The best things in life are free

Today, I received a gift from Apple, my niece. It was a Marc by Marc Jacobs earrings. I suspect that Apple thought that I will definitely adore it because of the design. She probably remembers that I love stars.

My seemingly ordinary day suddenly  becomes extraordinary because of this present. Actually, this is one of the two things in the bag that she sent me. The other one is a Trader Joe's Organic peanut butter, which I have been salivating about but could not find the time to  buy.

Oh, my niece. She could be so sweet and so generous at times.

And it's not even my birthday. Her generosity made me happy. That happiness did not cost me a cent although it made her Kate Spade wallet more than a hundred bucks lighter.

No Sweat Fruit Salad

All I did was to throw in 3 kinds of fruit -- apples and mandarin cut in bite size pieces plus seedless grapes. Then drown it with spoonfuls of DelMonte pineapple juice with a drop of honey to sweeten it up a bit ...

 Easy to prepare healthy snack, right? Let's give our potato chip bags a rest once in a while and load up on these. It's your choice. :-)

Beating the cold weather with 7-11 Hotpot or Oden

According to Wikipedia, Oden is a Japanese winter dish with lots of ingredients like boiled eggs, daikin radish, konnyaku (whatever that is) and processed fish cakes stewed in a soy-flavored dashi broth. I so love hotpot because I have an uncanny predilection for hot soups.

Our neighborhood 24-hour store, 7-11 is now offering hotpot which I had been planning to try out for some kind of eons now. That simple dream came true today. It was just the perfect time. Stormy, cold and windy weather.

My receipt showed that the noodle costs P12 and you can add like 3 ingredients with a price starting at P10 to P15 each. So if you keep it to just 3 toppings -- enjoy the hot meal for less than P50!

Beware of adding extra toppings though because you might go beyond your budget. I was so overwhelmed with the variety of fish cakes and assorted meat balls that I went out of 7-11 with my wallet P153 lighter. I don't regret it though. It's good to cave in to your greedy appetite once in a while. You can never buy that kind of satisfaction.

The hotpot is not exceptional though. The soup is a bit on the sweet side and the taste of one of the toppings -- a block of sweet corn, is overpowering. The processed fish cakes and meatballs are of good quality and worth the price. There is a sauce that go with it labeled Oden sauce which is forgettable.

 

Sunflower Beauty Oil by Human Nature

Human Nature products boast of 100% No Harmful Chemicals which is a big come on especially for people who care about what they apply on their skin. I have tried their lip balms before and some of their lotions and I must say they might be good. For some reasons I forgot all about their products when I see something new that I want to try. I stopped using plain lip balms a long time ago. It might be around that time when I discovered lip tints or lip balms with a hint of color. As for lotions, I got lots of generous relatives who send me Victoria's Secrets  and Bath and Body lotions at the time.

So much for human nostalgia. I am about to run out of facial cleansers so I thought of swinging  by Rustan's on my way home. I don't have a particular brand in mind, I just want something like a cream to pat on my face and tissue those dirts away.   Just like the work of Pond's cleansing cream, my elder sister never runs out of this precious cream eons ago to cleanse her face with before toning and moisturizing.

Months ago, I have been eyeing this beauty oil by Human Nature which I was thinking will work fine to cleanse my face before I hit the sack. It was not available in small bottle then and quite expensive for me to try. Look what I got now, yey! Finally 50ml bottle now is available for something like P149. Not bad.

At the back of the bottle, it actually tells you that this oil helps in lightening dark under eye circles, dark spots, pimple marks,  lighten underarms. It also claims of minimizing stretch marks, adds shine to  your dull hair as well as moisturize your skin.

The manufacturer refers to this product as their gold elixir that works magic for you.

And all I want is to clean my face which is not really listed as one of the numerous things the happy flower could bring to your life. I am ending this post humming 'Got to Believe in Magic'.

Mochiko Day!

As a treat for working hard five days straight, I usually give myself a reward -- big or small to cap my productive week. This time I find myself buying in Mochiko, one of those stalls you pass by in Shangri-La Mall. I always thought that this is a Japanese franchised store but I was wrong. From their website, I learned that this is wholly owned and managed by a Filipino couple. Anyways, I digress, I am supposed to tell you about my take on the Mochiko product.

Those cute little colored balls (looks more like the size of the regular hand stress balls) are made of mochi. A mochi is a Japanese sticky rice pounded finely and shaped into balls usually filled with red bean paste.

Instead of the common filling, Mochiko filled it with different delish ice cream flavors. The ice cream that they are using has real milk and fruit ingredients in it, not the commercialized one. This explains why you get that tiny thing for P75 a piece. Personally, the ever sweet tooth that I am, you would definitely catch me tasting all the available flavors which are shown in the photo below:

They also kept on updating their flavors -- as of this writing they have the very popular Speculoos Cookie Butter! So let us all declare our very own yummy Mochiko Day!

Simplified Korean visa application for Filipinos

When I was in the process of preparing the requirements for getting a visa to Korea, I scoured the world of cyberspace for even the tiniest bit of information -- the most updated, the better.

Here I won't discuss the papers or documents that you need for it probably would just duplicate your previous research. I will just make it light and tell you through this numbered collage :-)

One: Armed with your complete documents (in my case: filled out application form, certificate of employment, original bank certificate, ITR and my valid passport) drag your feet to the Korean Embassy in McKinley

 Two:  Get a visitor's ID from the guard

Three: Once you're inside, the receptionist will check your documents and will ask you to wait for your number to be called

Four: You wil be given this white slip to claim your passport

Five: After 3 or 4 days you come back with bated breath, present your claim slip and in return you get this piece of paper and then wait again for your assigned number to be called

And for the last picture ---- you can finally say, "Annyeong Haseyo!"






 

Images of Shenzhen

For now, I will just be posting pictures because my desktop is under the weather. Yes, you heard it right. Desktop with a capital D in this age of fancy tabs and powerful laptops. How ancient (winks, and more winks).

But then, just so you know I am using a tab right now and you can imagine an injured runner struggling his way to the finish line.

The Noodle Boss -- Moshi Koshi

There's a new eating place in SM Annex which my sister and I tried recently, Moshi Koshi. It boasts of fresh noodles which enticed us to try so that our stomach will be able to distinguish the fresh from our usual fare of instant noodle.

 I took some pictures of the food we really enjoyed eating:

 I wanted to add some more pictures but I am having a hard time using my Samsung Galaxy tab. 

Too bad, I could not get myself to translate into words how my taste buds reacted to the food in Moshi Koshi. One thing I'm sure of is I would definitely come back for more!

Korean visa granted

So sweet, I got the coveted visa to enter the haven for spicy food and the queendom of BB creams. My excitement is so enormous I can feel each neuron in my brain dancing Gangnamish style which might put PSY to shame!

The Agony of Waiting for a Visa

Just now, I received a text from my travel buddy, Rainby. She was so ecstatic judging from the way she capitalized the WOOT-WOOTs and the WOOHOOs. Or she might be excited too because she got herself a  brand new Samsung GS4 but that's another thing. Last week we finally lodged our application at the Korean Embassy and we're supposed to go again yesterday to pick it up. She did. I didn't. And she got the coveted Korean visa. And here I am still waiting -- not to mention apprehensively waiting -- and all those what ifs that runs inadvertently in my mind.

The huge rain was a bummer. As I was about to go, it suddenly rained. Not just a simple downpour. Just like someone from up there just decided to throw down on us mortals pails and pails of water. Enough of  the wet me braving my way through the streets to go to work because of heavy rains. I had a choice. The visa can wait and that was my choice. Now, this mental torture of asking myself, did I get the stamp or not?

I'll be in this hovering state for the next four days or so and whatever it is, everything will always be just fine.

A big thanks to Korean Bloggers

Like I have blogged previously I am dreaming of going to Korea before the end of this year. And yes, I am doing lots of research on what to do once I am there. I know I would like to gobble all those kimbaps, bulgogis and shabu-shabus -- as well as deluge my eyes, er, maybe my bags with all those BB creams and beauty whatnots Korea is famous for. Etude House, Face Shop, Holika Holika, Nature Republic, Skinfood, wait for me!

Those travel bloggers are a big help. Aside from the things that you initially want to do once you reach your destination, additional curiosity arises once you read their adventures and misadventures. So aside from all those mentioned above, there is this inner desire to experience doing what they did that also tickled my fancy.

I just bought my round trip ticket from Air Asia not caring about the fact that I have not gone to the Korean Embassy yet to apply for a visa, yet I am positive that I would get one -- the height of optimism! It would be a seven-day stay and in mid-November which is the start of the cold season in Korea.

Anyways, I thought of writing this in appreciation for all those who have already enjoyed and told about their travels to Korea. Not only to those Korean bloggers but also all travel bloggers, professional and even those who just enjoy sharing their wonderful time in a foreign country. This proved to be helpful for those people who intend to give in to their adventurous side. May your tribe truly increase!

Gluta White and Firm

Let me reiterate that there is no need for me to whiten my skin. Not that I am fair-skinned, I definitely adore my scar dotted brown complexion. It's just pretty challenging to try out those products that promise Kris Aquino skin in just two weeks.

After all those other brands (from affordable to not-so-affordable) that I have tried singing the same thing, here I am again with a new find:

Um, new find does not mean of course that the product has just been introduced. It must have been there in the shelf forever catching my eyes but always chose to look away.

The scent of both the soap and the lotion is tolerable, meaning not the kind that I would love but fragrant enough and acceptable. What I do every bath time is to lather the soap onto my skin and leave it there for five minutes or more. Meanwhile I would cleanse my face with my facial foam of the season. Just so you know, I may not stick to one brand but I keep getting back to something that I think keep at least some of the promises that moved me to purchase their product. After I do my hair shampoo and conditioner, it's about time to go back to my soap infused skin and start to rinse. While rinsing, I would rub my thumb against the skin all over my body and get rid of the dead skin. Probably the residue of the soap go with the unwanted epidermis because it seems that I could make a tiny ball out of the whole process. I feel really cleansed after and that is the most important thing.

To make the whitening process more effective you are asked of course to follow it up with their lotion which I also bought just for the heck of it. Good marketing strategy. So effective for gullible people like yours truly. Anyway, I love the texture of the lotion, rich and not watery. The smell, never mind. Well, scent is subjective too. It may be okay for you but not for me. My nose go for baby stuff scent.

Now for the verdict since it has been more than two weeks since I started using this product religiously. Like all the products I have tried with a common vision for a fairer skin, here I am scouting for another two-week whitening saga with other brands out there I have yet to try.

 The Gluta White and Firm soap costs around P72.00, while the Gluta Advance Lotion is something like P280.00 -- quite a dent in the budget for a working girl trying to make both ends meet but a steal for another who earns above the minimum wage per day. Oh, the cost of beauty and wellness! 

Wishlist: Shopping and Dining in Korea

Before year 2013 ends I am fervently wishing to set my foot in Korea. Not a fan of K-Pop though, but definitely crazy about Korean food and soap operas, popularly known as Koreanovelas in this part of the planet.

Another thing I am salivating about is to feast on BB creams... I'm just half kidding. Meanwhile, I have to get a visa of course so I have been scouring the internet of the Korean Embassy's requirements for granting a visitor's visa. Appreciation goes to travel bloggers who writes about their experiences not only about geting a visa to a particular country but also the details of their adventures.

In the future, I will also blog about my little travels because I know someone out there is looking for some info about their destination. There's not enough dough in my purse but all I can think about whenever I go abroad is to shop, shop and shop some more. Shopping excites me. To me, shopping does not always mean spending. It's also my way of educating myself of what is available in the market that I can splurge my hard earned moolah on when I get the chance :-)

Why I Keep Playing Candy Crush

Sweet! Divine! Tasty! Delicious! These words are music to my ears each time I magically hit those candies. I don't mind getting a level failed, I just keep on playing. To be honest, I don't even understand why I get to the next level when the goal is to clear all the jelly. Sugar Crush!!! this is the sweetest word ever for Candy Crush players -- that is, in my case.


Some may agree with me that this game is a no-brainer. All you need to do is to group three same colored jellies or candies together and you get a score. You don't even need a strategy or anything unless you make a career out of it. I'm just plain enjoying myself. Or am I just a moron? More on idling my time away?

This is one good way of releasing stress and boredom -- for a couple of minutes. That's because you only have five supposed "life". After consuming it all, you either ask a friend to give you life or purchase additional tool or boosters to ensure your way up to the next level. Luckily, I have never used any of those to get to where I am now -- level 28. A tightwad like me would just wait until I re-charged my 5 lives back and continue my relationship with those deliciously colored jellies.

I know we need to pay the brains behind this game but would a sugar crushed thank you not enough?

Just a secret: Asian Secrets Whitening Body Scrub and Bengkoang Soap

Oh, look what I've tried using for the last few months, the Solenn Heusaff endorsed Asian Secrets. I did not buy it to achieve the beauty and glowing skin of the French Filipino celebrity. It's something new from the usual Papaya-laden whitening products that we have available in supermarkets and drugstores for the past years. More on the curiosity of what a Lulur is -- a type of Indonesian beauty ritual that Indonesian brides go through in order to score a smooth, radiant and white skin before their wedding day. If it is really effective during those days, that is something we have to find out.

So far, these are the variants that I have tried:

The first one that I really used was the soap. I have not taken a picture of it but the packaging looks more like the orange box above. Again, the term Bengkoang tickled my vocabulary hungry brain. In English it is known as Yam Bean extract which is a popular whitening ingredient in Indonesia. Most probably synonymous to the so called whitening magic of our native kalamansi and papaya.

There are two soap variants which I have already used. One with moisturizing olive oil (green box) which protects the skin from dryness and the other kind is with Betel nut (orange box). Betel nut? What I know about betel nut is something that old people pop in their mouth as you would a chewing gum or bubble gum. The chewing gum gives you fresh breath while the betel nut will leave you depressed because of the reddish tint that will eventually stays in your teeth.  Ironically, I love using the betel nut variant of the soap. It prides itself with antiseptic and deodorizing properties. You have this cool menthol feeling in your skin after rinsing with water.

For the body scrubs, I favor the one in green tub  with Green Tea and Vitamin E. And the scent is so good which I can't really say with the purple tub that boasts of  Licorice and Mulberry Leaf Extract. I use it lavishly every bath in order to replace it sooner.

My curiosity with this product is already worn out having tried all the variants. I may or may not buy it again but definitely I won't use the body scrubs anymore. The little beads in the scrub is so little you hardly notice they're there. I actually add sugar each time I use it to feel that I am indeed exfoliating some dead skin. For the soap, I probably would go back to it from time to time especially the refreshing Bengkoang Betel Nut.

As for its whitening effect? I wonder how many tubs do I need to consume or how long will I use it in order for me to be as fair as Kris Aquino! I can't see it in Solenn because as far as I remember, the beauteous model-slash-singer-slash actress and all those slashes is a bit on the morena side.

Meet my summer friend: Pond's age miracle BB+

Finally, I found a friend that can protect my facial skin from the biting heat of the sun.
  

It costs only P499 in Mercury Drug. Way cheaper than the Korean BB cream brands that I previously used.
I really don't care anymore what other benefits it promises to do to my skin. All I care about is it has SPF 30 PA++ which I badly needed while walking under the sun!

Dressed up instant noodle

One thing I am proud of myself is my ability to cook up something from left overs.  I was thinking of doing fried rice with these ingredients but I decided to make soup instead. Look at my reinvented, enriched, fortified Lucky Me instant noodle.

 That's a left over lechon manok (roast chicken) from last night and a slice of fried SPAM this morning. I added a sunny side up too and a bit of veggie so that it would look like a five-star quality brunch. At least to my eyes. Burp.

Burgers by Design!

Burgers and pizzas are the least in my list when my tummy growls for something edible. This week I got no choice but to settle for a burger because everyone seems to be drooling over Brothers Burger.

The menu doesn't excite me at all. Those burger images are enticing only in pictures which is the best strategy to arouse consumers' cravings for something new in the fast food department. Here's part of their menu in case you would want to try what they have to offer.

Initially I thought of ordering Black Angus Burger but I settled for one of their designers burgers -- Blues Brothers. My brain painted an image of high quality bread and an impressively large patty with all the burger trimmings in it. Not to mention that I expected it to be divinely yummy. But it's not. It did not stimulate my rather picky taste buds. The hefty burger patty is its only justification of being pricey.

And so with the Crispy Fish Sandwich. The bread tasted like it was pure flour baked hastily. It also seemed to be consistent in the taste department.  The fish filling will not let you down I'm sure. It is twice larger than McDonalds' fish fillet sandwich. Still, it's not the size that counts, but it's the taste with a capital T.

Anyways, I so welcome the paper bag for take out. I liked the bright color combination.

My new mantra: I am too blessed to be stressed

Seen on a guy's shirt while agitatedly seated on an MRT train:

I am too blessed to be stressed
Too annointed to be disappointed
I am a victor, not a victim.

So the word annointed spelled with a double 'n' did not escape my trained proofreader's eye. But I won't dwell on that. Earlier, on my way to work, it was searing hot. As soon as I boarded the bus headed to the MRT North station, it started to drizzle. The drizzle soon progressed to heavy rain. Good thing, I was wearing my CROCS loafer so my pretty sheltered feet won't get wet. Bad thing is when I got off the bus, there's a two inch cascading water that I needed to avoid. To my dismay, I got a little bit off balanced when I tried to jump over the flooded part that I landed at the very place I hated. Walking around with a pair of wet feet creates pandemonium in my mind.

And that brings me back to the message that I saw on the man's shirt. By the way, he is cute. No -- goodlooking. Cute is used to describe dogs and things.

This could be God's way of pacifying me. Yes, I am too anointed to be disappointed.

A taste of Ventosa Massage

My title literally speaks for itself. Everytime I go for a massage, it would either be Swedish or Shiatsu. This time I would like to try something different and had my eyes set on Ventosa massage. Ventosa massage according to my crude research is a method of putting heated suction cups particularly on your back to vacuum cold spots and eventually clear whatever blockage you have in your system.  I know, I just said crude, so don't expect a lot of details.

So I went to a spa somewhere in Quezon City that offers Ventosa Massage. The receptionist just asked for my name and what type of massage I prefer and got my payment, no other questions asked.

A few minutes later, my therapist appeared smiling and escorted me to my cubicle. She handed me a pair of slippers and a comfortable shorts (well, you don't need a top) that I'd wear for the entire session. She also had with her the suction cups that she'd use on me.

She started giving me a quick kneading here and there (feels-oh-so-good) and started putting on those suction cups.  While doing it, she became a bit chatty and asked me if I had my blood pressure taken before the procedure. I said no, but informed her that yes, I have hypertension! I asked her if it is not advisable for hypertensive persons to undergo Ventosa massage and she replied in the affirmative. She then excused herself probably to verify from the reception desk.

When she came back, I was told that they would just refund my payment. What a bummer!

At least I experienced a bit of the massage.  With my massage money, I head to the nearby Dairy Queen and bent my frustration at the new flavor of moolatte -- something like caramel cheese quake?