Planking (fad)

This is also known as "the lying down game", it is -well, an act lying face down in the most unusual places simply for a photograph. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank, as Wikipedia puts it.

I first encountered this when I saw a friend in Facebook posted his "planking" pics. The photos were taken in their office. it's kind of weird because the people around him (while in the planking position) acts as if nothing weird is going on beside them. It looks weird but really funny!

Here are samples I found in the net:

and more!

I like this one...

I also found out that there other variations. There is Owling in which a person squats like an owl.

Teapotting is another variation. You would just have to bend your arms, remember the "I'm a little tea pot"? Simply like that pose.

Here's another one "leisure diving" which I think is really crazy yet looks fun. Just dive in pool and hold a pose while airborne. Quite similar to doing jump shot except this one, you're sure headed to the water.

Pepper Lunch ...for DINNER!

Ironic to have dinner in Pepper Lunch eh? Hehe. We were around the Power Plant Mall last night when we finally decided to treat ourselves for dinner. What we were looking for is a place we have not tried before. None of the restaurants suits our appetite that evening until our feet landed in front of Pepper Lunch. We looked at the menu outside and it made us more hungry!

Photo courtesy of www.clickthecity.com

The ambiance is really inviting! The smell of the savory food and the sweet sound of the sizzling plates surely attracts passers by and it welcomes us as we stepped inside. The menu is composed mainly of Pepper Rice Meals and Steak Meals... oh and also Teriyaki Meals.

Photo courtesy of www.pepperlunch.tumblr.com

Too bad I didn't bring my camera with me and my phone got poor resolution, so I grabbed some photos online instead. (Kailangan talaga i-explain! hehe). Here are what we ordered:

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice (Php285)

Photo courtesy of www.entengvince.wordpress.com

Hamburger Steak with Egg (Php335)

Photo courtesy of www.aznpoptart.livejournal.com

The ingredients (except for the rice) are quite raw when served, so you would have to mix them and cook them on the sizzling plate and put some sauce to taste. Mix 'em any way you like it! It's like "Shabu Shabu" only that it's on a sizzling plate. They sure serve really delicious food and I would love to come back and try more of their dishes.

Their branches:

The Power Plant Mall

Concours Level
Power Plant Mall
at Rockwell Center
Makati, Metro Philippines
Tel: +63 2 895 3164
Fax: +63 2 895 6185
Hours: 11am - 10pm

Shangri-La Plaza Mall

Garden Court Level
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
Ortigas, Metro Manila
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 634 3231
Fax: +63 2 631 6410
Hours: 10am - 11pm

Alabang Town Center

2nd floor
Corte de Las Palmas, Alabang
Tel : 556 8498
Hours: 11am - 9pm

Greenbelt 5

2nd floor - Phase 1
Makati
Tel : 501 3759
Hours 11am - 9pm

Robinsons Ermita

G/F Padre Faura Wing
Robinsons Place Manila
M. Adriatico Street, Manila
Operating Hours
Sundays to Thursdays: 10AM to 9PM
Fridays to Saturdays: 10AM to 10PM

Soon to open in Megamall and Mall of Asia

KFC's Tower Burger

One hungry afternoon, my co-worker and I have been exchanging ideas of delicious food! "Burger", "Fries", "Spaghetti", "Barbeque"... until we both talked about that new burger from KFC, the Tower Burger. We immediately made a decision and called the delivery hotline.

30mins after making the phone call. I was delighted to see the deliveryman carrying a huge paper bag. That is very nice! But that's a different story.

Now, I present you... the Tower Burger!

I must say that it is tantalizingly delicious! The ingredients: Bun, chicken, hash brown, lettuce, cheese, and mayo!

The crisp of the hash brown and the chicken fillet on every bite makes the gastronomic experience more appetizing.

The Man Who Was Not Informed

"Who is this Christopher Lao and why is he trending?!" this is a tweet from a friend this morning. Must be something I missed in the news? So I got in the office and read the news online. Finally, I got the story.

A UP Law student, Christopher Lao, is the guy who drove his car through the flood in Quezon City which happens to be waist deep. This was captured in the news of GMA7 on Tuesday. While I was reading I thought, what the heck was he thinking?. Then on an interview, he relentlessly blamed other people (the MMDA, people in the street, even the news crew) after what he did as if it's their fault and reasoned that he was not informed. I hope he was not expecting that there should there be signs like this?

Photo courtesy of: Cubao Boy

Sorry for the pun, but it was totally silly if that was the way he reacted after what he did. If only he had have just admitted his mistake and moved on then there wouldn't be any commotion in the internet. The news clip apparently has become a viral topic in blogs and social networks. Note that he was trending more than Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri's resignation.

After reading another post and hear about this incident from other people, it made me pity this guy that this issue became a craze. I guess the news organization picked this man's mishap for entertainment purposes, but do you think it is right that they broadcasted his real name and showed his face? They should have at least done something to save this man from humiliation.

Under the Leaky Ceiling

It's a gloomy weather since yesterday. It was raining so hard. Got home tired from shopping last night, opened the door of my room and shocked to see that there was a little puddle underneath my TV stand! I immediately grabbed all the rags that I can use to sweep off the water from my TV! I tried to switch it on, there was still an audio but no more picture. I already told my landlady about the leak on my ceiling about a month ago and told me that she'll get it fixed and I just now discovered that she haven't had it fixed yet! It was really upsetting. So I just put an empty pale underneath the leak.

Typhoon Juaning gate-crashed in Manila and classes are suspended for elementary and high school. If you're inside a tall building you will get a view of very low, dark clouds. If you don't see anything except fog, you are most likely already inside those rain clouds.

It feels good waking up with this cool weather, the big challenge is getting up to get ready for work. In my case, I'm still bothered with the leak on my ceiling! Argh!

"Ex" Repellent

Should we remain friends with our exes? But why do some people find it so hard to distance themselves from their past relationships? Haven't they got proper closures? Are they still in pain that love in their relationship no longer exist? Feeling of bitterness that they have been replaced by a better love interest? Broke up but still in good terms? Work? Hmm...

You are definitely not alone when it comes to dealing with exes, especially the pesky ones. Let's start this by labeling 3 Types of Exes shall we? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. How hard can that be?

The Good Ex. These are exes who thinks sensibly and logically for them to rationally accept the fact that "it's over". It only takes a conversation to make it clear that the relationship is not working. They are pretty much easy to deal with so no worries. Though they still have to go through the excruciating process of moving on.

The Bad Ex. If you think your ex is bad during your relationship, then get ready for some drama after the breakup. They will run to their friends and will make you look horrible. Okay, that is pretty normal, but this person will attempt to make his/her friends will hate you. It will most likely be posted in their facebook wall or twitter, to get everyone curious and suddenly make a fuss. Ignore those. Make sure you have already explained to your ex and and your friends why the relationship ended. Just let your ex go through the painful stages of moving on. Although there could still be some confrontations every now and then, though. Avoid communications. They may be giving you sweet words slowly softening your heart and make you want them back again. Watch out and make their intentions clear, who knows that they are just planning a revenge on you and crush your heart like how you crushed theirs. Ignoring them is your only help for them to completely move on. They will soon realize that the break up is best for both of you.

The Ugly Ex. If you got drama with The Bad Ex, now get ready for some drama AND action with The Ugly Ex! They wake up every morning living through the pain and bitterness you caused them and they can't get over the fact that they have been dumped. This immature type of ex is most difficult to get rid of. They clearly lack understanding even you tell them to the Nth time that "it's over". Either their in denial or they just don't want to listen to you. Anticipate exasperating antics from this ugly ex. They will recklessly whine and go around town telling all their friends how awful you are and make them hate you too. They will use all modes of communication just to tell you how horrible you are and make you feel bad. Their main goal is to make your life miserable. They will attack you and other people around you with really harsh words. Could they be psychotic? Just hold yourself from fighting back, it will only make the situation worse. Leave her alone doing her desperate actions, she will soon realize how pathetic she is and will eventually leave you in silence. Otherwise, if the ugly ex got you cornered to talk, then it's the time for you to play the role of a guidance counselor. Stay calm for this person needs psychological help. They need to give their heart some time and space. Show them that you understand their situation, give encouraging and inspirational words until they have calmed down, which I bet won't be easy but could help.

So there you have it! Come on! Let's admit that these exes are really such a pain in the ass! Whether they have good or bad intentions, the best way to deal with an ex is to absolutely stop frequent communication with them. Block them from your group of friends, it's completely understandable. At times, they will try to get in touch with you but simply ignore it. Comforting or simply talking to them will not help them move on. Some will try to slowly make their way back to you until you want them back as lovers again. But it will be more complicated if you found a new flame and these things happen. Step out of the way of your ex and be sensitive with the feelings of your new love. No one knows what could happen next if you continue mingling with your ex. Remember that once it's over, it's got be over... for real.

The Morning Rush

It is a fun and crazy 4-hour radio program every morning hosted by the "epic" duo, Chico and Delamar of Monster Radio RX 93.1. Habitually listening to them turned out to be like a happy drug to me. Hence, "RX" is like a prescription, right? I have been actively listening to them ever since 2002. Soon considered myself as a member of a huge cult of listeners tuned in religiously every morning called, "the Rushers".

You will surely get hooked too once you try listen to them. Just get ready that you might suddenly tend to laugh by yourself while you're all ears to their funny but enlightening conversations especially during their frequent "Top Ten" topics, it happens to me a lot! I would have to try hold back my laughter when I'm in the office so others wont think that I'm going crazy! Let us all just hope they would release a shirt that says "I am not crazy, I'm just tuned in to The Morning Rush with Chico and Delamar".

Harry Potter Movie Finale

Ah, the smell of the Harry Potter mania! Went out to the mall this passed weekend and happened to walk by the cinemas. All the theaters are showing Harry Potter! Most of the marquee signs scrolls "Sold Out" for the next screen-time. The place is jam-packed with people in long queues on ticket booths, snack bars, and at the entrance of the theaters. Everyone is aching to watch the final installment of this movie! Okay, I admit that I have only read the first 2 books and half of the 3rd book. The bright side of not reading the book "yet" gives the torturous anticipation on what's going to happen next, which I love in movies. Well, since I haven't read most of the books, I didn't know how it was going to end! I'd read the books later.

The movie started on the scene where it exactly ended in part 1. At first, I didn't quite expected that it was starting already since there were no dramatic intros, until Voldemort appeared on screen. The last 4 films made by David Yates made the characters more matured in their roles as it appeals it's maturing audiences growing up with it too. There were a lot of action and few dramas... and prepare yourselves for quite a revelation too!

It sends a melancholic feeling when you think that this is the final movie and that it's time to say good bye to all the characters that we've grown up with for 10 years. There weren't any tearjerker moments on this one as some might expect it but the whole movie is very compelling with dreamy visuals. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves Harry Potter. It was such a beautiful ending for Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Superb!

Unforgettable quote: "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love." - Albus Dumbledore

Boracay (Day 5): The Long Way Home

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I didn't hear Bev's "Party Rock Anthem" alarm tone but the sound of the heavy rain woke me up. It was already 7:30AM. Bev jumped off the bed and hurried because their call time for the shuttle service to catch their 11AM flight is 8AM! Unfortunately, we got a news that all flights are cancelled due to bad weather. Darn!

Here are the batches of our flights:
7AM, 11AM, 12:30PM, 4PM, 4:30, and 5PM.
I'm in the 4PM batch.

After tossing and turning on the bed, trying to get more sleep, I finally gave up! I took a shower and went downstairs to have breakfast. Got a clear view from the restaurant that the sun is up and shinning. So what's with the cancellation of flights? I asked my mom and a couple of friends about the weather in Manila, they all said that "the weather is fine except in the evening". But it was done already, all our flights are cancelled and re-booked for the 7PM flight...in Kalibo. Wah!
Looking at the bright side, at least we still got time to do last minute shopping!

Finally, we left the hotel at 3PM. A van drove us to the Boracay port, then had a 5-minute boat ride to Caticlan. Then about an hour and a half drive from Caticlan port to Kalibo Airport. Man, it was tiring! Then we had a few issues in the airport. There were a lot of cancelled and some diverted flights. Again, we were so tired and hungry. Shai and I got home at around 9PM.

That was a long stressful day, but surrounded with this great people in our group? I sure had an unforgettable great time!

Boracay (Day 4): Team Building Activities

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Call time is around 9:30AM. I woke up late from partying last night (wow, party girl?), but just right in time to get ready for our team building activities.

We rode a multicab to take us to a bay and then we hopped into a speed boat towards our destination: A hut on a raft in the middle of the bay, maybe 5 kilometers from the beach.

I think the budget only covers the Jetski and the Banana Boat rental. But we can cough out the cash from our wallet to try the FlyFish and Parasailing (yaman)!

I was so excited to try the Banana Boat! Though they no longer allow to throw the passengers off the Banana Boat on purpose. Which I think lessens the thrill? Hehe. Oh well, I guess for safety reasons.

It's my first time to drive the Jetski! We're allowed to have a partner to ride with us. Mam Sue get to ride with me. I was surprised that when I happen to drive faster, she gets more excited. She's fun! Haha!

I think the FlyFish is more exciting than the Banana Boat ride. Both have similar concepts though. But with the FlyFish, which is also pulled by a speedboat, the inflatable ride has a tendency to -well... almost fly. The front part goes up, almost slipping most of it's passengers off! Don and Ross fell off from it. I just don't like the thought of left alone in a huge body of water.

We ran out of budget to try Parasailing. Oh maybe next time. Only sir Jun and Yana got the time to try it (coughed out cash from their wallets too) Haha! Looks a lot of fun!!!

In the evening, we headed to Astoria for dinner. It was about a kilometer from our hotel and we're so hungry! Good thing we spotted this barbeque place and I saw isaw! If you don't know what isaw is... it's the (ok, this might sound gross) chicken's intestines. But hey! It tastes great if dipped in white vinegar. It's seldom for me to eat isaw, so this is a huge treat for myself.
Our BUGM treated us for dinner in Astoria for his birthday celebration! Thank you sir Elli! You're the coolest!