SOCIAL MEDIA

Sunday, September 25, 2016

[Food] Lipton Herbal Infusion Camomile - Product Review



Herbal tea infusions in instant tea drinks are now becoming popular as companies produce products with other herbs as an addition. Yesterday, I just tried Lipton’s Camomile Herbal Infusion Tea. It comes in a box with 20 sachets inside. After infusing it in warm water, it yields a light yellow color and a fragrant calming smell. The essence of Camomile dominated its taste giving a calming effect on the senses.









Camomile infusion tea is good for those with tired mind or after having a stressful day because the aroma and the taste could help you relax. Camomile plant is beneficial in inducing sleep so as for the skin. In the nutritional information found in the packaging, a 100ml of Lipton Herbal Infusion Camomile gives 4KJ/ 1kcal, less than 0.5 Protein, Carbohydrates and Sugars. It contains 0g of Fat so it is good for people who want to lose weight.


Friday, September 23, 2016

[TV Series] Doctors 2016 - Korean Drama Review



TITLE: Doctors

YEAR: 2016

TV NETWORK: Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), South Korea

DIRECTOR: Oh-Choon-Hwan

WRITER: Ha-Myung-Hee

MAIN CAST:

Kim-Rae-Won as Hong-Ji-Hong

Park-Shin-Hye as Yoo-Hye -Jung

Lee-Sung-Kyung as Jin-Seo-woo

Yoon-Gyun-Sang as Jung-Yoon-Do


SYNOPSIS:

The story is about a girl named Yoo-Hye-Jung (Park-Shin-Hye) who experienced family hardships in her youth, the impact it made in her facing her past issues about forgiveness, falling in love, letting go and healing. In becoming a doctor, her life revolves in treating her patients as well as interacting with her colleagues; the different kinds of lives Doctors are facing.


ABOUT THE ACTORS:

Korean drama fans all over the globe know that this drama combined two of the most popular celebrities in South Korea. Having Park-Shin-Hye, one of the highest paid actresses of her generation and Kim-Rae-Won, the country’s prime drama heartrob in the 2000s; gives anticipation to their K-Drama that this drama will soar high with their superb acting skills and superstardom.

Actress Park-Shin-Hye portrays a teenage gangster who has issues surviving life’s adversities, found refuge in her grandmother, admired her high school teacher then turned into a successful neurosurgeon. This role embarked new heights for the fans as she has moved into maturity in her role from sweet teeny bopper flicks in the past. With her pretty looks plus a hard side in Hye-Jung’s character, viewers will surely sympathize. The character’s metamorphosis from a being a rebellious youth to a strong doctor transitioned gorgeously. Though seen as quarrelsome with fight scenes, her charming looks still penetrated the scenes. Her portrayal as an adult neurosurgeon older than her age showing strong will and confidence is remarkable.

The male lead, actor Kim-Rae-Won who play Hye-Jung’s high school teacher, Ji-Hong not only added star power to the tandem, he had a lot of contribution to the romance aspect of the story, and he supported his female lead effectively providing  balance in the development of their roles as the story progresses. Knowing that it would be a Shin-Hye, Rae-Won tandem before watching made a lot of Korean drama enthusiasts curious on how the two leads would produce effective romance feels in spite of their age gap. There is this masculine aura in Rae-Won that spices up the scenes like whenever they had a kissing scene. An icon of his generation, age does not seem to be a hindrance for pairing him with a much younger female lead.
Both of their acting is natural and effective.

About the Story:

These are the central themes in which the story revolves:

FORGIVENESS: The characters’ past are complicated due to pain imparted by close people in their lives. Forgiving themselves to forgive others is taught and the struggles they went through to overcome the pain.

LOVE: Loving someone in spite of age, sacrificing for someone you love, how it could make you healed and happy in the end.

FAMILY: Each character does have a messed up life. Having a support figures in their lives paved way for their growth as a person. They have been a big part of what the characters have become. They are the ones who inspired them but there are also who gave them pain.

MEDICINE: Viewers could learn how hard it is to be a doctor, how they handle medical situations to save lives. I really commend those operating room surgery scenes, Korean’s are so meticulous in their dramas that watching will make you feel that they are really operating in a true surgery room. They also have focus on the patients’ lives in spotlight and most of them made me cry.


The series is a good watch not only for its romance theme but those who loves watching medical related dramas. Its combined themes  could give so much moral lessons about life, love and letting go of hatred and pain. There also are light scenes that could make you smile. It is worth giving a try not only for Korean drama fans.









Sunday, September 18, 2016

[Travel] Sagada's Bomod-Ok Falls: Beauty Beyond Challenge



Waterfalls are one of Mother Nature’s priceless wonders and the Philippines have the pride to possess abundance that many wanderlusts aim to explore. One of them is Sagada, Mountain Province’s wonder, the endearing big 200 meters Bomod-Ok Falls. Also known as Fidelisan Falls named after the Barangay’s name where it is located. It has been famous as one of the important scenic geographical landmark you should visit when you explore the province.

Before our adventure, some of my friends who already went there told me to be prepared for the journey because going down trekking from the jump point will require extra physical strength plus determination for walking in approximately one hour along the narrow roads, rocks, man-made stairs, rice fields and the small village. The Falls is estimated 5 Kilometers away from the Tourism Registration Center.


To Bomod-Ok Falls.


Posing with our walking sticks.

HOW TO GO TO BOMOD-OK FALLS?

From the town center where the Sagada Municipal Hall is situated, we rented a van that would take us to Barangay Banga-An. We just paid 200PhP as a whole for a group of five, I think the prices depend on the driver because I have read in some blog articles that sometimes they are higher or lower. We then registered at their Tourist Information Center. After the process, they endorsed a friendly reliable female guide. Before heading, they provided us sturdy sticks to be used as canes to aid us in walking for hours. Our tour guide prepared us with some information of the number of steps or the time estimated to reach the falls.


The start of our walk.

There is a small village in between the jump-off to the Falls.

A selfie with the terraced rice fields.

Us having a short Photo Session in the red bridge.


Resting on the rocks.


A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

As a newbie in walking through irregular rocky elevated land platforms, I will say that the journey made me really exhausted due to aching feet and trembling knees. My advice is that you go on with a group of friends. Having a great company will boost each other up on the journey. The hike was somehow exhausting but as they say, good things come to those who wait. In the heart of the area, there you will you will find a small peaceful village with smiling people. I admire their lifestyle amidst being very far from technology, pollutions and noises of the urban areas, they look so happy. I almost gave up when we stopped by to rest and find a comfort room. My friends suggested me to just rest in the village and wait until they come back. Thinking of what great things would I miss if I do, I bravely hold up my head high and continue walking. We then reached the red bridge, took some photos with smiles in our faces because of excitement that we are near the Bomod-Ok Falls.


My friends Rio and Denise in front of the Falls and the clear water.





NATURE’S BEAUTY

As we reached our goal, we finally saw the treasure we patiently struggled to reach and it never failed our eyes so as our feels. That beautiful sight of crystal clear waters of the big falls surrounded with rocks, lush green trees and plants truly exhibit the beauty only nature can give us. All the steps going down were all worth it. If planning to swim, be careful of the rocks surrounding the falls as they are slippery, you could get injured.  The water from the falls is cold so make sure to be physically healthy before swimming.


GOING BACK

More than hiking down to the falls, going back up is more excruciating for a first timer like me; you will require more effort due to gravity. Just enjoy every step while the sun is setting, appreciate the beauty of the land formations in the valley. We finished at 7PM. Ate Tour Guide said that in all the travellers she assisted, we are the ones who travelled that long time and we know why.

Overall, the Bomod-Ok Falls is one of the most amazing landmarks I visited in the Philippines, also one of the most challenging so far. If you are that kind of an adventurer who loves hiking and challenges, the Bomod-Ok Falls of Sagada, Mountain Province should be on your list.


Wednesday, September 07, 2016

[Book Review] Landing by Emma Donoghue

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2007


TITLE: Landing

YEAR PUBLISHED: May 2007

GENRES: Romance, Lesbian, Fiction

THEMES: Long Distance Relationships, Cultural Differences, Romance


SUMMARY: The story revolves around two women, Sile (pronounced as Sheila) is a 39 year old Irish flight attendant from Dublin which also has an Indian descent and Jude a 25 year old museum historian from the rural Ontario, Canada. They met on a plane when Jude travelled abroad for the first time. They formed a unique friendship from phone calls and E-mails. In spite of distance, they found comfort with each other then fell in love. With distance, race, cultures and age, the adversity of maintaining a stable and lasting relationship is the core of the story.


Kindle Edition 2013.


REVIEW: 

The Theme: After researching about the best lesbian novels to read, I have seen that Landing has been consistent on the top of the lists and seeing the author’s profile, I had this urge to read this novel as soon as possible. The LGBT theme is good that it does not fully exhibit popular lesbian issues as the main characters' adversities are about distance and enduring their differences. The delivery of light romance despite their imperfections is very effective in the first parts. There is this amusement whenever they were exchanging E-mails so I can recommend this to those people in Long Distance Relationships who haven’t met each other or just met in person in just a few times.

This novel explores the problems of loving someone who is 5 Thousand Kilometers far away from you. It is true that love does not choose people, time and distance; because of this there will come great struggles in between. Reading the mini summary on Goodreads made me curious to read it expecting much. I want to explore how LDRs work because I have friends currently in the same situation.

The Characters: My view about the two characters is not the same. I admire how Sile fought the struggles just to find ways to be with Jude, the way she will do anything for love being a mature modern woman herself. There is a part where she almost gave up but the way she stood up in the end is still admirable. On the other hand, I find Jude as careless, less rational and emotional though she has this very adorable side. I can see that the author planned their differences carefully to create conflicts that readers could sympathize. The more they differ, the more also they become closer. Whenever they exchange E-mails, you can feel this unconscious hunger to know and cling to the other. Emma Donoghue made them opposite with complexities so that they would find a virtual home in each other.

The Story: Like I said, the first chapters made me smile due to the characters’ blooming romance. The humor injected is satisfactory. As the plot progresses, the spice lessen because of unmoving narratives involving the other characters like Sile’s friends. A lot of happenings seem stagnant at the middle part especially when Jude acts up. It is also one of those few novels that took me longer (two months) to finish due to lack of progress to some important parts of story. Either you can predict how will it end or be disappointed although it is not a sad end at all. To be honest, it made me upset that one of the character’s realization just came in the end.

My Verdict: Overall, this novel is good for those who want to know the struggles of  LDR relationships and the sacrifice one should give. Lessons could be learned about love but don’t expect to be moved that much. Prepare yourself of boredom at some parts and disappointment on one of the characters.

My Rating: 2/5



My Favorite Lines/ Quotes:

"You could know a friend all your life and still find it a complete mystery why he or she loved this particular individual, out of all the people in the world."

"In the market I saw a woman in a cafe and thought, why can't I love someone like her instead of you?" - Jude's deleted line in her E-Mail to Sile.

"Love isn't a problem, geography is." -Jude

"... moving in with someone is always a risk, even if you stay in the same city. You're putting your heart in their hands." -Sile

Links: 

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

The Bell Tower of Bantay Ilocos Sur

The Bantay Bell Tower of Ilocos Sur.

A Belfry built in 1591 – Ilocos Sur is home of old Spanish Colonial architectures that survived through time. These structures exhibit traces of our Spanish Era ancestry centuries ago. The Philippines is a Christian country with Roman Catholicism as the most dominant faith. A lot of edifices in the country include churches boasting beautiful designs with rich stories about the past. One of the province of Ilocos Sur is the Bantay Church located at Manila-North Road, Zone 5, Bantay, Ilocos Sur. It is also known as Saint Augustine Parish Church of Bantay with Nuestra Senyora de la Caridad ( Our Lady of Charity ) as its patron. The statue of the Blessed Virgin is said to perform miracles so as answered prayers. Standing with its handsome sturdy gothic look that was damaged by wars then restored, it has been a witness to many important events in our history.

When the country was still a colony of Spain, this steeple served as a watch tower to monitor pirates. It is also a defence structure against the enemies that the place got its name “Bantay” that means guard. Still erect with all its glory, the tower also survived World War II. It was then restored in the 1950s.


Our Lady of Charity Church of Bantay Ilocos Sur.

Pilgrimage Site.



Photo-op Bench at the Entrance.

A reminder to pray.

Climbing the stairs feels like you are traveling way back in time. Then we climbed the narrow stairway surrounded by bright orange brick walls. I can imagine our forefathers building the tower long ago thinking how intricate the process had been. The large bell is a huge metal which is almost my size. If only that bell could talk, it has been a witness to so many battles, rang thousands of masses from the Spanish Era to the present.


Going up. Look at those bright orange bricks.


The Bell.


Me with one of the bells in one of the windows.

A view from the top.

Going Down.






The view at the top is breath taking. Endearing fresh wind blows overlooking small houses, trees and structures. You can see the province of Abra as well as the western seas.

You can visit the Bantay Bell Tower between 6AM to 6PM. In the entrance, there is a donation box for the church and tower maintenance, you can give any amount you want. Photo-ops are better taken in the bench located near the entrance, beside the bell and in the windows.



A visit to Bell Tower: Achieved!

Overall, the Bell Tower experience is one of a kind. It was also memorable for me because it was my first time to actually climb and go atop seeing it only in movies and pictures. I also get to see a real church bell up close, touched it and look though the beautiful province of Ilocos Sur at the top.

Special Thanks to my friend Karen Feaster some of the pictures, for taking my pictures and touring me around.

Saturday, September 03, 2016

[Food] The Vigan Empanada of Ilocos Sur

The Vigan Empanada cut in Half. The ingredients are mainly of ground meat of longganisa, papaya and egg yolks.

Visiting Ilocos Sur would not be complete without tasting some of their native foods like Bagnet, Longganisa and the equally famous empanadas. There are two famous delicious empanadas in the province; one is the Batac/ Laoag Empanada and the Vigan Empanada which I just tasted for the first time. The unique taste of this Empanada makes tourist want to go back just to have a bite again. The rich flavor comes from its ingredients as well as the preparation.


Served hot with vinegar (Ilocano Vinegar)



Tourists and locals doing some food trip.

Some of its notable ingredients are papaya, carrots, the egg yolks (the Vigan version has only eggyolk unlike the one in Batac that includes the egg white) and ground meat, at times their Longganisa. The dough of the crust is made of rice flour. It is prepared deep fried. Better to eat this when it is hot dipped in Iloko Vinegar with chillies, chopped onions, garlic and pepper. I had my try when we strolled by the Burgos Plaza near the church. There is ample number of empanada and street food stalls there as well as benches for eating.




Not just the empanada is available here, there are also Okoys and street foods.
Very delectable to the taste, this native empanada recipe is addictive. The texture is soft inside with its crispy dough wrap. The price ranges from 25Pphp-40Php depending on the size or the stall. If you are planning of a visit to this famous wonder city of northern Philippines, then you should take a bite of this delicious but affordable delicacy.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Sagada's Yoghurt House: A Food Experience

The Yoghurt House with the colorful and artsy sign.

One thing that is a must to do Sagada is visit its famous restaurants and eateries. The town with all its fresh and healthy vegetation offers delicious nutritious foods. After sight-seeing on lush green trees or adventure on its caves and falls, for sure all we want is a very fulfilling dinner on a cozy place where relaxation and craving satisfactions co-exist. The colourful signage of Sagada’s Yoghurt house is one of Sagada’s easy to find establishment that is just few meters from the Municipal Hall. If you are heading to or from the Sumaguing and Lumiang caves, then it is easy to find and dine at this very delightful restaurant.  It is found in South Road, Sagada 2619.


Their very rich menu.

Cozy and warm feel.

We had the chance to eat dinner on our first night in Sagada, it was then a peak season as evidenced by overflowing customers in the first and second floors so we patiently waited for a vacant table for four. Still, the ambiance gives a very comfortable feel with all the lights, furniture and exciting menu.  Because we dined there in night time, we did not see the views in the second floor. Surely, I will come back again for that. There were wonderful photos of the history of Sagada, their respected tribesmen and artefacts hanging on the walls in black and white but there is a note saying that taking pictures of the frames were prohibited.


Sagada Honey Yoghurt.

My meal, Bolognese.

Chicken Cashew Favorite.
Looking at the menu could just make your mouth water as the foods vary from pancakes, pastas to chicken recipes and many more. Of course, from its name, there are their famed Yoghurts which make the food experience complete. The price range is not so cheap but not so expensive either.  I could guarantee that it is sulit because of large servings plus sumptuous taste. A pasta lover myself, I ordered Spaghetti Bolognese while my friends had their Baked Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Vegetable Salad, (I posted the pictures of the orders together with this blog) we ordered the sweet unique Sagada Honey Yoghurt and the tasty Banana Granola Strawberry Preserves for dessert. The dishes do have bright colors with rich taste. I love how they serve with large amount of vegetables since it the vegetation in Sagada is one of their main sources of economy and pride.


Roasted Pork with Brown Sauce Vegetable and Rice.

Baked Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Vegetable Salad.

Banana, Granola Preserves.

Overall, your stay in Sagada will not be complete if you do not try their specialty eating establishments especially the Yoghurt House. In the end is a full healthy tummy. It is also one of the reasons why I want to go back there again.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Denise Marie Domingo (She remembered all the long names of foods we ordered. Thanks to her.).

Kristine Marla Guevarra (For that picture in the front view because I failed to take one since we came on night time. She went there during daytime.).



Saturday, August 27, 2016

Sagada's Sumaguing Cave: Explore and Experience

View from the bottom to the starting entrance. Adventurers are like fairies in their lamps.

The Philippines is a very rich country in terms of natural resources and breath taking wonders of nature. As time goes by, unfound wonders were revealed to give pride that our native land is home of Mother Nature’s precious gifts. As the Underground River became one of the new seven wonders of nature, tourists from all over the world had their eyes not just in Palawan but other wonders as well. If you loved the Underground River then you should visit up north to experience Sagada’s Sumaguing Cave. This adventure may require some efforts but the feeling of touring inside will give you a very satisfying and unforgettable experience.




Heading on.




Where is Sumaguing Cave?

The Sumaguing Cave is found in South Road, Sagada, 2619, Mountain Province. If on an arranged tour, your tour guide will guide you on a walk or usually ride a vehicle on the way. On our backpacking, our tour guide organized the ride so we headed there through a van. Make sure your tour guide is experienced, more importantly registered so you will have no worries on the trip. You have to head on to the town’s tourism office in their municipal hall to register. The cave is open between 9AM to 5PM. There were travel tours that are pre-arranged with inclusion of these fees in their packages.


Down Below.

Kuya Tour Guide preparing his important lamp. There is my friend's bottled water too.


Me before the caving. The look of anxiety? That was kuya Tour Guide's red cap that he lent me.

What to prepare before the caving?

1.       YOUR SELF: Exploring a cave is an adventure with dangerous risks. This means that you have to prepare yourself mentally and physically. Make sure your physique is ready for climbing and going down on large slippery rocks. Mental alertness is also required to focus on the spelunking or you might get lost or face serious injuries inside. Always follow the instructions of your tour guides.

2.       IDEAL OUTFIT: Wear comfortable shirts with bottoms that is stretchable for the climbing as well as crawling. In my case, my tour guide noticed that my hair is untied, I have no ponytail that time (yeah, so lousy!), so in his kindness, he let me borrow his red cap. I wonder what might happen because as manong warned, my hair would block my eyes in the middle of caving and made me prone to very serious dangers. Do bring slippers made of hard but strong material that provides more friction for wet surfaces due to flowing waters and bat wastes. As much as possible do not bring your precious belongings for you might not be able to find them when they were lost. For gadgets, use an action camera that could be strapped on your body so your hands will not be occupied while exploring.

3.       REGISTRATION AND TOURISM FEES: Sumaguing Cave is a natural wonder. This means that it also needs maintenance and adequate care. If you are on a backpacking trip, you must first head on to their municipal office as I said earlier to pay the registration and environment fee of more or less 35PHP.

4.       YOUR GROUP: It is better to explore the cave by group since there are a lot of actions with physical efforts. Much better to have friends or relatives to back you up. Guided by a registered tour guide, be sure to end the journey with a complete head count.



Sumaguing's Visitors.

The elephant. (Not sure of its name though, I forgot what manong said but it sure looks like one.)

Happy Birthday Cake!

Kuya Tour Guide helping me go down those slippery wet rocks.

Me being amazed of the fossils. This was my first time to feel one.

Tired but happy!

Our feet in cold crystal flowing water.

Cave Portrait.

What to expect?

Spelunking in the Sumaguing Cave may require much preparedness with extra care but in the end it really is very fulfilling. So many wonderful things could be found inside that you haven’t seen in your life especially for the first timers. Those very beautiful rock formations will put you in so much amazement of how very powerful God and Mother Nature formed them through time. Small water pools and beds were flowing all over.


My friend Edith on a rappel going up.

We came, we saw and we conquered!

Post caving picture.

What I felt after caving?

This experience is one of the most unforgettable adventures in my life. I feel so proud that I endured the challenge of getting through those rock formations with little anxiety. Nothing could beat nature. It is also my first time to see fossils which I believe were millions of years in the making. My gratitude is to our very accommodating tour guide for keeping us safe since we were all girls. If you are not faint hearted with a desire for challenge yet fulfilling adventure, I would recommend visiting this Nature’s treasure someday.