happy birthday luigi!

My youngest brother Lui has always been dear to me. He's a friend, confidant, or even an enemy all in one. I can still remember the times when I used to fetch him from school during his kindergarten days. Those times when I helped him out on his lessons when examinations are fast approaching. I just missed spending quality time with him. Last week, me and Patty decided to give him a little treat for his birthday. We decided to throw him a little party enough for the whole family and his close friends. I was assigned to do the cooking while dad put extra efforts in decorating the third floor which was his party venue. Patty, on the other hand helped me out in preparing the dishes. The 16th of April was the busiest day of the month for me. Imagine doing all the cooking from morning till early in the evening... Believe me, it was really tiring!
I was so happy that we were able to pull things off that day. Seeing how happy my brother was made me super happy as well. Knowing that he appreciated all of our efforts made everything worthwhile. I hope that next year, we will be able to surpass this party and throw him a party much bigger than this one.

Visita Iglesia

In the last four years, It has always been a tradition of our group to participate at the station of the cross at Antipolo. It is a long walk from our house to the Antipolo Church. It will usually take you six long hours of walk to finish the whole thing. It's my form of sacrifice for the Lord during the Lent. This year, I decided to break my tradition. This year, I decided to participate at the Visita Iglesia with my ATC  family. Visita Iglesia is similar to the thing you do at Antipolo but the twist here is that you have to go to 13- 14 churches to finish the whole thing. This means that one church is equivalent to one station.

Yesterday, we started our sacrifice at the first church which is located at Pateros. We walked from one church to another. We can't eat, nor take a jeep or any means of transportation until you finish half of it.When we arrived at the 9th station, we decided to grab something for our hungry tummy. After that quick lunch, we decided to continue our long journey. It was a tiring afternoon and it felt like my body is about to give up but keeping the thought in my head that I'm doing this for God makes me want to finish this process. As we arrived at the Last church which is the Sacred Heart church, I feel so happy knowing that I was able to finish everything. I offered a prayer and thank him for all the blessings the whole year. This was indeed a memorable experience for me. It was a tiring walk but it was all worth it. I can't wait to do this again next year.

Palm Sunday

Today is the official start of the holy week. What better way to start this week than to attend the Sunday mass, right? Just like most of the people here in our Barangay, we decided to attend the mass on the church here at our place. As we walked through the crowded streets, we see people going to the same direction as ours. You can also see a lot of palm vendors preparing their palms which will be blessed after the mass. I am so happy knowing that a lot of people still lives on the tradition of the Catholic church. It's good knowing that a lot of people still know how to thank God for every good thing he did for us.
As the mass started, I focused all of my attention the the mass proper alone. It's nice to communicate with God once in a while. I felt so blessed hearing his words. It felt like I'm talking to him up close. Finishing the mass today was a big accomplishment for me. It was satisfying in a way because I know deep down that I started holy week just right. Looks like I will have an interesting week ahead of me. I know that by the end of the week, I will be a better person for I will dedicate every minute of the week thanking the Lord for everything.

cheers to good friendship!

Having good friends sticking with you on a daily basis is like in icing on the top of a cake. I'm so happy to have good friends who are always there to back me up whenever I'm feeling blue or even when I just want to have someone by my side. I know four years is not considered a lifetime but the memories we've shared and the experiences we had makes the bond of our friendship tighter and closer. People may see us as a group with different personalities but I think that's what make this friendship unique above all. I know that the relationship established between me and my pals will last until my last breath. Going through college became easier knowing I have them around. I can't thank God enough for giving me wonderful people like them. I know it sounds cliche but I can't imagine going through college without them.

I know Graduation is fast approaching but that doesn't mean that it is the end of our journey. We may be going through different paths of career but one thing is for sure: I will always be here for all of you and I will never leave you. Thanks for sharing your life with me. I am looking forward to more parties and drinking sessions with you guys. :)

"Lucky" by Patty, Andrew and Me

I was browsing through facebook until a post on my uncle's wall got my attention. It was a video of me, my sister Patty and my friend Andrew singing "Lucky" by Britney Spears. I was so shocked to see the video since it's been a year since we uploaded it.  Actually, we did it just for fun, not for anything else. I was laughing while browsing on the comments. I never knew that people would actually like it. I never had a voice as good as my sister so please, no negative comments on that part. Attached to this post is the video that I'm bragging about. Enjoy watching  :)

Trip to Quiapo

After all the sleepless nights due to pressure on schoolworks, I can confidently say that I'm going to graduate by the end of this school year. This is a big blessing not just for me but for my whole family. What made this such a big thing for us is the fact that me and my sister succeeded in beating all the deadlines and luckily for us, we both passed and will attend the graduation.I knew all along that all of these are possible because God is by our side. Good thing I always talk with him through my prayers and just this semester, some of my classmates decided to visit Quiapo habitually to ask for guidance to the Lord. After all that we've been through, Me and my friends decided to give Quiapo another visit.

As usual, our trip to Quiapo is a long, bumpy ride from Makati to Manila. What made this ride fun are the conversations we had to keep ourselves entertained while we are experiencing the traffic jam on our way to our destination. As we reached Quiapo, our eyes feast on the sidewalk stalls full of different products with of course, different purpose. You can find almost everything in Quiapo: Pirated DVD's, pets, home decors, bags, shirts and yes, even sex toys! First timers will surely be surprised with what this place has to offer.

     Let's cut the chase and proceed to what we went there for. We attended the mass and good thing we finished it before rush hour. After the mass, we decided to talk a walk to enjoy th vicinity. 

Aside from the products that this place offers, we also noticed interesting people outside the church. A guy who dressed like Jesus was there encouraging people to join him in his "New Jerusalem". It was weird but he kept firm with his belief. To be honest, I found it entertaining rather than believable. We didn't stayed long since I needed to go to the hospital because my dad was rushed there due to high blood sugar. Good thing we finished the mass before that incident happened.

Even though our Quiapo experience was just a quick afternoon on a busy Friday, I was so contented and happy because I spent my time there with my friends. I know this is not my last visit to this place. Quiapo has been one of my favorite places in Manila for it offers different things in life. It's a place where you can strengthen your faith with God. A must visit for people who love to try new things. 

A "Kantina" Experience

Friday nights are considered bonding nights for me and my siblings. Every Friday, we make it a point to hunt for places that offers different varieties of food on a low price. Good thing my sister's boyfriend (Dario) introduced "Kantina" to us. At first, I was hesitant to try the place because it was the first time that I've heard of it. It is located at the parking lot of Market2x and they are open from 7PM-8AM during Fridays only. Anyway, we arrived there at 11PM. I was surprised to see mouth watering dishes and desserts. I knew at that very moment that I wont leave "Kantina" with an empty stomach.

I had a taste of the baked macaroni first. It's really affordable and it has a huge serving. I know i'll give it a second try when I visit the place next time.

The cheesecake didn't fail to deliver. We actually had two slices of it. They also offer blueberry cheesecake, oreo cheesecake, chocolate cakes, etc. I know this doesn't sound so healthy but it wouldn't hurt if  you try these just once a week, right ?

I can say that "Kantina" can be called the mini version of Banchetto or the Midnight Mercato. If you're in for a food trip that can make your tummy burst, give Kantina a try. This place is a haven for foodies on a low budget. Try visiting the place and believe me, your first visit wont be your last.