My Birthday: Metrowalking and Chilling

April 12, 2015. Sweltering hot. It's going to be a long day, I thought, and it was my birthday.

The day started with a meeting in the morning then went home to cook sinigang due to insistent family demand. There was to be a lunch out but after we had the plural of rice which is extra rice, the stuffed stomach made us lethargic, too lazy to move. Yet, we had to go to Metrowalk as there was another meeting. Yikes, the one pm heat was overwhelming. We had to go and got ready fast, zipped out of BF Homes Paranaque and off to Ortigas. Meeting was over in less than an hour and it was time to go Metrowalking to relax.  Metrowalk is a mall in the Ortigas area. It is alive at night, teeming with people. There's typically a live band playing at the center of the mall. It's a place to hang out with friends and meet new ones. Restaurants abound such as i-Bagnet that I love as it serves authentic Vigan cuisine such as bagnet and empanada and my other hangout like Fluids bar owned by Peter Mendoza who is so much fun to chill with as we drink unlimited cocktails and talk the night away. But that afternoon, Metrowalk was quiet and my daughter, Maxi, insisted that I have a halo halo when all that I wanted a below-zero beer from iBagnet! So we went to Icebergs and ordered. 

Halo Halo 

Salad

It was a cooling, delicious, superb halo halo, choked full of ingredient.  Maxi and I divided it with her getting the ube ice cream while I had the strawberry. Maxi devoured the salad and I had a few bites - the harmonious blend with the cheese made it enticingly delicious. And, Maxi told the staff that it was my birthday and Icebergs Metrowalk surprised me with this plate with sliced bananas. chocolate drizzle, and ice cream! 

Since I had to meet with family and a couple of friends at 6 pm to celebrate my birthday, we rushed back to Sucat, hanged out at SM BF, and then walked to our favorite Chinese restaurant. It was still early so we went to this parlor and it had a karaoke and we were being serenaded by one of the staff! Maxi had a hair spa, I had my nails done, and my youngest arrived to have her nails done too. Then, off to dinner at Toho. Dinner was fine, all the favorites were on the table and I do enjoy simple celebrations, as for me a birthday is just like going from one grade to another. My kids went their way and during the ride home, I felt sleepy yet had to go online to answer some of the Facebook birthday messages and with over 200, I am not done yet as Facebook might block me because I repeat the comment, "Thank you" too often. 

Upon reflection of that day, the gifts I got meant a lot. The time spent with me to make my day special shows that it is important to them even though birthdays are not important to me. The messages that came from old and new friends, it felt good to be remembered. It was a perfect start to the third quarter of my life of which the game would be set. 

The Shi Lin Experience

Shi Lin is a Chinese restaurant with a number of branches to include the ones at the Fort and Alabang Town Center that I have dined at. The service is very good, the chairs are comfortable, and the ambiance is rather hushed unlike many Chinese restaurants where you hear the clanking of the utensils from the service area, which personally, I don't mind as the ambiance serves to heighten the various dining experiences. The food at Shi Lin is not greasy. It has a distinct and unique taste, unlike the main stream Chinese food that we are familiar with. The photo menu is a great aid for ordering and what I like about this restaurant is what is served looks exactly the same as the photo. The price is affordable and the food is filling. The Oolong tea is delightful, and even if I am not a tea drinker, I had a few cups. 

I have dined in this Chinese restaurant twice with my daughter, Maxi, and since my phone got reformatted, I lost the video of the cooks making dumplings at their Fort branch and the picture of the food items, such as the spicy spare ribs and buns served with sweet, thickened milk. I got to keep this one from our Alabang Town Center branch visit. Any of the rice dishes is a must try and we enjoyed the less fatty white chicken served with my must-have more ginger sauce. 

And, while we were waiting for the food at ATC, Maxi and I indulged in the all-time Filipino must-do which is taking selfies. 

Ready!

Selfie!

Crazy!

The Shi Lin Experience

The last time I ate at Shi Lin was with my Chinese friend which was great as the orders were different from what I would typically choose. I did request for spicy jellyfish and again I have no photo as I forgot to take one as all I wanted to do was eat. It was a blisteringly hot day and that took the edge off my appetite for lunch but what perked it up was the different kinds of dumplings that was chosen.

Wonton Soup 

Mushroom and Vegetable Dumpling 

Siao Long Pao 

Each and every one of these soimais were perfect - from appearance to taste. Now here comes my Shi Lin experience. Apparently, as informed by my Chinese friend, to eat the Siao Long Pao doesn't mean that you'll just pick it up with chopsticks, dip it in your sauce like soy sauce, calamansi, or chili, and stuff it in your mouth - thought that is not how it was said.

A quick demo from my friend revealed how a dumpling has to be placed a spoon with the addition of pinch or two of finely shredded ginger and a little Chinese vinegar, specifically the red kind, which Shi Lin didn't have so we used the black vinegar instead, and then to swoop it up into your mouth to indulge in that one perfect bite. For me, I wouldn't know the difference of the vinegars but the experience was quite a moment as this dumpling contains soup and it pops in your mouth, and the soup will envelope it with warmth and flavor as it gushes down your throat! This Shi Lin experience is one that I surely will repeat, again and again. If you haven't tried Siao Long Pao, I highly recommend that you do. 

Life is Not Measured by Days But by Special Moments that Take Our Breath Away

Tagaytay has always been the city that I plan to stay at when I retire. The cool, fresh air, the awesome vegetables, the quiet, ahh - especially during the hot summer months, I yearn, as I always want to enjoy this getaway place and one day, soon, hope to live a life of a vacation that will never end because life should be a vacation. 

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure to discover what I firmly believe is the most romantic spot in the entire area. Casa de Carlo is an event venue, perfect for weddings, debuts, and other special events such as wedding anniversaries. When I first visited the place, I fell in love with it immediately as the garden and the different areas are utterly beautiful, and I felt what the arrow in the photo below shows which is "Love Everywhere".

Jacuzzi

Event Area

Outdoor Lounging Area 

And much more to discover when you visit Casa de Carlo 

Life is Not Measured by Days 

But by Special Moments that Take Our Breath Away

 Carlo Callejo, Owner, Casa de Carlo 

I often go to Casa de Carlo to relax but there was one time that I just needed to go. This was last year, after my father passed away, I had to getaway to have time to think, to be able to rest, as it was a sad time. I packed up my bag and brought my dog to Tagaytay. Carlo, the owner, his loving wife, and his adorable daughter made my stay in their place a very pleasant one indeed.

Casa de Carlo is a bed and breakfast hotel. I always have a great time here and around this time last year, the few nights that I was there eased the pain of losing my father and I got to rest, to enjoy the food and beverages of the only place in Tagaytay that serves authentic Spanish cuisine which I will feature soon.

Hotel Room

Breakfast 

Lunch

Coffee 

Right now, as I am writing this, I feel the need to getaway again. It's more than the hot summer weather, more than the daily stressors that I have to deal with, more than the monotony of mundane tasks, as I need time to think at Casa de Carlo as it is beautiful, serene, cool, and wonderful. 

Losing Weight with Water

Ever wonder why even if you keep on drinking just water, the weight loss isn't enough?  There is a way to lose weight with beverages and that is by going on a liquid diet.

This liquid diet is not like that in a hospital, it is a daily healthy choice to make what you drink work for weight loss.

Among all the detox drinks, diet supplements, and other weight loss beverages, there is the essential, vital water that most people ignore as a weight loss drink.

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Extra Income: Nuffnang Ads on My Blog

Blogging for personal reasons has benefits but there is not a lot of income to be made. As a food blogger and product reviewer, I do get food, events to attend, and other things such as samples, but the income from blogging isn't there. Google ads are like a drizzle in the desert and so I was convinced by a friend, Mary Jane Dionela of FrugalYetFab blog, to be part of Nuffnang.

To be part of Nuffnang, I signed up and entered my blog, go approved, and placed in the ads into my blog.

I haven't been blogging lately because I have been concentrating on writing an ebook but today I visited my blog and saw that the Nuffnang ads were live. I don't want to waste the chance to make extra income from my blog, so I am going to post more often.

When looking for extra income online, blogging can make money, as my friend Mary Jane is already earning from it, and so can I, and for that matter, so can you.

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