CHANGE ADDRESS

Hiyee guys!

I've changed address.  I won't be writing on this blogsite no more.  Please click on this URL instead: www.princessramble.blogspot.com

simpler background and more appropriate blogtitle i think.  I'll be deleting this account in 3 days.

Singapore at the tip of my tongue

I've always wanted to visit Singapore and Malaysia, mainly because I wanted to eat authentic Malay and Singaporean food!  This yearning was enticed by watching the many Asian Food Channel shows that feature hefty Singaporean & Malaysian foodtrips!  They feature dishes straight from the kitchens foodstalls in Malaysia and Singapore, and it all looked yuuuuummy!!!  I would always salivate watching those particular asian shows!  LOL!


Well, I can't afford yet to go on a trip to Singapore nor Malaysia.  Luckily, I have found a Singaporean Resto within the metro.  It's called Orchard Road.  I think it's the only one in the country and it's on the 3rd Level of SM Megamall, in Mandaluyong City! :)

Well, it's not really your typical resto.  Here's how you place your orders:



You get one of these by the counter, then tick the ones you'd like to order.  Fall in line, then pay.  Voila!  Your orders will be served in about 10 minutes.


So, I ordered the ones that I know is a popular Singaporean/Malaysian dish (based on the shows I saw at Asian Food Channel). 




Their version of Char Kway Teow.  It's a 3 out of 5.. There was a burnt after-taste - not sure if it's supposed to taste this way.  If it is, I think they overburnt it.  It was a bit overpowering. but nonetheless, it was okay.



Their Laksa.. a 3 out of 5 as well.  me thinks it's a bit salty.



Hainanese Chicken Rice.. this is a 4 out of 5 :)

And the ambience?  Very chillaxin'.  Very casual. 

Their kitchen in which passersby or diners may view how the dishes are prepped.

Well, this is the closest that I get to Singapore/Malaysia.  ;-)

consunji-wilson prenup video

THE talk of the town??? Well, I found this on YouTube and well, in a generally conservative country like ours - The Philippines - this Pre-nup video is rather too daring.

Yes, I would agree that it is rather different from the usual pre-nup videos I've seen. It actually made a lot of negative noises from the judgemental public.

As for me, I tried to focus on the "art" that the video conveys - which to me is the expression of tremendous anticipation and overwhelming excitement of the couple to their upcoming wedding.

But hey, that's just me ok? ;-)

How Do You Know Trailer 2010 HD

Looks cute.. :) Paul Rudd, Reese, and Jack Nicholson are ok.  Not sure about Owen Wilson though..

Kate Middleton: above middle when it comes to fashion ;)

It's been what, 2 days?, since the ROYAL announcement of Prince William & Ms. Kate Middleton's ROYAL engagement.  Had it been not for this royal news, I wouldn't have known who Kate Middleton is!  LOL!

I was scanning through the many channels of our cable TV when I chanced upon a "breaking news" at BBC.  Yes, it was about the royal engagement.  First thought came to mind was, how exactly did the Prince propose?  Second thought was, I wonder who will make Kate's wedding dress & how it'll look?

Hey!  Those 2 are very valid questions, right? :)  As always, I'm a sucker for weddings.  I soooooo love weddings.  The preparations, the dresses, the motiff, the venue, the lighting, the photos... everything about weddings are just oh so lovely!

Anyway, being the curious person that I am, I checked the web for photos of Ms. Kate Middleton.  I must say, she dresses nicely.  I like her style.  Classic with a twist ;-)  Bra-Vo!  I'm sure she'll rock her wedding dress.  Well, that is if the conservative nature of being a royalty won't interfere.  (And I sure hope that it won't!)  Here are a couple of Kate's pics which I really like - fashion-wise.



courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1045964/Picture-perfect-Kate-works-to-size-6.html



courtesy of contactmusic.com

courtesy of flylip.com

courtesy of fabsugar.co.uk

Also I noticed that Ms. Kate is very ready to becoming officially a member of the royal family.  Her stance is perfect and carries herself very well on cam.  I must say, she has a lot of confidence.  I think this was gained thru the 9 years that she is with Prince William.  It is actually very wise of Prince William to wait that long before he popped the question.  It made both of them see and feel what it's like to be a royal couple.  I think that the 9 years of being bf-gf served Ms. Middleton as a training ground for her.. more like grooming stage for her to become a royalty.

Well, if there's one thing that Kate Middleton has in common with Princess D, it's definitely that they both have a good fashion sense :)

Banapple: more than cakes & amazing desserts!

We celebrated my brother's 30th simply but A-MA-zingly BURPilicious! 

Hats off to Banapple, where we had that sumptuous dinner!  Not only do they serve pies, cheesecakes, and other sweet stuffs, they also have super yummy entrees.  Mind you guys, not only does it taste good, it's reasonably priced, and is served in hefty portions!  Super ok value for money talaga!

For starters, we ordered the Banapple's House Salad only at Php100!!! 

My 2 bros ordered the Hickory smoked barbecued country ribs which is only at Php165 (already served with garlic rice!).  Our mom, being the "health conscious" that she is, ordered the Herbed Chicken Rolls with basil cream sauce (again, served with garlic rice and corn & carrots) only at Php170.  I ordered the Baked Fish Gratinee with Scalloped Potatoes at Php165 - served with white rice and corn & carrots.  Oh, and we ordered their super specialty - THE Banoffee Pie!  Super amazingly SUPERB!  (i know, i'm being redundant but WTH!  I can't emphasize it any better. LOL!)

I am terribly sorry I wasn't able to take pictures of the other entrees!  I got so excited when the server served us our meal.  It looked beautiful and yummy, so I immediately plunged in!  We all did, actually!  I only came to realize that I haven't taken pictures halfway through my meal!  LOL!

Anyways, here's Banapple's official website: http://banapplekitchen.com/Banapple.html

And here's where you may check out their full menu list (with prices): http://banapplekitchen.com/Banapple_files/banapple_cafe_web.pdf


Aside from their fab meals, I really like the ambience.  It's very home-y!  Very casual yet sophisticated in a way.

Banapple has 2 branches along Katipunan Quezon City, and 1 branch in Il Terrazo, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.  You may view their website for the map.  Go visit them soon.

By the way, it would be wise to get there before lunch time or before dinner time because the place is always packed!  It's actually a small place.  1 Katipunan branch has a seating capacity of only 16, the other Katipunan can accomodate about 30 i guess, and the Tomas Morato can accomodate only about 20.

Well, if you are to be on the waiting list, rest assured your wait is going to be all worth it.

Here are a couple of shots I took before we were served our food..

this is it. 1 of the Katipunan branch. small yes, but the food is superb!

Davao is Freedom (for me at least!)

About 2 years ago, I visited Davao.  It was actually a business trip.  But hey, a trip is a trip right?  Plus, I'm a master of mixing business with pleasure ;)

So, I booked the earliest flight going to Davao City (from Manila), which is at about 4 in the morning!!!  LOL!  Yes, I was that determined to get there early so I can make this business trip a pleasure trip too, all rolled into one! :))

Their airport by the way is pretty new, so it's really nice, neat, and well-lit.  I took a cab from the airport going to Casa Leticia, where the office booked my 3D/2N stay.  The cab from airport to the city proper (where Casa Leticia is) costs about Php100.  (Just use this link to convert it to the currency of your choice ---> http://www.xe.com/ucc/)

Casa Leticia isn't your usual hotel.  It is more like an apartelle/inn of some sort.  The whole place is small, even their rooms.  But what's good about it is that the staffs are all warm, and their rooms and restrooms are neat too.  I never saw a single cockroach or any pests in the room I stayed in. 

Upon checking in, I decided to take a nap since I was up early for my flight going there.  The nap eventually became a 2 hour sleep!  Hahahaha!!!!  It's all good, it was still around 10am when I woke up.  Still have the rest of the day to wander the city :)

First stop was Crocodile Farm.  Hailed a cab outside Casa Leticia and asked the driver to take me there.  The driver was pretty nice and asked if it was my first time in Davao.  Normally, I would pretend that I'm a frequent visitor (for security purposes if you know what I mean), but since the driver wasn't creepy at all, add to that Davao is quite popular for it being a safe place - no pickpockets, no sex maniacs running around the city, disciplined people, no one dares to light a cigar while striding the streets of the metro - I honestly answered his question.  He then offered me a good bargain.  Php600 for half a day trip to wherever I want to.  He even said that I need not trouble thinking of the places I should go to, he'll be the one to show me which places I SHOULD visit.  It was a pretty good deal so he took me to The Crocodile Farm, Butterfly House, Gap Farm, and passed by Jack's Ridge as he drove me back to the hotel.



If I'm not mistaken, I paid Php80-100
to see the crocs & other creatures



They actually allow the snake to be wrapped around the visitors body! :)

Tribal home

To see these wonders, just pay Php50 entrance fee

Next day, since I was doing business the whole day, I just had dinner at this mediterranean pizza place to which I forgot the name!  Argh!  But I definitely remember the taste of their uber yummy stone-heated pizza! (wait, stone-heated or stone-cooked?!? whatever! LOL! you get my point right?)  After dinner, I headed out to get a drink somewhere in the city.  It wasn't a bar - bar you know.  It's more like a small alley in between 2 old apartments, where there are tables and chairs and a small garden at the farthest end.  Very cozy I must say.  Nice place to chill after a long day at work.

Open air resto and yet no mosquitoes, and not hot at all :)

Don Salvatore Pizza! Freshest toppings I've ever tasted! Gotta love the crust too!!!

I slept kind of late so I woke up a little late than I intended to.  I was thinking twice if I should squeeze in a trip to Eden Nature Park or not coz from what I've learned, it's a more than an almost 2-hour drive from the city.  Oh, and I had to consider that I need to be at the airport at 5pm coz my flight back to Manila is at 7pm.  It was almost lunch time so I decided to get some lunch first and decide after filling my tummy :)

Being the wanderlust that I am, I took the trip to Eden (even if it was already 12noon).  And boy I didn't regret taking that cab and paying the driver Php600 to drive me to Eden, and then back to the hotel.

View of Davao City from Eden Garden - So Romantic! Perfect Garden Wedding Place!

That's Davao City down there!

MY FIRST TIME EVER!

FREEEEEDOOOOOM!!!!! WOOOOOH!!!!!

Oh, the entrance fee at Eden Garden was at Php385 at that time, including the Skyrider Ride!  Did I  mention that you get to ride the Skyrider twice?!  Perfect, huh?! :))  That's why I soooo love this place.  I feel totally free!  I can use my phone while walking down the streets of Davao without the anxiety that someone might just grab and steal my phone from me.  Oh, and their (in)famous DURIAN, it was my first time to actually taste one.  Never mind the pungent smell!  Just peel the fruit and have a taste!  It's delish, trust me! :)

Ahhhh... I miss Davao.  I actually miss travelling.  I haven't travelled in months!  I should schedule a trip soon.. I hope! :)

Gateway Mall in Araneta Cubao: THE Gateway of gay syndicates

Just so you readers know, this is not to jeopardize the above-mentioned mall.  This serves as a warning to frequent and future visitors of the mall.  To the mall owners and those in charge of its operations and security, may this serve as a wake-up call.
I know of someone who frequents Gateway Mall at the Araneta Center in Cubao and this person was victimized by these gay syndicate and shared to me what actually happened.

This victim friend of mine was hanging around the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the topmost level of Gateway mall where the movie theaters are housed.  Apparently, 2 gay guys approached him and befriended him.  Being the friendly person that my friend is, this friend of mine entertained these 2 gay guys and casually talked to them.  Minutes have passed, the gay guys told my friend that they would be more than willing to offer him a massage.  My (dummmy) friend obliged and was then led to an apartelle near the area.

So the massaging began.  Halfway through the massage, the gay guys said that they just need to get something outside the room.  For some stupid reason, my friend just let them be.  Until he noticed that his bag was already gone!

Off those 2 f*cking gay guys went with my friend's bag.  Yes, they stole my friend's bag.  Inside the bag are important documents and his cellphone!!!  Tsk tsk..

Anyhow, I've been hearing a number of similar stories lately.  And so, being my curious self, I went to Gateway Mall around 6pm tonight.  Well, the mall is actually famous for having a wild number of gay people roaming around the mall so nothing really surprising there.  I went straight up to the movie house level of the mall and sat there to observe. 

Boy, indeed there were a lot of gay guys loitering and having observed their actions for a couple of minutes, obviously they are not movie-goers.  Another thing that I've noticed is that these gay guys are pretty young.  They are about the age of 16-22 years old.  Most of them would stand and lean on the circle metal thingy at the middle of the movie house lobby, where they get a view of the floors below.

I came closer to these gay guys by standing along the circle thingy of the movie lobby.  I observed them quietly.  Of course I acted as if I was waiting for someone.  Here's how they do it:

They would stand along that circle thingy and look around to see if there are any gay guys nearby or along that circle too.  They would then very discreetly approach their "catch" by standing next beside them and then begin talking to them.  I'm not sure what their opening line would be.  But as I have observed, both the "catch" and the gay guy suspect would talk seriously then there are moments that they would smile.  They would whisper a lot.  If the "catch" falls into their trap, they would leave the place together.  If the "catch" disregards them, either the "catch" slowly walks away or the gay guy suspect slowly leaves alone and transfer to another spot within the circle thingy.  That's how they do their "operations".

I'm not sure too if up to what extent their operations are.  But I'm positive that it could be one or combination of the following:  sex in all forms with pay and robbery.

By the way, I observed for more than 3 hours and I think that they have their mastermind(s) with them there.  The one I suspected is an old gay guy who's about 40-45 years old.  I suspected him because he was with this young gay guy and has gone up and down the movie house lobby for a couple of times.  And when they're along the circle thingy, this old gay guy would whisper to the young gay guy and then later on, this young gay guy would make his move on another gay guy who i suppose would be his "victim".  It's like the old gay guy is coaching him on how to victimize other gay guys.  TERRIBLE!!!

Again, this is not to jeopardize the mall, nor the 3rd sex population.  THIS SERVES AS A WARNING FOR EVERYONE, AND A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE OPERATIONS PEOPLE AND SECURITY OF THE SAID MALL.

Christmas Season = Starbucks Planner Season :p

It's November folks, which means it'll be Christmas in less than a month!  Which also means that I have to start collecting Starbucks Stickers to get one of their Holiday Collectible Planners! 

In addition to these collectibles, every yuletide season, starbucks always offer 3 yuletide coffee flavors.  My past faves are Praline Mocha and Toffeenut!  I wonder what their Christmas flavors are this year..  Coffee overload, here I come!!!! :)

Glee-Q: hot or not?



Cory Looks hot here, diana is ok, lea michelle... err... no comment

 I've been a follower of Glee since the first season, and I still am (although I may be viewing the episodes a little later than the certified GLEEKS around the globe).


The show has been well received from all over the world because of the plot which revolves in a high school - where all the what nots begin; the very dynamic set of characters - to which almost every person (young and old) in this planet can relate to; the very catchy musical/vocal arrangements of the songs they use (which most importantly is very congruent to whatever the situation there is in a particular scene.




They've been doing well even in season 2 until....




These photos were shot and published and posted.  Yeah it made noise for both the characters and the show, and the parents too! LOL!  But really, I don't think that posing like these is necessary.  No, I am not against Lea Michelle or Diana or Cory.  Just so I make it clear, I have nothing against them.  It's just that their poses aren't well thought of.  It didn't bring any class nor elegance.  It wasn't flattering at all to them, most especially to Lea Michelle.  It's okay for them to do sexy poses, but I guess they should've sat down a little more to work on the concept of the shoot so as not to put these actors in the wrong light.  I believe there is a way to work on their poses that would actually say: ELEGANTLY SEXY, and not CHEAPLY SEXY.


Oh well, I believe the most damaged reputation here is Lea Michelle's because her poses are the worst.  Just saying.  Diana's was on the mid-range.  She looks pretty, but not sexy.  Cory?  Well, he definitely looks hot here and he's clothed, so nothing much to say about that.


SO NOT HOT AT ALL - sorry..