Isanely Wicked

Insanely Wicked. That is Wicked Kitchen for me. After finding a feature of the resto in Click the City dot com, I was intrigued. And was uberly excited about it, I couldn't pass the week not to go here.

Why wouldn't anyone be? All of the desserts in the menu are named after the 7 Deadly Sins: Anger, Pride, Sloth, Lust, Envy, Greed and Gluttony. And this is not the main course yet.

Kat and I ordered the combo meals which is served with an ice tea. What's good about it is that you get to choose from 4 pasta and then pair it with a choice of chicken entrees . We also got a piece of garlic bread and salad. Both of us got Wicked Wings and paired it with a pasta of our desire. Kat chose Chicken Mushrooms Cream while I got Seafood Aglio Olio.

My Verdict: 5 stars.
The pasta is not soggy and is al dente... Seafood Afglio Olio is fetuccini with olive oil, garlic and some herbs (I think it is spinach) with a mix of shrimps and squid. It isn't salty but you would continue diving in. The Wicked Wings is awesome! There is a fire-y kick. I don't fancy hot and spicy food but this one is getting me to rethink. One thing I need to commend is the salad (lettuce). It is sweet and fresh. Kat thinks it is dipped in honey or syrup.


Came in our dessert: Kat ordered Envy while I ordered Gluttony (which is their featured dessert in their menu).

Verdict: 5 stars
If we jokingly tell a person that he'll forget his name because of how delicious a food is, this is the truth of it. As Kat says, Envy got her speechless!!! While Gluttony had me not want to do desserts for an entire week!

Envy is a super moist chocolate cake frosted with mint green chocolate ganache. It will get you drooling with envy (Tagalog translation: naglalaway sa inggit!) wishing you have this everyday!

Meanwhile, Gluttony is a enormous chocolate chip cookie topped with a plentiful scoop of mantecado ice cream, and a drizzling of chocolate syrup. This heavenly dessert will challenge the appetite, even of a glutton.

Although price of dessert is the same of that of the main course, I think the superb taste has it justified. 2 Deadly Sins transported me to Heaven!

And now comes the part when I have to whine... of course there are bad points. Service is super bad!!! Awarded nada stars for it!!!! Waiting time for the main course is 30 minutes and we had 2 follow-ups. And then when we requested water to help us with the dessert, we had 3 follow-ups because the waiter keeps on forgetting our requests. When we asked for the bill, it took us two requests!! What is that!?!?!? We even went down to get our change because we were again waiting for entirety for it! But the waiter took our picture so that's something commendable.

It is a pity that service isn't at par with the food they serve. I Hope the pics here gives justice to it!

-o-
I brought home Ex's Lasagna for my brother.... I think his pictures also justified whatever "bitterness" fueled the owner or chef who gave the name to this good-tasting recipe. Those are candid pics of him burping and savoring the food!


xoxo

Laugh

Laugh... laugh loud... laugh till you couldn't breath.
And surround yourself with friends who make you laugh.

Got this from an email. And I can't keep myself from thinking of how I laugh often now...even people from Taguig notice the difference of how happy I am now. And so does my brother who oftentimes thinks I'm going loony because of the way I act out of excitement or just pure joy.

I have been laughing... laughing hard, laughing often... over things, everything and nothing..even the silliest of sorts. and people I am with is as fun as F-U-N!!! wahaha!!! and work has been enjoyable.. =)

Weekends of Idleness

Another weekend wasted in idleness... that has been my weekends without plans... except for chores, sleep and food, weekends just roll into weekdays with no accomplishments.. =(

I should get back to my laundry... at least at the end of the days of idleness, I could say, I did something... just something.

Hopefully, I would have something to do next weekend.. =)

Overflow

Yesterday, I started the day at UP. Went to finally pay my tuition fee (ouch!!!)and be an official Iskolar ng Bayan again. Got a go signal from (ever-supportive) Frank, I was with Jovert and the rest of the students who are cramming on the last day of Registration. I was seated next to an undergrad who's Form 5 spells a P24k+ tuition... A whut???? Is UP an institution for the poor??? When I left UP in 2006, that was already the issue: tuition fee hike due to lack of funds granted by the government. From a 300Php/unit for the undergrad, it will rise to 1000Php/unit. While for the graduate school, it will be from P500/unit to 1500/unit. I was even protesting against it thinking of the future when I will come back to UP to take my Masters and will suffer the consequences of the hike. Talk about selfish acts.. hehehe!!!

Now, the future is here. I am suffering. And I am envious of Jovert who's tuition for his Masters at SURP is still at the Php500/unit rate. Grrr!!!!

But then, it is too late to be angsty... and I always have that option to not go back... be contented on with the education I got from UP and depend on the experience future will bring me. But the yearning to fulfill long time dreams (and plans) is always there, getting strong, all the time. So I said goodbye to more than P12k, just like that, and start school next week.

-o-

Rain has been crazy... no typhoons, no storms, whatsoever but it has been raining since 2 weekends ago. Not good!!! Business for the company has been bad lately... Ops-wise, there are more shutdown of plants because of brown-outs, more chemicals to dose since water quality is not good, and the La Mesa Dam has been on yellow alert, it has been overflowing for 3 days now. Hope the rain goes away soooooonnn!!!!

-o-

Just got it from the UP website, classes will be moved on Jun 16! Weeeh!!! I could still have a long weekend for myself before I start school and spend my Saturdays in a lab class. But the thing is, I don't know where to go exactly... I want to go to the beach.. just lay there in my swimming attire and just get sun baked skin (it is not as if I don't have dark skin already)...but really, I just want to waste time in a beach shore, with the waves at my feet, from sunrise till the sun meets the earth.

Weekend Highlight

I finally saw half of my beerkada!!! All the way from the States, Boy is back with us here in the Philippines. Ate and I, this is only the 2nd time that we saw each other here in Manila... talk about being busy and being far apart... hehehe!

I'm thankful that we were able to meet up...We toured the hallways of Megamall and just go on with window shopping and eating out... I miss my girls...and that includes Len, Kat and Diane. hehehe!!

Moi, Ate and Boy

After roaming around Megamall, I went with Ate to Starmall where she'll be riding to Laguna... but we saw a Bench Fix in Starmall so we had a pedicure for our tired feet.

Having a Pedicure

After saying my goodbyes to Frae, I went to meet my cousin and her neice in SM MOA. Good thing I went there amidst the heavy rains coz Bench had an activity at the biggest mall in the Philippines and I had a pic with Mateo...weeehhh!!!

Mateo, I love.

And the shriek is just the end of it. Hehe!!!

Eating Out Means Pigging Out

I have gone overboard with food lately. And that means going overboard with my expenses on food too.

Imagine this:
For the whole week I have eaten in Conti's twice, Sbarro, Coffee Bean (courtesy of Pao), Starbucks (courtesy of Nang Bambi) and that's minus the offers of Tom for coffeee, DQ, KFC twice, and Yoshinoya. Include in that the food I get for free from at the office from Ma'am Edna, from meetings and demo presentations.

Somehow I appreciate being at home today with just tv, laundry and the computer, because I'm limitted to what ever there is at our refrigerator... And it only means left-overs for reheating as I'm not really a fan of cooking... talk about being lazy on something vital as cooking.

Hope this does not get worse... I'm gaining weight, I'm losing money... grrrr... not fun at all.

I may doubt myself, but I don't doubt my God

Almost six months ago my application for Masters Degree in UP got rejected. I was so devastated, I had 2 days of depression. After 2 days, my why's have been answered. News of the new assignment, TP 6, was given to me. And it made me think, that if I was given the chance to go back to school and the new assignment, I don't know how I would manage. Plus the fact that I would be traveling to UP after work all the way from Taguig.

But the fact that my first application got rejected, it scarred me. Since I handed my application, I kept on praying and asked favors from family and friends to help me pray. I have doubted my capabilities, my confidence is so low, and I worry that I can't go back to UP, to be rejected twice. That doubt in self, turned to faith to my God. All the more that I called on to Him, to do miracles for me, to make things happen for me. And He did.

Now, during the applications, and the future with work, I see a much clearer picture. I am now assigned at the main office which is just at the back of UP. I would just walk from the office to school. And what I will study is now in line with work at Operations. =) He really has set out his plans for me. And I am forever at awe of His ways.

So yes, I am back and ready for school. I got my acceptance email today and I was too excited, I rushed to Frank's office and told him the news... he was happy that I did get in he even announced it to my seatmates at the office. The excitement also caused me a 6-8Php call to Mama, one of my greatest prayer warriors.

Now, I just have to finish my visit to UP Health Servie, aka Infirmary, and get myself totally admitted... to school!

Beauty is a Sacrifice

Beauty is a Sacrifice.

It surely is for Mt. Pinatubo. To see a grandeous gift of nature, you have to endure a sure lot of an ordeal.

It is unbelievable to see how a very serene and beautiful place has caused havoc and peril to many lives in 1991. It was so violent and disastrous, like it was awakened from a deep slumber, terribly angry. Remains of that disaster is still visible around and going to Mt. Pinatubo. Hopefully, the great volcano will remain at sleep and the 1991 eruption will be its last.

It was a tiring but fun to conquer Pinatubo. But that experience will be the first and hopefully the last as I have no plans of doing it all over again. =P

A Jump for the Grandeous Pinatubo

UPdate of my Bumming Week

I have been home alone since last week when my brother, Mel, went home to the province to spend the rest of his summer vacay with the rest of the family and of course the gf. It is quite peaceful at the house...and monotonous too. But I'm ok really... sometimes, I would like to experience some peace and quiet after a busy day at work.

-o-
Ji is here for the week. She's processing her papers for the US... good thing, she'll be able to go with us in climbing the Pinatubo.

-o-
Pao has celebrated his 29th birthday last May 12. We (Bertday boi, Icile, Ji, Rommar and I) had dinner at Mang Jimmy's... it was a quick walk from the office so I stayed for awhile browsing stuff in the internet while I wait for them to go there from Kalayaan Dorm where they had isaw.

Mang Jimmy's doesn't have an rice-all-you-can-eat just like years ago, during my college days... And we ordered five viands and only got 1 other viand free... Owel, I guess things change.

Rommar has a car now and Icile finally bought herself a DSLR. All through out dinner we had fun over eating and getting ourselves photographed... we then loaded Rommar's car and proceeded to the Technohub. Rommar went home right after he dropped us off.

We ate dessert at Razon's, yummy halo-halo, courtesy of Pao. And then we took turns handling the DSLR and shoot the night away.



-o-
I, together with some of my batchmates at the main office and Balara BA went to visit Emil yesterday. Emil is our batchmate who is assigned in Pasig BA. Both of Emil's kidney has deteriorated and he is now undergoing dialysis and he is looking for a kidney donor so that he could have a kidney transplant.

Minutes before he will be going for dialysis, we were able to see him. Still that happy smile amidst the problems he is facing. He has lost a bit of weight though. =(

Hope Emil will get through this.

-0-
I already watched Angels and Demons. Nice movie!!! Hehehe!!!

I love it. Maybe because I have no means to compare it with. I haven't read the books, nor have I watched The Da Vinci Code. So that movie is my first Dan Brown experience and it was nice.

=) that's it for now.

No Plans For the Weekend

=(

Bumming for the weekend. Can't seem to know the life with having nothing to do (except chores), nor a place to go to. Boohoo!

Richer by P500!

The much awaited fight is now over!!!

After a very glorious and short fight against Ricky Hatton, Manny is going home triumphant and the Filipinos are once again joyous especially those who placed their bets for the Pacman.

We at Ops have set our bets out against our Brittish bosses, Frank and Tom. We (almost 25 people) have come up with a grand 20,000Php to fight Frank and Tom's ceiling price. My bet of Php500 was included to the pool of amount.

And a week after the bet, I became richer by Php500!!!

Love you Manny! Ang gwapo mo sa pic dito:

The Gas that Made my Day Painful

The stomach have been aching the whole day. After eating breakfast, and was not able to burp, it became the nuisance one could ever imagine. My stomach has a lot of gas maybe enough to fill a balloon.

Ma'am Edna suggested that I take in meds for my gas. So I took Mutillom from Wellness and all the more that my stomach became rebellious and turbulent. I didn't eat for lunch afraid that I might upset my stomach all the more. I kept on coming back to the CR and induced vomitting just to get the gas out. Add to that the trips for bowel movement.

Now at 8PM, I know I have an empty stomach but I can't feel the hunger.

Bora Beaching Bitch

Like any other day that I lack sleep, the result would be floating. But the craving for sleep is not just becuase I have to sacrifice and extend hours awake for something reasonable like the studying or doing a report or presentation for work, but none other than traveling and supposed destressing from the reality of Manila.

Once again, I escaped the dreaded big city and went to Iloilo, our meet-up point for our much awaited Boracay vacation. An original party of 10 was cut to only 3 people: Me, Noisy and Cyhna. Cyhna has work to attend to on May 1 while Noisy will attend to the job fair in Bacolod City. So I spent the whole day of May 1 discovering Ilo-ilo. With the initial visit during the Holy Week and my tour guide via text, Pao and Ji, I was finally able to buy my ref magnet (Iloilo version). And then I went back to SM City to meet my cousin and my brother.

Since it was almost dinner, we set foot to the foodcourt and treated ourselves with a hearty meal. And then we decided to kill time with watching the LFS of Wolverine. We planned of going to the Tagbak Terminal around 12 MN so it is better to spend it watching a movie than a 24 hour fastfood chain (McDo kuno) and be pressured of buying food to stay in the place.

We arrived at Tagbak Terminal at almost 11PM, but we have to wait till 12MN, that's when 2 more passengers join us and the driver thought of proceeding to the Caticlan port. I was asleep most (if not all) on the way to the port. We arrived at the Caticlan port around 4:30 AM. We loaded the Montenegro ship which will bring us to Boracay.

And finally, we have set foot the ultimate beach destination in the Philippines, Boracay.

Pics at my multiply.

The Joke

It was about 4PM. And after talking to one of the people from Wastewater, Frank went out to talk to me. "Since it's a long weekend, I have an assignment for you to do. You're going to Boracay, to see things there." And he had that silly smirk in his face. I told him, "Really, you're sending me to Boracay? What do I need to do there?" And he continued, just look over things there. And then I said "Ok!" I know he was joking and I just keep on going on joking with the old white guy. "Na!" he said and waited for my reaction.

And I did return the joke.
"No. Really, I'm goin to Bora tomorrow."

And seeing my serious face, he said, "Really now?!?!?!"

"Yeah! Want to see my ticket?! I'm going to Bora for the weekend"

"You're really serious."

Now I take with me an assignment to Bora. Boohoo!!!

Finding a Father in Frank

So last weekend, I was out with my friends and colleages at the Taguig BA. I got Frank's permission to go with them in the afternoon of Friday.

First thing Monday, at the Flag Ceremony, he was mouthing (Yep, I was lip reading), asking about the weekend outing. Since he was afar, I also mouthed my words back saying I really enjoyed it a lot.

And later in the afternoon, he called me into his office and after discussing business matters, he made me tell him how the Taguig Outing went. He was inquisive of details of what we did, where we stayed, or did I miss, at the very least, enjoy the company of my Taguig friends. He was even concerned that I was assigned in a room with 14 people (included 6 guys) with only 2 beds.

It is quite overwhelming that somebody not related to you, or somebody not in your level (mentally, financial, socially) is taking time to know how you were and how your days went. =)

Bi Polar?

Yesterday, I am in cloud 9, so high I couldn't get enough of smiling and feeling good. Today, I feel like I'm in deep shit.

Yesterday: Straight from the horse's mouth
After discussing things I have gathered in the main office on the Curayao and San Rafael Treatment plants, I stood up to go back to my cubicle... midway accross the room, Frank called me back... And he said, "Just so you know, you are doing very well. And it is not only me who is saying so, so is Ma'am Edna." And that great big smile appeared again and was plastered in my face. I told him my thanks and relayed my dilemma of how much I am wondering how I am performing since unlike my previous post, I don't know how I fared. I don't have numerical figures to guarantee I am in an excellent zone, nor have I targets to surpass each month. Frank understand that as well thus he guaranteed that I'm doing great in the new job.

That affirmation have brought me and my self confidence in cloud 9.

Today: Depressed and Unsatisfied.
I was sent out to go to Curayao and San Rafael Treatment plant to see what is going on in there.... I gathered all the data in preparation to the expected exam with Frank. And so we discuss things. He got out his calculator and did calculations. Yikes!!! And I was in a whirlwind, got confused with some data I got. And Frank said, "Here's one thing to learn, when you go to a plant, or wherever, learn from numbers." The numbers that we gather speak of things, coherent or not... thus if it is incoherent, I must asked it out outright at the plant than not think if the numbers do match or acceptable and suffer bringing questions at the main office. He said not to worry about it because even Bea and Mai, who were his previous TAs have the same habit at first. He said that it is due to the lack of experience such that it isn't nature to us to think that way. In due time he said, I would be able to acquire a very inquisitive mind.

='(

Ewan

It all started with just teasing.. it all started with people putting colors to whatever is there.

I don't know... now it has become a mess.

He is suppose to be a friend... suppose to be just one of those closest guy friends.. he's suppose to be "dude!", suppose to be a kid, suppose to be my brother.

But after having spent most of the outing together, talking the night away in a swing, slept together in a couch, eat together and looking after each other, plus the after-outing ...everything changed. People have thought we have something special going on. We have told them the truth that it was nothing and ignore everything they say...

But you changed... and it sucks bigtime.

It's Officially Announced!!!

The Reason why I don't have a Sterio

or a Radio...

because our neighbor's are blaring in the early hours of the morning... dinig from kanto to kanto!!!

And since the houses in the subdivision are almost wall to wall in a very small piece of land... we will hear all the "noise".

Going back to Taguig

I finally went back to Taguig. After my new position and transfer at the main office, it was only last Friday did I set foot at the Taguig office and was able to see most if not all of the members of the Taguig BA.

Yesterday, I went with the whole of Taguig to Lian, Batangas for the annual company outing...Since I don't have any department in Operations and the outings are purely per department, I thought of just joining my friends at Taguig.

I had problems with going there... I talked it out with Caster last Thursday that I'll ride with him to Taguig after his seminar with wastewater... but he informed me that he won't be joining the seminar because he has call center complaints to do... so I texted Sir Erol which of course he agreed for me to join them on going to Taguig.

Then Jovert texted me that he'll be picking me up since he will pass his application for Masters in UP. Weeehhhh!!!! Mahal talaga ako ng boys of Fort Boni!!!

When I arrived at the BA, everyone was eating lunch because it was also Boss Darwin's birthday. It was Sir Darwin's tradition to treat everyone on his special day. So being an honorary of Taguig, I invited myself to the lunch treat. Hehehe!!

Then we all loaded the bus... I don't have enough cash with me and withdrawing is impossible because we would be on our way to Batangas with no stop-over so Bernie was a super pest insisting on my share... hehehe!!! What would I do???? I just have to enjoy the outing and pay later...

It was a 3-hour long ride to Batangas... and when we got to the resort we all proceeded to our respective room assignments... I was with Tina, Jen, Bless, Bernie, Di, Cons, Rolly, Yaw, Chris, Chel, Aina, Jovert, and Lati. Yikes with only 2 beds, I don't know how we would be able to sleep comfortably in them.

After bringing our bags in, we went to see the beach... It was only, fine sand although not white...but it was ok... what would matter is making the most out of our stay there.

We started with playing dodge ball... it was so fun! Then later became picture addicts as more cameras was out...there was supppose to be a team building but was not able to continue since some people has already started drinking, some were engrossed with singing at the videoke, some are still playing volleyball and frissbee while others are already enjoying their swim. After that it was dinner time already.

Then we spent the whole night just talking... updating ourselves with whatever, anything and everything....then we played a lot of games again... it was a good way to go back and bond with friends.

Sleep and rest became a problem.. it was a dilemma!!! So after having my hair dried, with the help of Jovert (salamat, dude!), he thought of looking for a pillow outside to make our sleep more comfortable... we are to sleep at the banig with no pillow... I'm not maarte really, just want to be resourceful.

So we went out at the videoke to see what is happening there and viola!, we are hyper again with singing our songs of choice... But the day would take a toll on us... without me noticing it, I fell asleep at the couch with the videoke blaring as my lullaby.

Woke up around 5AM to have a morning dip. Weeeh!!!! That was the highlight of the trip, soaking in the sun, jumping into the waves, floating in the water, getting our tan lines, and have a blast in the pictures (thanks to Jen's underwater cam!).

Then we went back to get breakfast then go back again in the water for another batch of fun. Until we all went back for a very early lunch... Food was great... plus of course the company.

Going back to Manila, it was raining like hell.. Tagaytay was getting flooded... Another 3 hours later we were back at Taguig and then loaded ourselves in Sir Lawrence's car and have ourselves dropped at Market...

It was a 24-hour escape from work, from Manila, from everything that is real... It was good to be back.

Some Pics: