Monday, December 3, 2012

Shawarma Rice Encounters


           When it comes to shawarma, I'm always on the go. I mean it! Since the first time I have tried this delicious dish, I have never stopped trying shawarma and shawarma rice from various shawarma stores in Metro Manila. I guess it's because of my love of beef and spicy sauce.

           Anyway, shawarma is not a Filipino food. May I just remind you of that. It is actually from the Middle East, most specifically Saudi Arabia. It was first introduced to me (or let us simply say, I was first introduced to Shawarma) when I was in college. I think that was in year 2009. I survived my first year in college by eating at the food stalls, food chains and restaurants along the University Belt (those were the days when I was still living a single life, with no one to eat with inside the school cafeteria).

           Then one day, I have had a guy who kept tailing me all day, asked me if I would love to try shawarma for dinner. I just said yes, you see, we were food bums and we'd like to try every food around the corner.

            My first try was shawarma from Khaleb's. It was good, you know. Delicious-as a matter of fact. And then I realized that I've already eaten this dish way back in high school. Twice as I may say. First was at a stall in Circle C (Congressional Road, Quezon City) and the second was at a stall in Cherry Foodarama. I already forgot the names of theses stalls but I think they are still there. If I have my time, I will go and update this post. :)

            Anyway, after my first try at Khaleb's, shawarma has become my favorite food. I would always go there to order shawarma rice for dinner. I love their rice, the yellow rice. And their sauce. I can't see anything special with their dish, but for me it's good.




                  The second time I have tried shawarma is at our university. It was our school's foundation week. And every school foundation, lots of shawarma stalls flocked in the university's hallways to sell their famous shawarma and shawarma rice. Again, I've hooked myself to shawarma for a week and I didn't get sick of it. Honestly!

                 Since it's just for a week in school, I tried to look for another shawarma stall and that's the time I found Kebab Fil-Sian Grill along Gastambide road.

                  It was the best, really. For almost 60 pesos, you can already have plate of shawarma rice and unlimited garlic sauce and spicy sauce. Also, you can avail their unlimited iced tea or red tea.


                 Okay, the rice was really good. Their serving is big as well. It has lots of vegetables like onions, tomato and cabbage strips. It's also packed with enough servings of shawarma strips. Its taste is really good-heavenly.

                And it's taste is much more heavenly if it's eaten with garlic sauce and chili sauce. Sometimes, I put ginger powder to make it much spicier.

Actually, I think I've fallen in love with its sauce. And you know what, even I'm a girl who's expected to have a small appetite, well I mix a cup of extra rice (ordinary rice) into my shawarma rice so I would end up really FULL.



             I also tried shawarma rice from Food Channel. I don't know if there's a stall like that in QC or Manila, but I know there's one nearby Strata building (Ortigas) and one in Pearl Drive.

            Well, theirs is much pricey. It's 85 pesos. But delicious, as what I can say foremost. It has yellow rice with garlic, shawarma strips, onions, cabbage strips, tomato, and sweet potato fries. They also have garlic sauce and spicy sauce -the secret to delicious shawarma rice.

              Actually, the sauce is not really the secret to a delicious shawarma. It will become delicious if only you will mix the sauce with rice and everything inside the box. It's like eating rice in a box, you know.





                The most recent shawarma encounter I've had was in SM Megamall. Fireshack, if my memory serves me right. I ordered Beef Keema with rice and I think it didn't pass my standards. Or maybe I wasn't in the mood that time.



               Why did I write all of these? Well, I want to hear about your shawarma encounters. Let's share stories. Who knows? Maybe we can recommend each other the best shawarma restaurants out there. XD

Note: The pictures are not mine, not my originals. I just copied and pasted them from the Internet (GOOGLE). I didn't wish to inflict harm to anyone by using these pictures without permission. I just don't know how I can ask them for one. If there's any objection or violent reaction, please do send me a message or comment me. Thanks!! :)

Isn't loyalty enough?


Isn't loyalty enough?

This question has been bugging me for so long, and yet I still don't know the answer. I have been to oh-so many situations, I have experienced every situations that are bound to come and go in my job. Still I'm here, clueless to what should be the answer to that question.

I guess, with all my rants today-the answer will be, yes it's not.

But I'm not asking for anything, you know. I just feel like I'm left out (Correction: I just don't feel it. It's already the reality-DAMN!). It's like I am being left out now that there's a lot of new pretty faces wearing nothing but their stinky accent and stumbling grammar.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect, but I'm pretty sure I'm more than what they are worth for. But why I am being left out like a piece of useless thing? Haven't I done everything to please them? I'm so pissed off. I'm like a dress, the casual knee-length dress. I'm used, daily and as almost everytime I am available. And then I'm left out, because I just went out of fashion- maxi skirts are now the trend (is it really the maxi skirt or the above-the-knee dress now? For heaven's sake, I don't know. The thought just came up to me now).

I know you're disgusted with me. I'm really pissed off. Don't bring personal issues here. Okay? Personal issues should not be mixed with work. Get it? You know, if I'm doing something out of your standards, let me know! So I would know what to do! Don't make me guess like a fortune teller.

Yea! I'm pissed off!

This is supposed to be an article. Unfortunately, it's going to end like a letter full of rants and clamors. God! What's with the unnerving silence?!!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Edited: Stress Buster

I am so pissed off .. I tried to fight my stress by editing some pictures. I just used a certain picture editor. I know it's not really good, but I hope you'll find it pleasing to the eyes.

This is Lee Seung Gi. I did this for a friend.

This is Kim Nam Gil. See how handsome he looks. I love him, even in that wacky face. XD

Not really my crush, but Lee Min Ho's handsome and he has caught my attention in Personal Preference (aka Personal Taste). Well, I have watched it because of Kim Nam Gil's cameo (episode 11). XD

 Ahh, one of my crushes ... Jung Il Woo. He has starred in many hit Korean dramas like 49 Days, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, My Fair Lady, The Moon That Embraces the Sun and The Return of Iljimae. He's really handsome, I love his baby-looking face. XD

Oh, this is me. I can't find any pictures of mine on my PC so I just did this one. Anyway, some of my friends told me it's cute. Like a traditional picture or whatever.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Welcome Bitch! Hehehehe...


It's not safe to send tweets today (I send tweets through my beloved cell phone, FYI bullshit!)...

Maybe I can express my feelings here, can't I?

You're so stupid, yeah, you're so stupid that I don't know if you are really the most stupid person that I've ever met.

I maybe stupid, but you are the WORST!



I don't know what your motives are, but I am pretty sure that you want me out of the circle, right?

Okay, I'll give you what you want. But let me remind you, I don't receive a damn without paying back.

At least let me give you my final respect.

I'll promise you this, I'll hurt you the way I want you to be hurt. YOU WILL REGRET EVERYTHING!!!!

**LECHE KA!! FEELINGERA!!



Choss lang! Bahala ka if you will take this against you. Ibig sabihin, stalker ka????!! hahahahahhaa ^^ I pity you so much .... hmmmmm ...

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Birthday Bribe

                 We cannot stop it. We cannot halt it.


                 Just like death, we cannot stop birthdays from coming every year. Birthdays are already part of our lives. It is the time when we celebrate the day we were born to this world. We gather our families, friends, acquaintances, and everyone close to us on this very special day. We stash large bucks out of our pockets so we can make our birthdays with the people special to our lives. However, birthdays are not forced holidays. We are not forced to celebrate it each year. We are not obliged to take out the last single cent from our pockets just to make our ‘special friends’ happy.

                 Unfortunately, based on my own observations, I really feel bad for people who have got the nerve to ask you to celebrate your birthday for them. Are we really now living in modern times, that we also have to ask other people to feed us on their own respective birthdays? That’s one hell absurd. I mean, celebrating your birthday is okay. There is no problem on that. In fact, if you have the money, you can celebrate your birthday the way you wanted it to be. If and only if, you have the money, but if you don’t have money, you don’t need to sacrifice your own budget just to please the alligators around you. Oh my goodness! Why do you still exist, inconsiderate people?!

                Another thing I consistently observed is that, why is it that if you are only a small person in your society, you need to fund your own birthday bash? On the other hand, if someone big in your society is going to celebrate his or her birthday, why do you also need to stash out some money to fund a birthday party for that particular person? The answer is the word: CONVIVIALITY. They say it is for the sake of CONVIVIALITY or in Filipino, PAKIKISAMA.

               Do we really need to resort to this way of maintaining good relationship? Again, it’s absurd! Don’t you know that it’s also a way of bribery? Yeah, I mean it. It’s bribery. Think of this, how do politicians maintain good relationship with their co-politicians? How do business tycoons maintain harmonious relationship with their investors? How do entertainment personalities maintain good images in newspapers and on television? All of these people invite their so-called ‘friends’ on their birthday parties. They are always invited. Can’t think of the connection? Figure out this situation. If a new-arising entertainer forgets to invite one of the most important entertainment writers, do you know what will happen next? The next day you will find demoralizing news about this new-arising entertainer, and everything will be simply pinpointed to the poor entertainer’s negligence.

                In companies or industries like call center, if you forgot to invite your team leaders on your birthday celebration, be prepared on what will happen the next day. It’s either you get memo for ‘really’ small job mistakes, or you get demoted from your position. That’s the reality! What I am trying to point out here is, if you will resist going with the usual things in your society, you will never see yourself promoted. To make it more dramatic, you will never see the sunrise anymore.

                If you want to gain more friends in the society you belong to, do not resort to the politician’s way of gaining friends. I wonder how many people out there are crying for advocacies against briberies and corruption when they themselves are making briberies on their own little ways. Learn how to respect what is there to be respected. Learn how to respect the real and written rules. Learn to obey them. If you are someone who gladly obeys rules, other people will learn to love your ways and your personality.

Learn how to respect people with or without authority in the office you belong to, that way people will do likewise.

DISCLAIMER: Bato bato sa langit, tamaan huwag magalit. I didn’t intend to describe anyone here in this article. Hence, do not make an issue out of this if you happen to read this one. I mean, you like to know more about me, right? Then, here’s what you got. Blah-blah-blah! :P

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Hakuna Matata

I fell in love, not just once, twice, but many times. It was like falling in the same trap for many times, but without learning the lesson from each of the mistakes that I had committed. But how could I prevent myself from falling in love with him? He was the man of my dreams. He was the man who had the qualities that I was looking in a perfect man.


The first time I saw him was still vivid in my memory. His eyes were glistening as if those were smiling at me. He had those wonderful eyelashes that even a girl would want to have for herself. And, oh, his smile, his smile was one of the best features that he had. He had the sweetest smile that I hardly ever seen. With his physical features, he became the apple of my eyes. And then as the days and months went by, he became my universe.

I knew how crazy it was to consider him as the center of my life, as the reason of my every breath. But what could I do? I was so crazily in love with him. I watched every of his moves and actions. I memorized each of his words that he would speak of. I saved all of his personal messages not just in my mobile phone’s inbox, but also in my heart and in my mind. I was like a child hardly getting herself a piece of candy. Yes, he was my piece of candy, the piece of candy which could really make my childish heart feel happy and contented.

But those things were all gone now. He was nowhere to be seen in my life. He left my childish heart in a state which his smiles could only be the remedy. My candy was snatched away from me, so as my happiness was. Till then, my life was in a state of disarray. Every day appeared so cloudy and foggy; I couldn’t even see a speck of sunlight in each of the days I was mourning for him. Not even the annoying spirits of liquors and the deafening sounds of clubs and friends equaled the happiness that I had felt with him. My life, it was banished. It was like I had died the time he left me by myself.

Then, I found my shadow picking up its own body again. It was hard at first. I always shed tears whenever I would hear the songs that we used to sing together. Every time I would look at our pictures, my heart would still jerk, then I would send him a message telling how much I remembered him, perhaps missed him. I never did get a reply from him. I knew it; I knew that he wouldn’t care for my feelings. Because what I used to be to him is not the way I am now to his life. I am just another piece of trash to him. And I’m very much aware of it.

He may have wanted to retain the friendship that we once had, but it’s very hard. He was my universe, he was my oxygen, he was my light-bearer, he was my… he was everything to me. Everything wouldn’t be the same again if he would prefer to retain the friendship that we had before. I am not a simpleton, I am not a fool. But I was fooled because I was a child. And kids are always fooled and manipulated by people older than them. And I was a kid back then.

But again, as the days passed by, my heart learned how to stand tall again. My heart learned not to mourn for the knife that had sliced it into pieces. My once childish heart has grown to an adult heart. And my full-grown heart has learned how to withstand the past, without even shedding a tear or two.

I am so proud of myself. I never did expect that I would learn how to move forward after a year of tears and regrets. Honestly, I lost my faith in God because of what happened to my relationship. I learned to loathe Him. I realized that He wasn’t real after all. Because He never listened to my pleas, He never granted my prayers. He had left me at the time that I needed Him the most. He left me crying and regretting everything that had happened. He never came to wipe my tears and bring back what was lost. He left me alone, but, I learned how to stand by myself.

After all, He is real. I never realized by then that it was His way of strengthening my weak persona. I had learned how to depend myself to him, I was blinded by the best things that had happened to my life. God taught me how it is to be sad, and how it is to shed tears. After a long time of lamenting my loss, I found myself sporting a happy smile again. And it is because of His miraculous way of healing my broken heart.

Suddenly, my failed relationship reminded me of the poor and hopeless people. It reminded me of the victims of disastrous typhoons and earthquakes. It reminded me of the people who have nothing but their own bodies.

These people could have once fallen in love with the wonders of the world. They could have once fallen in love with the beauty of life. But their feelings towards life and the world were taken away by natural disasters. They were left with nothing but unfortunate memories. Some of them could have lost their faith to God. Some of them could have lost their faith to themselves. And most of them could have lost the hope of bringing back their lives to normal.

And like me, like nursing a broken heart, it would have taken them a year or so before they were able to overcome the destructive memories of the past. They would have thought of ending their unending despairs by dismissing their lives. But a bland life can never be bland forever. Like a bland dish, it can be developed throughout the years. Only if we will know how to mix the right spices, we can make the bland dish the most delicious dish ever. A life with nothing can be life with everything if we will learn to start anew, and only if we will know where to start with.

Do you know Simba, from the movie Lion King? He was casted away from the Pride of Lands by his uncle. He thought he was the one responsible behind his father’s untimely demise. He thought it was the end of everything to him. Then his path crossed the paths of carefree meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa. He learned from them how to live a life in ‘hakuna matata’ way. It is a Swahili phrase which means ‘no worries’. With that, he started anew by living a life without worries.

We can live the life of Simba. We can live a life without worries, putting the memories of the past behind us. But how can we do this? How can you start with your life again if you don’t have anything to start with?

If you don’t have anything with you, it doesn’t mean to say that you are empty, that you are futile. Indeed, as long as you have your own body, you can still move forward. And of course, as long as you can still dream of a brighter future, you can still make something out of nothing. Don’t forget that dreams are the reasons why you can see the things everywhere. Can you see the buildings beside your house? It was built because someone dreamt to have a building like that. Can you see the bridge that connects your city to another city? How about the highways and streets? They were built because some people dreamt to have those things. And they exerted efforts to make their dreams come true.

If you will just dream to live a normal life after suffering from the hands of disastrous typhoons and earthquakes, you will be able to find yourself standing on your feet once again, standing tall and proud. Dreams don’t remain dreams forever. With intense desire, a simple dream becomes a goal. And this goal becomes a number one priority in life. And if this dream becomes a priority, it realizes somehow.

Just like me, I didn’t intend to become sad forever. No one has, actually. But I didn’t see myself overcoming the hatred and broken feelings easily. With dreams, I was able to stand again on my feet. I was able to pick myself from the ground of helplessness. I was able to fix myself and now I’m aiming for something.

You might be curious. What did I dream that made me stand again? Well, I only dreamt for one thing, this dream that I have been dreaming for so long. In fact, I desire to turn my dream to reality. Do you know that I want to have a well-off life? Well, I can never have a life like what I am dreaming of if I will just turn my back to people after suffering a dramatic break up. If only a failed relationship can make me fall down on my knees, then I am a coward human being. I am never fitted to be a human if I cannot withstand pain, if I cannot survive the aftermaths of life, or if I cannot tidy up myself after tripping over a sea of mud.

You and me, we used to be broken hearted. I was once broken hearted because of my failed relationship. You were once broken hearted because of the disasters that had capsized your life. But now, we shall go over again with our lives and try another path. We have a lot of choices, but we must choose to live. And we must put intense desire to our chosen path. I want to forget everything that had happened to me and start anew. Maybe I can find someone who’s really my destiny. You should also forget the things that once blurred your pathway. Maybe this time you will have a more fruitful life.

And just like Simba, we must live in ‘hakuna matata’ way. We must live our lives worry-free. Let’s get it on!



Writer's Note: This is not yet perfect. I still want to revise this one. Help me revise this one by telling me your feedbacks. Thanks! :)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Free Talking






Somebody asked me, what is free talking? Honestly, it’s a question that I could easily answer, considering the line of job I am involved into, but I didn’t answer it. Instead, I pondered over and over. I continued asking myself, what is free talking, really?

Free talking is something like having a conversation. It is a conversation that can start without a definite topic at all. In any online English classes, there will always be a topic to be discussed. And that topic is of course, from a certain book.

But in free talking, there won’t be any book that would guide you for topics. Like here, I really don’t have any idea on what to write. But I just want to write, and this entry would flow like a free talking session.

To start a conversation with another person, or let’s say, with a student, the most likable question to be asked is ‘how are you today?’ right? So let’s begin this article with the same question.

HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

If you will ask me this question, probably I would say, ‘Oh, I’m good, I’m feeling good’. If you are in a hurry to raise your issue, maybe you wouldn’t doubt my answer. But if you are a person who would like to know the good thing behind the word good I told you, then for sure you will ask me for more.

And that’s how the conversation will start.

Yes, I’m good. And honestly, I’m feeling good today. I can feel good anytime I want to. There’s no question on that. I can also feel bad whenever I want to. Feeling is a choice, by the way. Quote me if you want to post my remarkable statement, because it’s mine and it is original. You choose your feelings. Fate doesn’t choose feelings for you. If you choose to enlighten yourself, then you can make yourself happy. If you choose to put yourself into too much trouble, then that’s what I’m saying awhile ago. You are now choosing to feel bad for today. To make this clear, the actions that you choose to enact will certainly lead you to which feeling you should feel.

Just like today, I’m not really feeling good. For the nth time, salary’s delayed again. I was like, ‘hello, am I not going to eat till you give me my salary?’ but I’m trying to hide it. I don’t want to be branded as someone who nags about the salary. But hey, that’s my salary …



I’m not in the mood to continue this article anymore. Give this to the dogs!