Disney Christmas Advert 2020

I couldn't think of a better thing to write about in my last post of 2020 than Disney's Christmas advert that was released last month. I'm not sure how many times I've watched it but it really does move me every time. Why? Because it showcases the Filipino Christmas and the Filipino family. Check it out here:

 

video uploaded in youtube by Disney UK

As a human, there are so many things to love about this 3-minute story that is told without words. Seeing a young girl grow up to become a grandmother in another country then later lose her connection with her granddaughter before her granddaughter realizes the importance of spending quality time with family is a universal theme. It can surely be appreciated by anyone in the world.

As a Filipino, the story and its details become even more significant and heartwarming. This video honored the Philippine Christmas as well as our traditions, culture, and even language. Some of them, such as the parol, the mano, the flag, the skin color of the characters, and the word 'lola' are quite overt. There are a few less obvious ones, such as this doily which adorns many Filipino households along with the tin box reused as a container of arts and crafts items (very typical Pinoy):

...and the sewing machine, which many Filipinos also have at home.

That said, one of my favorite things - and I only discovered this when reading the comments on YouTube - is the picture of lola as a nurse. It feels to me like this acknowledgment that so many nurses all over the world are from the Philippines is a way of honoring them and the value that they bring.

A couple more things. The song in the video, Love is a Compass by Griff, is so beautiful (I've been listening to it a lot on Spotify since I discovered it). Check out Griff's piano performance of this song here. I also love that Disney UK released this tutorial of how to make a parol. So cool!

Thank you Disney for paying homage to the Philippine Christmas!

Christmas in the Time of Covid

Every Christmas gathering I had with friends was done via online video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet. I will say though that my FOMO keeps getting triggered because more and more of my friends are meeting up physically. I see so many people posting their face-to-face get-togethers on social media that it makes me want to do that to. But in the end, my fear of contracting Covid and possibly spreading it to my family still weighs more heavily in my mind so I haven't met up with anyone outside my immediately family since March. Even our Christmas celebrations at work were via Zoom. I attended two of them: the company-wide one and the one for my department. Both parties had raffles and I was pretty lucky to have won something in both. In the company-wide event, I won a headset while in our department party, I won a 2-in-1 Electric Griller. I still haven't received the headset but the griller was already delivered to me. Cool!

My raffle prize: an Electric Griller!

Speaking of deliveries, this is the first Christmas where I had gifts delivered to friends. My high school friends and I agreed early on to just do a Secret Santa instead of having each person getting gifts for everyone else. We all shared our wishlists and my "baby" was based in the US so I ordered her gifts from Amazon. I, on the other hand, got a new board game - Notre Dame - from GeekBox PH. It has some good reviews so it's too bad that it will be a while before I can play it.

Notre Dame board game

While I did drop off some gifts to a few friends (it was great seeing them, even briefly and even if no hugs or handshakes were shared), most of my gifts were purchased via Lazada. I was able to get several free shipping vouchers so I saved a lot on logistics. I also skipped the surprise part: for many of my friends, I took screenshots of gift ideas and I had them pick which one they wanted the most from that shortlist. Most of what I ordered have already been delivered but there are a couple that are still on their way, including the JBL earphones for my "baby" in our department Kris Kringle event. In that event, I myself got a portable Bluetooth speaker.

The gift I got from our office Kris Kringle: a Bluetooth Speaker

There was a bit of a disaster during Christmas eve, however: the place from which I ordered our food had major kitchen issues that resulted in massive delays. Not much more detail was provided but my order was supposed to be picked up at 3:30pm and it was 6:45pm when I got it. Crazy! While I was tremendously frustrated, I didn't complain anymore because the people who got there before I did were complaining angrily.

I would normally be livid myself but my greater concern at the time was the size of the crowd and my prolonged exposure to other people amidst the pandemic. I was expecting a more or less in-and-out food pick-up situation so getting stuck in a large crowd of people was extremely stressful. I could've waited in my car but I was worried that if my order came out and I wasn't there when my name was called, someone else might claim it. The sad thing is that by the time I got home, my family had all eaten dinner already. I did get to have Noche Buena with my nephews for the first time in years; normally, they celebrate Christmas with their relatives on their mom's side but because of the Covid situation, they stayed home with us. I also cracked open a bottle of really good wine that we all enjoyed that evening (don't worry, my nephews are of legal drinking age).

My crazy experience waiting for our Christmas food and stressing out over the lack of social distancing emphasized how fortunate and privileged I am compared to most other people. I get to work from home and have stuff delivered, thus minimizing the amount of times I go out and get exposed to others. The same can't be said for most other Filipinos, who need to brave the thread of Covid infection in order to make a living and survive. I don't know how much longer this pandemic will rage on but my Christmas wish is that working vaccines can be made accessible to people all over the world and that everyone can live and thrive in a much safer world.

Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake

I have a new favorite: Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake!

Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake

I first learned about this cake (and Vizco's) because of the IWanT TFC film Glorious. I then read about it again on social media when someone was asking for strawberry shortcake recommendations and some netizens swore by it. Since Vizco's is based in Baguio, I didn't really have an opportunity to try it. That is, until I started seeing Manila-based resellers of cakes from Vizco's as well as other Baguio shops. I'm guessing these resellers started sprouting up during the pandemic to help stores in Baguio survive; these stores must have been losing a lot of income because people couldn't visit anymore. Since people couldn't go to them, the resellers would bring their products to the people.

When I saw ads for the Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake, I asked my friends if any of them had tried it before. One of them did and she said that while buying it from a reseller is expensive - after all, they do come from Baguio - she thought it was worth it. The margins that these resellers add are quite substantial but if you compare the Vizco's cake price with other Strawberry Shortcakes in Manila, it's in the same range. As such, I decided to give it a try.

And I'm so glad I did.

This is now my favorite strawberry shortcake and one of my favorite cakes of any kind. The cake itself is light and fluffy and I think they infuse it with strawberry syrup because it's pink and has a lot of flavor. The icing is delicious and not too sweet . There is also a generous serving of strawberries on top and the strawberry syrup ties everything together really well. If I wasn't concerned about eating too much sugar, I could probably eat several slices - or heck, maybe even the whole cake! - in one sitting. My family and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to order it again soon after we tried it the first time. I also ordered one as a gift for one of my friends who has been extra generous to me.

There are a couple of resellers that I have been in contact with for my Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake orders in Manila: Love, Strawberry and Gelikdrei Store. I communicated with both via messenger and they are both pretty responsive. They also provide delivery services. Gelikdrei Store offers a lower price but Love, Strawberry often has promos.

If you're looking for really good strawberry shortcake, I highly recommended this one from Vizco's.

Quarantine Stories Part 7

I recently discovered Kimchi Bake Race from Gochu-Gang. They have two varieties: Beef Bulgogi and Army Style (which is inspired by Budae-Jjigae, or a Korean army stew that has beef sausage, spam, bacon and egg). You can also order a combo tray, with both Beef Bulgogi and Army Style. I decided to go with the combo so that I could try both and I actually enjoy it. For my appetite, one tray (at P1,190) is good for four meals so I can make it last over four meals. It's actually quite good and I've already had it a couple of times over the last few weeks. 

Another new thing I got to try recently is Rosalie's Suman. A neighbor was selling it and I hadn't had suman in a long time so I decided to try it. It's stickier and sweeter than normal suman but it's still good. Because it is on the sweeter side, it is perfect to eat while having some coffee.

 I also made several purchases during the Lazada 11.11 sale. It's only recently that I installed the app - I used to order only through their website via a browser - so I am now getting better at finding vouchers that offer discounts or free shipping. I also wrote my first Lazada reviews this month. Some of my purchases and reviews include coffee filters and gifts that I plan to give to my family during Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, this is the first time in decades that I wrapped Christmas gifts again. Usually, when I would buy gifts at the mall or in a shop, I would have them wrapped at the place where I bought them but I didn't have that option now. (Makes me wonder though, does Lazada offer a gift-wrapping service?) I had to search for instructional videos on youtube, especially for that one item I bought that was irregularly shaped, but in the end I think I did a decent job.)

I also finally got an Easytrip RFID. I didn't until just a few weeks ago that the NLEX and SLEX tollways would only accept Easytrip and Autosweep RFID payments and not cash as they have in the past. Because of the pandemic, it wasn't exactly urgent for me to get this sorted out immediately because I didn't have any plans to go out of Metro Manila in the future. But when the building I live in organized Easytrip installation in our community, I decided to sign up. Luckily, I was able to get a slot. It's just too bad that I missed the announcement for the Autosweep installation. I guess I just need to worry about that when I plan to go to the South.

I'm one of the few remaining people I know who still doesn't have a Netflix account so I still watch cable. (Yes, I know, what a shock haha.) As such, I don't get to watch a lot of new movies. In the last few weeks however, I did get to see a couple of films that I hadn't seen before. One of them was
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So many people I know feel that this is the best Spider-man film so far and it did win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film so I was really excited to see this. Unfortunately for me, I think the massive hype about this movie set the bar so high that I think it didn't quite meet my exceedingly high expectations. Still, I did enjoy it.

The other movie that I got to see was Inferno. I believe this is the third movie that features Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon (the first two were The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons). I didn't have any expectations about this movie so maybe that helped in my viewing experience because I really liked it. The opening sequence alone was really intense and riveting and I was fully engaged until the end. The location of the climax was really interesting and it makes me want to visit it at some point in my life (click here if you want to know what location that was, I'm not mentioning it here so that I don't post any spoilers, even if this movie is 4 years old haha). Hopefully, I can get to watch more movies I haven't seen yet in the near future (I reckon I will already subscribe to Netflix before the year ends).

The John Wayne Cleaver Series of Dan Wells

I finally completed the John Wayne Cleaver series of Dan Wells. And wow, what a fantastic and brilliantly written series it is! Very highly recommended!

I wrote about reading the second trilogy last year before realizing that there was a first trilogy and a novella that came before it. I ordered those books on Amazon last year but I only got around to reading them this year. I read the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer, back in February but it was only last month that I got to read Mr. Monster and I Don't Want to Kill You. Then this month, I finally read the novella Next of Kin.

I am really happy that I chanced upon this series because I absolutely love it. I am such a fan of how it combines psychological and criminal profiling with the supernatural. I love how the protagonist, John Wayne Cleaver, struggles with inner demons while battling actual demons. John is flawed and imperfect, probably even more than most people, and yet he is written so exceptionally well that you somehow understand him and can't help but root for him.

One of my friends asked me what I felt the best book of the series is and I was unsure how to answer it because each book would probably good on its own but being part of a heptalogy just makes the value of each part even more significant. This is certainly a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of its individual parts. That said, I think the series is best read by starting logically with the first book, I Am Not A Serial Killer. I think The Devil's Only Friend is the most action-packed and Mr. Monster is the darkest.  I also love how we get to see a different perspective of storytelling in Next of Kin. I did find I Don't Want to Kill You to be the most emotional and maybe the most surprising. I remember reading the last few paragraphs and feeling this incredible sadness along with a whole host of rich and powerful emotions. (Now that I think about my friend's question again, maybe I Don't Want to Kill You is my favorite.)

If you have access to Dan Wells' John Wayne Cleaver series, whether via paperback or through e-books, I recommend that you read it. It is a bit of an investment time-wise since there are seven books but it is definitely worth it.

Quarantine Stories Part 6

Metro Manila continues to be on GCQ and based on the most recent announcement, this quarantine will run until at least the end of November. In the last month, the Philippines was getting about two thousand new cases a day, making it still pretty risky to head out. As such, I always have a face mask and a face shield when I leave the safety of my home. I'm not sure if a face shield is required or if it is just encouraged, but  I know that some places require people to wear a face shield and it does add a layer of protection so I use one each time I head out. I also started using a bandana as a headband, kinda like a tennis player or an 80s rock star haha. It may not be the most fashionable thing to put on, but my hair is getting pretty long now so I need something to keep it away from my face. The bandana also catches a lot of sweat and prevents perspiration from dripping into my eyes. This is especially helpful now because wearing a face shield can make it quite hot.

I haven't had a haircut for almost 7 months now. While many people I know have gotten a haircut, I decided not to get one just yet  not only for safety purposes but also because I've always sported the same hairstyle my entire life and I've never had long hair before. I figured that now was as good a time as any to grow my hair out. I mentioned in a previous post that I started using conditioner again after decades of not using it. More recently, I bought a hairbrush from the supermarket and I also bought some hairbands from Lazada during their 9.9 sale last month.

Hairbands weren't the only items I purchased from Lazada recently. I also bought an extension cord, curtains, gifts that I plan to give my brothers for Christmas, and a ring light. There was a big scare though when I purchased expensive sunglasses at 25% off but I instead got sanitary napkins and lotion delivered to me! I was told by customer service that they could not replace the item but they would give me my money back. This sucked because the item I wanted to buy was no longer on sale. To make things worse, it took a couple of weeks for Lazada to pick up the wrong items. And when they did, I got a notification that my item return request was cancelled! Shortly after that, Lazada corrected the situation and reopened my return request and after some time, I got a notification saying that it had been processed and the amount I paid would be credited back to the card I used for my purchase. I finally breathed a big sigh of relief when the amount was finally credited back to my account. Whew!

Over the last several weeks, I also got to try a few new things. My normal decaf was not available at the supermarket but I spotted this Lavazza decaf. It's pretty expensive but I needed my decaf - my doctor told me I had to reduce my caffeine intake - so I decided to buy it. Thankfully, it turned out to be really good. Decaf coffee often tastes less robust than normal coffee but this one has a pretty strong coffee flavor so it doesn't feel like I'm drinking weak coffee.

I also tried Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich because I've heard some really positive reviews from people who tried it, including my friend. I gotta say, it really is good!

I haven't been able to exercise as much as I did a few months ago and I started gaining weight so one time, I decided to try Keto ice cream which has very little sugar content. While it is definitely healthier than normal ice cream, it doesn't taste as good haha.. I guess it's okay to have it if you really want to reduce your sugar intake but still want something that tastes a bit sweet. That said, I haven't repurchased it since haha.

Finally, a friend of mine sent me sushi bake a few weeks ago. Sushi bake became popular in Metro Manila during quarantine but up until my friend sent me some, I hadn't tried it. Now that I've had it, I understand the hype. It's really very good! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a photo because my friend had it sent to our house and it arrived while I was out. By the time I got home, it was already partially eaten. I think I will order this again next time (and I will make sure I take a picture then).

Rafa Nadal, The Undisputed King Of Clay

 It's not like there was any doubt. Rafa Nadal has achieved so much on clay courts in his career that the King of Clay title had been firmly his for many years now. What is mind-blowing is how he continues to add on to the records that are already his.

Slam No. 2️⃣0️⃣@RafaelNadal #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HDb5wVqoTn

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

Yesterday, Rafa Nadal won the French Open, which was played in September-October instead of the usual May-June because of the global Covid pandemic. In the final, he played against Novak Djokovic, the world #1 who has been Rafa's nemesis over the last decade. Novak had in fact beaten Rafa in 14 of their last 18 matches. A win for Novak would have been extraordinarily significant, because he would have remained undefeated in 2020, he would have won his 18th Grand Slam title, and he would have been the only player in the Open era to have won each major at least twice.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆@RafaelNadal conquers Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 to remain perfect in Paris finals and earn title 1️⃣3️⃣ at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/lzOz5dmoqQ

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

Unfortunately, Rafa reminded the world yet again why Roland Garros is his house. He defeated Novak  6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the final. How significant was this?

• It is his 13th French Open title. No one else in the Open era has won a single tournament that many times.
• It is his 20th Grand Slam title, tying him with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam singles titles won by a man.
• It is his 100th match win at Roland Garros. He only has two losses so far in his entire career.
• He didn't drop a set the entire tournament. This is the fourth time he has achieved this at the French Open.
• He has now won at least four consecutive titles in Roland Garros three times: 2005-2008, 2010-2014 (this was five in a row), and now 2017-2020
• He has not lost in a final at the French Open. In fact, he has not lost in a semifinal here either.
  

These records are just absolutely astounding. Winning 13 titles is most likely a record that will never be broken (or at least not in my lifetime).

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Roland-Garros match wins.
1️⃣3️⃣ Roland-Garros titles.
2️⃣0️⃣ Grand Slam titles.
1️⃣ @RafaelNadal.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Lgu38j5F4C

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

On the women's side, we have a new star in Iga Swiatek, who announced her arrival by sweeping past all her opponents en route to the French Open title. Not only did she do so without dropping a set, she didn't lost more than five games in any of her matches. Iga was unseeded but she did win the Wimbledon Juniors event in 2018 so it's not like she came out of nowhere. Also, her road to the championship was definitely not easy since she had to get through top seed Simona Halep in the fourth round and she faced fourth seed Sofia Kenin in the final. Congrats Iga!

Etched in the history books forever.@iga_swiatek #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/sv5kQpECNj

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 10, 2020

2020 has not been a good year by any stretch of the imagination but I'm just happy that we still got some Grand Slam tennis. I think I may have become a bit of a fan of Iga Swiatek after seeing her inspiring run to the title but it was really Rafa Nadal's sheer and utter dominance of Roland Garros that brought me the greatest joy this last weekend. Vamos Rafa! All hail the king!

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy, Read Aloud by Tim Uffindell

 My friend shared this video recently. Tim Uffindell narrates the book "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse" by Charlie Mackesy. My friend said that this video was discussed during a leadership class she was taking. The topic was one of the most important things that leaders tend to neglect: care for self.

 

video uploaded in youtube by Tim Uffindell

It's a 12-minute video and in this age of instant gratification, many may find it too long but it doesn't feel like it is 12 minutes long when you watch it and it is definitely worth it. This book is like a compilation of beautiful, moving, and inspiring quotes about life and love, including self-love. While a lot of what is in it are things we may already know, just reading (or in this case, hearing and seeing) all these lines together reminds us of what is important in life and how we need to love and be kind to our own selves.

There are so many amazing quotes in this book but three of them resonate with me because I believe in them very deeply and I wish that a lot more people did, too:

1. "If at first you don't succeed, have some cake." I really like this because we've all heard the other saying "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." While that teaches us dedication, persistence, perseverance, and commitment, it can be quite tiring to keep plugging away at something especially after we've failed. Sometimes, it's important to take a bit of a break when things don't go our way to help us calm down and refocus. Sometimes, or maybe even often, it is that break that helps us regain the energy, the courage, and the clarity to succeed.

2. "Sometimes I worry you'll all realise I'm ordinary," said the boy. "Love doesn't need you to be extraodinary," said the mole. I love this because I feel that sometimes there is such pressure for people to become "special" and to make a difference in the world that many end up being dissatisfied or feeling like a failure when they are unable to achieve the very high standards they have set for themselves. It's important for people to remember that we all deserve love, whether we achieved greatness in life or not.

3. "Don't measure how valuable you are by how you are treated." This is my favorite line and I love how it is shared towards the end of the book. Too often, people define themselves and measure how valuable they are by how others perceive and judge them. This can often result in disappointment, heartache, and misery. While it is important for us to be aware of and understand how others perceive us, we need to also understand and believe that we are valuable, even if other people are unable to see and appreciate our value.

Aside from the powerful lines in this book, I love how beautiful and uplifting the art is. Even the font adds such amazing character and even a touch of profoundness. Tim Uffindell does a terrific job narrating the book and the music that plays in the background makes the video even more touching and meaningful. I've watched this many times and I am moved each time. I hope you were moved by it too.

US Open 2020

 Belated congratulations to Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka for winning the US Open 2020!

🏆 Championship Weekend ➡️ Wallpaper Wednesday 📱#WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/H9spKtulOd

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 16, 2020

I've been a solid fan of Rafa Nadal for more than a decade now but recently, I've found myself supporting for Dominic Thiem who has become my second favorite tennis player. This US Open was Thiem's fourth major final, with him losing two French Open finals to Rafael Nadal and losing the Australian Open final earlier this year to Novak Djokovic. His chances of finally winning his first Grand Slam title were given a boost when Nadal and Federer opted to skip the US Open and moreso when Novak Djokovic was defaulted for accidentally hitting a line judge (more on this later). When Thiem beat last year's finalist Daniil Medvedev in three tough sets in the semifinals, most people were expecting that the trophy was practically his. Standing in his way, however, was an in-form Alexander Zverev. In fact, Zverev pretty much dominated the first two sets. Thiem managed to fight back and take the match to a fifth set but even then, it was Zverev who had the advantage, breaking Thiem and serving for the match. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't close it out. I thought Zverev was going to take it because Thiem started cramping and it looked like his mobility was compromised but both players showed some (a lot of?) nerves amidst the incredible showcase of power and precise hitting. The match was decided in a fifth set tiebreak - the first time this has ever happened at the US Open men's draw - and Thiem remained steadier in the end, allowing him to win the title. Thiem is the first man to come back from two sets to love down in the final (Pancho Gonzales was the last person to do this; he achieved this in 1949, prior to the Open Era). Hopefully this gives him the confidence to win more major championships. Way to go, Domi!

Down but never out.

Dominic Thiem comes back from two sets down and defeats Zverev, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.

Insanity. pic.twitter.com/aVf9PkxJBh

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 14, 2020

The first US Open men's singles final ever decided in a fifth-set tiebreak.

All 14 points that ended with @ThiemDomi being crowned champion 👇 pic.twitter.com/6YJGkFG9Cm

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 16, 2020

On the women's side, Naomi Osaka won her 2nd US Open title after defeating Victoria Azarenka in three sets. This is Naomi's 3rd major title, after winning the US Open in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2019. This is the 3rd year in a row that Osaka has won at a Grand Slam title. Prior to the final, I actually thought Serena was going to win. While she wasn't at her best and she was constantly being tested, she always managed to outlast her opponents through her unparalleled will to win and her unmatched power game. When she won the first set of her semifinal against Victoria Azarenka with a very lopsided score of 6-1, I thought she would cruise to an easy win that would set up a rematch with Naomi Osaka. But Azarenka showed a lot of poise. Despite being routed in the first set, she maintained very positive body language throughout the match and fought Serena back, allowing her to win the 2nd and 3rd sets and make her way to the final. There, she had her chances, taking the first set convincingly. But in the end, Osaka remained the stronger player, making her a two-time US Open champion.

Second #USOpen 🏆 vibes pic.twitter.com/LAvcN0vx6G

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2020

The other big story that hit this year's US Open was Novak Djokovic's default after he accidentally struck a line judge on her throat with a ball. Some media outlets made it seem like he did so in anger after being broken by Pablo Carreno Busta. I saw a clip of it and I don't think Novak looked that angry (I've seen him angrier). I think he just directed the ball improperly. (You can watch this video to see what happened.) That said, tennis etiquette and safety rules are firm and clear, which meant that Novak had to be defaulted. I appreciate his public statements after his mistake, taking accountability for his actions and acknowledging that there is a lot to learn from this unfortunate incident.

This was not necessarily the most competitive US Open in recent history, with many top players choosing to skip the event due to Covid or other concerns. But in the end, we were still treated to a lot of great matches. I'm also really happy that my second favorite player Dominic Thiem has finally won a major title.

Sweet Tooth

I recently got to try a few new sweets from different places. First is the Decadent Chocolate Cake from Big AL's Cookie Jar (IG: https://www.instagram.com/bigalscookiejar).

This was voted as the #1 best chocolate cake in Manila in 2019 so I had been wanting to try it for about a year already. However, I felt the ordering process provided on their Instagram account was a bit too tedious so I never got around to trying it. That it, until a friend of mine told me that they have stores in Sikatuna Village QC, Makati, and Antipolo and these all accept walk-in customers. I was able to pass by one of their stores recently and I bought their Birthday-size Decadent Chocolate Cake (9"x12") which costs P1,100. It's really good and my family and I really enjoyed it but I'm not quite sure I'd rank it as the best chocolate cake in Metro Manila. 

Still on cakes: I tried the Ube Cake of Your Personal Baker (IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourpersonalbaker.ph/, facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourpersonalbaker.ph/), which is owned by a friend of mine. I think she went into the baking business because her previous business was significantly affected by the quarantine. She started out by selling Lemon Tortes which I do plan to try but when my nephew said he wanted an ube cake for his birthday, I immediately remembered that Your Personal Baker also sells Ube Cakes. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to hit two birds with one stone - I could get the cake my nephew wanted and I could give my friend some business. I'm pretty happy I did because their Ube Cake is really good! It's moist, light, not too sweet, and with really good ube flavor. My grandmother even said it was like she was eating ice cream.

To optimize the Lalamove delivery fee, I decided to also order a box of Chocolate Chip Cookies from Your Personal Baker along with the ube cake. The box contains 16 cookies and while they are large diameter-wise, they aren't too thick, making them easy to eat. Which is a problem because I ended up eating 4 cookies in one sitting. Yikes! 😆 Obviously, I wouldn't have eaten that many in one sitting if they weren't good. At only P320 per box, this is really great value for your money.

Still on cookies: I also got to try Homura Bake (IG: https://www.instagram.com/homurabake/) A friend of mine featured Homura Bake in his story and their cookies kinda intrigued me. Their Liege Gooey Classic contains Belgian Chocolates and cashews, something you don't often find in cookies. I decided to buy a box of these...

...as well as a box of their Salted Caramel Walnut cookies. While I think I may have like their Salted Caramel Walnut just a tad better, I actually enjoyed both cookies.

Finally, I got to try best boat tarts from My Lola's Cookies which to me are the best boat tarts I've ever had, bar none. My friend who is related to the owner sent me a couple of boxes because she purchased a lot of them to help her relatives. Their website describes these tarts as having "3 different component: a flaky crust, gooey caramel, and crisp meringue, all baked at different times". I was surprised at how much I enjoyed these. When I got them, I said I would just eat one and I ended up eating 3 and had to force myself to stop. 😂 One box is P340 but I gotta say, it's really worth it.

The challenge now is that I've been eating a lot of sugar and I haven't been exercising. I failed to work-out this last week because I was rushing several deadlines. Not good. Thankfully, it's a holiday tomorrow so I need to really will myself to exercise again.

Quarantine Stories Part 5

 Some bad news: I stopped exercising for about a month or so. It started when I badly strained my left shoulder. I'm not sure how it happened; I think maybe I had the wrong form in doing some push-ups during my high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. I thought it was just minor so I still exercised the next couple of days and I realized I was making it worse. I decided to stop doing HIIT and focus on yoga instead but even the yoga exercises involved moves that resulted in more shoulder pain. I decided to stop all my exercises until my shoulder pain disappeared.

It took about two weeks for the pain to be reduced to a point where I felt I could exercise again. I was about ready to work out again when I suddenly got hit with really, really bad stomach problems. I had to take a couple of sick days and even then, my stomach was still acting up. It took 6 days for my stomach to get back to normal. But by then, I had so much work to catch up on that I couldn't find the energy nor the focus to exercise. Towards the end of this week, my shoulder strain has almost fully disappeared (there is still some niggling pain but I think it should still be okay to exercise), my stomach is back to normal, and I've almost caught up on work. My target is to start exercising again tomorrow. Wish me luck! 

Sadly, I've gained weight and inches around my waist because of my lack of physical activity and because I haven't been eating healthy. I did get a free Oreo cheesecake that I won from a Cafe Perene weekend raffle and I did get to eat a few slices of their other cakes. I also tried some other high sugar treats that I will write about in my next post. I also purchased Irvin's Salteg Egg Potato Chips at the supermarket. I was actually surprised to see it there because normally, you can only buy it from Irvin's stalls in Megamall or in BGC. I guess because of the pandemic, they needed to make their products available in supermarkets to move their inventory.

Speaking of trips to the supermarket, I made a couple of changes in my standard shopping list. First, since the Spam with less sodium continued to be out of stock, I decided to try Tulip Jamonilla with 25% less Sodium. Thankfully, I did because it tastes like Spam but it's cheaper. I plan on buying Tulip Jamonilla from now on.

I also recently switched to Sari Roti sliced bread. I actually prefer the taste of Gardenia and it's also cheaper but the problem is that before I get to fully consume even the Gardenia half loaf, mold would start to grow. I'd often have to toss out a lot of bread which is very wasteful so I decided to try Sari Roti. So far, I've noticed that molds would form a lot less slowly on Sari Roti (it's only happened once and it was on a loaf that was 4 days beyond the best before date). I also tried the Sari Roti double soft bread which is a lot better but also a lot more expensive so I'm sticking to the normal variant.

Oh and one more thing: the supermarket I go to now requires people to fill out an information card before entering. I assume this card is for contact tracing. With new Covid cases still piling in daily, new protocols are being put in place to try and keep people safe. It's tough but we don't have a choice except to adjust and find a way to manage in these very trying times.

Cafe Perene

I have a new place to order really good cakes from: Cafe Perene, which is the sister cafe of Forget Me Not Marikina. A friend of mine highly recommended this place to me and because they do delivery, I actually got to try a few of their cakes during GCQ (and one more during the second MECQ). The first cake I tried was their Nutella Cheesecake which is one of their bestsellers. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype. The cheesecake is silky smooth and there seems to be a layer of mousse on top of it (made of Nutella perhaps). The Nutella frosting adds depth of flavor to each bite. It's really good!

I got this cake right after Metro Manila went on GCQ and I took it to my family for them to enjoy. Since it was my first time seeing my family in months, I decided to also get the Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake (but just the mini size) as an extra treat. This picture is not that great because I took shortly after the cake was taken out of the freezer. I personally prefer the Nutella cheesecake but this one is really good too!

For my brother's birthday, I got the Flourless Chocolate Cake. My friend who recommended Cafe Perene said that this was her favorite chocolate cake and I can understand why. It's not too rich nor sweet but it still has all the chocolate goodness that anyone could want from a cake. (Unfortunately, my photo is not very focused...)

Finally, I had the good fortune to win an Oreo Cheesecake during a weekend raffle. When I placed the order for my brother's cake, the person taking my order said that if I ordered any of their food trays, I would qualify for the raffle. I decided to get a tray of croquettes because I love croquettes. A couple of days later, I got a text saying that I won! Hooray! Unfortunately, they delivered the cake to me during MECQ so there was no way for me to be able to share it with my family. As a result, I eat just a small slice of it each day. I've only eaten half of it as of this writing.

Cafe Perene is a really good find. Apart from cakes, they also offer food trays and bread items. I got to try the three loaves on their menu - blueberry, kiwi, and banana almond - and all of them are good (but I do think the blueberry loaf is my favorite). I'm pretty sure I will order from them again. Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cafeperene.ph/.

Quarantine Stories Part 4

Metro Manila renains under quarantine - this July, it has mostly been a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) so things have not been as tight or strict as they have been from mid-March through May. People have already been allowed to eat in restaurants, get haircuts, and generally move around the city more easily than during ECQ and MECQ. That said, I still haven't had a haircut nor eaten out. For food, I buy a lot of take-out or I have food delivered. When I do, I normally get food good for 2-3 days so that I can reduce the numbers of times I have to go out or order. As a result, I haven't cooked as much recently as I did during the early months of quarantine. The only non-breakfast food I cooked in the last month was Beef with Mushrooms in Cream Sauce.

My friend posted a picture of her beef with mushrooms in cream sauce that she prepared and it reminded me that this is a dish that I really love but haven't eaten in a while. I asked her if she could share her recipe with me and she did. I gotta say, this is hands-down the best dish I've cooked in my life so far! It was the most perfect first attempt at a dish I've achieved. Every other first attempts I've cooked have had some issue - lacking flavor, being too salty, or having too much wine LOL - but this dish was really good. I honestly would've been proud to serve it to my friends or family. I will certainly make this again.

I also got my first-ever non-stick frying pan. A friend purchased a lot of cookware from Masflex recently and she highly recommended their stuff. Since the start of ECQ, I've been thinking about getting a non-stick fryin pan since I find it really hard to clean my stainless steel pans when I cook breakfast food. I saw that Masflex's 20" Radiance Non-stick Induction Frying Pan costs P540 which I felt was pretty affordable. I decided to get one for myself and I tossed in a 26" pan for my family. I've been using my new purchase almost everyday to cook breakfast and I'm really loving it because food doesn't stick to it, making it so much easier to clean. I also don't need to add any oil when I cook anymore which means my food is just a tad healthier. I can't believe it took me this long to get a non-stick pan!

Speaking of breakfast food, Spam 25% Less Sodium has been out of stock for the last few weeks). I decided to try a couple of other variants - Spam with Bacon and Spam with Cheese - but I don't really like them because I find them both too salty! I'd go with Spam Lite or even the normal Spam but neither have been in stock either. Hopefully, the supermarket where I buy my groceries will have Spam 25% Less Sodium in stock again soon.

What I'm also really missing now is playing board games. I used to play board games at least once a month and now, I haven't played since February. I've gotten to play some online games with friends, such as Jackbox, and I've also had my fair share of virtual hang-out and e-numan sessions with my friends during the quarantine. Nothing beats actually meeting up with people but this will have to do for now. I continue to hope that a vaccine and/or a cure will be discovered soon and that we reduce the number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines.

Quarantine Stories Part 3

One of the things I've managed to do recently is to exercise at home. And by exercise, I mean a proper one that leaves me drenched in sweat and completely spent after each workout. I've been meaning to exercise at home since the quarantine started but it was only when a friend suggested that I use the Down Dog app that I was able to really do it regularly. I was actually a bit hesitant at the start because I wasn't sure a paid app would be much better than readily available youube workout videos. However, Down Dog came with what I think was a free trial (either that or it was free to use until June 14) so I said I could try it out and if I didn't like it, I could just stop.

Down Dog: https://hiit.downdogapp.com/

As it turned out, this suite of workout apps is perfect for me. I first downloaded Down Dog HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). You can select the workout level for your upper body, lower body, and core and how long you want your session to be. What's really good about this app is that each workout is really different from the next. This keeps things interesting because I am always curious to see what kind of exercises will make up my next workout. Also, whenever I have to do a really difficult exercise, I always wait for that same exercise to pop up in a future workout session so I can see whether I can do it better. Down Dog HIIT also does a good job in balancing difficulty during a workout session. Sometimes, after a couple of really tough exercises where I feel I can't do anymore, it'll throw in a really easy one that helps me rest a bit more and regain my breath. This app has really helped me exercise about 4-6 times a week in the last month and I hope I can sustain this.

After a couple of weeks, I started using the Down Dog Yoga app as well. I shied away from it at the start because I am terribly inflexible but then I realized that my lack of flexibility is the best reason to start doing yoga. My workout routine now usually starts out with an HIIT session (usually 20 minutes) followed by a yoga session (usually 10 minutes).

Another bonus about using the Down Dog app is that at the end of your workout, you can take a look at the music that was played during your session. I've added several songs in my Spotify playlists based on the music I heard while exercising. Cool!

Oh and I had to buy a yoga mat. I had to get one because during my first HIIT workout, during which time I still didn't have a mat, I needed to do one arm side push-ups which meant that my hips were on the floor. Let me tell you, it really hurt! I think both my hips were bruised after that workout and I decided immediately that I needed a yoga mat. Gotta say, it has really helped. And now that I am also doing yoga (albeit very poorly LOL), I have no regrets with my purchase.

Obviously, my free trial with Down Dog has expired so I've had to pay for it already (thankfully, you just need to pay for the entire Down Dog suite; you don't have to pay for the individual apps). I decided to pay for a full year because it costs about half of what it would cost if I pay per month over 12 months. I also got a 33% discount because I paid for it through their website (rather that via Google Play). I was a bit worried paying for the app on the website because I wasn't sure how secure my credit card payment would be but some friends suggested I create a Paypal account, link my credit card to it, and use that to pay. I now have a Paypal account, another first for me during this quarantine.

A couple of other firsts:

I got to try ube pandesal. These were pretty good, made even better with a cup of coffee!

I also finally got to try Aguila Corned Beef!

When the quarantine started, I searched online for recommendations on the best corned beef and Aguila was suggested a lot, along with Highlands Gold and yes, even Purefoods. These last two are readily available at the supermarket but Aguila wasn't. It was only three months after the quarantine started that I finally saw it in the supermarket shelves so I made sure to get a few of them. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype. (I also think Highlands Gold and Purefoods Corned Beef are pretty good, too. I still alternate these three brands. :))

Cooking in the Time of Covid

One of the things I've been forced to do during the pandemic-driven quarantine is cook. I don't really cook because (1) the effort to prepare food, cook it, and wash dishes, pots, and pans after is such a pain, especially when you are just cooking for one, and (2) I'm crap at it LOL. In fact, before ECQ started, I was starting to lament the fact that I spent a lot of money on cooking equipment, cookware, knives, and cookbooks that I never really got to use. That is, until recently.

A few years ago, I bought a cookbook called QuickCook One Pot where all recipes can be cooked in just one pot. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that most of the recipes in it required an oven which I didn't have. I looked through all the recipes and the one that seemed simplest to cook was this fancy sounding French-style Chick Stew with Tarragon. As a first attempt, I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken, carrots, and potatoes were all well-cooked (I did stew them for 30 minutes or maybe more). However, I made the stupid and horrible mistake of adding 500mL of white wine when the recipe just called for 50mL!!! As such, the broth didn't taste good at all hahaha. I still ate everything but I did toss out most of the broth. :)

My next two attempts were for recipes that were also in the cookbook. There was a recipe for Chicken Saute with Peas, Lettuce, and Tarragon but there wasn't any lettuce at the supermarket so I substituted it with broccoli. This was miles better than my first cooking attempt.

I also cooked Linguine with Creamy Chicken Carbonara. This turned out quite well too.

However, I am not sure if I undercooked the chicken (I'm almost certain I didn't) or if it was the egg or the sour cream I used in the carbonara but after eating these dishes, I ended up having very bad stomach problems that forced me to go on sick leave for a couple of days. I had a couple of servings of pasta at that point but I decided to throw everything out. I also avoided cooking for a while after that.

My next cooking attempt was pork giniling. My friends shared their recipes with me. However, I badly underseasoned my first attempt. It looked very unappetizing and worse, it tasted like boiled meat hahaha.

I was so unhappy with that attempt that I decided to try and cook it again, but this time with tomato sauce. I was planning to use soy sauce but I had an extra beef cube so I decided to use that instead. My second attempt still lacked salt but it didn't look as pale but more importantly, it tasted so much better!

I also tried Cacio e Pepe. I saw Jamie Oliver prepare this on his cooking show and it had only three ingredients - spaghetti, freshyl grated Pecorino cheese, and freshly ground pepper - so I thought it would be easy to do. As it turned out, my version was not bad.

Finally, a friend of mine shared her recipe for Ragu alla Bolegnese. She told me that it took her a couple of hours to cook this sauce but since the recipe calls for red wine, she would drink some of the  wine while chopping and cooking to make the experience more enjoyable. I decided to get a really good bottle of wine for this (I got the youngest Matsu) and I followed my friend's recommendation to have wine while cooking. The result: t was a tad salty - I put in two beef cubes when I should have put just one - and a bit too dry but it was really delicious and had the most complex flavor of everything I had cooked so far. I would say that this was the best dish I have cooked so far and I certainly plan to make it again soon. And my friend was right, drinking wine while preparing this slow-cooked pasta sauce made the overall cooking experience more relaxing and enjoyable. :)

I also cooked mustard pork chops, a recipe I discovered almost two decades ago, but I can't seem to cook it as well as I did when I discovered it back in around 2001. Maybe I need to use a non-stick pan or marinate the pork chops in dijon mustard a lot longer.

Aside from these dishes, I also cook breakfast almost every morning. I alternate corned beef (I often use Purefoods but I also discovered Highlands Gold which is pretty good too),

luncheon meat (Korean brand "No Brand" was sold at a promo for a while so I tried it and it tasted like Spam. Unfortunately, it isn't on promo anymore and the ones I see now are priced quite high. As such, I often get Spam with 25% less Sodium),

and bacon (I've been cooking CDO Premium uncured bacon). My first attempt was an absolute disaster because I cooked at a very high temperature and I generated so much smoke that my smoke detector was triggered (thankfully, the sprinkler didn't automatically spray water all over my unit!). My friends recommended that I cook at a medium-low heat. I've been doing this ever since and I am so much happier with the results.

My friends also suggested that when I buy lots of vegetables, I should try to blanche them as soon as possible then stick them in the freezer. When I am ready to eat them, I can just re-blanche or microwave them. This helps keep the vegetables as fresh as possible (if you keep them in the vegetable bin for a few to many days, they lose their freshness pretty quickly). My friends also suggested that I eat my blanched veggies with a drizzle of sesame oil and some salt and pepper.

I also recently discovered King Merbi Free Range Brown Eggs. They are about 50% more expensive than caged eggs but I decided to buy these because the farm they are from treat the chickens much more humanely (they are free range and not caged). Apparently, free range eggs tend to be a lot healthier than caged eggs too.

Other kitchen and food preparation experiences:

• I've been using my previously unused oven toaster everyday now.
• I bought a wooden spoon for cooking and a cheese grater.
• For the first time since I was a kid, I cooked Knorr soups, specifically Nido and Cream of Mushroom (I gotta say, these really are good, flavorful soups that are very easy to prepare).
• I've burned fingers a couple of times.
• I'm seriously contemplating getting a non-stick pan.
• I bought an espresso maker that works on induction stoves. I bought it because coffee filters were out of stock at the supermarket for a couple of weeks so I needed a way to make coffee without filters. I've been using my espresso maker about 4-5 times a day (don't worry, I only drink one proper coffee a day; the rest of the cups I have are decaf).

I'm still a crap cook and I still don't enjoy cooking like other people do but I have gotten marginally better at it. I've also improved my food prep and my mise en place. My next attempt to cook will be Beef with Mushrooms in Cream (a friend shared her recipe with me) and a couple of other recipes from my cook book. If I can get my hands on ground cinnamon, I will also attempt French Toast. Good luck to me!

Quarantine Stories Part 2

I've been wanting to organize and back up all my photos for a while now. And by all, I mean all photos I've taken since I started using a digital camera back in 2000. I was assigned in Japan for a project back in 2000 and all my friends who were also there for that same project decided to buy cameras so I thought, I also should. (My first camera was 3.3 Megapixels which back then was top-of-the-line and my memory stick was 128 Mb and that was the largest available memory back then. Whenever I would use that, I had to delete pictures or transfer them to my laptop immediately so I could take more.) I started using digital cameras 20 years ago so you can imagine how many photos I've accumulated over the decades. Anyway, since I am always at home now due to the quarantine, I decided it was the best time to start organizing all my photos. I started doing it during the Holy Week holidays and I'm still not quite done (although I estimate I should be done by next weekend). What slows me down is the fact that when I start organizing my pictures, I end up spending a lot of time looking at and appreciating the thousands of incredible moments captured on camera, such as this one from Paris back in 2003:

I took quite a few trips before I started blogging so I am now thinking of writing throwback posts about these trips. I also have so many travel photos taken before I joined social media so I may just start doing late/throwback posts on social media once I get all my photos organized.

I have come to realize that while I am an extrovert (or at least I think I am LOL), I seem to have a lot of introvert qualities. I haven't gotten bored yet, even if I'm home almost all the time just like everyone else. In fact, I haven't even subscribed to Netflix! I also haven't joined Tiktok (and I don't think I ever will LOL). That said, I still have a cable subscription so I do watch a lot of TV. I recently started watching The Resident, The Good Fight (which is a spin-off of The Good Wife which was one of my favorite TV shows many years ago), and The Good Doctor. I have always been interested in these shows before but I could never quite catch them on TV. Since I'm home all the time now, I've figured out what their airing schedules are so I am now able to watch them regularly.

I also watched the Purple Rain Concert of Prince and Revolution in 1985. It was streamed on YouTube last May 14 and it was supposed to be online for only 3 days. (Not sure how long it will be on YouTube but if you are interested, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRa8ZH_iOXo.) What an absolutely amazing concert! Watching Prince perform Purple Rain with that incredible guitar solo gave me chills. The passion he radiates when performing is second to none!

I do feel bad that I missed Tales of the Manuvu though. Ballet Philippines streamed it for a week at around the same time that the Purple Rain concert was shown. I watched Purple Rain first, fully expecting I would have time to watch Tales of the Manuvu after but then I got tremendously busy at work. When I finally checked the link for Tales of the Manuvu, it was no longer available. Too bad! I hope they get to stage it again. Friends of mine who saw it say it was amazing.

What I desperately need to do now is exercise. I tried doing push ups and burpees a few weeks ago but somehow, I couldn't sustain it. I guess this is the psychological or emotional effect that the quarantine has had on me: I've lost all discipline to work out. Maybe it's the fact that my workload has increased recently or maybe it's because I spend a lot of time cooking and washing that I just don't feel I have the energy nor the willpower to exercise. I think I've gained weight already, which is a shame because I just bought new jeans before ECQ and I'm guessing they won't fit anymore. I really need to find a way to motivate myself to exercise while at home. (I think maybe I can start doing the easy back exercises I was given when I had back problems many years ago. That should be a good start.)

I also recently started using GCash. I needed it to pay my credit card. Thankfully, I have a friend who works for GCash so he was able to help me set it up and pay my credit card.

I mentioned above that one thing I've started doing a lot more this ECQ is cooking. I will write about my cooking escapades next.