I saw this video on Ms. Tina's blog. I so agree with this! Most women or people in general do not know how to deal with compliments. They shrug it off and then say something negative about themselves. For example, when you tell them they lost weight, they'd say something like "No, I actually gained weight!" I do that sometimes too, but we should really not make a habit of it. Watch the video and tell me if this isn't true!
There was a time someone complimented what I was wearing and I said, "Oo nga e [ang ganda]. Thank you!" And she laughed because my reaction wasn't the usual "Hindi naman..."
I love when people compliment me and I thank them for it because it means I made the right choice in buying something or choosing to wear that something (a dress, a pair of shoes, a shade of lipstick).
Guys and girls, there's nothing wrong with saying thank you when someone throws you a compliment. It builds self-esteem. :)
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Resto Bites: Sincerity
A couple of months ago, my former office mates and I decided to have a field trip in Binondo to eat at Sincerity, a hole in the wall restaurant famous for their fried chicken.
I first came to know about Sincerity through my Mom, who frequents Divisoria for her garments business. She would sometimes bring a take out order of fried chicken, which is so good even after you've put them in the fridge overnight. The chicken remains tender and flavorful. It's been years since I last ate their chicken.
One Saturday we met up in front of Binondo Church and walked for about ten minutes until we found the restaurant squeezed between other establishments on the busy Yuchengco Street. The interiors are nothing fancy: basic plastic tables and chairs. One wall has mirror panels to make the place look bigger. Above them, there are framed photos and plates signed by celebrities. A small TV screen by the counter plays on loop a Kris TV episode (with Kris Aquino and Kim Chiu) that was shot inside Sincerity.
I found it cute that their serving plates are the ones my relatives had when I was younger--those white and beige ceramic plates with a classic print of a lady and a gentleman. It brought me back to my childhood!
Our orders:
Three half orders of Sincerity Fried Chicken. Like I said, it's great. This is not your fast food chicken. Each part is seasoned well, and the pieces are cut just right. Looking back, I should've ordered some for take-out.
Oyster Cake. This is an acquired taste, one that I'm glad I got. The oysters are removed from their shells, enveloped in scrambled eggs, then it was either baked or fried. All I know for sure is this is a must-try! If you love seafood, then you shouldn't miss ordering this.
Polonchay belongs in the same family as spinach. Tastes like spinach too. We ordered this because of guilt. All our orders were fried and oily! Hehe.
Kikiam. Again, not how your typical kikiam looks like. One order costs P50 pesos, but the serving size is big. And it's yummy!
Sincerity Fried Rice. A Chinese restaurant staple. I think we ordered several extra servings of this.
And because one of my office mates ordered it, I got jealous and ordered a sago't gulaman for myself! Perfect thirst quencher.
We only had to pay P189 each for all our orders (including drinks). That was two hundred pesos well spent, I tell ya. Food is excellent and service is good. They even gave us house tea and complimentary ube ensaymada! If only Sincerity was more accessible, I'd be a staple for sure.
Here's a blurry group photo. Happy smiles and happy tummies!
Sincerity Restaurant & Cafe
497 Yuchengco St., Binondo, Manila
Tel. No. 241-9991/241-9990/241-9972
Sincerity Restaurant & Cafe
G/F Luck Chinatown Mall
Reina Regente St. cor. Dela Reina St., Binondo, Manila
Sincere Restaurant & Cafe
549 Banawe St., Quezon City
Tel No. 711-0212/711-0280
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Music Bits: Bamboo
A little back story: I am a big music fan. I turn to music when I'm happy and even more when I'm sad. I've been a choir member since I was seven years old, and songs bring me back to certain moments of my life. I will always associate Avril Lavigne's album Let Go with our Tagaytay camping trip when I was a high school senior. Damien Rice's "Cannonball" was my 2006 theme song. Adele's album 21 helped get me through the last part of 2011 and the first quarter or 2012. "Butterfly Kisses" will always be for my Dad, and "Grow Old With You" for Jay.
Jay and I are avid music lovers. We love going to UP Fair and attending concerts when we can. One of my best memories of him is when we attended both of Eraserheads' reunion concerts: The Reunion and The Final Set.
Because he was working in Vietnam back in March, I had to take Niña to the Script's concert in Araneta Coliseum. Last month, my Mom asked me if I wanted to go to Bamboo's Musikat Jam concert with her at Resorts World Manila. I immediately said yes because 1) it's free, and 2) Jay wasn't here to accompany me.
I must admit I'm not a big Bamboo fan. Of course I know all the hit songs when he was still with Rivermaya, and I know the chorus of Bamboo's (the band) rock hits. I don't follow his music closely, it's just that he's everywhere so you can't really miss his songs.
But after watching him in an intimate indoor venue and hearing him sing live using a good sound system, I now understand his appeal. I've only heard him sing the rock songs in outdoor venues before, so I was more a fan of the electric vibe he brings to the stage.
I think the mark of a true artist is when his voice is as good live as it is recorded. I daresay, Bamboo sounds even better live. His voice is so smooth even when he's supposed to be screaming, and clear even if he's being squished by eager fans wanting to take a photo. In Filipino, the perfect word is swabe.
The first part of the concert concentrated on tracks from his solo album No Water, No Moon. But my heart skipped a beat when I heard the band play the opening chords of one of my all-time favorite songs, Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."
Now, I have to point out that Bamboo's band (not to be confused with his former band with the same name) is very good. A girl provided back-up vocals, played the piano, and also the flute. The double bass (the giant violin) player also played the guitar (I'm assuming it was a bass guitar as well). And when Bamboo sang a wicked version of "Wonderwall," I was mentally floating on musical heaven while the strings were playing their solo part. Aaaaah, strings. Side note: The violin and cello were the cool kind, the ones that look like skeletons of the actual instruments.
The second part of the concert was the rock part, the one the audience was waiting for. Bamboo started the set with Rivermaya's "214," and followed it with the other hits. I can't remember the exact order, but it included: "Elesi," "Tatsulok," "Hallelujiah," and "NoyPi." And because Bamboo is the Globe Tattoo@Home Ambassador, he also sang the LSS-inducing "Carousel," which is the theme song used for Tattoo@Home.
Until that point, the atmosphere was subdued, a bit stiff and formal since we were at RWM's Newport Performance Theater. Bamboo kept going down the stage to the audience, but because he was singing the slow songs, the people were contented taking his photos from afar.
Things changed once he started rocking. I couldn't see exactly what he was stepping on, but on two occasions he was surrounded by screaming fans while he towered over them and security personnel were trying very hard to control the crowd. The people then rushed to the stage, phones and tablets in hand, arms raised and jumping along. The technical crew had to protect the speakers from falling off the stage.
Bamboo was wired enough to grant an encore of several songs including "Adik Sa'yo," "Englishman in New York" and "Sunday Morning." I'm not sure if there were others, I was too busy smiling at him and reaching for his hand (which he shook twice! Haha). A concert-goer lives for moments like that. When you're so close to the stage you almost get a stiff neck, when you're so pumped and happy you try to make the bouncers smile and sing along.
Bamboo, you did not disappoint. I shall listen to your solo album and pick a favorite.
As I was searching for Bamboo's songs, I came across his latest video which made me smile. Listen to some good music and enjoy your Sunday dear reader! :)
Jay and I are avid music lovers. We love going to UP Fair and attending concerts when we can. One of my best memories of him is when we attended both of Eraserheads' reunion concerts: The Reunion and The Final Set.
Because he was working in Vietnam back in March, I had to take Niña to the Script's concert in Araneta Coliseum. Last month, my Mom asked me if I wanted to go to Bamboo's Musikat Jam concert with her at Resorts World Manila. I immediately said yes because 1) it's free, and 2) Jay wasn't here to accompany me.
I must admit I'm not a big Bamboo fan. Of course I know all the hit songs when he was still with Rivermaya, and I know the chorus of Bamboo's (the band) rock hits. I don't follow his music closely, it's just that he's everywhere so you can't really miss his songs.
But after watching him in an intimate indoor venue and hearing him sing live using a good sound system, I now understand his appeal. I've only heard him sing the rock songs in outdoor venues before, so I was more a fan of the electric vibe he brings to the stage.
I think the mark of a true artist is when his voice is as good live as it is recorded. I daresay, Bamboo sounds even better live. His voice is so smooth even when he's supposed to be screaming, and clear even if he's being squished by eager fans wanting to take a photo. In Filipino, the perfect word is swabe.
The first part of the concert concentrated on tracks from his solo album No Water, No Moon. But my heart skipped a beat when I heard the band play the opening chords of one of my all-time favorite songs, Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."
Now, I have to point out that Bamboo's band (not to be confused with his former band with the same name) is very good. A girl provided back-up vocals, played the piano, and also the flute. The double bass (the giant violin) player also played the guitar (I'm assuming it was a bass guitar as well). And when Bamboo sang a wicked version of "Wonderwall," I was mentally floating on musical heaven while the strings were playing their solo part. Aaaaah, strings. Side note: The violin and cello were the cool kind, the ones that look like skeletons of the actual instruments.
The second part of the concert was the rock part, the one the audience was waiting for. Bamboo started the set with Rivermaya's "214," and followed it with the other hits. I can't remember the exact order, but it included: "Elesi," "Tatsulok," "Hallelujiah," and "NoyPi." And because Bamboo is the Globe Tattoo@Home Ambassador, he also sang the LSS-inducing "Carousel," which is the theme song used for Tattoo@Home.
Until that point, the atmosphere was subdued, a bit stiff and formal since we were at RWM's Newport Performance Theater. Bamboo kept going down the stage to the audience, but because he was singing the slow songs, the people were contented taking his photos from afar.
Things changed once he started rocking. I couldn't see exactly what he was stepping on, but on two occasions he was surrounded by screaming fans while he towered over them and security personnel were trying very hard to control the crowd. The people then rushed to the stage, phones and tablets in hand, arms raised and jumping along. The technical crew had to protect the speakers from falling off the stage.
Bamboo was wired enough to grant an encore of several songs including "Adik Sa'yo," "Englishman in New York" and "Sunday Morning." I'm not sure if there were others, I was too busy smiling at him and reaching for his hand (which he shook twice! Haha). A concert-goer lives for moments like that. When you're so close to the stage you almost get a stiff neck, when you're so pumped and happy you try to make the bouncers smile and sing along.
Bamboo, you did not disappoint. I shall listen to your solo album and pick a favorite.
As I was searching for Bamboo's songs, I came across his latest video which made me smile. Listen to some good music and enjoy your Sunday dear reader! :)
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Resto Bites: Maple
I wanted to like Maple. I really did. I chose the restaurant for my despedida lunch with my office friends before I left my former job. Our office was near Shangri-La Plaza, and the recently-opened East Wing promised a lot of new restaurants waiting to be tried. The day before we went there, I saw Christine Dychiao post a photo of their Truffle Omelette Souffle on her Instagram account.
Maple is a modest-sized restaurant with dark wooden furniture, giving off a warm, log cabin vibe. An accent wall has a huge stencil of a Maple tree, with backlighting that emits an amber glow. Their menu reads like a fairy tale book, and they offer traditional and modern American dishes.
Only a couple of tables were taken when we came in (the photos above were taken after our meal), but the restaurant was filled soon after we sat down. The ratio of the servers to the tables weren't quite balanced, we only saw about three servers for more than twelve tables, and they were always out of sight.
Our bad experience started with the dusty water glasses. Ten called the attention of one waitress and told her of our concern. What I noticed was the waitress didn't apologize or seem bothered, she even thought what we were pointing out was a lime pulp, which they serve with their house water. That was fine, we let it pass. Our water glasses were replaced.
We ordered four dishes: Huevos Rancheros, Truffle Omelette Souffle, the Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower, and Bourbon Bread Pudding for dessert. Presentation-wise, the souffle looked the best, while the pancake tower left us disappointed. It was lopsided and looked like it was put together hastily.
Huevos Rancheros is a Mexican breakfast dish composed of fried tortilla chips, beans, chicken and cabbage, topped with a sunny-side up egg, cheese, and a special ranchero sauce. We liked this dish, but you have to finish this immediately while it's hot, as the tortilla chips tend to get soggy when left untouched. Think of this as breakfast nachos.
Taste-wise, I also liked the omelette best. I never had an omelette souffle before so the texture of the dish was a welcome surprise. The smell of truffle (or was it truffle oil?) got us hooked. The dish, like most of Maple's offerings, is big enough to share. It is served with slices of garlic bread, but you can also order a side of rice if you want a more filling meal.
Now, remember the sad pancake tower? It turns out, it WAS put together hastily, because after only one bite of those pancakes, I had to stop and check why there was a metallic taste in my mouth. Out came a piece of aluminum foil the size of my thumb nail. Sorry, I was too shocked to think of bringing out my phone so there is no photo. We showed the waiter the piece of aluminum foil, and guess what he said? "Ay galing po yan sa cream cheese (That's from the cream cheese packaging)." As if we didn't realize that. The good thing is he asked us if we wanted the dish to be replaced (of course). The bad thing is he didn't apologize either! He just took my plate and acted like it was an ordinary thing, as if they always find a piece of foil casually mixed in their dishes all the time.
Our second tower of pancakes came and it didn't look any better, only there was no foil anymore.
But it's hard to get past the incident, and after that everything just tasted blah. Even the Bourbon Bread Pudding didn't do anything for me, and I love pudding!
In one of Top Chef's episodes, Chef Tom Colicchio said people come to a restaurant for the food, but they come back because of the service. And this is really what Maple should improve on. It was so hard to call the servers' attention, they were always inside the kitchen. And when we did get their attention, they seemed apathetic to the concerns we were raising. If they don't care about what they are putting out, why should we bother coming back?
Our bill, when split among us three, didn't really hurt our pockets. But I'd rather spend my hard-earned money some place else, one that has great food and even greater service.
MAPLE
L/GL East Wing
Shangri-La Plaza
Mandaluyong City
2/FL San Antonio Plaza Arcade
50 McKinley Road
Forbes Park, Makati City
Maple is a modest-sized restaurant with dark wooden furniture, giving off a warm, log cabin vibe. An accent wall has a huge stencil of a Maple tree, with backlighting that emits an amber glow. Their menu reads like a fairy tale book, and they offer traditional and modern American dishes.
Only a couple of tables were taken when we came in (the photos above were taken after our meal), but the restaurant was filled soon after we sat down. The ratio of the servers to the tables weren't quite balanced, we only saw about three servers for more than twelve tables, and they were always out of sight.
Our bad experience started with the dusty water glasses. Ten called the attention of one waitress and told her of our concern. What I noticed was the waitress didn't apologize or seem bothered, she even thought what we were pointing out was a lime pulp, which they serve with their house water. That was fine, we let it pass. Our water glasses were replaced.
We ordered four dishes: Huevos Rancheros, Truffle Omelette Souffle, the Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower, and Bourbon Bread Pudding for dessert. Presentation-wise, the souffle looked the best, while the pancake tower left us disappointed. It was lopsided and looked like it was put together hastily.
Huevos Rancheros is a Mexican breakfast dish composed of fried tortilla chips, beans, chicken and cabbage, topped with a sunny-side up egg, cheese, and a special ranchero sauce. We liked this dish, but you have to finish this immediately while it's hot, as the tortilla chips tend to get soggy when left untouched. Think of this as breakfast nachos.
Taste-wise, I also liked the omelette best. I never had an omelette souffle before so the texture of the dish was a welcome surprise. The smell of truffle (or was it truffle oil?) got us hooked. The dish, like most of Maple's offerings, is big enough to share. It is served with slices of garlic bread, but you can also order a side of rice if you want a more filling meal.
Now, remember the sad pancake tower? It turns out, it WAS put together hastily, because after only one bite of those pancakes, I had to stop and check why there was a metallic taste in my mouth. Out came a piece of aluminum foil the size of my thumb nail. Sorry, I was too shocked to think of bringing out my phone so there is no photo. We showed the waiter the piece of aluminum foil, and guess what he said? "Ay galing po yan sa cream cheese (That's from the cream cheese packaging)." As if we didn't realize that. The good thing is he asked us if we wanted the dish to be replaced (of course). The bad thing is he didn't apologize either! He just took my plate and acted like it was an ordinary thing, as if they always find a piece of foil casually mixed in their dishes all the time.
Our second tower of pancakes came and it didn't look any better, only there was no foil anymore.
But it's hard to get past the incident, and after that everything just tasted blah. Even the Bourbon Bread Pudding didn't do anything for me, and I love pudding!
In one of Top Chef's episodes, Chef Tom Colicchio said people come to a restaurant for the food, but they come back because of the service. And this is really what Maple should improve on. It was so hard to call the servers' attention, they were always inside the kitchen. And when we did get their attention, they seemed apathetic to the concerns we were raising. If they don't care about what they are putting out, why should we bother coming back?
Our bill, when split among us three, didn't really hurt our pockets. But I'd rather spend my hard-earned money some place else, one that has great food and even greater service.
MAPLE
L/GL East Wing
Shangri-La Plaza
Mandaluyong City
2/FL San Antonio Plaza Arcade
50 McKinley Road
Forbes Park, Makati City
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