Ang Majica ni Mayo: July 2010

Thursday, July 29, 2010

A Fun Shoot with Fun People...

Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that I would one day buy my own dslr and actually be sooo addicted to it. NEVER!

I've been exposed to all sorts of arts all my life but photography was the least I like.. in fact, I didn't even consider it as an art and I thought that one doesn't have to have any talent to do it... before, I thought anyone could take pictures and that people with cams were just pseudo-artists! Clearly, I had a very different view about it before.
Now, I regret some of my statements... I still do think that ANYONE can take pictures though (like anyone can attempt to sing or draw) but, not everyone can easily take GOOD and MEANINGFUL ones. I guess that's where "art" kicks in. There is indeed art in photography!

It's pretty obvious how much I adore food. Food has been my primary subject for such a long time... it is one of the main reasons why I've decided to buy Maggie (my Nikon D3000).But these days, I feel the need to really practice in order to enhance my skills, get to know more about my cam and learn more about the behavior of light. I know that my cam is a very basic dslr but I'm pretty happy with it so far..fab photos doesn't wholly depend on the brand or model of the cam (well of course using a pro cam can be a plus) but more on the person's imagination and creativity.

So now I've decided to conduct a series of serious photo shoots for various subjects and feature them here to hopefully get some honest critique from you.

For my 1st attempt, I've decided to try portraiture for I remember my teacher telling me that I should try to master the rules first before doing my wild concepts. Taming myself and strictly following rules can really be a drag but because I really really am willing to learn,I know that I should be familiar with the rules first before I break them.

So as soon as Tay Greg Valerio (one of my mentors) lent me their external flash, I immediately invited Kristel Ann Cruz (Frank's buddy) if she would like to model for me. I also invited their other fellow officemates Watcher Concepcion and Mich Cabudsan to join us. Watcher just bought a brand new Nikon D5000 so it was a good opportunity for him to get to know his cam more. We agreed to meet last July 24, a Saturday after their shift and the chosen location was UP Diliman...

It wasn't an ideal day to shoot that time for it rained the whole day but I still wanted to take my chances for I knew there would be less people in the campus.. we can have the whole place for ourselves heheheh! I had this gut feeling that I could still discover something good out of this not so ideal situation (breaking the rules again). The 4 of us marched down to the campus with our umbrellas and bags with us.. not knowing where to go.. hehehe

First Stop..... I took them to the Bahay ng Alumni so Kristel could change and do her thing while the rest of us did some test shots in preparation for the shoot. Afterwards, we went across the Bahay ng Alumni and found a nice spot at the back of the UP Theater and did some shots.
Let's take a look at the candids made by Watcher and Mich...

We stayed at the back of the UP Theater

Krissy having a re-touch while Watcher eats his taho.

Me and Krissy getting down to business.

A photo of me acting like I know what I'm doing.

Now, let me show you my shots .....

The theme was all about "Krissy the Blogger" so I asked her to bring some stuff which would symbolize her love for writing.

One of my favorite shots..I like symbols a lot and I think this fits her well.

Krissy the writer..

Krissy the kikay...

love the nails...

Krissy in action...

I love this angle.. looks mysterious..

same shot with a different effect.. so modern!!

Fresh and vibrant!

Pure and naive..

hehehehe not so serious this time

A whole body photo of Krissy taken at a very familiar place but during a very rare moment.

Now this is what I'm talking about....UP turned into a ghost town.. a kodak moment indeed!!

Despite the rains... it turned out to be a perfect day!!!

The fun shoot turned out to be really really fun!!

I'd like to thank Krissy, Mich and Watcher for their time. I enjoyed every minute of it! I'm also very proud of the shots I made that day! Success! I believe I still need to shoot more portraits and get to know more and more people who can pose for me.

Before I end this entry, here's my favorite self portrait made my tay Greg Valerio and nay LA Dacula.. my mentors in photography. I love this shot a lot for its simplicity and 'coz of my Mona Lisa smile. Hope one day I can also take a photo as dramatic as this.

I found a new passion and I may say I feel more complete than ever. Commitment and perseverance are just some of the characteristics I possess which I am truly proud of. Photography is something which I would like to seriously explore so I plan to stay focused and ever eager to improve.

I hope and wish that you may also find your passion in life. Like what I always say in my entries.. find your happiness and never be afraid to explore your world!

Watch out for my next entry.. I'm still thinking on the subject which I will feature... hmmmmm any suggestion?

Wishing you all a splendid weekend once again!!

Friday, July 23, 2010

A Trip To The Coconut House

I'm not really much of a Coconut (Buko) fan myself but I do enjoy a glass of coconut water or Buko Juice from time to time but that's just about it! I'm well aware that we can make lots of products out of coconuts but in terms of food, we Filipinos would often associate it with desserts like, buko ice cream and buko salad but never have I heard of buko being integrated into main dishes... until I discovered THE COCONUT HOUSE!!!!

When I first saw this place being featured on local TV, I was really skeptical about it especially when they featured Pancit Buko.. Buko strips replacing egg noodles?? Sounds crazy but judging from the looks of it and the people actually eating it... hmmmm This I gotta try!

Last week, I found myself in yet another food adventure with Badeth feeling really curious on what we're about to experience since this is our 1st time. So there we were.. waiting for our orders..

Good thing we only live minutes away from the Quezon Memorial Circle so it was very easy for me and Badeth to reach the place.

Here are the pics...

For our beverages.. Badeth never fails to order iced tea... Buko Iced Tea (35php) to be precise! ...You guessed it right! It's made from simple Buko juice infused with regular tea powder. Why the hell didn't I think of that? As for me, of course... Hot Buko Tea (55php)! Same idea with the cold version.. I regret ordering this though 'coz it's more expensive! hihii

Buko Trio Special (110Php)
Fortunately for us, dessert came in 1st! I requested the waiter to give us their house specialties so this is one of his recommendations.
Their dessert sampler plate consists of Buko Salad, Native Suman (rice cake) with Coco Jam and a scoop of Buko Ice Cream! I'm not a big fan of Buko salad so obviously, I enjoyed the other two.. specially the Suman!

Coco Okoy (65Php) -

Crispy fried to perfection! Tastes like your regular okoy plus buko strips of course! I believe the coconut strips blended really well with

the other ingredients. I enjoyed this dish a lot!!

Pancit Buko (89Php) Regular -
And now let's meet the star of the show! hmmmm
Buko strips replacing egg noodles?? This idea is just insane!!! I was completely blown away...waaaahhhh
It looks just like your ordinary pancit canton though, but right after the 1st bite, you'll definitely feel the texture of the coconut strips minus its sweet aftertaste! I would have say, it was done really well! My mind kept saying, "NO! This can't be pancit!" hehehe Totally mind boggling!!

.. witness how Badeth's famous evil eyebrows raised upon seeing this dish..... It was a a very unforgettable experience for both of us. I remember her saying the word, "SARAP!" (delicious) a lot of times during the meal!

The Coco Okoy jived well with the pancit!

Gosh.... food is indeed my primal weakness! tsk tsk tsk

Badeth and I are just suckers for food!!

I love hanging-out with her!!! Grrrooowlll!!

Let's take a peek at the menu...

This place is ideal for the whole family!
Nice ambiance! The place looks very presentable and clean!
The best place to hang out after jogging around the park!

They also sell other coconut based products.

It seems that my partner in crime couldn't get over it as well!

As for me, I'm just one happy happy food blogger as usual!!
I'll definitely come back soon (I plan to invite my parents)!

Realizations: "Life is short! Eat dessert first!" A famous tag line from a famous chef friend of mine (Buddy Trinidad). And because life is indeed very short, we should never be afraid to try new things! Experiment, explore, innovate..break the rules from time to time...shake your world a little! Reward yourself a lot!!!

This has been your weekly food sucker, wishing you a fun-filled weekend!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Straight from the Asylum....

You'll never really know where destiny would lead you...
As for me, I feel at awe whenever dear universe would show me another open door. I've learned that what I felt wasn't really love at all for love is supposed to free you, not leave you crying in chains. Had to make a mental decision again... this time, I had to acknowledge the pain and slowly detach myself totally. I realized that I have to really feel the pain and get through this fully ( no shortcuts) so when the storm has passed, I can wake up a complete person once more.

This pseudo love not only causes blindness but also freezes time.. hinders you from doing what has to be done. As for me, I know I'm no ordinary girl..I've long acknowledged who I am and the things which I'm capable of doing. I've yet to show the world my brilliant ideas! I am a demigod! ahahahaha

It is also true that one will never really know when love would suddenly come crashing at your door... like a thief in the night who'd steal your heart away and set your world on fire. Oh how wonderful it is to love and be loved.. I believe this is what we're born to do. I refuse to fall in-love again... for I choose to Fly in-love in my next journey. Just have to wait for a rightful co-pilot who's gonna be man enough to hold the helm so we could chart the destination and command where the winds should blow. *sigh* here I go again. shit!!

I just feel really grateful for being me. I may be overly sensitive at times due to my excessive estrogen levels but luckily I could still be rational most of the time. My experience with people from all walks of life made me develop this very broad understanding on things. Sometimes, how I wish to just be cold and stay unaffected to avoid being hurt but I realized that I am not the type of person who could endure being indifferent.. I guess this is what makes me extra special. Probably, I do attract pain 'coz at the back of my mind, I know that pain is the no.1 ingredient in becoming stronger.. the prerequisite of becoming free. I have to undergo fire in order to free me from the chains which bind me.

It feels soooo weird!! I feel like a different person the past days.. What the hell happened to the cheerful bubbly me? AAww shit I'm so not liking it that's why I need to get back on track! grrrr Effort! Effort!!

Pardon me for my rantings but I don't really give a shit! I don't even feel sorry for it! I don't find anything wrong in being true in expressing ones feelings. Hypocrisy is something which I refuse to follow. I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Go ahead and say what must be said for the world is in dire need of voices which would echo on to eternity.

I believe now is the perfect time to start loving myself more for the simple reason that I cannot share what I do not have. Time to wake up and stay sober.. Gotta draw more and more strength from within. It ain't true that your friends are just a phone call away.. you really have to learn to stand on your own. In my case, I'd have to admit that I'm starting from scratch once again... I do feel much much better compared a few weeks ago where I felt really knocked out.. double whammied.. kapowwed!!!!

As much as I would like to share my plans.. I'd rather keep them to myself for now. Just wait and see. Just wanna keep things simple and stay committed to my plans and beliefs. I've yet to do something groundbreaking that will shake the world! I'm doing it a step at a time with the help of my superhuman league! hehehhhee

ciao bene!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Healthy Sausages By Healthy Harvey

Maintaining your weight can really be a struggle when you share a special romance with
food.
I'm so so proud and happy with my success in losing my weight this year.. my secret?
it's around 20% no rice, more fruit diet and 80% comes from having a broken heart! The perfect formula for losing weight! I strictly observe these on weekdays for weekends are for friends and food!!

Being into your ideal weight is really really important! Aside from being healthy, it also adds up a lot on ones confidence. For us women, having nice curves really makes a difference as compared with women who are plump. Hey I've been there..I've been overweight for 6 years so I know how it feels to have such low self esteem. I know very well that beauty should be more than just the physical but honestly, being physically attractive does count.

These days, I've been really doing my best to maintain my weight. As you all know, I rarely eat breakfast due to my late wake up time. Usually I'd just have a cup of tea before I head to work then have lunch at a mall near my office. Lately I've been addicted to these gourmet sausages made by Healthy Harvey located near Robinson's Supermarket at the Galleria. They offer very healthy sausages (40% less fat and cholesterol).. very much guilt free! At first I thought they're made of red meat but to my surprise, their sausages are actually made from 100% fish meat!
WOW! Never thought it would actually come from 100% fish meat for it tasted like a real Hungarian sausage!! I was fooled indeed!

Their sandwiches only cost around 58 pesos.. hmmm not bad I guess. Their serving is quite big. You may even pick 2 toppings.. I always ask mine to be topped with Pomodoro sauce and lots of grated cheese!!! Yum yum!

For those of you who still wanna enjoy sausages minus the guilt, I highly recommend this to all of you!! Here are the pictures while the crew prepares my order...