here again

yep, im still alive and kickin' and i haven't abandoned blogging into oblivion. happiness it is to be able to travel alone even if it's just an island away. i guess it's the thrill of going to a place for the first time without knowing even a single soul there. being vulnerable can be good sometimes. i was able to make friends with a lot of people and have seen a lot of places. my trip down south was also one of the most memorable because i have done a lot of firsts. they were quite simple though like riding in a motor bike for the first time but were definitely fun indeed.

the work was quite a challenge. landing on a medical officer 3 job after the 4 months of sedentary and catatonic life was hard at first. i had to refresh my knowledge and skills to the hospital work. to tell you honestly, i had mixed emotions during my first few days. there was excitement, feeling of inadequacy, fear, and loads of stress. i thought i won't be able to finish the ten days but as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and i did feel stronger after wards. and i guess, i was able to appreciate my profession more. it's the feeling of being needed and making a person well that were the most rewarding and no amount of money can replace.

life there was simple yet i was able to enjoy my stay there. there were no malls and not even the famous jollibee was in sight. the people were warm and very accommodating. i remember, my fellow physician and i were invited to a birthday party where we had disco with senior citizens. i got quite drunk because i was not able to resist when they handed me a half glass of fundador brandy and a tall glass of mixed drink made of iced tea and grand matador. we danced our heart out with their favorite ballroom songs and some new ones. they were all 'game' not minding the signs of aging though i guess we all woke up with painful joints and back. i was also able to taste the creamiest home made ice cream my taste buds have known that even a haagen dazs can't beat. i wish i can bring home some as a pasalubong for mom and dad. they will surely love it as much as i did.

next month, i have to be back there again, and i will surely take pictures to show you all the beauty of the place.




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heaven and chocolate

does your chocolate cake have four kinds of chocolate?



ate and i thought it's too sweet but it is not. good deal for it's price. i heart the brownie layer.
sorry, the picture aint good coz i just took it with my laptop. laazzyy pwincess heehee.

chocolate heaven from red ribbon is a combination of four kinds of chocolate goodness in every mouthful - chocolate brownie, mousse, ganache and curls.

my two year old nephew loves the curls.


ash Wednesday is tomorrow. don't forget to go to mass and have your forehead ashed.




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life is...

like a box of chocolates, they say. pero kung ganito naman ang chocolates, pwedeng pwede na.




i am a self confessed addict of ferrero, specially the rocher and rondnoir.

ferrero is actually an italian confectionary. their products were first sold in italy and other european countries in the 40's and later spread to other parts of the globe. the company is also the maker of tictac, nutella, and kinder (i love kinder!).

rocher is el más famoso among the ferrero collection. the rich chocolate coated hazelnut has enchanted tongues of many including this princess. but if i were to choose among the three-rocher, rondnoir, and garden, ill pick rondnoir as my best love.

rondnoir is a 'pearl' of dark chocolate, surrounded by a dark chocolate cream, encased in a croquante and encrusted with dark chocolate chips. and because i love dark chocolate, this is the one for me. i wish they will sell rondnoir here separately just like rocher.

haaay. sira na naman ang diet.

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my own unofficial cake review

i admit i am hard to please when it comes to cake. i love cake and ice cream and chocolates too. and when it comes to these three, i am always in pursuit of the finest, most delectable, and heavenly taste there is. i remember having traveled to los banos a couple of times in college just to have a slice of their chocolate cake. mind you, it was not even sold in some fancy restaurant there nor even in a bakeshop. it was in that little glass canteen in IRRI where my friends and i (accidentally) found that delicious cake.

since it's the yuletide season, i was again challenged to put something new on the table. on christmas, i bought almond choco sansrival from conti's. i developed a relationship with conti's a few years ago when a friend gave me and my housemates a mango bravo cake as a gift. i liked the variety of bread and nuts in it and so that year, i brought home a mango bravo for christmas and my family loved it. since then, whenever a special occasion comes, they always ask me to buy a cake from conti's. we've tasted almost all of their classic cakes. the almond choco sansrival were one of the new ones. i served it with a scoop of very strawberry ice cream from selecta for dessert. mom and my sisters loved it (dad and my brother love anything sweet). for me, the combination was perfect. the cake was not chocolatey as i assumed. the chocolate was spread thinly in between layers. the nougaty sansrival was chewy but not overly sweet and the almonds and cashew were plenteous. the strawberry ice cream complimented it well.

for the new year, i went all the way to Times street to order a mango torte from dulcelin. i was drawn to try it because of the many good reviews i have read. one of those even branded it as the best mango torte in manila, selling 2,000+ box every christmas season. that was impressive considering it was only a home based business. for me, the taste was ok, though something i will not rave about. it reminded me of the mango ref cake i usually make back then when the graham crackers were a hit, well, minus the graham of course. its base was interesting having that crumbly sweet nutty texture which i later found out was a cashew-based nougatine (thanks to the reviews again). i partnered it with a scoop of selecta's chocolate truffles. i must admit the combination was a disaster. it was too sweet.

sad that i didn't have pictures of the cakes. i got lazy to get a camera hihi.

i already made plans for my next stop. it will be that cake store which i won't name yet here (secret muna) located in greenbelt 5 which, according to the review, sells one of the best chocolate cake in the metro. that i really can't wait to try.




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