Quotations That Are So True.

"If it's not the destination, it's preparation."


"Kung gusto may paraan.  Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan."
(Translation: "If there's a will, there's a way".  Filipinos extended this quote further to describe the opposite.  I do not know how to put it in a poetic fashion but the second statement simply says that if there is no will, there are tons of excuses.)


"Things happen for a reason."


"One can't have it all."


"The truth shall set you free."


"Laughter is the best medicine."

What A Smooth One!

Don't you feel proud of a person who does his job super well?


I do.  This pilot has shown to the world that PAL (Philippine Airlines) pilots can execute a smooooth landing.  They do it almost all the time but this pilot had a special problem in the video... two blown tires.

Good job, Capt. Bobby Enverga, and your crew,  F/O Henry Campilan, S/Os Feria and Misa!

Addicted To The Tiny Tower.

Breaktime and Me time now include this.

Tiny Tower as described in the App Store "lets you build and manage the businesses and bitizens that inhabit it".  It can be downloaded for free.

Since I am a time management game fan, the first time I saw this free app I got excited. As I progressed, I am loving it even more because I really do not need to spend a whole lot of time on it.  It is unlike Sally's Spa or Ada' Hospital, wherein you are sure to have irate customers if you put down the iPhone to get a glass of water.  And this is also not like Tamagochi where you have to be sure that you visit your pet at a particular time of the day... if you do not want them d-e-a-d.  In Tiny Tower, you stock up, buy/construct floors, let the Bitizens take care of the tower and go about your day.

Everytime I check on my tower, I see earnings.

My tenants and employees keep the tower running.  They work for my businesses, pay rent and wait for their dream jobs.

I monitor their thoughts and feelings through the Bitbook -- their own version of the Facebook.  I just wish I could do more than change their clothes, assign them jobs, and evict them so the Bitbook will have more relevance.

I do a bit more things through the menu.  My favorite function is the Stats where I get to monitor the demand for my businesses and my sales per minute.

Here is how my Tiny Tower looks.

Definitely a game that fits the demands of my job, my little boy and my "katamaran" (read: laziness).  It keeps me excited with the randomness of the businesses built, the designs of the residential floors and the type of bitizens who come to rent... but it also does not keep me glued to my iPhone for hours.

I wonder until what floor will this game sustain me...

Ginisang Saba Mackerel.

It is our househelp's birthday month and she decided to spend her birthday in her hometown.  Because of this, I am the official househelp for two weeks.

I have come to love cooking so on this aspect, I am not complaining.  I actually look forward to being the functioning queen of the kitchen again.

Ginisang Saba Mackerel (don't really know if this is the right name) was a recipe my Mom learned from somewhere.  The first time I tasted it, I surprisingly liked it and told myself that my next cooking opportunity would include this dish.

Here are the ingredients.

Saba Mackerel, the main ingredient.  Drain the oil/sauce and set it aside.

Potatoes.  Two medium sized potatoes will do.

Garlic, Onion and Tomato.  Your usual panggisa.

Onion leeks, chopped.

Laurel leaf and peppercorn.  For added flavor.

How to cook:

1. Boil the potatoes until cooked.  (Tip: While boiling, add a hint of Rosemary dried leaves for more flavor.)  After boiling, set aside.

2. Saute garlic, onion and tomato in cooking oil.

3. Put in the Saba Mackerel and saute for a while until the flavors blend.  Add the boiled potatoes.

4. Pour the Saba oil/sauce in, then, the laurel leaf and peppercorns.  Allow this to boil a bit before lowering the fire.

5. Add the onion leeks.  Continue until the leeks are cooked.

6. Serve and enjoy.

Goes well with hot rice and Coke!

Moonleaf Tea Shop.

It was a slow Saturday so when my brother proposed that we visit his friend's shop, I readily said yes and brought hubby with me.  My sister and brother-in-law tagged along, too.

The shop was called Moonleaf Tea Shop.  It is located at Maginhawa Street, Teacher's Village.

I looooove milk tea even if I am lactose intolerant so I was extremely excited to taste their unique flavors.  But what immediately struck me when we got there was the unique concept that the shop has.

It is an old house converted to a tea shop (my architect cousin, by the way, designed the place).  Here is the 'garahe' (garage) leading to the main entrance... with chairs and tables outside.  The garahe was packed with customers and well lit, I feel like I am going to a party in a neighbor's house.

Inside you will see that it's a small shop... with chairs and tables, of course.  And the twist is this.

Nice corkboards where anyone can tack notes/messages on (I suppose only the noncontroversial ones).  Waiting for someone who is running late but you need to dash and have no load?  Leave a post-it here.

I remember that my first time to order in Starbucks had me feeling worried about the things I had to say to the barista.  Moonleaf, however, has a no frills counter, left simple for everyone not to feel intimidated.  The space can be a challenge when lines are long but I guess this is not something the young ones really care about.  Blame it on my age, perhaps -- the older you get, the more space you want.

Now, let's go to what they sell.

They have the Basic, the Milk Teas, the Fruit Teas and the add-ons (pudding, pearls, milk, nata).  Price starts at Php70.  Of course, you would have additional charges for the add-ons.

They also have cakes and pastries which should complement your teas.

Here is what hubby and I had.

Honey Aloe Tea for hubby on the right.  Honey Milk Tea, Jasmine-based, with pearls and pudding... YUM... that's mine.

Every cup has a smiley.

The guy who brought this to Pinas (from Taiwan) is very young.  Adrian Adriano was not born rich but has a truck full of guts.  For me, he is a success story so here I am in a photo op with him.

I would, most definitely, be back to Moonleaf to enjoy the tea and the unique personality of the shop.


Moonleaf also has a branch in Katipunan.  They usually have treats, promos, booth setups so for more updates, like them on Facebook.