Army Navy + Art's Cream Gallery

I’ve been craving and looking to taste different burgers for so long now. I’ve read about Army Navy Burgers before and passed by several branches but never really had the time to order. So last weekend, girlfriends and I decided to hit Army Navy. This branch is strategically located at the Sky Garden in SM North for those who are in a hurry...and well, hungry.

What we ordered (left to right):

• Soft tacos
• Freedom fries (chilli fries)
• Classic burger - I was a bit freaked out by the tiny black sesame seeds on the burger.

Army Navy Notes:

• Self-service (place your order at the counter, then  claim your order)
• Burger’s pattie is surprisingly even and spread out through the bread
• It tastes better with garlic sauce (in my opinion better than the catsup and the mustard)
• Reasonably Priced

Rating: 3 out of 5

It was a nice experience but not the kind that’ll make you itch about coming back again.

We passed by an ice cream shop on our way to the car park and saw this shop called Art’s Cream Gallery ( like Ice Cream Gallery, I wonder if the owner’s name is Art or is fond of The Arts). My friends had the bubble gum flavor and sneakers flavor and the toblerone flavor caught my eye. Unfortunately the toblerone flavor is not ready yet (because it’s super soft) so I settled for the safest flavor for my 7-year-old-kid-in-me palette, Kitkat.

What we ordered (by color):

• Blue – bubblegum
• White – sneakers flavor
• Brown – Kitkat flavor

Art’s Gallery Notes:

• Single Flavor cup – Php60
• Double Flavor – Php85
• Bubble Gum really does taste like bubble gum, but I’m not really fond of gums. My friends were raving about it, saying it took them back to their happy  childhood.
• Sneakers – tastes like vanilla with bits of chocolate and nuts, but nothing extra ordinary.
• Kitkat – tastes like coffee (I think it’s coffee based) with a hint of chocolate bits (which I guess is the crushed kitkat bars).

Rating: 2 out of 5

I still prefer the White Hat with Kitkat bit thrown into it, although it’s a bit more pricey compared to the single cup flavor, but it’s healthier. 

I think. :)

Reasons why you need to watch CORY ng EDSA: A Filipino Musicale

Last weekend I had the opportunity to watch Atty. Vincent M. Tañada’s Cory ng Edsa, a 3-hour musicale about a reporter named Peter, telling the life of the late first female Philippine President, Corazon Aquino. 

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It was also my first time to watch a musicale held in a Cinema, SM North Edsa Cinema 9 to be exact. I feel really lucky to have watched it because after the 9 month run of the Cory ng Esda the Musicale, the show will soon come to an end for it will be staged off the Philippine shores and in a few weeks time will be shown abroad.

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 Peter, played by the director and writer himself, Atty. Vincent Tañada, covered the life of Cory Aquino through her struggles and success in life.

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 I met Direk Vince when I was 17 years old and I worked for him as one of the actresses in the play Enzo...Santo, his brainchild,  which he wrote and directed as well. I was very excited to see the play because the last time I’ve seen Direk Vince was probably 10 years ago and I am very impressed how, besides from being a litigation lawyer, he went after his passion for the Arts. Since the play was held in a cinema, I couldn't take photos so I took most of the photos from the internet.

Here are the reasons why you should watch Cory ng Edsa (please be informed that this post may contain spoilers):

·        Every actor, upon first appearance til the end of the musicale played their role well. Each small role was played as if it was the lead role. Until the ending of the show, I can see the actors are all emotional during their last act.

·        In a classic Vince Tañada Fashion, comic reliefs are provided at some selected scenes when it becomes too intense. It was very clever of Direk Vince to inject “Pinoy Pick Up lines” on certain acts.

·        The transition of the scenes and how the props move in rhythm are commendable. Stage props are well excuted, the lighting is well coordinated and even the multi-media used for added theatrical aesthetics is well organized.

·        The play is well-researched. If you have already seen it, you will know what I mean. Certain scenes are provided with useful captions that will assist the viewers in reminiscing the past and guiding the youth with history.

·        It’s actually my first time to shed some tears and not just once during the play. There are some scenes that are so intense. I invited a friend who was military doctor and she was moved to tears as well especially with one scene when a severly injured soldier insisted on giving Cory Aquino his last salute.

·        The child actor, who is named EDSA in the play, is also commendable. He’s more than good enough to join show business.

·        The family scene where Cory Aquino was on her death bed was carefully excuted. I heard some people at the back looking for Kris Aquino in the scene but her character was not disclosed. The story is about Cory and not Kris. There was no showbiz angle, just facts. And only Ballsy Aquino’s name was the one that is often mentioned, not even the current President. Although there was a scene via multi-media that shows PNoy formally releasing the family’s official statement about Cory's death.

·        Expect some political and gender identity undertone in the movie. There is a scene where a gay designer, helped by the late Cory Aquino to succeed in life, hugged his long lost nephew which he met duirng the Cory Aquino’s wake. He explained to the kid that just because he is gay, it does not mean that he is a bad person.

·        Since it’s a musical, all songs are written all original songs written for the play. The Cory ng Edsa Official Soundtrack is available at local record bars for Php200.00.

·        It’s a multi-awarded show and after watching it you will agree with me that it's all worth it! 

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And the most important reason why you should watch Cory ng Esda : A Filipino Musicale before their international tour starts?

Cory ng Edsa touches the hearts of every Filipino and makes us appreciate what we have now that was previously taken from us. It’s a good thing that this play is also shown to schools so that the youth today will be reminded and will able to appreciate the democracy we are fully enjoying today.

And to quote Direk Vince:

“Cory ng Edsa is about to end it's 9 months continuous run on March 17, Saturday at Tanghalang Pasigueno...I will forever remember this as the most successful play ever produced by Philippine Stagers Foundation...the provincial tours in more than 30 provinces in the entire nation, the Aliw Awards for Best Musical of the Year and my Best Actor Award, Broadway World Awards' Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Musical Director, Best Set Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design, Best Choreography Awards, the almost a hundred positive reviews from critics and theater play reviewers, the International Tour for the play which will start on June 13, 2012, I can go on and on, but the most important achievement is the inspiration it gave to the thousands who witnessed the play. Cory ng Edsa is life-changing both to the audience and to us, performers.”

This is how BIG the crowd is after the show

The day I watched the play was supposedly the closing (last show) of their 9-month run, but it’s a good thing they will be extending it for one more show on March 17 at Tanghalang Pasigueno.

Congratulations Director/Atty. Vincent M. Tañada and the Philippine Stagers Foundation!

The Birthday Project for @yeyeahye by @laiahdear + Me

During post Valentine's last month, my friend Aya and I had this silly surprise game that we would surprise each other by sending/pictures of some local and Hollywood celebrities/icon that some people we know that resembles them.

Most of them have a secret story behind the person in the photo and a very private joke but seeing those photos confirm what we actually meant. Not to go any further, we tagged along our friend, Yeye, in joining the "Who-looks-like-who" celebrity game.

One day she posted: "My wall's been star-studded because of the two of you!" 

So about more than a week before Yeye's birthday, Aya and I had a plan to surprise her with a star-studded greeting: We would get a photo of some celebrity (that must be connected to another private joke) and post it in her profile.

Aya and I got so into it that we practically spent half the day prior Yeye's birthday emailing our drafts back and forth and not tweeting about it until the finished project. I don't have a Photoshop program in my office computer so my apologies for the crappy editing. It's the thought that counts!

The Drafts (Photos from Google Search Engine) :

The first epic fail! Aya almost died when I sent her this! 

My second attempt! Waaaah I need photo shop!

Here's Aya's project on a first try! ( Good thing she has Photoshop! Waaah!)

Aya tweaked the photo a little by putting a white oval with a question mark in it (part of another inside joke):

Guess who is WILL.I.AM? 

My second to the last draft:

And here's our final work:

Even the posting time is staged and we had to consider the internet speed between our offices.

Now that you know what we've been up to, Yeye, I had this post dedicated to you scheduled to be posted a day after your birthday.

May you always find many reasons to smile. Have a great 28th!

From your friends in elbi who made your MS life crazy,

Aya and Me

The Grad School Diaries: Episode 4 - What Coffee is to us Grad Students

I remember a fashion magazine years ago who featured JLo and she was asked how she deals with stress. She said she envies those who have an outlet, those who drink, those who smoke, because she doesn't have any of those so there's just no other option than to just brace herself for it.

For the first time, I can relate to JLo.

Last summer, I've given up on Coffee. Maybe it was just bad Cafe Latte from Cafe Antonio in Los Baños where I frequented with my friend, but it happens every time I go there. I had palpitations, numbness and I go extremely thirsty. Maybe it's stroke, maybe it's not. Shit, I really hope not.

And I used to smoke. Yes. Oh, don't give me that I'm-so-shocked-you-smoke-when-I've-known-you-since-you-were-a-little-girl look. I lived alone in the city for a decade and have gotten used to calling my own shots. It used to give me a sense of relief to take a break and think whenever I am stressed. There's something about the inhaling and exhaling when you're smoking and it gives a certain something something that makes you think while you smoke. But the problem is, I've given up smoking as well. No, it's not because of the constant nagging of my mom to quit, it's just that one day I just decided that I don't want to smoke anymore, (Maybe that's the reason of my month-long withdrawal symptoms) even if practically the people that I regularly hang out with most of the time smokes.

Coffee is the usual invitation to get together and catch up among friends, in my case with friends from graduate school, it comes with updates on our personal lives, tips on advisers, constructing theories, ranting about work and getting inspiration and realization from others.

One of our graduate school professors keeps on encouraging our batch to get together at least once a week for coffee or drinks because the best ideas and eye openers usually comes from conversations with other people and not from the four corners of the University Library.

But bottom line is, I've given up coffee. Nope, Starbucks don't entice me anymore. I remember I did not finish my last Starbucks attempt, afraid of getting palpitations in Glorietta. So to be safe I stayed away from it, up until probably last month.

Photo from the net

I have no outlet when I'm stressed other than to blog, but then again I've matured and grown to not wash my dirty laundry online, I have my trusted friends for that. Plus, at some point, you  realize that you have to just face it than write about it (which I have been doing for something, something years).

My friend in graduate school had to edit herself when she asks me out for brainstorming: "Coffee tayo, in your case, Iced Tea?"

But lately it seems quite inevitable for me to have at least a sip. A colleague of mine gave me Nescafe Brown and Creamy, and in my desperate attempt to warm up my stomach, I indulged, and the next thing I knew I am already bringing my own 3-in-1's and my very first Starbucks purple tumbler that I bought way back in 2005, back when upon purchase, it still comes with a free coffee drink.

Coffee usually makes us graduate students up all night working on our thesis chapters, trying to be grammatically correct to lessen the cost of editing in the future review.

So yes, I guess I am back together with coffee. I am back together with coffee and I still haven't started my revised thesis manuscript and my deadline is tomorrow.

I am up but I still don't know what to write.

ANTM's The British Invasion: A Sneak Peak

I'm going home early tonight because I am going to read on my newly acquired literature for my thesis and also because tonight marks the start of America's Next Top Model: The British Invasion.

WARNING: This contains pictorial spoilers, so if you are a die-hard ANTM fan, feel free to click exit icon from your browser.

I love season starters and I am intrigued by the first pictorial that'll show these:

Americans and British models posing as famous figures. I read from a blog that this is the first pictorial with Kelly Osbourne as judge.  (Photo Source)

Then there's another episode that included the Kardashian Matriarch, Kris Jenner and the two youngest girls, Kendall and Kylie,  who looked a lot like Wednesday Adams. Here are some of the photos from the shoot.  (Photo Source)

I really don't get this pictorial with the Kardashians (though I like their crazy series, it's one of my guilty pleasure) but I'm watching this episode anyway.

And to kick this British invasion off, I'm watching the season starter episode with my British cousin (who, if he doesn't take a hike from me by next week, is going to get girlier and girlier hanging with me, coz I tend to throw his alpha male bullshit down the trash bin).

But he just doesn't know it yet. :)

The Grad School Diaries: Episode 3 - Back to the Drawing Board

After presenting my thesis proposal yesterday, I am officially back to my drawing board.

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First, half of my topic was taken out. It makes sense, really. I feel like all these topics are being handed down to me.

And I take it. I believe I am flexible. So I get it.

After finally understanding what my theory is, and after being so glad that my theory proponent is still alive and have emailed me things I might need for literature, that's the time I need to change my theory again.

For the fourth time, I need a new theory again.

A friend wanted to go back and trace my footsteps in going back to school. But the thing is, she doesn't know what course to take and what would be her next step after.

I say don't go to Graduate School if you don't know yet what you really want, what you want to become, and where you're going to after. It's not easy. After two years, I'm going back to my drawing board and try to sum my good two years into a research that I don't have any idea how am I going to do it.

I'm just taking things at face value. I have thrown away my sense of time. I finally understand how research really likes to take its own sweet time and test a student's patience. I've been tested over and over again.

I have a feeling that there'll be more of these Grad School qualms. Sorry readers, I just really need an outlet.

I'll just try not to rant too much.

The Grad School Diaries: Episode 2 - Salute to the working Graduate Students

I found a whole new respect for working students... even more to those working students who are in graduate school.

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I really don't know how my classmates did it. It was so hard to really get the mood to write an academic paper.

I've been working on my thesis and I still have not found my AHA moment after changing the theoretical frameworks for three times already.

I don't know if I'm really going anywhere, all  I know is I'm just going, going, trying and trying until I finally get there.

I think I have met the best trying version of my self.

I've been juggling work and thesis and not minding the personal stuff that's bugging me because I honestly think that I have a full plate. I think if I don't have a job (I'm paid to do what I actually like...emphasis on "like") I'd be depressed by now because I'll be just staring off in space trying to get that AHA moment.

I've been itching to go to the city to recharge but I'm temporarily constrained and couldn't go so I had to schedule it for another month. I've been looking for my space and I couldn't find it.

Even I couldn't schedule a proper gabfest with friends who live 5 minutes from me. I'm just thankful that I still manage to squeeze some time getting a pedicure (which usually is scheduled past 7pm and after working hours) and some ice cream time and catch-up-over-streetfood-na-very-UP-lang-ang-peg.


I don't know how my classmates (and my former agents who were working students. Students by day, Call center agents by night) do it.

And I don't know how I was able to afford writing a blog post when I have an empty power point presentation template staring back at me. I still have work until 8pm tonight and I have a whole day of activities tomorrow and thesis proposal presentation in the afternoon and here I am, blabbering on the internet.

I really, really don't know how my working student classmates do it.

That controversial "Racist" FHM Cover

I read from a blog that this FMH cover earned the ire of many blog readers:

I must admit that when I first saw it, I didn't recognize the other girls in the back ground because I was only looking at the thumbnail of the picture. 

I think the line "Stepping out of the shadows" added more insult to injury.

So in an attempt to get on everyone's good side, they changed the cover to this:

FHM Philippines, March 2012 

Too bad, I like her red hot number in the first cover. But it reminds me a lot of what Anne Curtis wore during her concert last January:

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Don't you think it's from the same swimsuit designer or another case of copycat?