Help The Philippines

To all my readers and to passersby, as you might have heard or watched the Philippines, particularly the Visayan region, has been greatly affected by one of the strongest typhoons. I am asking for your help. Together let’s help ease even a bit of the pain of my countrymen. Thousands have lost their things, homes… and sadly their loved ones. Right now, thousands of men, women, elderly, and children are becoming sick and hungry. Donations in cash or in kind are badly needed. Help in packing and distributing relief goods are also needed. Here are some ways to help

For Local help (Philippines):

For International help:

(the following information are quoted from Time World)

UNICEF is supporting relief efforts by helping displaced families find access to shelter, clean water, food and vaccines and airlifting $1.3 million of additional supplies from its Copenhagen warehouse. You can donate online, call 1-800-367-5437 or text RELIEF to 864233.

The Philippine Red Cross is providing a tracking service for family members looking for missing people. The organization is accepting donations on its website (100 PHP = $2.30) and is looking for volunteers to help assemble relief packages at its headquarters in Manila.

The American Red Cross has also activated a family-tracking service for those looking for a missing family member in the Philippines. Donors can send a check to their local chapter, indicating “Philippines Typhoons and Floods” in the memo line.

The World Food Programme is mobilizing 40 metric tons of high-energy biscuits and additional relief supplies, but it is also accepting donations online or by calling 1-202-747-0722 or +39-06-65131 from outside the U.S.

CARE is accepting donations on its website and has deployed workers to the Philippines to assist with emergency relief. You can donate by phone at 1-800-521-2273 or +1-404-681-2252 for international calls.

Oxfam has emergency responders on the ground to assist with relief support. The organization is asking for contributions to its Typhoon Haiyan Relief and Recovery Fund online.

International Medical Corps is also on the ground to help assess damage and is accepting donations on its emergency-response page for Haiyan relief.

ChildFund International is distributing clean water, food, blankets and other emergency aid items. Staff members are also setting up child-centered spaces in evacuation centers to offer counseling and relief for children and their families. Donate online. 

One of the best help that we all can give is our prayers. Remember my countrymen; remember my country in your prayers.  Thank you once again. May God bless you in return

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” 
John Bunyan

-DOT-

Sources:

Picture from Hands on Manila

International Sources fromhttp://world.time.com/2013/11/10/how-to-help-typhoon-victims/

A Very Purple Oven

Sounds intriguing right? A purple oven?

Tucked in the quiet San Antonio Plaza Arcade at Mckinley Road, Taguig is a cute cozy bakeshop called Purple Oven. They bake and sell scrumptious pastries and cakes. Their products are guaranteed fresh since they sell goodies fresh from the oven. They even have a schedule on what pastry will be out – this means that not all their pastries are available all the time so make sure you catch their schedule. Purple oven sells a variety of cakes from classic sans rival to chocolate dome cake to lemon torte to cheesecakes!! You name it! They also have a bunch of savory pastries such as quiche tinapa and ham and cheese croissants.  

I recently visited Purple Oven in San Antonio; I forgot to mention they have four more branches in Luzon. When I went to Purple Oven I just had lunch with a friend so we decided to buy something sweet. Upon entering, the store felt so homey yet sophisticated. There were arrays of cakes in one side of the store and another array of pastries on the opposite side. I gravitated towards the cakes, but I saw that cake orders are not per slice rather as a whole. So, I choose to buy their Fudge Brownie and my friend bought their Chocolate Crinkles. The brownie was moist and it had walnuts inside. I loved it because it was not too sweet. It had the right bitterness and sweetness to it. It also had a crunchy and chewy balance. My friend too was pleased with the crinkles. I brought home the rest of the brownie (because each purchase is a pack of 16 slices) and my parents and brother loved it. Looks like I’ll be back soon J.

cakes! cakes! cakes!

Quiche and Croissants 

doughnuts!!

turnovers :D

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

P.S. Sorry I forgot to take photos of the brownie and crinkle L next time J

Slice of Life

Hello! Hello! Happy July everyone! I am now part of the labor force. J So, I might have lesser time to blog, but be rest assured that I am still exploring different places and tasting different food to share to you all. J

To start of July, here are some sweet treats to munch on. If you have been following my blogs you would get a hint that I love sweets. Just recently my mom brought home cakes by Heny Sison from Victorino’s. Side info: Victorino’s is a restaurant located at 11th Jamboree St. corner Scout Rallos. It is a restaurant devoted to Ilocano (member of a people inhabiting northwestern Luzon in the Philippines) dishes. Also found there are pastries and cakes from Heny Sison.

So who is Heny Sison you may ask….only one of the best pastry chef and cake designer in the Philippines!!! J So tasting cakes from Heny Sison was such a joy and a treat. My mother brought home five cake slices namely, strawberry shortcake, red velvet cake, apple pie, blueberry cheesecake, and carrot cake. May I just gush that ALL the slices were scrumptious. I loved the strawberry shortcake and the red velvet. I enjoyed the shortcake because of the real strawberry fillings between the yummy chiffon and topped with whip cream (I think that they made their own whip cream because of the light consistency that married well to the whole cake. I also loved the red velvet slice because of the yummy cream filling. It was like eating a very good red velvet cupcake. The apple pie, carrot cake, and blueberry cheesecake were also good! I liked them because they were made with the real deal balanced with the right amount of sweetness. Tasting slices of Heny Sison cakes were so good!  Will definitely try more.  

slice of life :)

strawberry shortcake

apple pie

red velvet cake

blueberry and carrots <3

- Dot-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Book Worm

So it’s June already! This means that it’s back to school! I am pleased to inform everyone (this sounds so formal) that I graduated last April from my undergraduate degree and I am now working as a teacher. I haven’t gone for vacation since I was busy applying for work, therefore were no new blog entries the past weeks. BUT now I have one that would surely be exciting to all you sale followers and book lovers out there.

I am a book lover, be it children’s books, chapter books, cook books, and many more! I enjoy reading because it takes you places and it also informs and entertains you. Reading books allow you to travel while spending. The book worm within me definitely came alive when I heard about the book bulk deals that OMF Literature is having. In OMF’s IncediBULk Sale, 10 children’s books (published by Hiyas) = only Php 300, 5 OMF books = Php 450, 10 OMF books = Php 700, 20 OMF books= Php 1200, and 50 OMF books = Php 2900. Bibles and other regular priced item (books not published by OMF) are also discounted. This sale is till June 22 at any OMF branch nationwide.

When I heard about this I immediately went to the Tomas Morato Branch, at Il Terrazo. I bought 10 children’s books and also 10 OMF books with varying titles. This bulk sale is definitely a great venue in expanding your library or maybe starting your library. This sale can also help you find awesome gifts for Father’s day, Birthdays, or even Christmas presents. I believe that books are an investment not just because you have acquired them, but because I believe that books can change you.

Below are some of the books I bought:

 

children's books 10 for 300 pesos

Some OMF books i bought

                Run to the nearest OMF Branch now! Happy Reading! J

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

For more information check out their website: http://omflit.com/

Turning Japanese

Besides Filipino and Italian cuisine, Japanese food is one of my comfort foods. So I was really glad to dine at  Mitsuyado Sei-men: The House of Tsukemen. Mitsuyado is located at 22 Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati. This restaurant was introduced to me by my mom because this was one of their customers. Upon entering the place, it looked amazing. It was like stepping into the streets of Japan. The tables and chairs were arranged as if it were tables and chairs from street eateries. The walls were decorated with Japanese street signs and other Japanese objects. It looked a bit chaotic, but as we settled down I realized it was a genius way of designing the restaurant.

Mitsuyado Sei-Men

Inside or outside? :)

cooking noodles

          Mitsuyado serves a variety of Japanese food. They have ramen and rice bowls among others. But the thing that makes Mitsuyado unique is that they serve Tsukemen. So what is this Tsukemen, you might ask. Well, it is (according to wikipedia)  "dipping noodles". The noodles and soup are served in separate bowls. The diner dips the noodles in the soup before eating. In other terms it can be described as a deconstructed ramen. J Mitsuyado makes their own noodles so that you are guaranteed of their noodle-goodness.

         

Noodle Making

noodles noodles

          My parents tried the Tsukemen, my brother had a donburi and I had Japanese style curry (because I was craving for rice at that time) :D. I did taste a bit of the tsukemen and it was good! It was like interactive eating because you had to get the noodle then dip then eat.

Tsukemen with gyoza on the side

Chicken Black Pepper Teriyaki Don

Curry Rice

          The Japanese fun did not stop there. After our meal at Mitsuyado, we walked to the store connected to it called Yamato. It was a Japanese bakery/ cafe. It had a different vibe compared to Mitsuyado. The place was bright and modern looking. The pastries were all displayed so wonderfully. At Yamato we tried their Japanese donuts, Ann pan, and croissants. I really liked the Ann pan. It was like a jelly filled doughnut, but instead of jelly it had mung bean paste. Try it for yourself! J

Yamato! 

          Till next blog!

-DOT-

P.S. forgive the low-quality photos I need to replace my camera. J  

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

Cup + Cake = Love

       

            Well hello again everyone! This post is a Back Blog (meaning it’s a backlog blog that should have been posted earlier) J. I decided to continue to post this because I believe that this deserves to be shared J.

            Well last month (February), I decided to bake cupcakes for my birthday, since I love love love cupcakes. I also wanted to use a gift before it expires. My cousins from Canada gave me a Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge mix. Because I did not have the proper pans to make a cake, I went on in making my birthday cupcakes. The instructions were easy breezy… and in no time I was done mixing the batter. I popped it in the oven for a couple of minutes and Voila! CUPCAKES! I did add my own twist to the batter. I added dark chocolate nuggets from Goya, for added Choco lateness, and sprinkles, to make them colorful. This was my first time to make cupcakes and they turned out pretty good. Next time, I will bake cupcakes from scratch! J

Le Ingredients :)

Chocolate Batter 

:)

Ta da!

Cute cakes

            In line with my cupcake baking experience, I also would like to share about one of my newest favorite cupcake bakery, Vanilla. Yes, Vanilla is its name and cupcakes are their game! First of all, I fell in love with their store display because it looked pretty and dainty. It was cozy and inviting. It’s as if you were off to a tea party.  Second, I fell in love with their take home containers that were shaped like tea pot (so kawaii!). And last but definitely not the least is their cupcakes!! Vanilla’s cupcakes are so beautiful and scrumptious. I forgot the names of the cupcakes, but I did enjoy the chocolate cupcakes and the cupcake that was strawberry with Oreo bits on top. They have a variety of cupcakes that would surely tickle anyone’s taste buds.  

love! 

an army of cupcakes :)

^__^

Vanilla Chocolate

scrumptious 

yummy!

Vanilla Love

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J

March March March

Hello everyone!

So, you might have noticed that I haven't written a recent entry. This is because I am focusing on finishing my thesis requirements, so that I will graduate this April. So till the end of March, I will be on a writing break. :) for the mean time, enjoy back reading, commenting, and others. If you would like for me to visit or try new dishes, places, or events just leave a comment of email me (email add. if found on the About page). 

Some updates:
-New cupcake shop opens around Metro Manila. The name of the cupcake/bakeshop is Vanilla. Their cupcakes are a must-try. I will be blogging about them soon.
-Solaire (a new resort) just opened! You might want to check it out! :)

Till the end of March! Blog you soon guys!
-DOT

Singapore Moments: Look Back… Start a New

Singapore Moments: Look Back… Start a New

            My first day of the year was all about looking back. “Looking back” in the sense of learning about history and other past highlights by visiting different museums. I don’t know with you, but studying different histories excites me. The thrill of seeing old clothes and furniture, learning about past cultures and norms, and imagining life before seems so interesting to me. So on the January 1, 2013 my family and I went to five different museums and numerous historical spots and tourist places. We did most of this travelling by walking. (Yes, its that easy! All you need is a map, an umbrella, and a bottle of water.) Since it was the first day of the year, most museums were open to the public… meaning no entrance fee J [tip: try visiting on National Holidays, perhaps entrance to museums would be free].

            We started at Singapore’s National Museum. I don’t think I have blogged about Philippine’s National Museum… anyways, Singapore’s National Museum was so beautiful and interactive. I expected a look-only type of museum but it wasn’t. The layout of the museum was so great. It had different sections that all-in-all showed what Singapore is. My favorite exhibits were the food part and the fashion part.

National Museum

old cola bottles

movie posters

smell me :)

don't miss the pendulum chandeliers

vintage clothes

   

            The next museum we went to was the Pernakan Museum. It’s about the people of Singapore. It described the origins of some of its citizens. It was more of a hardcore history museum but it was fun knowing about Singaporeans’ history.

            We then decided to go to Asian Civilisation Museum, but before reaching the museum we were able to pass by the Armenian Church (one of the oldest churches in Singapore) and the Civil Defense Heritage Museum. Going to the Civil Defense Heritage Museum was a beautiful accident. We weren’t really aware that it was there. It just so happened that we passed by it and the visit there was exceptional. I haven’t been to a civil defense museum before so it was very interesting that there was a museum about Singapore’s firemen and fire equipment and other disaster responding team. It was a very interactive museum. There were a lot of buttons and knobs that allow you to experience what these professional life-savers do. I learned a lot. Surely, children will have fun here. J

The Armenian Church

old fire trucks :D

i thought some of the mannequins were real :)

            We walked towards the Asian Civilisation Museum and passed by different unique looking buildings and bridges… then at last, we have arrived. We decided to go here because I read somewhere that there was a Rizal (Philippine National Hero) section in the museum (which I needed for my homework). Upon arriving, I saw different exhibits that showcased the neighboring Asian countries of Singapore. It was interesting to see that there were a lot of similarities and slight differences among the different countries. After going back and forth to the different exhibits, I realized that the exhibit of Rizal was already finish, but nonetheless I enjoyed learning about different countries.

scenic views while walking

at the Asian Civilisation Museum

money money money

more scenic views <3

            After the Asian Civilisation Museum, we had lunch then it was back to Museum hopping. We went next to the Mint Museum. At the Mint Museum, we paid an entrance fee. This museum is a go-to if you are a toy lover, toy collector, or a kid at heart. In this museum you would be able to see toys, figurines, and collectibles from the past. After going through different exhibits, we had coffee at the café below the museum. It was a delightful ending to the day.

Mint Museum

do you remember these?

Hey Mickey!

remember them? :)

:)

“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.”  ~Pearl Buck

-DOT-

Photos are personally owned by writer, if you would like to use it kindly inform or at least cite the source thank you! J