What Our Airport has to Offer… Not!

Reposting from chuvaness site. Very good read.

Do you care about our airports? Please sign up on this Facebook page.
Let's get the numbers to let the President know we mean business.
Here's a letter sent to me by Anna Oposa:
"My dad and I sent this letter to Mr. Jose Angel Honrado, head of the Manila International Airport Authority, this morning. We ask MIAA to review the inefficient check-in procedures, and a financial report of the terminal fees, among others. I've also reposted this on my blog and tweeted it to travel bloggers to generate more buzz and put more pressure on the MIAA and other agencies concerned.
I wanted to send you a copy of the letter as well, just to let you know that private citizens are trying to do something about our (crappy) airports."

We are TWELVE!

Last night was our 12th BF-GF anniversary. We went to Osteria, Mozza at Marina Bay Sands for dinner as we thought of changing our usual course of buffet dinner. We were choosing between Wolfgang Puck and Osteria but Wolfgang is waaaaaayyyyy expensive and beyond our budget lol. Anyway, Osteria had so many options in the menu and the place is really posh. I feel like I'm going on a date for the first time with habidadi hihihi. Osteria, by the way, is the first Italian restaurant in Singapore which I later find out has one also in Los Angeles. The waiters are very attentive and I have never seen so many staff in a SG restaurant than here where you can always find one for assistance. After we have placed our menu, one westerner guy, probably a wine connoisseur, helped us in picking our red. He gladly explained each kind that is around our budget hihihi. Let me start with the photos because pictures speaks a thousand words :D

In case you run out of ideas to dine with your best friends or dates, this place is a must. A SGD$150 budget will suffice for 2 person and you will feel so full like you had on a buffet. Below are what we had from their menu and they are all a must try. I have listed below the full menu they have just in case you wanted to check it out before heading down there. I'm no food critic. I just love blogging about the things that makes me happy :) And something that makes me happy makes me unstoppable in recommending them to anyone :)

 

[Foradori Teroldego - $26 per glass]

For drinks, just because it's a bit affordable at first and very well explained by the handsome guy hihihi, we had this one by the glass. 

 

[Lurisia Still Water – free]

I was never a fan of sparkling water unlike habidadi so we ordered this still water instead of the sparkling one. Only when we were billed out, we found out that the water is free :)

 

[butter lettuces with hazelnuts, bacon, gorgonzola dolce and egg - SGD$21]

For starters or Antipasti we both shared a salad. The dressing is a  bit strong leaning on to the vinaigrette-y flavor and I'm not really a fan of anything with vinegar-y taste in it. I thought I won't be able to finish it but mixing it with the salty taste of flavor and hazelnuts, it makes the dish absolutely divine and yes we finished it right away ;D. I felt full already with the salad alone.

 

[toasted bread with ricotta cheese – free]

I thought habidadi was a bit exaggerating after tasting this small dish that's why I was having second thoughts on trying it. Besides, it's a family of cheese and I don't trust him when it comes to cheese because he adores the kinds of cheeses with the foul smell lol no offense with those who liked it really much. We even put the small amount in the free rye bread :) I want ricotta cheese from now on!

 

 

[orecchiette with sausage & swiss chard - SGD$25]

[grouper - SGD$32]

For secondi, we had orecchiette and grouper. They first served orecchiette in 2 separate dishes. It looks like calamari with sauce though but this is a kind of pasta with spicy tingling sensation. Will it be too cyclical if I say this dish is divine? Like I said, Im no food critic so pardon my lack of food verbs to describe how delicious one dish is. I didn't finished mine though because it's really spicy for me. Few minutes later, they served the grouper. And with that heavenly smell, we can't help but dig in right away even if it's still oozing hot. The crispness of the fish with the sauce around it is fantastic. I pat myself on the back for having a good choice this time. 

 

I dont have any negative comments on this place. Being our first, it made us even want to come back again for the next occassion. Oh, they also have a pizzeria beside the resto so if you're not feeling the fine dining thing, you can opt for that. And I'm sure it will be delicious since they have wood fired pizzas! We will and hope to try that next time!

The only thing but not really a big deal is they don't have any special for couples celebrating anniversaries :) Others we went to either gave us a free bottle of champagne or a cake :D

All in all, this night is truly remarkable. Tenchu habidadi for making our twelfth really memorable. Tenchu for the lovely dinner and the surprise "daily serving of chocz" and of course the coach bag you gave me. Thank you Lord for the 12 wonderful-and-sometimes-not-so-wonderful years. Please give us more love for the next coming years in our life.

 

[the remarkable OSTERIA MOZZA]

 

                   

[shuweeeeetttt]

 

[dadi’s surprise gift to mami – my “daily serving” of chocz]

 

[dadi’s gift to mami]

 

[mami’s gift to dadi]

Young Love

I called it as it is not because of the age of the people involve in that four letter word that runs the whole world. "Young Love" pertains to that feeling that's just started. It is the sweetest and most romantic place any person of any age would agree to either reminisce or loved to share.

I love listening to stories of beautiful beginnings. We all have been on the same boat at some point in our life but it's so "kilig" when you realize how each story sways you and makes you high. Haven't you realize how many romantic movies you have seen but each time you watch one they put a smile on your face and makes you "kilig"? Have you ever paid a huge amount in a class/session where you know will bore you to death and doesn't interest you at all but you know that he/she will truly enjoy? How about turning your back to the world and enlisting yourself to a home just so you could personally take care of your wife even if the dementia makes her forget who you are? Or simple things like getting up in the middle of the night to make a peanut butter sandwich for him/her without complaining? What about spending a fortune for a cab ride back home almost everyday at 1 or 2 AM in the morning just because you want to spend more time with him/her? Have you gone an extra mile like planning ahead of the place and dinner and people involve to make sure everything is perfect for your marriage proposal? Or proposing and/or saying yes to someone you just knew for a week? Have you fallen in love with someone who's forever tied up in a wheelchair? Or dance someone in the rain without any music at all? If I list everything I remember and asked everyone I know, the list will be endless. Isn't it worthy to at least try and see for yourself how beautiful young love is?

We all do love beginnings and fret so much about the endings that most of the time it let us messed up what we have at the moment. We put inhibitions before the good thing even began just because we are so afraid of hurting in the end. Believe it or not, either way it still does hurt so we might as well have a good taste of something beautiful than live in the cliché "what-if". Let's not cynic about everything that didn't turn out good. Everything in this world deserves a chance to prove its worth.

Basta Driver, Sweet Lover

It's a common slogan back home especially on the public transports. My dad used to joke about this with my Mom before. When he packed his bags almost two decades ago, I knew this slogan is not just a slogan :D. It does seem to have a connection with the male's narcissistic way of boosting their ego. Why am I bringing this subject? Lol. Well, few days ago, we were home for vacation and one time we took a cab, we had a chat with the cab driver. I was with my mom at that time and baby cheska. I can't remember how the conversation dive into the subject but what I can't seem to forget is what he had told us. He said he love his family and he will never leave them for any other girl. But he admits that he's "babaero" and occasionally *and casually* saying that every month he would go to a bar to take out some girl and release the heat. Then casually saying this and I hope I remember it correctly.

Driver: I'm already 60 and let's admit the fact that no matter how many expensive perfumes my wife uses, she will still smell like dirt or in tagalog "amoy lupa". I want to feel a young girl's skin and smell the scent of a young one that's why every month I go out to get one. Anyway, I'm always protected so I don't have any worries of having any "accident".

My mom's smiling maybe for being polite but me, deep inside I was thinking if this is really what "marriage" will happen after 3 or 4 decades of being together. I blurted out after sometime that I don't want to grow old and they both laugh. I know and I hope that habidadi is a lot different than this man but the truth really hurts. You grow old together but they still want to live their life in the past as if it's normal. Scary. Really really scares me.

On another note, there's a short gag from youtube about couples saying goodbye on the phone in three different stages. first is married couple of about 10 to 15 years, 2nd is old couple and third is new bf-gf couple.

MARRIED COUPLE

wife: love you honey. i miss you. see you tomorrow!

husband: love you too honey and i miss you a lot. see you tomorrow. bye!

*click*

OLD COUPLE

husband: love you honey.

wife: ok bye.

*click*

NEW BF-GF COUPLE

girl: i love you so much. i miss you already. blah blah.

boy: i love you more honey. i miss you terribly. blah blah.

girl: o cge honey baba mo na. i love you.

boy: mauna ka na honey. i love you.

*after long hours*

girl: honey baba mo na may naririnig na kong tilaok ng manok. i love you.

boy: oo nga honey eh cge na mauna ka na. i love you too.

I was laughing at the show because I have been guilty of that too. When relationships are new it seem like there's no tomorrow. As if you wanted to be with the person forever. But as relationships grew older, everything changes. According to experts, it means love is stronger as the relationship grew older. There's more trust and comfort that the person you love will be there forever. Is it? Really?

I'm just thinking why do we have this "overflowing" romantic and cheesy side when we're falling? But everything diminishes each year we're with the same person? Love getting less is really out of the question because once you've planted love on one person it will always be there. Even if you separated ways, yes I guess in some other way the love is still there. Maybe on a different perspective. But the cheesiness is what makes love even stronger and a happy place. Why does it fade over the years? I'm sure there's a better explanation to this. I just hope relationship works the way I picture it and not the way reality takes it place nowadays.

Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011.

My firs blog for the year 2011.

Another chapter has gone by. I can't believe a year, that's 12 months or 365 days or 8760 hours or 525600 minutes or ... alright I'll stop. But can you believe that? It looks like forever but it isn't. It's just passing by like pffftt. I look back and skipped 2 years and there I was always praying in silence to give me the best gift. And now here I am, about to bid goodbye to another year but still praying in silence that the gift given to us could stay in good health and away from harm. We all are lucky individuals with all these blessings that's coming our way. I do let myself wallow at the previous chapters of my life at times because it helps me to be a lot more appreciative of what I have now than before. And this looking back thing only occurs in my mind once a year so let me do it now again - in writing - so when my age strikes me back and i couldn't have the same memory capacity of a 20 something *alright 30-something then! sheesh* I would have something to help me play some part of the movie titled "my life", that is if life would be kind enough to let me have a good eyesight. Alright then, let's start now.

In January, was able to get another designer bag in addition to my collection and baby C’s into solids for the first time. The first major downer of our year was the cebupacific incident.

In February, a first time for me to meet a favourite author when Mitch Albom in flesh went to Singapore.

In March, everything that occurs was a downer for my year. It was the saddest month of my 2010. First was the biggest blow, the unanticipated demise of a good friend. Another followed by Toffee’s bidding us goodbye forever. Toffee has been with us for years. Then last was when baby c’s PR got rejected.

In April, just got busy for the preparation for the little princess’s first birthday.

In May, still into preparations and baby C’s first trip to Malaysia.

In June, finally got a reply from my email complaint to cebu pacific after 5 months which meant nothing really. Then my blog after years of being in black has finally picked a new look. Then there’s Baby C making few steps on her own. And last is finally going for the first time to Wild Wild Wet and we really enjoyed it. And a downer for the month is when I lost my ezlink and money.

In July, still feeling the tension and stress from preparing baby c’s birthday and the birthday celebration of our little princess which surprisingly I didn’t have any post about it. Anyway, pictures are in my FB account :D

In August, is my most loved month of the year. I finally got my dream LV and celebrating my nth birthday with Kuya and family is the cherry on my sundae. love love this month!

In September, celebrating our 3rd year wedding anniversary is the top 1 of the month. Although it’s still my most hated month as we felt so much down finding a decent place.

In October, another updates from our growing princess and baby C’s first time to attend Halloween party with kids almost her age.

In November, is a big family event for us when the little prince – Nathaniel Kristoff arrived. My newest pamangkin.

In December, aside from celebrating Christmas, my top 1 of the month is the christmas gift I got from habidad - a chanel pair of earrings and the last hirit we had for Christmas is going to Manila on the last day of December via Singapore Airlines another first time for baby Cheska.

This year has brought us so many blessings to thank for but the sadness it brought is a lot to take in. I hope 2011 will bring us more happiness and less of heartaches. Problems will always be there and I’m not asking it to go away because at times, it makes us stronger. I just hope no one will say goodbye this year or if possible for the next more years. I just hate when sadness come at this form. So, 2011 we’re ready for the challenges you’ll be putting on us. And could you please please send more blessings and happiness in our way?

Goodbye 2010! It’s been fun and lovely being with you!