Road Trip : The Sierra Madre Hotel and Conference Center

Last Friday, we had this amazing day. My dear boyfriend discover this place called The Sierra Madre Hotel and Conference Center in Tanay. It is just along the National Highway of Marcos Hi-way. We brought some food there and had our picnic with the amazing view of Sierra Madre. We rent the tables for like Php50.00 per person since we will just spend a few hours only for us to have some lunch. Last Friday was a sunny day, but the weather in Tanay is like Tagaytay / Baguio weather. It is cold and windy. Too bad, we have other plans after lunch, we didn't got a chance to explore the whole area. But I took some photos on some areas near the picnic tables. We are not actually allowed to roam around because there's an extra charge for exploring the whole other amenities they have. If you haven't been here, bring your family with you one of these day for a whole day picnic and relax, swim, read books or have some sight seeing. They have rooms if you want to stay overnight, a great pool too. Actually, they also have a big hall that is good for events like weddings and birthdays. And they will be having a zipline area soon. They also have a massage service but you need to book in advance if ever. Going there is easy, you just need to follow the National Road to Tanay from Marcos Hi-way Masinag. The road is good and don't have any traffic except in Cogeo Market. We promised ourselves to come back soon and spend the whole day to explore the whole area. If you are planning to have a picnic, just make sure to check the weather forecast, it is not a good idea to have some picnic if it is going to rain. They don't have any umbrella or a shed in the picnic area for rainy days. What you can see below are only 1/4 of it. :)

 Here's the fantastic view of Sierra Madre Mountain from the picnic area. Below are the rooms if you want to stay for overnight or for the whole weekend and their circle pool.

The pine trees are so nice, this is near the Gazebo area.

 The Gazebo.

 The walkway is so nice, I like that one in my garden too.

 Here's the view from the other side of the pool area.

 Hanging bridge. We just cross the bridge but the area after it, we didn't explore it yet.

 It is so big, I swear. The place is so green.

 Close-up shot of the walkway. The flowers are so beautiful.

 Here's their reception area for events like weddings and birthday. It is nice and big actually.

 The picnic area.

 

Rooms near the picnic area.

You can check out their website at http://www.thesierramadre.webs.com for more information. They also have a facebook account named The Sierra Madre Hotel & Resort. 8)

Movie : 127 Hours

Before knowing that this 127 Hours is a new movie, I already know almost the whole story of it. It's because of my dear boyfriend is reading the book already written by the Aron Ralston himself. So when we got a chance to watch the movie, I already prepared myself for what I am about to see, just in case it is so bloody and I don't know actually. But anyway, after 1 and half hour watching it (I think), aside from some scene that makes me jump and cover my eyes because of some scenes of him in pain, my reaction was WOW! It is actually a GREAT movie. It's not just that I think the story is not good but you know, the whole story is all and only about Aron Ralston played by James Franco being stuck in an isolated canyon in Canyonlands National Park of Utah where a fallen boulder crushes his right arm and traps him for 127 hours. It is like Tom Hanks in Cast Away movie but this one is much worst than that, 'cause he is only in one place for almost the entire movie. At the start I didn't know how can they make the movie interesting or somehow avoid the dragging part. But hey, credit for the director Danny Boyle for a great execution of every scene but more credit for James Franco for pulling it off with a BANG! :) His acting is really good, I actually haven't seen him that good. I think this movie really fits well for him. So guys, I do recommend this one especially for the mountain enthusiast, just so you can learn from it at the same time appreciate the canyons too.

James Franco / Aron Ralston

Lesson learned: Never ever go in some place alone without telling anyone where you are going. Always inform someone just in case something happens to you and if you didn't go home on time, they can look and search for you just in case. And as Aron said it, never settle for cheap items especially for safety kits. Go for the quality brand kits, it will do you a favor in time. But Aron teaches us too, how positive he was in every way, he can still smile in small pleasures life brings like the 15 minutes sunlight he gets every morning while being trapped. And not giving up on life and try to survive in any way. And bringing your camera and video cam makes a difference too, good idea for you personal documentation and you never know, you can use it for your own book and your own movie.

Aron's Book

This movie will inspire you in different way and will make you appreciate life once again. Enjoy watching the movie but make sure to eat you lunch or dinner first and drink enough water. :)

Life is short, don't wait for something like this happens to you before you can appreciate people you love and loves you. Appreciate them while you can 'cause not everyone has its second chance. 8)

Book : Hunger Games Trilogy

I am so excited to hear that the Hunger Games Trilogy will soon be in big screen. After I read the first book, I already hoped that someone can make this book into a film. And after reading the last book, I am definitely  hoping for more. I highly recommend them. It is though categorized as science fiction novel for young adults, but adults too can appreciate it, juts like me. Suzanne Collins wrote the books very well using a language that everyone can understand and visualize every details she wants us to imagine in the story, even we can still imagine it more wonderfully. You should really need to read the book in exact order for you to understand the whole story. For me, the best book is the first one where the creative story really stands out. And in every chapter really brings you to a new future world that I really never imagine can exist, that somehow possible to have a world like Panem (the place in the book). The least is the last book where I could find it predictable already unlike the first two books. And it just that, the ending of the last book seems like the author Suzanne don't know how to end the story anymore or it seems like in the last chapter, she's already in a rush to end it. I just hoped, she should have ended it in a more grand way just like the first two books. But overall, you won't be sorry, I can guarantee you. I just can't wait to see how they will make the costumes, the arena and the fight in movies. Well, I suggest, read the books first before you watch the movie. Books are always more detailed and more exciting because your using your own imagination. Grab a copy now. Enjoy! 8)

Just to give you an overview, I copied the this one from Scholastic site http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-book.htm


The Hunger Games
Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Catching Fire
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire, the second novel of the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy.

Mockingjay
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Food : O'sonho - the DREAM

O'sonho is Portuguese for "the dream". O'sonho (Osonyo, as pronouced, correct me if I'm wrong) is a new Portuguese Fusion restaurant in town. They have a branch in Jupiter Street in Makati City, where I haven't tried yet, and in Eastwood Mall in Libis. If I am right, I think it's the only Portuguese restaurant in Manila.

In my pictures below, these are the foods that we ordered on our second visit. I forgot to bring my camera last time so I didn't get a chance to take some pictures of the food.We actually love all their food and their Portugese beer, Super Bock, so after few weeks, here we are again. 

 Taste the Dream! It's a must! :) It is something you haven't tried before if you haven't tried any Portuguese cuisine. It is a bit like a Spanish cuisine but with more spices I think, and they use olive oil and without MSG. :)

 This is the Espedata De Carne (Php 460.00) With 2 large skewers with shrimps, scallops, tenderloin and vegetables with a paste.

 This is the Picado. One of my favorite. It's a tendeloin beef salpicao with garlic, red wine, herbs and spices.

 Bacalhau Pasta (Php 340.00). A juicy tomato concasse with black olives, capers and herbs. The way they cook the pasta is so al dente.

 Portugese Gambas (Php 310.00). It's a spicy garlicky gambas. This is my Top 1 favorite. :) The shrimps tenderness are just right and I LOVE THE GARLIC!

 O'sonho's House Greens (Php 280.00). All romain lettuce glazed with sugar coated walnuts, dried tomatoes, goat cheese, quezo de bola and drizzled with sweet balsamic dressing. This actually came in between our meals 'cause we ordered this late but, it is actually perfect in between every dish to wash away the flavors of the other dish.

Portuguese Chourico (Php 260.00).  This is one of their appetizer, it's a Portuguese sausage with something on it that makes it different and delicious.

We tried the Caldo Verde too, a vegetable soup. Yummy and healthy. And last time we visited, I tried the Peri Peri Chicken Pasta, it was superb too.

Overall. Everything is great. Even the place is nice, its perfect for families, friends and even as a date place. It's quite, the service is great too, by the way they serve water with lemon on it, it makes the water more refreshing and lastly the place didn't smell like restaurant smoke that usually sticks on your clothes after eating.

O'sonho is definitely one of my recommended restaurant in town. Try it and experience the Portuguese DREAM.. :) 8 

Food : Toast Box

While malling at Greenbelt 5 at Makati City, we dropped by at Toast Box to have some tea. It's actually my first time to try their stuff. Toast Box in Greenbelt 5 is a new branch. They have a branch in Trinoma and Fort Bonifacio too. It is Bread Talk company, so it also got the Bread Talk concept. They served Singaporean breakfast with a bit twist and add ons. Since we can't order everything, well actually, some items are not available. They run out of stock on some ingredients, we just ordered what seems good and available. We do bare with them since they have a sign that they are in a soft opening operation. We tried the Kopi Teh, Kopi C and Milo Dinosaur for the drinks and Soft Bun with butter and sugar and Toast with Floss with 2 soft boiled egg for the breads.

Verdict: I didn't got to taste the Kopi Teh and Kopi C because I ordered the Milo Dinosaur. So, for me, its just okay except they put too big ice cubes on it. The taste is not too bad but not too good. Kopi Roti Milo Dinosaur is much better although I know this drink is something you can do on your own. Why is it they didn't choose other name for it. Although, almost all the items in the menu are the same as Kopi Roti which is by the way a Singaporean cafe too. Well, I guess that's how they called it there.

Breads: They are pretty good actually, simple bread with a twist. Like the Toast with Floss, it's basically a toasted sliced bread topped with condensed milk and pork floss. But the twist is, in Singaporean way, they dipped it into a soft boiled egg mixed with pepper and soy sauce. They have a toast box set that you can have the a teh or kopi with the bread and egg that cost around Php 115.00. A bit pricey for a bread and tea I think but somehow okay.

Place: The place is nice except that it is so messy. I think, they don't have enough staff for them to have someone clean up the tables and the floors after every customer. And sadly, while getting some water in their counter, I saw their kitchen. It is sooo messy, I swear! The plates and cups are on the floor. It's like someone just throw everything in there. We just hoped, they washed our cups and plates well before serving them to us. If they are operating for a month now, well, they should do something about it. Under soft opening operation is not an excuse. Food business must be strict in terms of cleanliness, don't you think?
 

Staff: The cashier is fast, same as her assistant, but too fast, they don't interact with customer anymore. It's like they are just taking orders, punch it in the monitor and call to the next person and put it all in the tray. Well, for me, they are a bit stressed out. Whoever owns this branch, goodluck! :)

Overall, I can still try it one more time, maybe in their other branch or maybe, I'll try their breads at home instead. :) 8

Movie : Gulliver's Travels

This is a must-see movie if you want a light funny movie. I haven't read the original story in a book and I know this version is more of a modern type story. But overall, it is great. Jack Black played the role of Lemuel Gulliver which end up in an island in the middle of Bermuda Triangle because of an assignment as a travel writer for the first time. And the cute part is, the island called Liliputs, where the natives are called Liliputians are soo tiny tiny English people which makes Gulliver a big fat giant beast! :) So, they captured him but end up as their hero. It's a happy ending movie type thing but will gives you few lessons in life too.

Lesson learned from the movie:
- Gulliver is a mailman in the magazine company who is working for years already but never got a chance to be transferred or promoted in a much higher position. Because he's afraid to face things that will just make things complicated or will make him get out of his comfort zone where he is used to it already or don't want to be rejected. Just like how he never tried to ask Darcy (Amanda Peet), the travel editor and his long time crush on a date. But later on in the movie, he learned how to face all trials and learned how to stand up for what is right and what he really think is right. In real life, there are really people like Gulliver that are afraid to stand up and go for things they want. For me, we shouldn't. We only have one lifetime, we must spend it in every way we can and in every way we want. Trials, mistakes and whatever that may happen that can bring pain and disappointments are part of it. They are molders of who we are right now and what we will become in the future. Never be afraid to try, even you think you can't 'cause you never know, what if, you can! :)

And also the movie gives me an idea of being a travel writer. Well, I know I am not a good writer but you know. Being a travel writer is a great job. I love traveling and can you imagine, being a travel writer is like traveling with all the perks and stuffs and all you need to do in return is just write what it is all about. Wow! :)
Well, will see.. I can add that to my lists on "what I want to do aside from what I am doing". :)

One more thing.. :) Just want to take note.. have you noticed, the song "War" by Norman J. Whitfield and Barrett Strong is so common in some comedy movie as one of their soundtrack. It is actually a good song and really can add to some movie. Imagine how much royalty they are getting already for every movie. :)

So, guys, grab a copy of this movie or watch it in your nearest theater. It is a good family movie. 8

I Heart Banoffee Pie

This is my own version of the famous English pastry based dessert Banoffee Pie. Originally, it is made by banana, cream and toffee from boiled condensed milk (or dulce de leche). It's base are made up of crumbled biscuits with butter or the common Crushed Graham biscuits. Some recipes includes chocolates or coffee on it. But in my own version of the Banoffee Pie, I will add one of my favorite ingredient, cream cheese! This is an experiment, I haven't tried this one before, I just hope the flavor will blend well perfectly. Well, we'll see the verdict after dinner time.

Here's my own recipe just in case you want to try it too. It is so easy that you can just do this anytime you want. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can   300ml Milkmaid Full Cream Sweetened Condensed Milk (for me, this is the best brand)
1 pack 225g Magnolia Cream Cheese (but I preferred Philadelphia Cream Cheese, our nearest grocery store run out of stock) 
            Sugar
1 pack Crushed Graham Biscuits 200g
1 stick  Magnolia Unsalted Butter
3 pcs   Banana (Lakatan)
            Elle & Vire Whipping Cream
            Gelatine Powder (optional)
            Cocoa Powder or Chocolate Shavings (optional)

Procedures:
1. Caramelized your condensed milk first by, boiling the can into a pot with 3/4 full of hot water. Let it boil with the can in it for 1 and half to 2 hours. Let it cool, open the can and set aside.
2. Usually, we used a pie pan in preparing the pie so we can achieve the pie shaped banoffee pie. But in my case I used 2 kinds of containers for my dessert, one with a heart shaped stainless steel molder with a plate as my base instead of putting an aluminum foil and a rectangle glass pan. It's your dessert anyway, so you can just do what you want. :)
3. In preparing the base, just mix the crushed graham and the melted butter together. If you think the butter is not enough for the graham and it is still dry and crumbly just add more butter but not too much. Some add a bit sugar on it just to add a bit sweetness, but it's optional. Then pour it into your pan and press it with the back of your spoon to compress it. Chill it while preparing the other ingredients.
4. After preparing the base, get your cream cheese and some refined sugar. Make sure that you're cream cheese is a bit soft already. So take it out earlier maybe 2 hours before so it would be easy for you to cream it later on. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Add a bit of sugar depends on your taste and mix it a bit. A 1/2 tablespoon of sugar is enough for me. You can use any kind of sugar, refined sugar is recommended because it won't affect the color of the cream cheese upon mixing but if you want, adding coco sugar or muscovado sugar with cream cheese is great too.
5. After mixing the cream cheese, spread it evenly on top of your biscuit base and chill.
6. Now, get your bananas and peel it off. Cut it into round shapes evenly and spread it in top of the cream cheese. Now drizzle the caramel on top of the bananas. Just put enough caramel, not too much so it won't be too sweet.
7. Prepare your whipping cream. Actually you can use any cream you want. Cheap good cream you can use is the Nestle All Purpose Cream, just refrigerate it to harden a bit and spread it on top. Or you can use real whipping cream, for me, I like Elle & Vire whipping cream. I sometimes add gelatine on it if I want some texture like what I did on my cake. Since I want the cream to be in bulb design, just want to make sure the cream to be stable, I add a bit gelatine on it after whipping it until stiff peak. Or if you nearest store have whip topping with a good brand, this will do too to avoid using gelatine but whipping cream is the real thing, meaning more creamier.
 8. So since I have some spare caramel and no plans on using it in the near future, I pipe it on top as my design. As I mention earlier, you can put chocolate shavings on top, chocolate chips, cocoa powder or chocolate syrup for additional taste and color on top of the cream.


So, that's it. so Pretty! :)

    

After dinner:
Yummy!
Perfect!
The caramel is not too sweet, just right!
So cute!
I love it!

- That's the verdict. I guess it's delicious since they ate the whole cake at once. But I guess the whole family is too kind. But honestly, it's good. Liked the combination of the caramel and cream cheese. The cream cheese helps the caramel not to be too sweet and make every bite not so sinful yet still sinful.

But life's too short, EAT DESSERT FIRST! :) 8 

How do you choose your own Laptop?

Dell Studio 17

Do you have a laptop or planning to buy one? Computer is so in today that almost everyone even kids have their own laptop. It is like we can't pass the day without using it. Well maybe for some, no. But almost all of us may agree with me that in our everyday lives, laptop or a computer is somehow like a need already. Here in the Philippines, I assume, almost every family have their own computer that can be shared for all and I assume too that almost every businessman and every college students have their own personal laptops. It is also one reason why Facebook is so popular that almost everyone of us are into computers. Just like how cellphones became every persons must have here in our country that even a five year old child who already can read, can receive a new qwerty cellphone as a gift on his/her birthday. And now there is the new touch screen tablets that is so sensational that they say, 2011 will be a tablet year. If I too can afford it, I'll buy one of that tablet thing for myself too. But anyway, what I am trying to point is, when buying a laptop, I have these few questions in my mind to share with you.

Hmmm..

Sony Vaio P

How do you choose which laptop are you going to buy?? I know, there are some issues you need to answer first like, how much is your budget for it? What brand and what specifications do you need? If you'll ask me, for the budget, not too much expensive maybe average. A amount that is just right for a good laptop. Brand? nothing specific but a good brand with a good service center is a plus. For me, you must consider that because I know, no matter how careful you are with you things, they get old too you know. And if that day comes, your laptop won't be just a trash because of some reasons that they don't have the hardware anymore or no one knows how to fix it or for whatever reasons. For the specifications, honestly, I really don't understand all the things you put inside the computer for me to dictate what I need inside. In simple words, something that is fast, with a good memory that I can store

Apple Mac Pro Gold

documents, pictures, videos and games on it. A screen with a nice picture or color that I can watch movies or check pictures clearly. User friendly software and programs. Nice sound system. With DVD drive withburner or just a DVD drive is okay. Left and right usb port. A battery that can be used for long hours. For the screen, I am actually not sure whether I want the standard size screen or the a bit smaller version screen size like the HP Mini. Which is better? For the keyboard, the soft keyboard and just the right size for my fingers where the letters are not too close and small. For the mouse pad, I like the feature of the Mac Pro where you can navigate right click or double click just with your fingers. It is much easier. For the color, I like colorful laptop, like the Sony latest laptops in pink, green and blue. What else? Ahh.. There should be a camera too so I can use it when I need to communicate with my family thru chat. It should be Wi-Fi ready so I can use the Internet anytime.

HP Mini

With bluetooth, is that possible? So I can transfer pictures from my cellphone. With a warranty of course, I almost forgot about that. What else? I know there are some other features that they can offer that I am not just aware of, you can add that too if it's necessary. But if I will buy a new laptop now, what kind of a laptop can you recommend that fits on my qualifications? And how can you say it's the perfect one for me? And where an I buy that? Or if you were me, what kind of laptop are you going to buy? Do we have the same laptop qualifications or totally different?

Laptops may be a need for almost everyone of us but even there are some affordable ones, it is still a little bit pricey. Value for money is a big factor all in all. For a not techie person who doesn't know anything about what's inside of a computer, but only knows how to use it like me, may end up like me confused with all the different kinds of laptops that

Sony Vaio Green

every store offers. It is like looking in a pastry buffet table that you only are allowed to pick one dessert only. Excited yet confuse. But overall, laptops are just like journals, you pick one that really fits your personality and end up being your friend. Only the hard part is, you need to pick which one of them is that partner just perfect for you. 8

Happy 2011

Happy New Year! : )

I know it's been a while since I wrote my last post. I'm kinda stuck with the game on Facebook called Cityville, that every time I open the computer, all I want to do is just play the game the whole day if ever I can. It's the least I can do that can occupy my day without getting bored. And I am kinda expecting that by this month, I am working already. It is actually very frustrating waiting for the job you need that you can't do anything but to wait for them to call you. Don't get me wrong but, I've done my part and everything already, it's just that the company is so unpredictable that they just put your life on hold. So I really can't do anything but to do whatever I want and kill time until they are up to something.

Well, for this year, I just wish myself that my life will turn around as I am praying for the whole year last year. Last year was a difficult year, and I am hoping I can at least fix things and make things better for this year. It is a difficult year but I learned so much and still thankful for all the trials and blessings. I know someone out there are hoping the same way as I am, well, let's hope and pray altogether that the year 2011 will be our year this time. God Bless everyone! :)

got it from http://chichiglam.blogspot.com/