Blush, blush

My love,

This letter is long overdue, and it has been tumbling around in my mind for weeks now. So, I think it is finally time to put my thoughts on a digital paper and tell how I feel about you coming into my life. I do not know if you like love letters because I have not asked you about it, but I hope this brings sweet smiles and giggles to you. (I would yell out of too much kilig if I have one.) I am not so good with talking about my feelings sometimes, but I do not want my thoughts to go unsaid.

The past week was relatively challenging for me, as you know, and thank you for being there all throughout those times. You have been there digitally and emotionally close to me and I am very thankful for that. In this era where we, independent women, rising from the ground and dominating the fields that were only meant for men before, I am very lucky to have found you in the most unexpected place and unpredicted time. You are my hard rock and my good friend; fit for me and only for me. (Selfish alert hehe :P) You are the sweet frosting on top of my cupcake which adds up more flavors to my taste buds, to my life’s journey.

Separated by continents and oceans, being apart from you is more difficult than I ever imagined. Most days I find myself fantasizing how you’d look in an actual person, how you’d talk to me face-to-face, how you’d show your affections, how you’d touch and hold me and many more. At night, I lay down and imagine you are here with me. These thoughts make me ache and yearn to be with you someday. It is funny how I just can't stop thinking about you.

I do not tell you often enough but I have such an unending respect for you and the way you carry yourself in this world. You are true to yourself and I admire you for that. Your heart is caring and kind. Your eyes are so captivating. I could get lost in them forever. They are like depth of bluest ocean that I love getting drowned into. You are the loveliest and sexiest thing in the world and I could not be more attracted to everything about you. Your voice is so damn sexy in my ears that I want it to be the only voice I hear everyday. Thank you for being you. 

I believe that the perfect time will come for us to be with one another each day and everyday of our lives. And for sure, by that time, I will be so grateful to be able to wake up next to you every day, and will be so ecstatic that yours are the lips I get to kiss and body I get to hug before I nod off every single day. I was bitter last couple of years when it comes to talking about emotions and feelings. (I even made this sarcastic post.) I think I am not like that anymore today.  I know Foxy has been pissing you off lately. I hope she learns her training as days pass by. Do not forget that I am just right here willing to cheer you up in times you are irritated with day to day misfortune.

Today as I write this letter, it seems like you are right here with me. I feel your hand holding my hand, your fingers in my hair, and the soft breath of your kiss on my cheek. I miss you every day, my love. I cannot wait to finally see you soon.

Love,

Your Queen

Cebuanos can now have a chance to turn their travel plans into a reality when they join SM’s latest promo in Cebu – SM Seaside City Cebu DOWNLOAD, SHOP & FLY – as SM continues to offer new and exciting ways to make shopping more fun and rewarding!

From February 1 to March 31, mallgoers can avail an instant P100 discount from participating brands and a chance to win a trip for 2 to one of five Asian destinations, like Japan South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, or China.
Here’s how: 

Step 1: Download the SM Supermalls Mobile App and register.

Step 2: Click on the Coupons Tab to see the list of participating brands.

Step 3: With a minimum single receipt purchase of P1,000, get a P100 discount instantly!

Step 4: Redeemed e-coupon becomes the e-raffle entry for the Asian country trip for two.

In partnership with Philippine Airlines and PAL Mabuhay Miles, winners will also be getting additional mileage points when they fly via this promo.

Over 250,000 Filipinos have subscribed to the SM Supermalls Mobile App because of chances like this. Download it now to get yours!

iTunes: http://bit.ly/SMMobileApp-iTunes

Google Play: http://bit.ly/SMMobileApp-GooglePlay

Visit www.smsupermalls.com for more details.

1. What is DOWNLOAD, SHOP & FLY?

Download, Shop & Fly is an in-app digital couponing campaign that rewards SM Supermalls mobile app users instant P100 discount from participating brands and a chance to win a trip for 2 to one of five Asian destinations: JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, or CHINA, starting February 1-March 31, 2018.

2. How do I download the SM Supermalls mobile app?

User has to go either On the App Store or Google Play Store and search for “SM Supermalls” and install.

The SM Supermalls mobile app is compatible to at least Jellybean and iOS 7 devices only.

3. How do I participate in DOWNLOAD, SHOP & FLY promo?

User needs a strong and stable internet connection when using the mobile app.

Digital coupons will be automatically be available every time the user logs on to the SM Supermalls app.

Simply tap the digital coupon in the Coupons Tab to see the list of SM Seaside City Cebu’s participating brands. Each coupon offers P100 discount instantly with a minimum single receipt purchase of P1,000. Every redeemed coupon becomes an e-raffle entry for the Asian country trip for two.

4. How many times can I claim the coupons?

Each coupon can only be claimed once during the whole promo duration.

5. Who are qualified to join this promo?

All registrants of the SM Supermalls mobile app.

6. Can I avail the Download, Shop & Fly coupons in other SM malls?

Promo is valid for SM SEASIDE CITY CEBU mall only.

7. How will I know if the promo is still ongoing and valid?

The coupons will be labeled as promo ended and will not be redeemable any more.

8. Until when may I join and claim my prize?

The Download, Shop & Fly promo runs from February 1 until March 31, 2018 only.

9. How will I know if I win the e-raffle for a trip for two to the following Asian destinations: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and China?

Winners will be notified via registered email and mobile phone. The list of winners will also be posted on SM Seaside City Cebu’s official social media accounts and mall posters.

10. When is the raffle draw

11. If I didn’t win the raffle in the first draw, can I still win in the succeeding draws?

Customers’ e-raffle entries not drawn will still be valid across all draws.

12. Is the prize convertible to cash?

No.

13. Who do I contact for more information and other concerns?

Call at (02) 876-1111 or email us at customercare@smsupermalls.com.

IRASHAIMASE!

I love Japanese cuisine because it is usually fresh and healthy. Japanese are very particular when it comes to their food. Most of all, I like their sushi a lot. Sushi is a Japanese dish of specially prepared vinegared rice, usually with some sugar and salt, combined with a variety of ingredients, such as seafood, vegetables, and occasionally tropical fruits. Its looks mainly captivate me to like it and most of all, its taste. There are some Japanese restaurants that have got under my skin and that I love to return to. Restaurants that instigate me because of the place, the people, the light and often if not always, the food they serve. In this post, I will talk about Rai Rai Ken. It is the number one in my list and that is why I reserved a space for it in my website.

What is RAI RAI KEN?

Before going into the core, let us define what these words mean. (Yes, I did my research. You are welcome. Wink!) 

Rai Rai is an old Chinese word for “welcome” and Ken for “restaurant”. These words are enunciated especially if someone wants to go to an appealing, fascinating and scrumptious food place. In the Philippines, it was in 1993 when Benjie (the owner of the restaurant chain) decided to put up his own restaurant at Bautista St. in Makati City, Manila.  It was named Master Chow before and was serving Filipino breakfast and other Karinderya foods. Then they started to offer Ramen or Japanese noodles in their menu.  The success story started there.

As of 2018, Rai Rai Ken blossoms into a fresh upgrade. These can be noticed by looking at their logo design. A much fluid and ascending stroke signifies the brand direction of delighting their customers into higher level. The color schemes are much stern, calm and fresh which transcends to their interior design and feel of the store bringing the customers to a much engaging but relaxing mood that compliments to their improved product offering. Talk about Millennials and Generation X! Most of all, they adjusted their menus to capture the taste buds of Filipinos.

Chefs preparing my food.

What are my favorites?

When Rai Rai Ken is mentioned, it is usually associated to Ramen. Well, their Ramen is pretty good at least for an Asian girl like me, but apart from that, they also serve other menu like ippinryori, teriyaki, teppanyaki and many more. Some of them give me hard time to pronounce properly, lol. The following are my picks.

1. Ramen

I love sipping its soup. Ramen soup is made of the soup base as well as the added flavor. A soup base is almost always from pork bones, shellfish, beef bones, fish, or even vegetables. It was said that for ramen craftsmen, original flavors were produced after doing hundreds of trial and error experiments in combining soup base and the added flavors.

What is your choice?

2. California Maki

I love sushi! Just look at the picture! :P

Yum!

3. Tempura and Gyoza

…because who doesn’t love shrimps? (Except to those allergic to this food.)

4. Mungbean Sprout

Tawgi is one of the Filipino foods I always choose because of its high potassium content plus it tastes like very fresh noodles. Crunchiness in every chew.

Tawgi mo diha :D

5. Beef Teriyaki

The meat is broiled and glazed with soy sauce and little bit of sugar. It is the sauce that makes the taste mouth-watering and delicious for me.

Quickfacts:

Rairaiken is the first Ramen House established in Japan in 1910.

In the Philippines, Rairaiken started in 1993 and has been the Market Leader for 20 years.

Know more about them at rairaiken.com.ph

Cheers! :P

Let me know what are your favorite Japanese cuisine as well!

Pit Senyor! Sinulog is just around the corner. I now sense the joyful and lively vibes in the city brought by the drumbeats beginning to fill the air and festive colors popping everywhere. I know you’ve heard a word or two about this festivity. Maybe you’ve seen it on TV, social media or heard about it from a friend or strangers. Sinulog is known to be the first biggest and grandest festival in the Philippines!

Sinulog is the ritual prayer-dance in honor of the infant child Jesus, the Holy Child of Cebu also known as Señor Santo Niño. He is known to be miraculous. The dance consists of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of drums. Sinulog Grand Parade is the most anticipated part of the event. It is the very exciting and fun highlight that one shouldn't miss. Dancers from all over the country gather and perform their dance interpretations in the street which lasts for 9 to 12 hours attracting millions of viewers all over the world. I still remember my chaotic but fulfilled experiences with this!

As years passed by, Sinulog has grown from purely a dance of faith into a sophisticated festival nowadays. A lot of enthusiastic parties also take place in Cebu during this vibrant season.

In this post, I will name some fashion tips you can pull off during Sinulog festival. Are you guys ready to celebrate? 

1. Styled Sinulog T-shirts

Sinulog T-shirts are just a grab in every mall corner and street stalls. Ditch the common look of cotton shirts and loose blouses. This is the perfect time to opt for a customized t-shirt. What I meant for that is the hand-cut and styled t-shirts then pair it with tattered jeans or denim shorts. Guys and gals can do alike! If you have no time to do this, head to Island Souvenirs in SM City and Ayala Mall and let them do the styling for you at a very small fee.

2. Fancy and festive hats/headdresses

In order to combat the heat while watching the Grand Parade, one must wear a heat protection on our heads - a hat or any headdress. Umbrella is not advisable especially because it is going to be a jam-packed event. When it comes to hats or headdresses, I do not mean the normal hat that most people wear. I mean the colorful and vibrant ones because guess what, we need to blend in! It is a colorful celebration afterall.

3. Henna tattoo

This is my most favorite thing to get during Sinulog. I always make sure I have this. I love art secretly (though art doesn’t love me, lol). I want it to show on my body even at least once a year. Henna tattoos have also been used to adorn women's bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations for centuries. So there is nothing wrong to get this.  Speaking of that, I should go the next day and get this on my arms. So excited!

4. Colorful eyeliners and eyeshadows

These are for ladies. Take a rest from the normal black liners you wear everyday. Wear the bright and colorful ones. Choose the colors that symbolizes your personality. Bright eyes, bright life! Yay.

5. Colorful hairs

No, do not get a  permanent hair color treatment in salons and toss bunch of pesos. Fake colors for your locks on this specific event can be bought in malls and pharmacies at a very affordable price. Plus, they are washable.

6. Bulky earrings
I personally love to wear bulky earrings but I can't do it in the office because I would look like a joke. I sometimes would wear them if I go shopping though a lot of people would look at me and think if this girls is just okay. For some of you who are like me, this is our time to pull these cute stuffs off. Remember to choose the vibrant and colorful ones always.

7. Face paints to spice the look
Sinulog celebration would be incomplete without face paints. This is another thing I always look up to. We can pay a small amount of fee to have an artist stylishly put it on our face that would match our Sinulog outfit. Or if you want to get it free (like me hahaha), head to Baseline street and come out like a wet chick that just finished swimming in a pool of body paints. Your Sinulog t-shirt would look like a canvas of all the mixtures of paints too. The outcome is a beautiful mess . Just the perfect thing I like.

8. Old-school shoes

Sinulog celebration also means lots of walking the streets because there are no vehicles. Roads are closed by authorities and there are road blocks scattered everywhere. Make sure to have your shoes ready. Nope not the brand new one you just recently bought and love the most, but the old one that even if hundreds of people would step onto it, you'd just be okay. See to it that your lovely feet are comfortable and can move freely.

9. Vibrant phone case
Almost all of us love taking pictures. Millennials be like picture here, picture there, picture everywhere. (I am guilty of it.) Put your phone in a waterproof/sweat-proof case in order to avoid getting it wet from all the paint and water wars along the streets.

There you have it! I hope you'll have a memorable Sinulog celebration.

I can’t believe we are now in the year 2018! It feels like January 1, 2017 is just yesterday and yet here we are, facing another year, welcoming another chapter of our lives, embracing another set of 365 days to work on achieving our goals and being awesome. Before I initiate a kickstart of my 2018 year, I figure to mention worth-sharing events and activities that happened in my December 2017. 

December means Christmas Season to most of us. Especially to us Filipinos, December is the festive time of the year. This is one of my favorite months because aside from the fact that there a lot of holidays with red marks on my calendar, there are lots of celebrations over food, too. (Of course!). A lot of really great things happened during this month that made me happy and caused positive impacts to me. 

To mention, the following are some highlights of my December 2017:

Christmas Party almost every weekend!

From setting up the Christmas decorations and playing Yuletide songs, part of Filipinos’ tradition is to throw Christmas parties almost everyday. Yes, you heard it right! Philippines has been known to have the longest Christmas season in the world. When you say about Christmas Parties here in my place, it usually means a joyful celebration about Jesus’ birth month usually eating together over sumptuous foods, exchanging or giving of gifts to your friends, colleagues and families as well as giving appreciations to the people who matters to you and played important roles in your life. Sure, you can do this everyday, which really is the right thing, but doing it during Christmas Parties makes it also appeal extra special and remarkable at some point.

In my case, I celebrated it every weekends because I have work during weekdays. Since I am a member of a few organizations here in Cebu, I had attended lots of parties. This also means a lot of preparations that range from dress and heels to wear, gifts to buy and schedules to comply.

Optum Christmas party –  My team joined a caroling contest. We had to do a practice. It was a little bit exhausting, but very amusing and entertaining as well.

Alumni Scholarship Christmas party – I was one of the organizing team of the party. With me being the incharge of the party program and the prizes, I bought gift cards in SM City mall and picked lots of goodies in Ayala mall to give as prizes to the lucky participants.

Blogger’s Appreciation Night – One of the nicest things celebrated was be my 1 year of being an official blogger. I joined one of Cebu’s blogging group named Cebu Blogging Community with the hope of growing my network of friends and improving my writing skills. Being part of the party was such a night full of positive feelings that I did the challenge. Now my additional challenges would be consistency and continuous improvement of the stuff that I am doing. It’s nice to receive a pat on the should for facing and completing the organization's challenges. They turned out into something helpful to me personally, too.

Google Developer’s Group Cebu Christmas Party – My GDG Cebu family holds a special place in my heart. Everyone in my team is close to me, they know me and I can literally share anything as long as I want to. This party was full of Trivia from artists, to general facts and even to technologies. We had lots of games and lots of  yummy prizes. Compared to my alumni organization, nope, I was not part of the organizing team of this party. I am glad about it. Hahaha!

Christmas party with college buddies and other close friends – With the very busy schedule almost all of us have, giving a time even sometimes to be with the friends whom I shared memories with when I was still schooling is important to me. We had Karaoke during this even if we are not singers. This made the experience so much fun. The building's wall had cracks everywhere because of our terrible voices. Hahaha!

I won best dress awards.

Christmas parties are associated with dresses, heels and other cool clothes you like to pull off. If I am to be asked, I’m personally okay with me dressing myself elegantly and putting on colorful dusts to my face like a pro because I have been always sitting on my office chair wearing corporate attires, t-shirts paired with jeans during dress down days, pajamas and loose dasters or bulky sleeveless at home. Putting myself into fancy dresses and heels even once a year sounds great to me.

I visited my hometown Canlaon City and celebrated Christmas day with my family.

I had never been home for almost two years already due to corporate job responsibilities. What makes my December 2017 quite special was the fact that, I went home to Negros province and be with my parents and siblings once again. I treated them a day of eating what they wanted. We went to one of the calm parks in San Carlos City near the seashore. We also went to one of the beaches in the island with our neighbors.

One tragic accident happened though. My brother was rushed and admitted to the hospital because he encountered a vehicular accident that caused him to pass out for 5 minutes. Gladly, he's just okay. Only burns on the legs and minor cuts were the issues. Our motorcycle was properly crashed too so I needed to have it repaired.

I knew someone closer to my heart.

For some time now, I have been dreaming for that someone compatible to me both emotionally and intellectually. I am not into rushing things just to be clear. Rushed things often lead you to stumble and fall. I don’t want that. I just want someone whom I can share about anything under the sun and not judge me for it as much as possible. Then, I meet this someone. He is a stranger at first, but I found this connectivity with him both emotionally and intellectually in a small span of time communicating with him. Not to mention, our humors definitely click. So, looking forward for a stronger bond in the coming days.

That are some of the cool things that occurred in my December 2017. I know a lot of awesome adventures and great happenings are waiting for me out there as the days pass by and as I continue my journey. I am very excited to experience them with open arms. How about you, what are the cool stuff that happens in your December?

(more pictures tomorrow)