No Chicken-ing Out!

I'm sure everyone has heard about Max's Chicken-All-You-Can. I first knew about this treat when I saw the billboard along EDSA-Kamuning. I must admit, I wasn't attracted to the promo, I was captivated (CAPTIVATED?!?!) by the kerreh mowdel.

Eeek! Che. Landi!

So last night, I finally gave in and went to SM Marikina to try it out! When we got to Max's we were #8 in the waiting line. My gulay. I was so hungry and ready to devour birds! Chuice! So I went around to shop for some beauty products (?!?!) aka toiletries haha until we were next in line.

Fullhouse in the House that Fried Chicken Built

And so, the chicken challenge began! I had 4 quarters all in all. That's 1 leg and 3 breast parts. If you know your math, you may assume that yes, it was like eating a whole chicken. I had rice only on the third round para sulit hahah. Here they are!

The poor victims. Masarap kayo in fairness. Left to right: Chicken 2, 3, and 4. No photo op for chicken 1 because I was so hungry and ate it immediately.

With me are other bird eaters who most, I think, devoured 1 whole chicken each. Not in the pic are Ate Ria, Renmar and Gay who stayed in the next table.

Meggie, Sir Boom, Sir Miko and Mika "mowdel ng sarsa" Millar

Candid Vanity shot alert!Chicken pa? Ayoko na plez!

After piles of chicken, of course everyone is left with piles of bones.

Because the promo is until 10 PM only we had to stop. Upon leaving, I swear not to eat chicken for a week at least. Seeing another one will perhaps make me barf.

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This morning, I skipped breakfast to watch the Inauguration on tv. Went down to the kitchen only for lunch and TADAAAA!

Nyeta chicken na naman?!? This time with mushroom sauce

Thank God there was beef steak leftover from dinner last night. Kebs na kung leftover lang

SLAMAT LORRD for the beef steak! Choz

If you haven't tried it, Gow na! Its until July 17 only. Sulit na after 4 parts . I've known people who went there more than once already. Grabe lang!

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From June 17 to July 17, 2010 Max's Restaurants nationwide will be serving unlimited quarter-sliced chicken pieces for Php 165.00 to diners from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm daily. By adding PhP39, customers can also avail of bottomless Pepsi products.

A Love Affair with My Nose

If there's one thing I am sure I wasn't blessed enough, that would be my NOSE. Its large, wide and very pango. I think when God showered good noses to all mankind, I was still alseep hence what I got was one of the rejects. HAHA

Yes. Pinoy. Walang duda

Yet honestly, I never got intimidated by it. For all I care, its just a nose. And I know that whatever God gave me suits me perfectly. Its just interesting that I base my judgments on one's nose- whether its perfect, cute, or quirky. So if you are my kerreh, chances are you have a very distinct nose haha

Bulaga!

Kidding aside, I really love my nose. And here are top 3 reasons why:

1. I am an olfactory person. Some people remember things through touch, or what they see or hear. Me? Through smell. Smelling something brings a huge nostalgia. It always triggers my memory to the day when I first smelled a thing or to things I was accustomed to. And im talking about very specific smells. Bring me back to my dorm and show me all the places I've spent much time in and I will probably remember a little. But let me smell those ripe acacia pods and it will bring back scenes and even emotions of the past.

2. I can tell scents and smells. I believe that my nose is sensitive to tell one from another. I could also smell traces and could identify what that is. I dunno if you guys were able to watch Perfume: Story of a Murderer where a guy could smell even the faintest ones far far away. OA! Di naman ganung level. Slight lang. Like smelling traces of lychee in a room spray and true enough, its one of the many layers and components.

3. I perhaps found my passion in my nose. I am a chemistry graduate and for years the only reason I give on why I chose that course was that I came from Pisay and I have to take a science degree. It was only recently that I realized why I wanted chemistry- and that's because I wanted to be a perfumer. Yes, I envision myself going to France and exposing my nose to discover all the beautiful scents, mixing them to create divine smells!

And so I have committed myself to pursuing my dreams of studying and becoming a perfumer. I've been reading quite a lot, inquiring in various schools and considering my options here and abroad. And from time to time, Ill keep you updated regarding this life project :)

Here's to my special love affair with my nose!

No Rain on Their Parade!

Last Friday, I went to Ren and Bryan's Housewarming Party somewhere near Rockwell. It was raining hard-OA hard and so I thought I would just have call it a night. Good thing my friend Ina and her date Eugene picked me up around 11:30 PM. Naturally it was still traffic outside. Friday night + rain is the worst combination.

We arrived at around 12:30 AM to a party that started at 9:30 PM. Talk about un-fashionably late HAHA

Welcome drink. A partially set aflame shot of Bacardi 151

I haven't warmed my seat yet and I had 2 shots of 151 already. I'd like to believe that was only 3 minutes apart. And so, while everyone was a little tipsy, Ina and I claimed nakahabol kami HAHA

The main reason why I really tried hard to clear-up my schedule for this night was because I havent seen my barkada for quite a long time. Plus my good friend Styx is leaving for Singapore again and God knows when I'll be seeing him again.

Half of Ecce Signum. Laban ka sa name? That's me, Jans, Styx and James.

I missed these guys a lot! And it felt so good that even after 5 years, it was as if we just saw each other the day before.

I must say lumel-up ang fun! There was maturity yet still enough hanky panky. Right Styx?

Met some old friends

That's Mara (chyeh! di ka lola ano?), Ren, Reg (!!!) and Armie

And some new ones (umu-objective ba?)


Mara and Ren with their HP officemates, Martin (in maroon) and Rommel (in blue). Thank you Mara Rellosa for selling me and my Sto. Nino act. Humanda ka sa akin hahah

My friend since grade 3, Ina! and Bryan's P&G buddy from Australia, Adrian

We all decided to go home at around 4:30 AM. Ina's date was so drunk we had to wake him up and walk him downstairs to the car. Ina tried to drive but she had a difficult time so we had no choice but to let the tipsy guy take over. I seriously fastened my seat belt in the backseat because he knew no stop lights!

I fell asleep and when I woke up we were in Gilmore already (Maraming salamat po, Lord) Got home around 5:30 with the beautiful sunrise behind- as beautiful as me (Chuice!)

Many thanks and congratulations to our hosts Bryan and Ren! We love your place!

Hope you will all have a great time in the "ultimate bachelors' pad" and good luck with your Gentlemen's Fund.

Reflections from the girl who will never grow old

When I got home from work today, I went to play with my nephew in his room. He was watching a rather familiar movie and I realized it was Annie!

For those of you who may not be aware of the plot, I've copy-pasted a summary from IMDB.

In the depths of the 1930's, Annie is a fiery young orphan girl who must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Her seemingly hopeless situation changes dramatically when she is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the wealthy munitions industrialist, Oliver Warbucks. Quickly, she charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love this wonderful girl. He decides to help Annie find her long lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Hannigan, her evil brother, Rooster, and a female accomplice, plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves which put Annie in great danger. Written by Kenneth Chisholm

Annie has come in many different forms and versions- from a comic sript, to a broadway musical to a movie. Her role has likewise been played by numerous girls. One of them is Lea Salonga which I believe owed Annie ( and Kim of Miss Saigon) her successful career as a singer and an actress.

What was so special about this Annie was it was the same version my family and I used to enjoy when I was young. Back in then, Annie was played in betamax. (o, ha! Ngayon, street food nalang ang natitirang betamax).

Watching the film was simply nostalgic. I was surprised to learn that I still memorize most songs as well as the talking lines. Everything was a trip down to memory lane. What was so peculiar about that experience was that I got teary-eyed when Annie was packing since her "parents" were taking her away from Mr. Warbucks. And that was something new.

When I was a child I dont remember getting all emo about it. All I remember was having fun, singing and throwing lines even before they were delivered. Once again it dawned in me that I have grown up. Perhaps, I have taken the story in with more depth and maturity. Another probable reason was that the movie made me remember my dad. He was like Mr. Warbucks- stiff and strict yet always had a soft spot for his kids. I miss him quite often these days perhaps because it Fathers' day celebrated just this Sunday.

--

One famous music from the movie was Tomorrow. When Annie was sad, she would sing this song and lifted some inspiration from it. It's funny that whenever I feel down, I hum the same song too and has always given me hope and courage to move forward.

Its so funny that although Annie always looked forward to tomrrow, she never grew old. Years back Annie and I were just of the same age. Now, I may be old enough as her kuya but her wisdom and optimism still captures me. Yes, that little child's hope still remains my source of inspiration to this day.

Something to Watch-out For!

I spent the whole Sunday shooting the virals for OneCORE. We created 4 separate videos that hopefully will help us spread our advocacy of self-awareness and development to more and more young individuals.

Call time was at 7:00 AM. Coming from watching world cup (yehes!) and with roughly 3 hours of sleep, we met at Coach Pia's house to do the shoot. Thank you to the Acevedo family for sharing your beautiful house and the delicious food that was served. Grabe, food was round-the-clock parang piyesta lang. AHAHA

Here are some of the behind-the-scene shots taken during the shoot

First video was taken in the playground in Xavierville 1. Ansabe ng dolly? Full prod kung full prod noh?! This was actually a guerrilla shooting and our attention was called by the Association Director. Oops. Good thing we finished right before they went back to check if we were gone!

Setting up for the next video. We turned the house upside-down! That table had to be moved from the right side hence notice the sofa partially outside HAHA

Actors taking a break! Sir Boom displayed intense acting! Na-FELT ko talaga ang tension! Even in this picture he was in character!

After dinner we transferred to the office to shoot the last of the 4 videos. Here's a picture with the actors, our co-director and producer, Saz and our ever reliable kuyas.


Actors reviewing the scene that was recently taken. The guy in white was our director, Neil. This guy really has the talent not only on the technicals and aesthetics but also in coaching people on how to act easily yet effectively.


And that's the wrap! Packed everyithing up at 11 PM. WEW 16 hours of shooting! Definitely tiring but it was a great experience and a day well spent.

You might be wondering what my role was. Shempre, as usual, magmaganda. CHUICE. I was there to supervise everything and had the chance to play extra too!

I would now like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for this very successful endeavor:

• The Acevedo household for the location and food
• Armand Sazon of Sazon Media Solutions for co-producing, co-directing and playing some parts
• Neil for the excellent directing and hopefully superb editing
• Cinerent kuya's for the support and assistance in set-up, lighting and dolly and mic operations
• Actors: Auee, Tim, Sir Boom and Lippy. Yehes sisikat kayo ng bongga!
• And of course to Mr. Ariel Diccion for the outstanding and inspiring performance as lead actor. Grabe. You truly are talented and we will forever be grateful for sharing your talent.

EXCITED??? Watch out for the video premiere soon! (meganon?)

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To know about the OneCORE Success Center visit www.theonecore.com

Yes, the manly side

So I've been watching FIFA World Cup lately. I've known bits and pieces about the games but I've never tried watching a full game. Lately, I've been giving it a try ( thanks to Margie Lim) and I can honestly say that I'm having fun.

Smorgasbord. chuice

So for the past week I've been catching some matches at Cantina with friends over bottles of beer. Also, Balls has been one of my most frequented channels on TV ( I always skip the string of sports related channels).

Yesterday, we went into karir mode and drove to Friday's in High Street to watch with some hardcore soccer enthusiasts.

Lumevel-up from Cantina, anoh?

The game was Netherlands vs Japan- Netherlands won 1-0. Sadly, the people there were not as "invested" as we expected. There were some Japanese watching too but they lacked the national pride (meganon?) to cheer loudly. Funny that we had to go back to Cantina for the next game and had more fun there.

I find myself pretentious to say that I'm totally hooked in the game but it's worth researching and appreciating- both the game, and the boys CHUICE. And I wouldn't be surprised if I'd be a fan in the future. Or fly to wherever to watch it live. HAHA

How do you say Happy Birthday in Spanish?

Last Tuesday we braved the intense rain and insane traffic to celebrate my friend, Margie's birthday at Sancho in Maginhawa St.

So there's a place called Churreria

Sancho serves decent Spanish cuisine at a very affordable price. I took the liberty of taking pictures. They don't look appetizing here but each dish was flavorful and interesting.

For starters we had eclairs, cream puff and churros con chocolate HAHA

Mag-dessert ka nga for starters!!!

Then came the bagyo of Spanish staples

Seafood something. I honestly forgot the name

The Beef stew was so-so

The sausage platter was one of the best. Hungarian, Schublig and something else

Of course, a Spanish feast won't be complete without the Paella Valenciana

Not in the pictures were the beef salpicao, callos and the lengua estofado which was so tender and flavorful. For dessert, we had jelly candies

I swear these colorful creatures are addicting. Parang jellyace na matigas.

Overall, I think Sancho's food was 7.5-8.0. Not bad huh? Well, we were all so busog after. Thanks to the birthday girl, Margie!

ganda ka?

Here's the tribute YOU requested HAHA

I met Margie in 2007 during the COA Formsem. On the way to Baguio she was in front of me in the bus. We got to know each other because we both couldn't recline our seats. HAHA. At first I thought she was a serious, no non-sense person. But my 3 year (and counting) friendship with her has proven me wrong.

Margie is full of contradictions. She can be the most most serious during meetings and while studying but she could be the best joke ever (as in siya talaga ang joke CHOZ). She could be most opinionated and eloquent but she could be the slowest and the most childish as well. She could be the bitchiest, sarcastic person but she could be the sweetest and caring too.

Like I said in her birthday greeting, life could have been less fun without her. I'm glad that although she made a press release about cutting ties after our COA Stint, she still chose to spend her special day with us. Happy birthday Margie Lim!


*Sancho Churreria Manila is located in 122 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Exploring the Idea of Sex

WEW. Shocking?

I recently read an article in Inquirer (here) Sex Ed Tips: Stick to Anatomy, Don't Say Bird or Flower by Tarra Quismundo.

"Straightforward language and an emphasis on values are the keys in teaching children about sex without provoking malice and undue curiosity, said Emmalyn Policarpio, a public school teacher since 1998.

She has found that using the exact terms instead of cloaking sensitive words in euphemisms worked in bringing the message to her Grade 5 students."

I never had a formal introduction to the idea of sex. The earliest concept I had was courtesy of Regal Films. Two people in bed with blankets on their bodies- men up to their hips while women just enough to cover their breasts. Sometimes, the woman lights a cigarette and then BOOM! Baby na agad! I have a friend who thought that kissing will simply do the trick.

My parents were wise enough to give me a "growing up" book which discusses all aspects of puberty- from grooming to psycho emotional issues to sex education.That's where I learned things on a very scientific level. No more birds, bees or flowers.

I believe that it helped me a lot in terms of facing this very natural tendency. Unlike other kids who cringe every time people talk about sex, I was able to take it on a more comfortable and mature perspective even at a very young age.

I pity those who even in their adult years are still very uneasy during sex talk. I had a Values Education teacher back in high school who could not say "sex" during our class because according to her "I have said THAT WORD for more than six times already within the day" Seriously, that was pathetic. HAHA

Hmm, cringing now? So what was your initial idea of sex? and how were you able to get past the "shhh that's taboo" phase? or were you able to go beyond it already?

Odd Things You Find in the Supermarket

I went to get some toiletries at Walter Mart beside the village. While waiting for my sister to finish, I went around and found interesting items on shelf. (Again the pictures are grainy since I used my phone. Should get a digicam soon.)

Its a Sharpie knock-off. SHERPLE!!!!

I've seen a net scrub and a sponge. But this is the first time I saw a HYBRID. Di ko gets why this is necessary

Bungi kasi si Spongebob. Not quite a good model for a toothpaste!

Weird tie-up. Buy a soap and get a free sundae cone!

I'm inclined to hunt for more when I'll feel bored. If you see one, take a picture, email it to koi.mejia@gmail.com and ill post them here :)

Anatomy of Road Recklessness

Yesterday, we went to Cavite to commemorate the 40th day of my uncle's death. On our way back to Manila, we decided to take EDSA because I had to be dropped off to a friend's overnight housewarming party somewhere in Mandaluyong.

At around 11:45 PM along Bicutan we got a call from my tita asking for help. She said they got into a hit-and-run incident along EDSA-Ayala. All they can remember is that they got hit by a white vehicle, unsure whether it was a car, truck or bus.

When we got into the site, this was what we saw. The wind shield cracked, and the trunk got all smashed. (Apologies for the bad quality, they were taken using my phone)

We checked on everyone on board. Good thing they weren't wounded but their backs hurt due to the impact. My tita was in panic. Imagine getting into this accident with no one to go after for the damages.

In a few minutes, people from the MMDA arrived. They said that a white Ford Escape was responsible and it was flagged somewhere down the road.



Notice the small damages. What is matibay. But the impact was really hard because the airbags were released and the vehicle automatically shut down (ganun pala yun?)

The driver, a woman in pajamas, quickly went out and started apologizing. She was hysterical-wailing and hugging my tita! A van later arrived with the woman's parents and uncle. They gave us her business card and begged that they just discuss things the following day since they need to rush their daughter to the hospital as she was already hyper ventilating. We decided that my tita and her family join them to Makati Med for check up. Good thing they agreed.

The MMDA guys and the offender's uncle decided to tow the cars to a talyer somewhere in Bangkal. I was asked to ride the damaged car so as to secure all their stuff inside. They refused to start the car because the last time they did that, it went in flames including the driver (and that story was told while I was inside it. WEW.I immediately said my prayers HAHA)

After parking the cars, the MMDA guys went off quickly. The offender's uncle shared that those officers asked for Php 2500 EACH for their services. NO RECEIPT WAS ISSUED. Ang kukupal!!!

We then went to Makati Med to meet my tita and her family, They were ok, no fractures whatsoever so they were discharged immediately. We brought them home to Antipolo and then went back home at around 4 AM.

The two parties will just be talking in the next few days to settle the damages.

Side-story: We later found out that the offender was just 20 years old. She had a few drinks and decided to sneak the car out to go to his boyfriend in Antipolo who was trying to break up with her. In the hospital, she was threatening her parents that she'll commit suicide when they get home.

It just sucks when you have been very careful and responsible while driving and some reckless, irresponsible person causes you harm or even your life! My tita and her family were kind enough not to press charges anymore but we hope that girl learned her lesson! She shouldn't be allowed to drive anymore. More so, she should seek professional help NOW.

Looking the Weather

After the intense heat that fried my brains for 4 months, it feels good slowly welcoming the cooler breeze and the little drops of rain. Sometimes its jirits to walk over puddles and get splatters all over but I love the rainy season more than summer :P

The change in weather also signals a change in the your look: Thicker clothes, more jackets and scarves, boots and yes, umbrellas. And to celebrate the coming of the cooler days, I've browsed through some of the designers' 2010 fall and winter collection.

I found myself drawn to those that create a right mix of plains and prints (not the brand). Also those with a properly put-together pallete of dark hues with bright explosion of colors. It speaks well of who I am-serious and proper with a twist of fun and laughter (Chyeh!)


Dries Van Noten
I especially find that electric blue vest very interesting and how the stripes complemented the pattern on the shirt. The second picture had muted colors but the checkered pattern made the whole outfit stand-out!

Paul Smith

Teal worked well with blue violet. This ensemble had more patterns but it doesn't look over-the-top.

Spur

This is a simple black and white but the stripes are bold enough to create an impact. Notice how the jacket was rolled up to reveal more of the pattern making the outfit very interesting.

Maison Martin Margiela

Here's another simple one but notice how he played around with the fabric combination. Also, the silver belt looks exquisite.

Well, time to beef up my wardrobe! I surely could not afford these ( YET, i hope!) so ill trust my creativity and patience to look around to find similar pieces and reconstruct similar looks :)