Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Kuwentong Tambay: Organizing your Accessories

Aaminin ko na isa akong makalat at burarang tao. Because I have a tendency to buy a LOT of useless things, lalung-lalo na mga abubot, woke up one day na extremely payatas level kalat na siya sa desk.
Dahil chipipay din naman ang mga ito, they corrode or get broken  easily. So bilang tambay, I (finally) had the time to look for ways to act all Martha Stewart and fix 'em.

So I'd like to share a couple of blogs na super ayos lang:

So pag kuripot ka lang bumili ka na lang corkboard and magnakaw ng thumbtacks sa office. Chos. Solve ka na. :Lowdown lang nito, you can't put the heavy and chunky abubot because the thumb tacks might give way. 

Next? BANGLES. Bilang kahit bata pa ako I STOCK on them pero never ko naman ginagamit ng bongga. I saw a couple of blogs na bumili pa ng mannequin na kamay para mapaglagyan ang abubot o kaya sa isang fruit stand. Pero this site: http://www.theposhspace.com/tag/how-to-organize-bracelets/ offers a better option and very creative ng designs:


So kung tanggera ka tulad ko, finally magkakaroon ng silbi ang Red Horse 500 ml mo. Tenen, improvised holder ng bangles! Diba? its a reminder that may silbi din naman pala ang pagtutungga.


Or, you can try this idea http://www.smilesgowitheverything.com/2008/12/07/jewelry-organization/. I love how she's able to make use of tabla and chopsticks (or puede din drumsticks ni Rex). 

So there? Kung medyo feel mo magyabang sa friends mo, "Hey I drink "expensive craft beer" ngayon you can use the 500 ml Anderson Valley alak instead of Redhorse. 

This is how she tied the sticks together (ayan na friends puede niyo talaga ipagyabang ang Php500+ na boteng beer na iniinom niyo). Notice niyo sa taas, ang tabla with the hooks. Puedeng puede magnakaw sa kapitbahay at lagyan ng hook (voila!) instant lagayan ng necklace.

Another idea from: http://www.theposhspace.com/2012/01/jewelry-organizing-part-2-necklaces/ is using old  frames and mga ninakaw na branches sa kapitbahay:

Ganda diba?! Pero again, puede lang dito ung magaan lang na mga accessories.

Here's another version from ate as well:

At the end of the day, isa sa importanteng lesson na natutunan ko its all about making your life easier. There are days na super nakakatamad lang magayos ng gamit or nakakatamad lang ilagay sa tamang lagayan ang mga bagay-bagay. Your organizer must stay organized or else ano pang silbi nyan? 

Lastly, puede ding baklasin ang gamit ni inay sa kusina for your accessories:

Perfect! For heavy chunky necklace and you can separate your earrings and bangles above. :)


Saturday, 21 July 2012

Seoul 101 Part 1

Third time's a charm actually. Perfect weather would be fall (around September-October). 
FAQs:
1. Shopping

Ewha University:

What's a shopping destination with food gotta do with this post? I was too busy shopping my heart out that I have no photo "buying:, Eto ang mentality mo ay "go broke", :) Loads of cheap tops and bags. :D During my latest spree here, I bought a pair of shoes, 4 tops, 3 bags and loads of makeup bauls.
Now back to the photo post, this place serves the best street food I had in Seoul. 
I'll do a separate post on food but I have to emphasize that these babies are the best. Meal set for 5,000 KW composed of potato tots, chicken and deokbokki. The place is near 711 right outside the station's exit. It is across Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. You need to walk a few steps to reach to the best barbecue I had in Seoul. Order the spicy version :) 

Gangnam Underground Market
My go-to-place for dainty tops and dresses under Php400. :D

Myeongdong
2 H&M, Forever 21, and the best Gyoza in town :D

2. "Must See" Places

Namsan  Tower
I am not a fan of Koreanovelas, but I was told those bunch of "locks" on my back was a famous setting of (Boys Over Flowers?!). But anyway, inside the tower there's the Teddy Bear Museum. Cutesy. I've been to Madamme Tousaud's Wax Museum and I think bears are cuter than actual versions of celebrities. The teddy bears are also quite different from those in Jeju. Still, worth the photo-ops (if you are into those sort of things). And do me a favor, Please do not have your picture taken on top of the Manila sign. Its so..passe.


Hongkik University (Weekend) Market
Everytime I go to Seoul, we always head off to Hongkik University Market on the weekend. Drop by Trick Eye Musuem for fun photo shoot with the barkada. There's also a Hello Kitty Cafe. 

Samcheongdongil and nearby Hanok Houses
 
This has to be my favorite Seoul destination. It has local cafes, breakfast nooks and themed shops. Really great for photo-ops or if you are just craving for Western food. It reminds me of a quaint French town with all the pretty cafe and trees surrounding the area. 
After a short hike, you'll get to see old Korean houses (Hanok Village). Get a detailed map online since it is quite hard to find. well worth it as you get to witness Seoul's old houses with the urban landscape in the backdrop. 

I'll let you in on a secret? Slow Garden has to be my favorite breakfast place. They have generous servings of waffles, pancake, salads, etc. Yummy. (Note: please do not try the famous place that's famous for their Korean pancakes, not worth it).

Other Touristy Stuff:
If you have an extra day to spear, I suggest heading off to Nami Island. It's around 2 hours away from the city. Quite accessible through train. Most people would drop by Le Petit France before heading off to Nami (not me). :) The place is the setting for the Korean drama, Winter Sonata (and no I am not a fan). 
I super love the place because the trees just before autumn provides a wonderful yellow-ish hue. (Definitely looks better than just the normal pine trees you see in Baguio).
How to go there: 
Option A: Subway: Gapyeong Station in Gyeongchun Line. 
If you are travelling in a group, you can take a cab directly or if you are in a budget mode, you can take the local bus. 
Option 2: Direct Bus
I heard you can also take a shuttle bus from Nami Island Seoul Center in Insadong (besides Tapgol Park). This leads you directly to the Nami entrance gate. Too bad the bus is on a schedule: Bus from Seoul departs at 9.30 and bus going back to Seoul departs at 16.00.


To go or not to go to Lotte World? If you have an extra day to spare, its better if you head off to Everland instead. The long queue is not worth your few days in Seoul if you spend it on Lotte World. Mag-Enchanted ka na lang :D


Friday, 20 July 2012

Bohol Nightlife

As most of you know, I'm on exile right now. I am in the province of Bohol. Friends when they visit Bohol complain that there's nothing much to do here. So here's a lowdown on the places I went to this Friday night.
Yes, I do miss Manila and my dear old friends.

Time-out
So here we go, at around nine thirty we went to the "city center". While not as big as Island City Mall, Bohol Quality (BQ) is the mall "at the heart of the city".
On the top floor, there's a variety of food options and inuman places you can choice from. The mall closes at around nine but Time-out Grill runs till 1 am. The place is a mishmash of Central and your typical neighborhood karaoke. Yes, you can sing on stage because it has a videoke machine in it.
It has the typical mixed drinks in pitcher (Php95-275) and tower (Php265).Drinks remind me of Tang with alak (flavors come in Orange, Grapes and Mango- see?!)

Anyhow, Turn-out Grill has private rooms for videoke if you are the "shy type" who prefers singing with barkada only and not for a crowd of 100  strangers judging your musical taste.

A bit rowdy and noisy for my liking so we proceeded to the lower floor. Disguised as a Turn-out Grill's "Sports bar", it has a Foosball table with fancy chairs inside. While I'm not generally impressed, the place is still packed of college and high school kids looking for a great time.

Potion 9
On to our next stop, Potion 9 at City Square. Its across BQ Mall so if you get tired of the singing your heart out, you can watch local bands. Whats the genre? Think Nick Automatic, rock-lovin' artsy kids. Be warned though, the place is on top of the floor. It has videoke pa din. Potion 9 is on the farther corner of Level 3 building. But no worries, inside you'll be seeing women wearing hippie headbands :D

Doy's
This place reminds me Padi's Point. A bit for the older crowd that prefers a more laid-back vibe with a showband on the background. I recommend the crispy kangkong (over the chicharon bulaklak). They have a couple of meals you want to try out for dinner (e.g. barbecue, pochero, etc). Minus on the Php50 entrance fee to get inside :D


Martin's
I LOVE the place. It reminds me 77 Bar Cafe in Kamuning, an old house with funky furniture and lighting. The place is pretty much packed on a Friday night. Oh and kuya can actually sing Maroon 5 and Arcade Fire. Bar pretty much serves mixed drinks and cocktail too. Cheers! to that round of Jack Daniel's and Jagermeister.

Ranking French Metal Bands


R says: They look like Nsync. The other four members look ok, the fat one looks like Joey Fatone.
E says: Their metal cover reminds me of David Blane with his assistants. (L-R) Guy with the long hair is so Kpop, Guy with the long hair might have his own market, Girl looks a bit hot and Guy at the end looks like he's from a 90s boyband :)


HACRIDE

R & E: OMG. Adam Levine.
Ashka

E: Right Guy (Queer eye for the straight guy tone): I can't believe you are wearing that hideous shorts and bandana to our concert.
 And guys will dig this band for one thing- BOOBS.


T.A.N.K

R: for some odd reason, they remind me of Incubus
E: Vocalist is WORKING OUT :) Key Takeaway, ang lalaki lang na puedeng magsleeveless sa gig ay dapat guapo at macho lamang (kahit di siya nagdeorant mukha pa ring presko)

Gojira
R: still the Frenchiest of the lot. Kulang nalang perfume bottle sa lower right corner, ad campaign na.
E: (ogles)

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Staycation


Wine, Macaroons and Wings. Oddest combination, ideal na sana to if this came with Coke. Order of the day: Wings, Coke in Can, Macaroons and Wine. /just perfect/

Wings, IPA, sausage and chicharones

Just perfect fat :)) Pork fat with a bit of laman, fried and marinated with pepper and other seasoning. Lathered in buffallo sauce after frying. Crispy even when its not that hot.

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Rexperiments Part 2

Kebab Sausage, (insert push SKU here) dip, Rustan's Pita Bread lathered in sausage left-over juice/oil.

Cornell Chicken (insert push SKU here) sauce.

Again, I am not biased with the push SKU but it is too sweet. Prefer its base to be on a more sour/egg(y) sort of flavor. It tastes too much of a sandwich spread to me than a mayo when used for base for sauce :D Might be the preferred taste for most Pinoys out there because it is S-W-E-E-T.

Independence Day Marathon

1. Nightmare on Elm Street- Among films like Child's Play and It, this has top my list of "scariest B movies" that I've seen growing up. It made me fear sleeping. I would never forget the seen in the corridor when bloodied Tina shows up wrapped in a plastic bag. :) One will make an insomniac for quite sometime for a kid who fears Freddy might get him in his sleep. Oh, this flick also features Johnny Depp's first film role, as Glenn (ang lalaking laging nakakatulog).

2. Goldfinger- Ok si ate na ang inspiration ko ng "mukhang mayaman" lol. When one talks about James Bond, the first thing that comes to my mind is its stunning intro. Random thoughts a) medyo flabby siyang James Bond b) I want an Aston Martin c) si Goldfinger ay madaya. d) Geneva is incrediably stunning, peg ko lang si ate at ang kanyang maniacal driving for a shoot. :D

3. Predator- Ok nagsimula lang ang kaguluhang ito kasi may Prometheus hangover ako. I never wanted to revisit this film for three main reasons a) it stars Arnold Swarchenegger (at ginogoggle ko pa ang correct spelling ng kanyang name). Everything he's in is ruined by his accent, cue Total Recall. Yung era din na yan, hindi ko alam bakit favorite i-cast ang isang dude na may weird accent mga seryosong sci-fi film, comic relief ba ito? b) How do I take seriously the predator villain who is a breed between a rastafari and a vodoo man. dreadlocks ang peg teh?! c) On a more recent note, re-watching this movie reminded me of the failure that was Predators (2010). Yes I am looking at you Adrien Brody, you shall never be Arnold.