the White house
- The Green house owner drinks coffee
- The person who smokes Pall Mall keeps Birds
- The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill
- The man living in the house right in the Center drinks Milk
- The Norwegian lives in the first house
- The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats
- The man who keeps Horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill
- The owner who smokes Camel drinks beer
- The German smokes Marlborough
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house
- The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks Water
Question
Let me know what you get. No googling please... =P
