crumb trails

Dreaming of creating your own art masterpiece one day?

Thanks to programs like Mr. Picasso Head and bomomo, now you can further explore your creativity. With Mr. Picasso Head, you can create your own Picasso-like piece. Really fun!

Here’s one of my creations:

Framed it and all so it’d look like a real painting. This is inspired by one of Pablo Picasso’s sketches.

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A day tour to Corregidor is a little expensive, costing around 2, 000 pesos via Sun Cruises. But the ferry ride to the island was inviting. It’s not everyday that I get to ride one! Although not a swimmer, still, I’m a fan of the sea. Just inhaling the cool sea breeze relaxes my mind and my nerves. The water couldn’t sound more wonderful when it kisses the shore or its waves slap over boulders of rocks and brave sea vessels. Yeah, I love the sound of the sea. That’s why, I couldn’t resist the trip to Corregidor!

Since the island was a military reservation during World War II, Corregidor is a favorite destination among war veterans, Filipinos and Americans alike. It is also frequented by students, teachers, foreign visitors, and Pinoy travelers, too. Like myself.

Going to Corregidor is more or less an hour’s ferry ride from Manila. The ferry leaves CCP terminal at around eight o’clock in the morning. As the boat traverse the sea, you are free to go around; buy some snacks, take pictures, or you may go to the second deck where you’ll be able to enjoy the panorama of the ocean, the islands and mountains from afar and even the diminishing view of the city you left behind. When the ferry finally docks in Corregidor, tourist guides, tranvias and their drivers await the visitors at the port, ready to take them around the island.

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Barkadas have another choice for an eat-out gimik: Halo Café. It is named so because of the kind of food they serve – light and healthy. This cozy little place is located at the Cubao Expo in Araneta Center. Here, diners can enjoy vegan dishes like the veggie burger and veggie burger steak, veggie medley lettuce wraps, and eggplant & cheese wholewheat tortilla. Halo also offers pasta dishes, so if you’re adventurous enough, you may want to try the spaghetti with malunggay pesto. They do not serve red meat; only chicken and tuna. Their line up of beverages are must-try. There’s the bohol coffee, bohol tsokolate, wheatgrass cold tea and Halo’s house specialty the tarragon tea.

What I have tried (together with friends) so far in Halo’s menu are:

(a) Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Olives – this one I highly recommend. I like how the tomatoes and olives blended and created a slightly sour sauce which suited my taste bud very well.

(b) Spaghetti with malunggay pesto – this dish is for the brave and adventurous. Although the malunggay sauce may look like your regular pesto, there’s more than slight difference in the taste since it is impossible to totally remove the bitter taste of the malunggay. Hey, but this is really healthy! Remember that malunggay is a better source of vitamin C than citrus fruits.

(c) Veggie Medley Lettuce Wraps – a little salty for my taste but still good. Look forward to discovering the taste of banana and ginger combined.

(d) Chicken Pastel – hmmm… this is different from the usual pastel dish because this one is not baked. It was okay. Still healthy, I guess, because it uses white meat (chicken skin not included).

(e) Wheat Grass Cold Tea – a drink that you MUST try when you eat at Halo. The wheat grass they use is freshly cut from the plant box they keep outside of the café.

(f) Eggplant & Cheese Wholewheat Tortilla – I think the wholewheat tortilla made the difference in this appetizer. And the eggplant? The eggplant always goes well with anything!

(g) Tuna Steak – one of the best-tasting in the menu. Loved the way it was cooked.

(h) Tarragon Tea – a highly recommended after meal beverage. Halo uses a mixture of fresh and dried tarragon leaves. You will enjoy its natural sweet flavor and fragrant aroma. I think it has a calming effect on the drinker because when I had a cup at Halo, I was able to sleep immediately when I got home. Maybe I should start growing tarragon in my backyard.

Here’s a peek at some of the food we tried:

(1) veggie medley lettuce wraps (2) vegetarian burger

(3) eggplant and cheese wholewheat tortilla (4) spaghetti with malunggay pesto

(5) wheatgrass cold tea (6) wheatglass plant box

Food prices range from fifty pesos to a little more than a hundred pesos. Really affordable.

For a list of Halo Cafe’s offering, click here.

A few snapshots of Halo’s interior:

The first day of May is a very important date for workers worldwide when labor movements celebrate their social and economic achievements. In the Philippines, May 1 usually marks a new battle for labor groups and advocates as they strive to fight for better or higher wages for workers. As long as I can remember (since I moved to Manila in college) the common scene at this time of the year are rallies in Maynila, specifically in Mendiola and near Malacañan Palace. But this post is not about Labor Day or wage hikes. I leave the discussion of these topics to the experts.

I wait for a different ‘event’ in May. I’m a probinsyana, a girl from the countryside. I grew up running along cornfields, chasing chickens, walking between paddy fields and watching rice stalks gracefully dancing to the music of the provincial breeze, climbing guava trees, collecting sticky sap from the trunk of jackfruit trees and use it to catch dragonflies and butterflies in the field (hell! I didn’t even know the existence of the net!).

May is a month of many festivities. But aside from Flores de Mayo and the numerous fiestas in almost every corner of the country, I anticipate the coming of the first rain of May, better known to us probincianos/probincianas as Agua de Mayo. I remember my grandmother telling us that the first rain of May is sacred. It’s a blessing. Others believe that it’s similar to agua bendita or holy water and it has healing powers. For whatever other reasons, Agua de Mayo is important to agricultural communities. An ample amount of rain during this month signals a good planting season for rice farmers. I’m really praying for a good planting season and good harvest for our farmers and a sincere hope that we’ll get through the rice crisis.

Anyway, when it rained on the first day of May, I couldn’t let the event pass by. I just had to get out and feel the rain on my skin. And take pictures, of course!

Raindrops keep falling on my… hand! Lamig!

Welcoming the rain.

The fog almost covered the mountains.

Last week’s night out is the closest thing I could think of of a summer getaway. It’s already the month of May and I haven’t been to any resort (beach, pool or spring). I went to the beach too early (February). My time—or should I say, mine and my officemates’ time—is occupied by the routine at work. Maybe all of us were too busy to notice that summer is slipping away, fast and unnoticed, and the thought of some summer adventure only occurred to us in passing. Haay…

Anyway, on the last day of April, my colleagues/friends at the office decided to push trough with our plan of dining together at Adarna Food & Culture. It was also a farewell dinner for Conrad as it was his last day at the company. That was my third time at Adarna, and like my previous visits, it was again an enjoyable experience. This restaurant really keeps on surprising me and my taste bud.

There were thirteen of us who dined at Adarna. Butch, the waiter assigned to serve us, ushered us to our reserved table near the piano (we really specified that our table be by the piano because we planned to sing some songs after eating). Everybody instantly liked the homey ambiance. We ordered several platters of Batanes yellow rice, dilis, piassok, sigarilyas salad, Adobong Batangas ala Adarna, Pochero, Tapa served with a very interesting dip, and Gising-Gising. It was a delightful dinner; every bite a moment to relish. Personally, I have never imagined that sigarilyas (winged bean) could taste that good. The salad was one of the groups favorite. Piassok was a sure hit, of course—the beef melts in your mouth. This dish is a must-try at Adarna. Everything is a must-try at Adarna!

The Group (from left: Che, Avi , Yme, Chris, Tet, Leng-leng, Gemma & Alan, MJ, Obet, Conrad, Sir Jojo, and Sir Jay) Just finishing our cups of coffee, tea and hot choco. Thanks to Chef Giney for this photo.

Adarna Food & Culture is open until 10:30 in the evening. But we were enjoying the place, the company of each other and the singing that we somehow lost track of time. It was half past eleven when we left; many thanks to Ms. Beth and Chef Giney for allowing us to stay that long.

Here are some more pictures:

Jamming time! Yeah, we weren’t “that ready” for a night of music (`yan may baon talagang songbook )

Havin’ some good time.

Another group photo, taken just before we left Adarna.

Been tagged by MisyeL & Rhapsody.

The rule: Name 11 people you can think of right off the top of your head. Don’t read the questions underneath until you write the names of all the 11 people. This is a lot funnier if you actually randomly list the names first. No cheating.

1. Sarah
2. Lukaret
3. Yuri
4. Sherma
5. Tayns
6. MJ
7. Rey
8. Leng-leng
9. Jomar
10. Faye
11. Obet

1. How did you meet # 4? I met Sherma in college, na napagkamalan ko pang upperclassman kasi hindi kasama sa block naming nung first year. She’s one of my very best friend.

2. What would you do without #5? I’d be very sad. Tayns is like a sister. We have so many things in common. She’s also a college buddy that became a best friend.

3. What would you do if #2 and # 6 were going out? Ngek! It will never happen! They’re both girls! Really bad scene. HAHAHAHA!

4. Who’s #10′s best friend? Her books! She spends her entire time reading.

5. Have you ever eaten around #1? As in eat together? Oo naman! We’ve shared meals since we were in nappies. Sarah and I grew up together. Known her since birth. Kakampi sa mga kalokohan at pakikipag-away sa mga kalaro!

6. Do you miss #2? Oh, yeah. Nakaka-miss ang mga chika nito at ang magdamagang chikahan! Ma-adventure ang buhay nito, pati na ng buong barangay nila. Oi, Lukaret, when are we gonna get together at nang makapanlait uli tayo ng kung sinu-sino?!

7. Who is #11 dating? He’s not dating anyone. Loyal husband and dad ito sa kanyang wife and daughter. If ever he’s dating anyone, isusumbong ko sya.

8. What do you think of #3? Yuri is an unusual kid. He prefers musicals over cartoons. Favorite movies niya, Spider-man (but he’s afraid of spiders!), High School Musical, Cats, The Sound of Music. His favorite song at the moment is Seasons of Love (from Rent—he’s not old enough to watch this film). He also loves listening to The Wedding March— something I really can’t understand why. He’s amazed that Maria (Julie Andrews) still appears in films until now.:D And he’s six years old.

9. What do you think of #9? He’s a little introvert. Do not be afraid, Noy. No one will harm you.

10. Who does #2 like? Ngayon? Si Umberto yata, kahit makulit.

11. Would you marry #8? NO! Baby sister ko `yan sa office si Leng-leng.

I’m passing this meme to Sonnet, Hitokirihoshi, Raft3r and Witchy.

I have one good reason to celebrate.

Because the month of April marks crumbs‘ one year.

That made me smile — a big one plastered on my face right now. I still can’t believe that I’ve been blogging (seriously) for a year. A couple of years ago, I used to maintain a (very inactive) blog somewhere else (in a social networking site ). I wasn’t even aware of the existence of WordPress then! Thanks to Tim, who encouraged me to attend the i-blog summit in UP last year. I’d say it was “enlightening.” If I hadn’t joined, I wouldn’t have discovered the fun of sharing my thoughts to the rest of the world and getting a response from whoever reads whatever I have written. The biggest reward of blogging, for me, is gaining friends that ordinarily I wouldn’t have met if I wasn’t here. You, people in my blogroll, I thank you—for sharing bits and pieces of your life and letting me share mine.

Cheers to us!
P.S – I have also started a photo blog here. You might want to take a look. I’d appreciate it very much.

The first time I visited Avilon Zoo a couple of years back, I really loved the experience!

Yesterday (April 5), together with some friends from work, I spent a whole day at Avilon Zoo for the second time, and boy, I had a wonderful time! As they say, the second time is always sweeter, well in this case, much, much better than the first since a lot of improvement had been done by the administration of the zoological park (and still doing more until now, kudos to them).

Unlike my first visit, our small group didn’t hire a tour guide. Since I’ve been there before, maybe I’ll just be the tour guide (minus the explanation about the animals, of course! ). Avilon Zoo is a seven hectare park and it’s fun to get lost at such a big place when you’re with carefree, good-tempered people. Nobody complained about all the walking, the heat or to those who arrived a little late. All of us just had fun! And I’d like to share just how much fun we had.

Look who loves being cuddled!

This baby tiger doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s been making friends with the visitors. Really cute and cuddly.

Meet Camille and Louie (and the rest of the family! )

These two are the sweetest! And they have manners. They shake the hands of everyone they meet. Louie loves to be cuddled. Look how he clings to “mommy” (peace, señora ).

This summer, going to the beach is not the only thing you can do. Avilon Zoo is an alternative, so put it in your list. It’s less crowded at this time since school term’s over. Besides, it’s very accessible from the metropolis. Avilon Zoo is located in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal—thirty to forty-five minutes drive from Quezon City. Or you can take the PUJs/PUVs from Cubao and Philcoa, tell the driver to let you off at Eastwood (subdivision), then ride a tricycle and ask Manong driver to take you to Avilon Zoo.

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It feels good to get away from the hum of the city even for a while. A few weeks ago, I had the chance to spend a couple of days in Pundaquit, Zambales. Let me share some pictures of those relaxing days.

Exploring the beach early morning, Saturday.

*Some quick snaps.*

Had to ask our driver to stop here so I could take these shots.

I need to explore the place more. And I’m definitely going back! I have yet to know the real name of the river and the places it runs through. I have to visit the islands, too (Caponies) and see the other side of the hill, where, according to the locals, the water is calmer and the environment is more serene. Yeah, there’s a lot more to discover!