Itadakimasu!

Since the weather has been pretty cold lately and there are chances of rain over the holidays, what a perfect moment to enjoy a bowl of hot soup or just to lie in bed cuddling a pillow or your loved ones. In this case, I'll be posting about some of my ramen adventures as I've been craving for one these days and I'm currently at the office pretending to be doing some desk work while some of my office mates are already on their way to their home. 

First up is Hokkaido Ramen Santouka in Glorietta. Since we were starving (it was past lunch time and we haven't eaten our breakfast), my friend and I had the set meal which were a bit pricey and over our budget. I had the small ramen and fried salmon and prawn and small rice bowl set while Jessel tried the small ramen and pork cutlet and small rice bowl set. The meal was nice as well as the ambiance of the place. The small ramen was really delicious and was more than enough to make us full. It was a miscalculation on our part thinking that ramen alone won't be enough to satiate our hunger. haha





Next up is Ramen Nagi in Greenbelt. I chose shiro ramen as I have the tendency to keep it safe when I'm trying new stuffs. Ramen Nagi offers their customers the opportunity to personalize their ramen. I've tried it twice and was satisfied in both occasions. 





Next up is Ramen Kagetsu Arashi in Paseo Center. I didn't quite enjoy this one. Perhaps because it was only a week after I tried Ramen Nagi or because I didn't quite find the taste satisfying in relation to the price of the ramen.


Next is Ramen Kuroda in RCBC Plaza. I find it delicious and worthy of the price as their were a lot of ingredients (especially the pork haha). Also, it's the closest to my place so it's easily accessible anytime I crave for ramen and its the cheapest of all the ramen I've tried so far (and it still tastes good!).

And since we're already talking about Japanese cuisine, we might as well talk about other japanese foods aside from ramen. First up is Shinjuku Ramen House at Little Tokyo. I forgot the name of these dishes but they were pretty good but a bit pricey for the quality. What do I remember was us craving for ramen, but ended up eating rice meals and Kohri instead.



We also tried some tonkatsu and donburi at Tonkatsuya,


Now I've better go and find some food because writing about these food trips we had has left me hungry and craving for ramen! haha

i

There’s this guy I had known for what seems like forever
He was in my earliest memories of childhood
And even now as I force down another glass of wine
As I try desperately to catch up
with the million thoughts running inside my already chaotic head
Our worlds seemed to be glued from the start
Until I forced it to drift apart
He was the anomaly in my otherwise monotonous life
His eyes were the shade of midnight—
Dark, mysterious, alluring
Yet they seem to hold constellations, galaxy even
At the mere mention of my name
He gave me all he had to offer
Not bothering to safe keep even a portion of his heart in case I throw it all away
He put a smile on my lips, a sparkle in my eye.
He set my heart ablaze,
Thawing the ice wall I’ve been carefully carving around my heart for years
He saw the worst in me, saw me in my most vulnerable state
But he loved me all the same
He laughed at my little fears and imperfections
and never thought such rubbish could come from my mouth
He’s just one guy
But he held the entire universe in his eyes
And held me in his arms
As if the earth would stop revolving around its axis if he ever let go of me.

To the Girl who Built a Castle in Your Heart

She will never be me —
She will never have to tell you to stop looking at the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of her,
That love is not as simple as standing in the rain next to you,
That anesthesia doesn’t work on broken hearts.

She will never be me —
She will never know how inexperienced your heart and hands were,
That first kisses aren’t made to be prizes for a dare
They’re always awkward, never perfect, and not always magical.

She will never love you like I did —
Carefree,
Immature,
She will love you a darker shade of red.

She won’t hide under her sheets at 3 am to whisper her love for you
Nor would she pretend not to hear when you promised to love her even in your next life
She won’t say yes even when she meant the opposite
She won’t hold your heart only to crush it.

She will never be me
And I will never be her —
I will never be the girl you wait in front of the altar
Because I had cold feet before you even asked me to spend forever with you.

A Break from the Concrete Jungle: The Calaguas Island Getaway

After our Mt. Daraitan adventure and so many failed attempts for another hike and getaway, we finally managed to make one come true. The timing couldn't be more perfect for me because I badly needed to get away, to just clear my head, and just relax because the past few months have been hellish. I needed to getaway from the big city, from the concrete jungle that has been trying to eat me alive since Day 1. 

Our destination: Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte. The island is no hidden gem to tourists as it has been steadily gaining attention because of its white sands and crystal clear water. Many says it's like Boracay but with more peace and serenity since the latter has been plagued with commercial development. But I heard that there are plans in the next two years to develop the island. I just hope whatever these plans are, it includes the safekeeping of the resources and keeping the island clean. 

From Manila, we traveled by land until we arrived at Paracale where we rode a boat for 2 hours all the while enjoying the luscious blue of the ocean accompanied by the steady hum of the boat engine.


When we arrived at the island, it was breathtakingly beautiful. True to the reviews and feed backs of those who already visited the island, the water was so clean and clear and the sands were white. The place is oozing with undeniable charm sprinkled with serenity.
AMI Kids mandatory photo upon arrival
January 2015 Batch + AMI KIds 







Aside from the swimming, Calaguas also offer hiking. It wasn't much of a climb as compared to Daraitan since it took us less than an hour to reach the peak. We climb the hill supposedly to watch the sunset but it turns out, we are facing the opposite direction. Our secondary reason for climbing was to get a signal for our mobile phones because apparently that's the only place with signal connection. 
Which way Robert Frost?



For the second day, we went to Balagbag Island which was just a few kilometers away from Calaguas.  We got to enjoy the sunset while we were at it too! 

A view of the sunset from the shore.

I really love sunsets!
Balagbag has pebbles instead of sands. 

We went hiking also. That makes it one mountain a day. I haven't been that active in a long while (not to mention we also went swimming to our hearts content).

View from the top of the mountain.
The beautiful colors of sunset greeted us upon our arrival at Balagbag island.


For our third day adventure, we went hiking again in the hills of Calaguas. We took a different route this time though. According to tour guides, this gives a more beautiful view of the island. We decided to hike early in the morning, hoping to get a view of the sunrise this time.

I'm not exactly a fan of the sunrise as I pretty much prefers sunset, but I totally fell in love with the sunrise that day.

After a short hike, you can rest at the hammocks. 
I don't usually posts photos of me but I just love how candid this shot was taken. And I look so happy too. 



At night, you can get a nice view of the starry sky while laying down on the cold sand. There's not much left to do on the evenings except perhaps stargazing, night swimming and a teeny tiny bit of party. There's a minibar at night that plays some music but the 'party' doesn't last for much long.


Sorry but this is my first time seeing a starfish. 

If you want to cut yourself off from the rest of the society (and by society I mean 'social media sites and other internet whatnots' since our relationships has been defined by these things lately), you might find Calaguas a haven. There are no mobile network signal in the island but as I said, you can hike a nearby mountain if you're in dire need to post to your followers and virtual friends alike your happy experience in the island. The island is on generator which means electricity is pretty limited so you better charge that powerbank of yours to make sure your camera/phones will capture your every moment in the island. Also, since the island is in its development stage, there are no hotels or resorts. We slept on tents and rented nipa huts. Some tourists even had their tents set up near the shore. Comfort rooms are also quite the commodity in the island so if you want to get rid of the sticky feeling after swimming for hours in the sea, be prepared for a long queue (especially in the evening, after dinner time). As an alternative, you can take turns pumping the water pump. Oh and don't forget to bring sunblock or sunscreen if you don't want to end up with a very obvious tan line. You might as well bring some board and card games in case you want to take a break from swimming. If you want to visit Calaguas and get the most out of it, I suggest you visit the island on weekdays as it is swamped with a lot of people and boats during weekends which makes it quite hard to enjoy the beach (though we have the boats to thank for the shade it has provided us, otherwise we will all get a bad case of sunburns). 

 We had a blast for 3 days at Calaguas Island. It was nice to have a little breather away from city where you have to run fast or else you might get left behind, where even looking at the night sky won't make you feel any peace because all you see are city lights instead of stars. After 3 days, we are back to civilization, back to reality. It was 3 days well spent for fun, first times and friends. And to end this lengthy post, let me quote Eden, 'the tan lines may fade but the memories will last forever.'

Photo Credits: Eden, Lena, Mars, Mitzi

22 Things You Don’t Know About Me

1. Counting the stars sounds more appealing than talking to me.
2.  I don’t speak when it really matters. I’m a writer, not a speaker.
3.  I’m not a disaster waiting to happen. I’m the aftermath of an explosion, a walking mess. My head’s a pile of unfinished prose and poetries, of numbers tossed back and forth, of unsorted vouchers and working papers, a bucket of never ending to-do lists.
4. I have no sense of direction. You see, I don’t even know where my life is heading at the moment.
5. I’m made up of contradictory parts. I’m nice and mean. I could be your best friend or your worst enemy. I’m afraid of dogs but somehow I want to own a Siberian husky.
6.  I rant a lot. I rant about that girl who wears too short a shorts who keeps on complaining about getting dirty stares from men, about that guy who smokes as if the air around is his alone, of those grade school kids who seemed to know more about love than me.
7. I have a scar in my upper right lip when my brother accidentally cut it when I was in grade school, but I guess you wouldn’t be close enough to see it.
8. I find comfort in sunsets, silence in the rain.
9. I’m fine being alone. I’m not the type to fret when I see people walking in groups as I sit in the corner eating, enjoying a good book.
10. I don’t like the feeling of helplessness. It’s like swimming against the current. No matter what you do, all will be futile.
11.  I wished I learned how to swim, bike, play the violin or piano, or even dance ballet. I wish I could turn back time and give that 8-year old me an advice, probably a list of the things she wanted to do or become when she was a little older, of the regrets her 22 year old self had.
12. I have an aversion to danger. I played by the rules, lived life the safe and easy way. I was always running in the opposite direction of change.
13. Don’t tell me I don’t have a childhood. I have a childhood; it’s just that my memories are on a first in first out basis.
14. I’m guessing you won’t even get to the end of this list. You’ll get bored halfway through, or even earlier. You’ll realize I’m not worth your damn time.
15. Ghosts don’t terrify me. Humans do.
16. Trust is like a balloon. It’ll take effort to make one but once you have it, be sure not to let it go. Hold it like nothing else matters. Balloons are fragile things you see. It could fly away the moment you loosen grip on its string or burst for unexpected reasons.
17. I forgive but I never seem to forget.
18. I was probably a vampire in my past life.
19. I’ve been in everybody else’s shoes and have forgotten where I left mine.
20. I love the smell of books, the sound of turning pages, the thought that just around the pages, a new world awaits you.
21.I have the habit of making other people proud that I forgot to make myself proud.
22. Someday I will stop trying to pretend to be okay when I’m bleeding in the inside, of trying to decipher what’s in other people’s mind. Someday, I will stop caring about people who doesn’t give a damn about me, of people who only scrutinizes me as if they’re some high priest who can judge how I live my life. Someday, I’m going to stop apologizing for things that are not my fault. Someday, I’m going to stop apologizing for being me.

This is What I Learned from Loving You

 Love is that feeling of butterflies flying carelessly inside your stomach
Instead of the three bites of pancake and hot chocolate you had for breakfast
But mine feels more like my insides are being ripped apart by thunder and lightning
Like I’m a growing forest wildfire every time you plant a kiss in my forehead
Or a silent storm brewing in the horizon
Slowly gathering winds and water vapor to unleash a catastrophe
Do you know that a knife is halfway through my chest?
And the nights you say her name in your sleep
Only creates an even more puddle of blood?
I realized in between the bottles of whiskey, cheesecakes and unfinished poetries
That I will never hear my name sound as magical as when you say hers.

I grew up with the tales of Shakespearean tragedies for bedtime stories
Forever is a vomit flavored jelly bean wrapped in glittering gold and blue
Happy ever after means waking up next to you
After spending the night counting the seconds you were with her
How long was it again?
I was at nine thousand two hundred eighty three
Then I’d purposely lose track of time just so I could begin the countdown again

I’ve counted shooting stars for every freckle on your back
And kissed every dandelion before making my wish
Hoping the gods of nature will be kind enough
To grant me as many a forever with you as the pollens there are
Am I asking for too much of a miracle?
When all I ever wanted was for you to be mine?

Love is handing you a burning wrought iron to engrave my heart with
And trusting you to hold me instead like a diamond
Love is granting you permission to the farthest corner of my soul
Where I’d concealed the parts of me the world refused to accept
Love is holding your hand while you hold hers tightly
Love is looking at your back as you desperately rush to her aide
While I stifle the overpowering chaos inside of me
Because you said that I was a battle-hardened warrior
That I would survive an avalanche of goodbyes and two second stares.

Darling, this is what I learned from loving you —
I love you is meant as a suicide note.

Selective Amnesia

“What?” he said to the red headed girl who had been eyeing him quite distastefully.

The girl just smirked and went on to drink her third glass of martini, pretending nobody had spoken to her.

“I bet she’s thinking this guy is just too stupid he doesn’t get the clues,” he said more to the bartender who poured her another round.

“Well, that’s an improvement. Let’s cheer to that!” she said derisively.

“Well I’m sorry if I didn’t bother to ask if you were coming.” He downed a shot of vodka, his first for the night. Or more like his first glass in a year.

She eyed him disapprovingly as he motioned for the bartender to pour him another shot. “Old habits are really hard to break.”

“Got a problem with that? I don’t think you had any business with me anyways,” he exhaled and turned to look at her and almost instantly regretted the decision. He was caught off guard by her hazelnut eyes.  “You already left, remember?”

And then there was nothing but the sound of jazz music on the background and the constant murmur of the people who haven’t seen each other in a decade.

“You left me over a bottle of whisky and my inability to read between the lines.”

“I see you haven’t changed much in a year. I left you because you wouldn’t stop blaming yourself for the death of Sofia. I left because you let yourself succumb to emptiness and alcohol. I left you because, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, you aren’t the only one hurting. She wasn’t just your little princess. She was ours. I left because you haven’t realized that I’m hurting just as much as you do. Or maybe I’m hurting more because I had to wake up each day and see the man I dedicated my whole life to sink so low.”

He couldn’t think of any argument to rebut her with. They used to have friendly debates over something so silly and now he realized just how badly he missed that. He wanted to wipe the tears from her eyes, to hold her in his hand as if she was the most delicate thing in the world but the moment he acted on his thoughts, she was already halfway out of her seat.

“You always remembered why I left but never why I stayed.”
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