Envy and Being Content

I think there is a delicate line between being content and envy. When you are content it is easy to be happy for others. It is easier to appreciate the achievement of others and give praise. I think it's only human to be envious too.

Growing up my parents taught me how to be content. I learned this lesson when my collection of stationaries* were stolen in school when I was in first grade. Me and my classmates would trade stationaries and keep it on a folder. Our bulky school bags were made heavier because of our collection. Anyway, so my collection got stolen. I cried buckets! I told my parents about it and I remember my Mom explained to me why people steal. She said it stems from envy when you are not content.

I still buy stationary, usually cute pads but I use them for making lists. Here's one nice set that was gifted to me by one of my Mom's friends a few years ago. 

Through the years there were constant reminders for this lesson. I guess that's also the reason why I'm not really ambitious. I've been letting the Lord lead me where I should be. Lately though I've been wanting something. It's been stressing me out also because I've been wanting it to happen now. Someone who I met with this morning over Meets mentioned about being content and that effectively snapped me out of this thing I want. I know it will come in time as long as I pray for it.

Envy also causes one to become selfish. Sometimes when you want to control something badly you end up just thinking about yourself and  not what's good for others. Sadly I've seen this happen to good people and it's really painful to witness. And even more painful when you get sideswipped when envy leads ones actions.

Be Kind.

*Do kids still do this nowadays? When I was a kid collecting nice stationaries (i.e. Hello Kitty cute pads) was the in thing to do.

CB//146 #StuckAtHomeDay/176 #WFH101 #StayHome #BeKind 

What We Did with the First Tomato Harvest

Finally the first tomato fruit was ripe for picking! It was only one tomato though so we wanted to use it for something special.

We found ready to eat hollandaise sauce the other day and thought we'd make eggs benedict with it. Eggs ben is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. I watched Gordon Ramsay's video last night to learn how to make poached eggs. Three out of the four turned out well. I fried the honey baked ham and toasted the bread a bit in its fat.

Sweetie did the plating --

I ate the tomato together with a spoonful of eggs ben. It was too small though, but the thought of eating organic, homegrown tomato gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling hehe. I hope the other tomato fruits would grow bigger!



CB//145 #StuckAtHomeDay/175 #StayHome #BeKind 

The Doorbell and My Birthday

My plan for my birthday was to just hibernate since I felt it's just best to celebrate quietly. The universe and the doorbell had other plans. When I woke up Sweetie told me to dress appropriately. I didn't know what he had in mind so I took a shower and wore a shirt and decent shorts before I went to the living area. And that was when a day full of surprises started.

My friend, Shad, suggested I make a birthday vlog. As requested, here it is!

Surprise strategist: 

Sweetie Jay DJ

Collaborators: 

Ms. Myna, QSR and the Gaylas
Marcus and Shirni
the neighbors (Myra, Ralph, Jason and Phil)

Thank you to my family and friends who made my day special! Love you all :)


CB//144 #StuckAtHomeDay/174 #StayHome #BeKind 

Birthday!

It was a very different birthday celebration for me today!

Will tell you more about it tomorrow!


CB//143 #StuckAtHomeDay/173 #StayHome #BeKind 

Duct Tape is Not Boring Anymore!

I went to the mall after physiotherapy today. Sweetie thought it would be a good idea to meet up since I'm on leave and had PT earlier. When I got to the mall I immediately went to Art Friend. The shop is a cross between National Bookstore, Fully Booked and Divisoria. It's the place you go to if you need anything for crafting. It's a dangerous place for my wallet.

I hurriedly went in and passed through the tape section to go to the thread section. The duct tape section stopped me on my tracks. I had to look twice to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing. Duct tape with prints!

I was mindblown haha. Why did they take so long to put designs on duct tape?

And not only that, they also had washi duct tape!

Back when I was a child there weren't that many options. Juice tetra bricks were limited to Sunkist, Zest-o and milk tetra bricks was usually just Carnation with different weird flavors. Powdered milk was Nido, Klim and a few more. Junkfood was mostly just a handful of options from Jack & Jill. When you go to the grocery now there's a gazillion options! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that someone thought it's a good idea to put a design on duct tape. It's no longer just silver now.

On the way home I asked myself, "Do we really need all these options?" I guess it's okay for some products, but probably not for duct tape. I bought one, but it's so pretty I don't want to use it! LOL.



CB//142 #StuckAtHomeDay/172 #StayHome #BeKind 

100 Days Working from Home

Yesterday marked my 100th day working from home. I only counted the days I worked from home since I had filed some sick leaves in the last five months. I celebrated my 100th day working from home with 7 meetings in the morning and five more in the afternoon with one interview. Good thing I blocked my calendar by 4pm because I didn't have energy anymore for more meetings.

I worked from home for more than 5 years, but I would go out several times a week for meetings. After my stint at a corporate job I really wanted to work from home so that I'd be home when Miguel arrived from school. When I started I only had dial-up internet. I had to go to an internet cafe if I had to send out or email huge files. My manager back then would call me on the landline to catch up. It was months later when my friends set-up a proper router and wifi for me.

I move to the balcony when I don't have meetings.

In those early days I had a proper office at home. Now I work on the dining table. Sometimes when I feel I need something different I move to the couch. My dining table has mirrors surrounding it so it reflects my living room. Mr. Stormtrooper who's standing behind the couch is quite famous now across the world haha. And everyone now knows I collect Yoda.

Work from hotel. This was during a work trip in Japan.

I'm used to working from home, but I must admit I miss the office. I miss my desk, nagging my seatmates. Finding different areas in the office where I can work. When I was having severe back pains I found a nice chair at the third level where I can work without back pains. I oftentimes look for a different work space when I need to work without getting disturbed (aka getting pulled into more meetings). Sitting in other areas also allow me to see and say hello to colleagues I don't see often.

The reality is I'm stuck working from home until the pandemic is over. It's not as easy as it looks, but I am grateful to have work. Staying home also means I can keep safe. What about you? How are you coping with working from home?


CB//141 #StuckAtHomeDay/171 #StayHome #BeKind 

Unboxing My Birthday Gift for Myself

I think you would agree that it is thrilling to receive packages. Do you also add so much stuff on your Lazada/Shopee/Amazon cart? And randomly check out stuff on online shops when you're bored? Then order random stuff just so you can hear the doorbell ring for a package delivery.

My cart has stuff on it for my Mom now since I don't really need anything and I got myself something I've been wanting for a long time. I first saw it probably ten years ago. It was the most beautiful thing. I couldn't justify buying it because it's expensive. My tiny kitchen also discourages me from buying anything to add to it.

Last month I finally decided to get the item. I got lucky because the week I decided to get it there was a sale on it's flagship store in Lazada. I reached out to a friend in Japan who bought it early this year and she said it's worth the investment. I showed her the promo price and she said it was a steal. I didn't hesitate anymore and finally got it for myself.

When it comes to gadgets/kitchen appliances I take so long to buy stuff. I'm like that because I just want to make sure that I'm really going to use it. Sweetie was the one who finally got me my sewing machine. I think he got annoyed already that I kept checking it out at the store haha. Would you believe I'm using Miggy's super old Toshiba Chromebook to blog and edit my vlogs? The last time I bought a laptop for myself was seven years ago. I just wait for hand-me-downs from either Miggy or Sweetie since my computing needs is limited to browser usage and transferring photos from my camera.

My gift to myself arrived a few weeks before my birthday. I've been using it the last few weeks already and I'm so giddy I now have it. I'm sure I will have many adventures with it. Here's me unboxing it!

CB//140 #StuckAtHomeDay/170 #WFH100  #StayHome #BeKind 

Road to Wellness, Recovering from Pulmonary Embolism

The past three years have been a struggle for me health-wise. I was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism back in 2018. I was lucky because my respiratory doctor found the issue after a lot of tests and scans. It took a year before they found the cause - May Thurner Syndrome. My body issues have always been mechanical, but despite that I'm still blessed because I'm still alive and able to contribute to my community.

I kinda lived a normal life post-heart surgery seven years ago. I didn't get sick for almost five years. I didn't have any maintenance meds. My weight was acceptable (depends on which of my doctors you talk to). I traveled a lot. I may not have been able to do my favorite activities anymore like riding ziplines, roller coasters. I wanted to do para-gliding and other adventurous stuff. It's okay, I'm just happy to be alive.

Going through all of these challenges have not been easy. There are days when things go dark for me. You'd know I'm okay when you see I'm busy with my hobbies - I sew, I bake, I cook, I vlog, I blog, I nag my boys, I nag my Mom. I become unproductive when I'm unwell. Having body issues is just half the battle, the other half is pulling myself out of feeling unwell.

The battle to get well from PE was followed by severe asthma from the haze and crazy backaches. My doctor advised me to do physiotherapy and I have been doing that since November last year. It has helped me a lot. My back has been okay and I feel my lungs are working better now. I only feel unwell when my asthma is triggered from haze and when I get too tired. The key to avoid getting triggered is understanding my body and avoiding stress!

Clean air to keep my lungs healthy!

I'm so grateful that I have an amazing set of doctors who really show they care for me. My physiotherapist really tries to understand what my body can and cannot do. She makes sure I don't overdo things so I can make it to my next session. And because of their support I am inspired to become better. 

I'm happy to share that my doctor has removed one of the inhalers I had been taking for almost two years. My goal is to remove all my maintenance meds because it's been making me bloated. Hopefully soon my cardiovascular surgeon will remove my daily dose of blood thinners soon. Then my next target is to get rid of my daily inhaler.

To balance all the medical requirements I also do meditation, diffuse oils and pray for healing. I'm able to share this today because I've just gotten out of a health rut which lasted a few weeks. I need to stay in this state so my physiotherapy sessions can progress to my favorite exercise -- biking! Ahhh, we can all hope and pray.

Happy Monday everyone!


CB//139 #StuckAtHomeDay/169 #WFH99  #StayHome #BeKind 

Second Mustasa Harvest, It was Yummy!

Barely two weeks after we harvested from our mustasa plant, it was ready again for another harvest. It was just recently I made my Dad's mustasa dish (which I call now mustasa taco) so I did some research on what other dishes use mustasa.

Sweetie has been craving for sinigang the past few weeks so I looked up whether mustasa was used for sinigang. It is! But usually for fish sinigang. After reading some recipes and the ingredients I had on hand, this is how I made today's sinigang -

Ingredients:

250 gms. pork cubes
1 small radish sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
3 large mustasa leaves, cut it up
1/4 tsp salt
sinigang mix
10 cups water
*Add sinigang sili if you have

How to Cook:

(1) Boil the pork with some salt for about 20-25 minutes, drain the water
(2) Add 10 cups of water to the boiled pork cube, add 1/4 tsp salt, the radish and sinigang mix
(3) Once the water boils add the onion and tomatoes, let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes
(4) Turn the heat off and add the mustasa leaves. Serve hot.

***Sweetie gave it 5 Mabuhay Stars haha.

I hope next time we'll be able to use our tomatoes for cooking!


CB//138 #StuckAtHomeDay/168  #StayHome #BeKind 

Learnings from Bread Baking

I embarked on a home panaderia project last May. My target was to learn how to bake Filipino bread buns. I have so far baked the following: dinner rolls (for practice!), ensaymada, Spanish bread, pandesal, putok, monay and pambonete. All of it was edible, but it wasn't necessarily the taste I aimed for.

Here are some things I realized I should have done/had before I embarked on my home panaderia project -

(1) Equipment - if you bake cupcakes/cookies, you just need a few more things -

Dough slicer
Weighing scale
Bigger baking mat
Rolling pin

Of course you should already have a baking bowl, hand mixer (stand mixer better!), measuring cups/spoons, spatula, oil brush, wire rack etc.

(2) Kneading abilities - oh kneading requires patience and technique! I watched a couple of videos to learn how to knead properly.

(3) Blooming yeast - some recipes don't require you to bloom yeast, but if you need to make sure the milk isn't too hot.

(4) Use the right kind of milk - I discovered that there are certain types of milk that go well with bread and the taste changes depending on what brand of milk you use. This is true for both powdered and fresh milk.

(5) Use the right weight depending on the bun you are baking - this is something I need to understand better since sometimes the dough goes so big! Haha.

Doesn't look like putok or monay hahaha. It tasted good though.

(6) Practice shaping the dough several times before going through the whole dough - my pambonete, ensaymada and putok did not look like pambonete, ensaymada or putok after baking it hahaha.

I've also embarked on second attempts to find the best recipe. I'm getting a bit adventurous and changing things here and there. What about you? Have you tried baking Filipino bread buns?

You can check out my attempts on this playlist.

CB//137 #StuckAtHomeDay/167 #StayHome #BeKind 

Everyone Can Bloom Under the Sun

One thing I love most about my job is the opportunity to work with communities. I think it was fate that lead me to work with communities. I realized early on that I needed help. Many people reached out to help and I realized that I had the unique opportunity to encourage others to contribute to their chosen advocacy.

That's one of the things I've been doing in the last fourteen years. It started with developers, then entrepreneurs, students and now educators. Early on I knew it was not about me, but about showing others that they can each bloom beautifully under the sun.

Working with communities is like planting. Sow the seeds, nurture it until it sprouts, water and give it nutrients until it grows and blooms. It's not all rosy all the time. Pests can ruin your plants. The pests come in the form of off-track personal motivations, jealousy and differing of values. It gets really challenging and sometimes stress causes me to get sick.

So much like when my plants get sick I respond to the issue with love. There are several ways to manage plant issues -- pruning, adding nutrients, spraying water with baking soda, re-potting and even moving them around helps. Patience is key and in no time things will be back on track. It's hard though to spread the love evenly especially when your are taking care of many plants.

The best thing about it is when the plants bloom and stand tall under the sun.


CB//136 #StuckAtHomeDay/166 #WFH98 #StayHome #BeKind 

Being Brave

I'll be honest with you, I'm a chicken. I oftentimes I get scared especially when I have to do something that I think is beyond my capacity. The pandemic forced me to really think about how I could step up and do what I need to do. It was a scary, scary thought for me and is probably partly why I got super sick last May. My body reacted to fear.

During that time I came across an article that said, "In order for you to reach your goals sometimes you have to be someone else..." (something like that). It basically said that if there's something you really want to happen and you feel you can't do it, the way to do it is to be someone else.

Reach the top by being someone else. Eventually what you aspire will be who you are.

That time I read that I was feeling super overwhelmed. I was so stressed because I submitted a proposal that required me to become a superhuman. The proposal made sense to me when I made it. I seriously half-hoped it wouldn't get approved because it would be so hard to run it! After my medical leave I came back to the news that my proposal was approved. OMG!

And so I did a pep talk to myself - you can do it! Think you are someone else! It's been three months since I started working on program and it's be haaaard. Things are finally moving now and I've surprised myself. I definitely had to be someone else to make it work and that someone else I tried to be is who I am now. Kaya ko pala.

I'd say a lot of it is also believing in yourself more. Scared little me is still around. I still need to do deep breathing exercises a lot of times to get "someone else" to come out, but it's getting a little easier. So that's how I learned how to be brave. I had to because I badly wanted to reach my goals so I can help more.

What about you? What do you do to be brave?


CB//135 #StuckAtHomeDay/165 #WFH97 #StayHome #BeKind

My Heart is Full of Gratefulness Today

Many, many years ago I made a wish list. It's a list that I hoped I'd be able to contribute for my country through my work. My heart is super full of gratefulness because my tenth wish has come to fruition.

It was a long, challenging road to complete my wish list and I am so grateful to all the people who believed in me, who trusted me, who supported me throughout these many years. It has been a long journey for me. I was alone in the beginning, but from the start I knew I couldn't do things alone. I was never afraid to seek help. Communities embraced me and I have never been alone since then.

I am so grateful. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me. I work hard because of all of you. <3 <3

CB//134 #StuckAtHomeDay/164 #WFH96 #StayHome #BeKind

My YouTube Channel on Home, Hobbies and Inspiration

During my break last year I set the goal of finally working on my blog backlog. My friends from back home usually tease me that I'm a natural historian because I keep a treasure trove of photos and mementos. I used to do our parish newsletter and they appreciated the articles I'd write about our community. I stopped actively blogging for many years and I've always felt something was missing in my life.

I also used to actively vlog many, many years ago. I stopped because I got so busy. My vlogs back then centered on music, blogger events, travel and a little about tech. I thought I'd go back to that, but all my travel plans this year feel through. I eventually focused on new interests and since it's a bit varied I thought I'd pivot on who I am today. That's anyway what a lot of expert vloggers say -- focus on what you love doing and that's what you should communicate on your content.

Recipes for My Son

My family is important to me and being apart with Miggy has been really hard. We were together for three whole months (more like he was stuck with me) and one of the things I enjoy is seeing him cook dishes. He is actually a natural! Much like his Papa Lolo. My cousin made me realize that we didn't learn how to make favorite family recipes before we lost family members. That's what pushed me to film some of the favorite recipes of my boys.

My Home Panaderia

I super miss home and the many, many types of bread we have available in the Philippines. Buying pandesal here in Singapore is expensive! I once bought Spanish bread in Lucky Plaza and it cost SGD2! I realized I could actually learn how to make it myself. I always had the intention, but never had the time to act on it. So I made my home panaderia a project for me to learn how to bake bread. It's hard, but I enjoy the learning process.

An Apple a Day Vlogs

Life goes on after going through a number of medical issues and that's what I want to communicate through my personal vlogs. I have good days and bad days. Bad days can stretch for weeks and breaking it depends on how much I could will my body to become better. In time I hope I can share more about this to help inspire people like me to keep living and to be the best you can be. I can easily write about it, but it's harder for me to communicate it verbally. Hopefully in time :)

The Balcony Farmer

I became a plantita by accident! Last May, I  experimented on planting a tomato I sliced and now they are bearing fruit! I don't have a green thumb. Many plants have died under my care in the last ten years. Those that are still alive today are under my Mom's care. In The Balcony Farmer vlogs I share tips on how I have finally made some success with my plants.

Hope you find something interesting in my YouTube channel - An Apple a Day. Like and subscribe!

CB//133 #StuckAtHomeDay/163 #WFH95 #StayHome #BeKind

My Weird Airport Routines

On Mondays I think about traveling. It's almost seven months now since I last got on an airplane. Not traveling is driving me a bit crazy because I've never been grounded this long (even after heart surgery!). I was musing last night about weird routines I do at airports. It will probably take a long time before I can travel again, so I thought I'd write my rituals down so I don't forget.

Changi Airport

One thing I love about living in Singapore is the easy access to teh tarik. You can find it everywhere. I prefer teh tarik over bubble tea tbh. I always have a cup of teh peng before I fly out of Singapore. I oftentimes skip going to the lounge so I could have my cup of milk tea.

NAIA

There's two things I usually do before I leave Manila: (1) Buy our dinner, usually Max's or Kenny Rogers; and (2) Buy something at National Bookstore! I buy dinner so the boys can eat something fresh from Manila (sometimes I squeeze in some Jollibee/Wendy's/Mary Grace for the next day). National Bookstore is one of my favorite places. I always buy a book or magazine which I read in-flight.

KLIA

I super love Old Town's white milk tea and that's what I usually have before I ride the train to the my gate. Sigh. It's been a year since I last visited Kuala Lumpur. I miss sitting at the Old Town Coffee Cafe, drinking my milk tea and watching people as they come and go.

Suvarnabumi Airport

There's two things I usually get at the Bangkok airport: (1) A nice quilted bag; and (2) Mango sticky rice with Thai milk tea. I don't go to Thailand often so I usually come to the airport early so I can explore the airport too.

Narita Airport

Oh there's a lot of things I like about the Narita Airport: (1) Play gachupon, (2) Buy some Japanese snacks and new flavored Kitkat chocolates, (3) Check out Pokemon items, and if I have time, (4) Eat or buy takeaway.

Taoyuan International Airport

After I finish drinking bubble tea from one of the shops at the departure area, I usually head to the toy shop to look for something to bring home for the boys. They have a lot of Gundam and Transformer toys.

Sydney Airport

There's one thing I can get at the Sydney Airport which I couldn't from other airports -- quilt/patchwork magazines! I rush through the airport so I could visit all the bookshops. Oh I almost forgot, I usually mail postcards also from the airport since there's a post office near the check-in counter.

Incheon International Airport

I was so hungry after a flight and ended up at a coffee shop at the basement. I ended up try bagel with cream cheese and white onions. I originally thought it wouldn't be good, but I ended up liking it. I think this will be my weird routine for this airport.

What about you? Do you have weird airport routines like me?

CB//132 #StuckAtHomeDay/162 #WFH94 #StayHome #BeKind

Unboxing and Review of Air Purifier: Atmosphere Sky Air Purifier

My lungs are quite delicate. It does not take much to trigger an asthma attack. A few weeks ago I didn't notice that the air quality started to deteriorate again. I was hoping it wouldn't happen this year. I let my guard down and after hanging up laundry at my balcony the asthma attack started. It progressed to the point I couldn't think anymore. I had to take meds and lie down for a few hours before I recovered.

It took a week and a new medical grade air purifier before I got better. I could've gone to see my respiratory doctor, but I'm really scared to go to the hospital especially when my immune system is down. I'm also avoiding getting prescribed additional medications. I wanted my body to cope and fight back on it's own.

I studiously took my meds, diffused some essential oils and tried not to stress out. What really helped me was my new toy, a medical grade air purifier. Several friends recommended different brands and I read up on all of them. I selected the Atmosphere Sky because of how it filters the air and because it's recommended by the UK Allergy Org and NEA Singapore. I read it's also used in a lot of hospitals. So I thought I'd take the chance and try it. It's quite expensive, but for me it's an important investment for my health.

Here's my unboxing and review vlog on the Atmosphere Sky. If you have any thoughts about air purifiers or if you have an Atmosphere Sky, comment down below.

CB//131 #StuckAtHomeDay/161 #StayHome #BeKind

Filipino Food Delivery in Singapore

Not being able to travel back home has been tough. Can't be with family. Can't shop for local goods. Can't eat at our favorite restaurants. There are days things get hairy and the best way for us to cope is by ordering comfort food -- Filipino food, of course.

Ordering Filipino food in Singapore is a bit tricky for us. Most of the Filipino food deliveries are beyond our reach, so we order sparingly. Here's what we have so far ordered in the last few months -

Max's Restaurant

One of the things we miss most is fried chicken from the house that chicken built - Max's! The branch is quite far away from us so we usually order through Max's oodle.me link. The minimum order for free delivery is SG$80 so we usually get a family set that would last us at least 3 meals. Their merienda meals are also quite sumptuous.

Minimum order: SG$80
Delivery fee: Free if you reach the minimum amount
Order from: https://maxsrestaurant.oddle.me/en_SG

Filipino Fiesta

This Filipino restaurant is located at Joo Chiat Road when we were in the area to hear mass a couple of months ago. They have a huge menu! We ended up ordering so much food when we ate there. We did the same when we ordered online because the delivery cost is steep. Check out some of the items in the menu from the photo below.

Minimum order: SG$30
Delivery fee: SG$26++
Order from: https://filipinofiesta.getz.co/

Lutong Pinoy

Lutong Pinoy is a resto located at Lucky Plaza. We probably ate there in the past. We just found out about it today since we've been craving for Filipino food. Their menu is a bit similar to Filipino Fiesta. Of course, we ended up ordering enough food for the whole weekend LOL. We also ordered red velvet pandesal with cream cheese. Going to have that for breakfast tomorrow!

Minimum order: SG$35
Delivery fee: free until August 31 at minimum order of SG$65
Order from: https://lutongpinoy.oddle.me/

Don Lechon

My friend Cathy sent us some lechon as part of her birthday celebration. She said it was from Don Lechon. We ordered some lechon when we had some friends over a few weeks ago. It was a big hit together with my spaghetti. Aside from lechon we got some leche flan for dessert. We ordered some frozen food also which we'll cook on a rainy day (got some bangus relleno). I ordered via WhatsApp, paid through Paylah after delivery and they delivered via LalaMove. Food was amazing of course!

Minimum order: SG$
Delivery fee: via LalaMove (they'll book it for you)
Order from: via WhatsApp +65 9778 9737 (more info at https://www.facebook.com/DonLechonSingapore/)

Tapa King

The first day when phase 2 of the circuit breaker started our neighbors pinged us to do a group order from Tapa King. We all trooped to his place to eat and it felt right. We all hadn't seen each other for a few months when that happened and the experience of eating with friends again was just perfect.

Minimum Order: SG$70
Delivery fee: free when you order the minimum amount
Order from: https://tapaking.oddle.me/en_SG/

Jollibee

Sadly Jollibee is quite far from us so the usual food delivery apps show we're outside of the delivery area. Good thing there's islandwide delivery via oddle.me. Minimum order though had us ordering several meals which lasted us a few days hehe.

Minimum order: SG$50 + GST
Delivery fee: SG$8
Order from: https://jollibee.oddle.me/en_SG/ [if you're outside of the Grab/Foodpanda/Deliveroo area]

Iskina Cebu

Update September 9, 2020: Finally saw this available on Grab last weekend. We ordered bangus sisig and liempo. The food was amazing and instantly brought us home!

Minimum order: SG$10 (via Grab)
Delivery fee: depends on your location; the have Islandwide delivery
Order from: Grab

If you're nearby any of the restaurants do check if delivery is available via Grab/Foodpanda or Deliveroo. Minimum order may be lower through them. We're usually desperate to have Filipino food so we order enough to last us several meals. I try to cook as much as I could, but we do miss eating out and there are some dishes are just better cooked by someone else hehe. And we just can't live without Pinoy food.

Will update this post if we try any other Filipino food restos. Happy eating!

CB//130 #StuckAtHomeDay/160 #StayHome #BeKind

Yummy Bubble Milk Tea Gelato

I super love milk tea! In fact I love it so much I have a blog I author together with Sweetie and Drew. Visit our blog - Tea, Completely. My backlog on that blog is so, so  baaaaad. So before I forget I thought I'd share about his super yummy gelato I recently discovered.

I first saw it on an ad in Instagram. I clicked on the ad to check it out. The minimum amount to order was too expensive so I decided not to buy. A few days later we were surprised to see it in the supermarket and it was on sale! We got two flavors - Bubble Milk Tea and Tiramisu.

Ohhhh, it's one of the most amazing bubble milk tea flavored gelato I've tried. It's really tastes like bubble milk tea! I've tried a lot of milk tea flavored ice cream and not all of it is good. This one is real. The bubble is made of mochi pearls and is a good replacement of actual pearls.

Oh my, now I want some. This gelato was made by "the ice cream & cookie co.". Yummers!

CB//129 #StuckAtHomeDay/159 #WFH93 #StayHome #BeKind

That Time We Visited Changi Jewel

I took a sick leave today and spent the entire day in bed asleep. I had a slight fever when I woke up and my pulse and oxygen rate were still weird. It's late evening now and I still feel a little woozy after eating dinner. I'm just chilling on the couch trying not to think about the weird stuff happening to my body. Sweetie said last night I wasn't making any sense when he was talking to me hehehe. I still have a headache which is probably why I haven't been making any sense.

Anyway a thought just popped in my mind -- Changi Jewel. I remembered it after watching an airport update video. The last time we visited Changi Jewel was October last year. We took our sweet time before we visited Changi Jewel because it's quite far from where we live and we avoided the crowds. We usually visit before or after a flight to save on transportation costs.

Shake Shack is usually full, but the last time we visited it was pretty empty. The burgers are quite good and last time we went we tried their coffee and it was quite good. Oh I miss the burgers.

Pokemon Center is a place we always visit at Changi Jewel. We don't really buy anything coz the toys are quite expensive. They have so many cute stuff though so if you're a Pokemon toy collector make sure to visit the Pokemon Center.

A&W is one of the places we've dined in. What I love best is their rootbeer float. It was my Dad who introduced me to rootbeer. It's the only soda he likes to drink. A&W is located at one of the lower floors and is usually full too, but the turnover of people is quite fast so it's okay to wait.

Tokyu Hands is one of my favorite places to visit also at Changi Jewel. There's a big branch though at Orchard, but I still prefer the gigantic one I've been to in Nagoya.

One thing I also enjoy at Changi Jewel is playing Pokemon. There are a number of PokeStops and gyms which will keep you busy while walking around. The most amazing part of Changi Jewel is the indoor waterfall. It is mermerizing to watch. Do check out the bottom of the waterfall too because it's also very unique and interesting.

I wonder how things are over at Changi Jewel. I haven't read any news update about it for awhile. It's a nice place to visit and certainly unique. I hope all is well with them.


CB//128 #StuckAtHomeDay/158 #WFH92 #StayHome #BeKind

5 Months at Home

It's been 5 months since I started working from home. I was looking at the videos I made the last few months and saw the first "pandemic" video I made. We were still at our old place then and we had just started to look for a new place to transfer to.

Today wasn't a good day for me. I woke up not feeling so well and by ten-thirty my pulse and oxygen rate started to go low. Thought it would improve and I kept working, by eleven I felt so faint I had to move to the couch. I still hung on to the watch party the community was hosting. I stayed until the session finished. I hoped things would improve after eating lunch, but it did not. By 2 in the afternoon Sweetie took my BP and even that was low. I decided to go to bed by then.

That time we went house-hunting back in March. 

It's almost 11 in the evening now and my pulse and oxygen rate are a bit better now. I had a migraine while eating dinner. I'm not sure if I had too much during physiotherapy yesterday or if this is a stress-induced illness. It's probably the later. Oh well. This is probably part of the effects of the pandemic on me.

Hope things would be better tomorrow.


CB//127 #StuckAtHomeDay/157 #WFH91 #StayHome #BeKind

My Fave Things to Do in Taiwan

I miss Taiwan. I usually visit Taiwan several times a year. The last time I got to visit was a year ago when I went to Taichung for an event. I went straight there from Tokyo and had the time of my life traveling by train from Taipei to Taichung. I love figuring out how to get around by train in unfamiliar cities.

I believe my paternal grandmother probably came from Taiwan. I don't know much about her since she passed away when my Dad was just 7 years old. They just told me that she's Chinese and eloped with my Filipino grandfather. So I always wondered what she's like and what traits I inherited from her. The first time I visited Taiwan I had a "feeling of familiarity". I don't know what it is, but I just feel happy and at home whenever I visit Taiwan. And this is why I think maybe my grandmother came from Taiwan.

Whenever I visit Taiwan I normally stay in Taipei. I usually stay near our office which is at Taipei 101. Here's what I love to do whenever I'm in Taiwan:

1. Stare at Taipei 101 especially at night. It's mesmerizing and a nice sight to look at especially in the evenings.

2. Drink bubble tea, of course. I love 50 Lan, TenRen, and one more place found on the 5th floor in the department store across our office (sorry but no matter how many times they teach me I couldn't pronounce the name of the place... I can bring you there though haha).

3. Eat! There's so many places to eat at, but the birthplace of Din Tai Fung is a must resto to eat at. I go to a branch where locals go to hrhr.

4. The night market and eat sausages. Whoops, did I just mention eating again?

5. Ride the high speed train. Yup, Taipei to Kaohsiung and back to Taipei is a regular trip I make. I always think about my grandmother whenever I travel domestically in Taiwan.

6. Visit the gigantic fabric market - Yongle Fabric Market. Yes! I've been there and oh my it took all my will not to go crazy and buy yards and yards of fabric. Haha.

7. And there's one place I really, really want to go back to -- Yilan! And eat at that yummy karinderya at the market near the school. I'm so desperate the locals actually sent me a recipe to the pork dish I've been fantasizing about haha. Maybe I'll try to make it this weekend.

I haven't explored Taiwan's beautiful places. I'm always there for work! I have met many beautiful, loving, warm friends in Taiwan and I miss them. Someday I'll be back...


CB//126 #StuckAtHomeDay/156 #WFH90 #StayHome #BeKind