Have never been a fan and found Coldplay's songs as a bit depressing, back then I thought they only make those type of songs.  Which was weird that I did not give any fudge about them as I knew that they have a lot of good songs but just did not appreciate it at that time.  I never liked them but I didn't dislike them as well.  Idk.  But thanks to James Corden and his Carpool Karaoke segment for flipping it all up now I'm loving Coldplay and may even have the googly eyes for Chris Martin.  He is so adorable! And his eyes.  Such a heavenly view 😍 James also has beautiful blue eyes.  (So to my friends who have generalized that I prefer chinito guys over others, this is for you 😂).  I am now playing Adventure of a Lifetime and doing the dance that James and Chris did *clap clap* hahahaha People must be thinking I'm flipping crazy, but what do they care?  A road trip with these two (or either of them) will surely be epic as long as I know all the songs that they play on board.  So if you haven't watched it yet, you should.  

Its silly as I've played The Scientist on piano many years ago but it didn't give me that push to get me interested in the band and their other songs.  It wasn't a piece I'd play every now and then as well, just played it one time and forgot about it.  I don't even remember where I got that music sheet from, but now I'm playing it again.  Maybe through time as we develop and get to know ourselves better, our choices and interests (like music) develop as well.  Maybe I'm liking the band and their music now as I am a bit more mature and are at a happier place?  Or maybe because Chris Martin looks hotter thru time? 😂

I am thrilled that they may be having their first concert here in the Philippines around the 4th quarter or maybe end of September of this year, though nothing is confirmed yet.  I may not even get to afford that at all, probably I'm going to starve myself for a few months until the date is confirmed so I could go 😜

So along with their new album, I love a few songs from their older albums as well which a couple I've already heard of before (who wouldn't?): Yellow, In My Place, Fix You, Princess of China (surprised with the Rihanna-Chris chemistry), Us Against the World, there's a whole lot more actually but my number 1 favorite for now will have to be Viva La Vida.

"Yellow"
Look at the stars 
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
They were all yellow ❤️❤️❤️

"In My Place"
How long must you wait for it?
How long must you pay for it?

"Fix You"
When you feel so tired
But you cant sleep
Stuck in reverse

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
I will try to fix you

"Princess of China"
I could've been a Princess, you'd be a King
Could've had a castle, and worn a ring
But no, you let me go

"Us Against the World"
Slow it down
Through chaos as it swirls
Its us against the world
-I loved it when he sang it with James and the small piano ❤️

"Viva La Vida"

Revolutionaries wait

For my head on a silver plate

I'm just a puppet on a lonely string

Who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a'ringing

Roman cavalry choirs a'singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain

I know Saint Peter won't call my name

Never an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world
-- the part where Chris and James sang this on the carpool karaoke was amazing.
Chris had me at his bass voice. GAAAH.

Hymn for the Weekend: Put your wings on me when I was so heavy.  Poured on symphony when I'm low.

The city is full of people always in a hurry.  So when it comes to food, a lot of us opt for a quick meal and go with our day.  Thanks to the ever growing fast food chains, we are now offered wide variety of meals to choose from.  Though unhealthy, they serve their purpose of filling up our tummies sometimes without spending a whole lot.  

Since last year, I've been trying out other restaurants in search of new flavors though it was a bit difficult as some are not that accessible to all.  I've tried some which I love and came back with friends in hand, some which did not satisfy both my appetite and taste buds, and a few were too expensive for what they had to offer.

A week ago, I was out with friends trying to decide where to have our lunch.  Automatically we think of the fast food restaurants in malls and what not, of course because of its convenience.  But with the thought of wanting to try out something new, I remembered the restaurant a friend of mine suggested from way back,  Balik Bukid.  I was a bit hesitant of trying it out with friends as I don't have any idea of what they offer and if they were expensive or not.  But we did anyway, and I'm glad that we did.  

Vibe
"Balik" means going back and "bukid" can be associated as the mountains, country side, province or farm.  I don't know whats the exact English translation of bukid is but I think you get the idea.  Like the name suggests, Balik Bukid offers a feeling of somehow being back in the mountains/province/etc.  I don't know about you guys, but places like these relaxes me maybe because it is an escape from the city rush.  Paintings by local artists are hung up on the wall, some table stands were old sewing machines and wooden ironing boards, baskets on the ceiling, and they incorporated plastic bottles on a portion of the front wall which helps bring in natural light and other recycled materials used as decor, etc.

Menu / Food
We got a bit overwhelmed by it and we didn't really know what we wanted to try (but I was eyeing on the Malasugue).  So we asked the waitress instead what their best sellers are and when she mentioned the Pan Seared Garlic Malasugue, I didn't have any second thoughts and ordered it while my friends chose Binalot na Adobong Dilaw and Sinugbang Baboy at Ensalada.

While waiting for our orders, we played Snakes and Ladders which housed the menu.  There were other games you could play as well.  I'm not sure though if you could use and play the Sungka-an / Sungkahan (Sungka is a traditional Filipino game, and the carved wood used for the game is called Sungka-an or Sungkahan) placed on other tables or if it was just for design as ours had what seems to be, an old iron for display.  We never really noticed how long we waited for the food as we were having fun but I'm pretty sure it was not that long.  Probably a good 15 minutes (?)  I really don't know.  Sorry.

The verdict.  Well I just won the best choice of meal for today and my friends thought so too.  My rice serving was a bit small though but eating some of the fish and veggies on its own was still good.  I had a taste of the Adobo, it was new to me, the waitress suggested for condiments but it was already good on its own.  Thats just me.  I honestly think that others would still opt to add the condiments though.  And oh, it had more rice serving than mine.  I also took a bite of the Sinugba and it was good as well.  What I wanted to try was the eggplant but forgot all bout it as I happily devoured my meal.  What made it even better was that it was fairly priced (for us, that is)!  It satisfies you without leaving a feeling that you have to save a whole lot to eat there again.

For dessert, we had the Tsokolate Islands.  3 Scoops of ice cream, a choice of vanilla or tablea, in between a pastry (?) looking/tasting food.

Meals like this leave me with a happy tummy and a smile on my face.  Happy customer indeed!

Location

Balik Bukid is located at Sandawa Park, Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland.  Just a jeepney ride away from SM City (ride the ones that are en route to Quirino / Sasa / Roxas) or Aldevinco (ride the Toril-bound ones in Roxas Street).

Overall, its a perfect rate of 5/5, vibe, menu/food/price and location wise for me.  Though I think some people may find the location probably a bit inconvenient especially if you are from the northern part of the city (Sasa, Lanang, etc).

So if you're wanting to something different, you won't go wrong with Balik Bukid.

Notice the plastic bottles on the left side of this picture?

Before anythings else... Is it just me or are you also bummed that the holidays are over? 😞

This'll be a super short one.

Questions.  I have tons!  Have you ever tried asking for something you really like and getting it?  Or tried working and saving for months and buying that big ticket item you've been eyeing for the longest time?  Or praying hard for something and somehow it eventually happened to you?  And when it finally did, you just felt like blah... can't say I'm glad, can't say I'm sad.  Like you weren't really hyped up about it as you thought you would be.  Why?  The feeling of excitement died down because of the time you waited?  So does it mean that it really didn't matter after all that hard work since your feelings changed?  I don't know about you, but I am sure though that I will start this year by being positive about it and hope for the best despite of that mixed-feeling and see where this would go.  I ain't running.. running from myself no more.  I'm ready to face it all. 

Chasing you.

Listening to Runnin' (lose it all) cover by Bailey McConell & Leroy Sanchez and Let it Go cover by Leroy Sanchez as well while writing and thinking about all of this.  Leroy's voice. I cant even. ❤️❤️❤️  Well... I've been listening to his covers lately before this whole commotion came up.  Go and give him some love,  you guys. 😉

Happy Holidays, everyone! 🌲❄️🎁🎉🎊❤️🎅🏽

As 2015 is about to end, I'd like to take a look at how it all went... The year started off bad for me as early as January 1st and I just wished that I could repeat 2014 all over again.  I got sick more than once at the first five months this year and the first time sent me to the hospital. 😖

Things went pretty bad for me and I thought that even though theres more than half of the year left, I came to the conclusion that this would be the worst year to date!  My sleeping habits were becoming out of line.  I had to take Melatonin to help me get to sleep as I badly needed rest!  Good thing that I only used it for a couple of times and my sleep went back to normal again.  BTW, Melatonin is not a sleeping pill.  It just helps you regulate your natural hormone so that you could go to sleep.

Midyear came and things were looking up.  I had road trips and quick getaways with friends and other planned travels as well.  I always love travelling no matter how short the trips are.  I don't know if this is weird but I enjoy solo flights as I get to disconnect with everything and get to have that alone time even just for a short while.  I was able to do that a couple of times last May and I had Odezsa on playback on all of them👍🏽

School was stressing me out at some point and I had a bit of trouble juggling both school and work but despite of that, I was having a great time.  For so long (many years) I invested so much of me and yet I still go home feeling empty and helpless sometimes crying myself to sleep (a lot of times it was just due to PMS 😂).  So it was an uncharted territory for me. You know the feeling that you don't have to exert too much effort to feel happy?  I felt that and it was good!  Its different when you feel good on the inside because no matter how busy or stressed you are, people won't easily get on your nerves and you won't get sick that easily!  Aside from school, work and romantic/kilig feeling (esp that time when I unexpectedly received cake at work from someone I was dating) in between, I managed to squeeze a lot more out of town trips on some weekends and enjoyed quality time with people I love.  I just didn't have time to exercise at all so I am in a bit of a bad shape if you may say it 😁 

I did not fall short on gastronomy as well.  I am not a big fan of sour and spicy food, so when I had my first Tom Yum in Champey Restaurant In Siem Reap, it really came to a surprise that I would love it👌🏽 Actually, the whole Cambodian food trips with my barkada was so good that it gave us more reasons to want to stay a little while longer (if only we could 🙄). The Pad Thai experience on Khaosan Rd., Bangkok was also superb👌🏽Eating Curacha's while on the sea at Sibadan, Surigao del Sur; yummy sizzling spare ribs in Seagull Steakhouse and Cafe, Buda; carbonara cravings satisfied in French Baker (just in SM Lanang though 😅); discovering and loving local organic food in Echostore, Diversion road; and detoxifying all those goodies (and a lot of junk as well) with SoulKitchenCo's cold pressed juices in Torres/Mabini St.

I would have never imagined myself being able to do so many things, eating a lot of good food (esp sweet treats) and travelling as much as I did, although its really not that much for others.  Also, I never expected to be blessed with so many opportunities as well!  It was a bit overwhelming as I kept thinking if I deserve such good things but I'm really thankful that I was able to receive them all.

Nothing will ever be the same, you get some and lose some.  We celebrate newborns and we weep for those who have already gone ahead of us.  So try to reflect on the people who are always there for you no matter what situation you are in and be grateful for them and make them feel it while you can, as I have also mentioned in my previous post, Missing Out.  These are the gifts that we need to treasure for a lifetime as we get to share with each other not only happiness but comfort in times of sorrow as well.  Also, when you're feeling like the whole world has turned its back on you, always know that it wont last as everything will be okay in the end.  If its not okay, then its not the end yet 😉 Thinking about this makes me compare it to the seasons.  The leaves may fall for winter.  But spring brings in hope that better days are yet to come.

This year was nothing but complete delicious ambiguity.  I hope that you all had an amazing year as well and that a whole new set of 366 days will provide opportunities for us to feel and share goodness with everyone we love.

Cheers to the New Year!!! 🎉🍻

"But I will hold on hope and I wont let you choke on the noose around your neck.  And I'll find strength in pain and I will change my ways.  I'll know my name as its called again." - The Cave, Mumford and Sons

"Something big I feel it happening out of my control. Pushing, pulling and its grabbing me, feel it in my bones." -Something Big, Shawn Mendes

Have you ever watched The Ellen Show?  If you haven't yet, then you should.  Watching her show just lifts up my mood.  How she scares her guests, staff and audiences, how she lets her friends go undercover and makes them do/say anything she wants, and how generous she is to her audiences and viewers.  I wish I could watch her live someday.  Don't retire just yet.  Okay, Ellen? 😊

During break times at work, my office mates and I enjoy watching her show individually on Youtube and start laughing and sharing if the other has watched whatever it was that made them laugh.  Whether it was an interview, a prank, or just playing games.  Have you watched the episodes with Kevin Hart?  The one where Ellen gave him slippers and the other one where they played jenga?  Hilarious! 😂  He tried to save the pieces when they were about to fall.  Also, watch the episodes with Sofia Vergara (I love her accent plus she's funny!).  I especially like the one where they played Heads Up and the 5 Second Rule where she explained the muscle psoas.

Anyway... weeks before our company Christmas party we started to brainstorm some games.  And Heads came up of course since we watch the show so much.  But due to technical difficulties we ended up downloading Charades instead.  It is quite similar with Heads Up.  So how do you play the game?  When I play this, whether in teams or not, I just go for quick play.  Then you choose what kind of category you would like.  Animal kingdom, movies, anime, sports legends, and a lot more!  You hold your tablet or phone facing away from you so only your team or partner can see whats on the screen.  You can place it on your tummy or chest.  The instructions on the games says place it on your forehead.  As the game starts, they will try to act out or describe the word or phrase on the card and you try to guess it.  If they tell you its correct you tilt your gadget down.  To pass, tilt it up so you can proceed with another card.  Team mates can also tap the right portion of the screen for correct, and left for pass.  The person or the team with the most number of correct guesses in 60 seconds wins.

Click Fergie and Sofia to watch celebrities play Heads Up with Ellen.

I don't know if they also have this function with Heads Up, but Charades has this option wherein you can add your own category and add your own cards or items on it.  This is very helpful as a lot of the cards on some categories are western, so there's a lot which are unknown to us Filipinos/Davaoenos.

This game is so fun I even had this played on our barkada's/friend's mini Christmas party.  I also had this played on one of the boys' house party.  It was extra funny because we were GUI-ing (guessing under the influence of liquor).😂  And I'm pretty sure that I'll have this played on other gatherings as well thanks to Ellen for introducing it.  So go ahead and download Heads Up or Charades and play this with your family and friends on your Christmas gatherings.

Sometimes we bury ourselves with too much work and other stuff that we barely have time for family and friends.  Others may feel like money is the most important thing in the world so they grind day and night, some even do it 7 days a week, not knowing they are missing out on much greater things.  They are missing out on the first laugh of their child or the fun times at the beach with the barkada/friends or the 50th wedding anniversary of their parents or beauty in life in general or probably missing out on taking care of themselves as well.  

It is a known fact.  We know people like this.  And it is sad that no matter how much money they have, if their body collapses, sometimes even money can't help.  Holding on and hoping that they will survive the worst...  but what if it is already? 😢💔 

No matter what the case may be, there's no easy way in saying goodbye.  A family member, a relative, or a close friend.  So maybe this season we can reflect and spend time with the people you love most.  I mean not just for this season but all throughout the days of our lives!  Spend time with people who helped you grow and especially those who stood with you thru the tough times and learn to ask for forgiveness and forgive those who caused you pain.  We never know when its our time to go.  Whether we are in good shape or not, we do not know what is going to happen a minute later.  Technology provided us a lot of ways to communicate with people that we love all over the world, so send them even a short but sincere message so they know you're thinking of them before its too late.

Life is worth living.  And it is worth sharing with the people we love the most.

My deepest sympathy and prayers to everyone who lost their loved ones.  And prayers to those who are fighting a hard battle as well. xx

Give anything to hear half your breath.  I know you're still living your life after death.
-I'll be missing you, Puff Daddy/Faith Evans-

I always enjoyed going on long drives even as a kid. Back then, we would have regular trips to the province and I wouldn't sleep on that 11-12hr drive from Davao to Cagayan de Oro (thats not even the overall trip) because I'd look at the views I don't normally see and how I love it when I catch a glimpse of the sea. I also have this weird thing of trying to remember the way (but I probably didn't) just in case we'd stop because of some emergency or something and we'd forcefully need to walk all the way back. Yes, my imaginations are all well played in my head up until now. Hahah! 

Driving isn't just about driving. Aside from the rules that you have to abide by (hello 30kph speed limit) you have to know how to take care of your car and maintain the respect with other drivers on the road. There are a lot of reckless drivers out there. A lot! Last July I almost had an accident. I was on my way to meet friends nearby my school. I was crossing an intersection and about to reach the other side. A taxi driver was also crossing the road opposite to me. When we were about to close in on each other, a speeding van on the left drove right in the middle of my car and the taxi cab! I was about to hit the damn van if I hadn't stepped on the break that quick. It was sooo close! Both the taxi driver and I stopped for a few seconds and looked at each other in disbelief of what just happened and I just kept shaking my head and saying "seriously!?" 😡😱 I looked at the van as he passed on my right thinking that he probably had a good time driving like Dominic Toretto. I was trembling and shaking but I had to drive on. When I arrived, I just asked my friend to park the car instead as I really needed to calm myself as I nearly broke down. I learned that no matter how careful you are, you will be in situations whether you like it or not thanks to drivers like that. Everyone should be careful. You are not only wrecking your life but others as well. And I was thankful that it was just a near miss. For days I kept thinking about what happened, remembering the car model, color and plate number. But the time came a when all I can remember was just a white van. Maybe he just got into an emergency or his wife was at the back seat getting into labor so thats why he was speeding all the way to the hospital. Who knows? Just like other experiences, we just have to shove it off and move on.

So earlier today I had my first car oil change. I know I still have a lot to know about cars and all that and I try to learn as much as I can and try to get my hands dirty if theres a need to. It was so hot today but I just stood there looking at the mechanic doing his job and asking questions. He was patient enough to answer me while other mechanics were suggesting that I should just go wait in the air conditioned office which my dad had suggested as well. But it was first time to see the car being hoisted up and I really wanted to see what he was going to do and the grime under it. It was dirty. So dirty that I was a bit embarrassed. Miss, asa diay ka ga adto oy? Hahahah 🙈 But this is what you're going to get under there, right? 

I knew that driving was a big responsibility and that it ain't going to be cheap but the experience would definitely be worth it. Just imagining the roads that I'd be on and the miles that I have to take just to be somewhere breathtaking and amazing excites me. Its not all about the destination as well as driving is a lot like life in general. The road is going to be full of dead ends, obstacles and traffic. But if you press on despite of your tired clutch leg you will reach places that's even better than your imaginations. Waaay better. 

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