I love where I live: PART I - Uncle Moe's and Dave's yoghurt

Two favorites in the village my friends / neighbors live in....

Uncle Moe's is owned by a friend of mine from college.  When he opened a branch here in our village, it was manna for us.  Cheap and good persian food.  Shawarmas, koftas, etc.  YUM.

Big beef shawarma

Chicken kebab with rice (drool) with

tomato salsa :)

Dave's Yoghurt is behind Uncle Moe's.  His (Dave's) little store brags really yummy all natural yoghurt.  Kalamansi, choco hazelnut and grape are some flavors that rock our world. :)

The Menu :)

Part of the selection

:D

Awww :D  Healthy!!!

He makes yoghurt cakes :)

I love where I live. :)

Kobikicho

For our Christmas dinner party, the company went to THIS restuarant.  I don't know if I should even call it a resturant, since they served HEAVEN in there.

Check out the pics HEEEERRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Faint from sheer happiness :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :)

 It's January 2nd and it is officially New Year.  The new planner has come out, I'm getting all giddy of how to start the year, I'm over the inevitable hangover that came yesterday, and now I'm in full Taurus kickas ass head butting mode. hahaha!  I should've just said "tenacious" mode.

SO! FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!! :)

I'm looking forward to starting up the band again. I've missed playing drums more than I'd like to admit and my hands just wanna play play play.  And I miss my crazy bandmates, the Marshas.

(L-R) Carlita (vox), Pat (bass), me (drums), Conch (guitar), Nina (keytar&vox)

I can't wait to WRITE new songs!!!!

I will tackle my health and my flat (the cleanliness of it) this year in the same way: one step at a time.  For the health, I have filled out the insurance forms and such so I am just waiting for that to be processed.  As for the flat, it will be one shelf (or a couple of shelves) at a time.  Also, I need to get rid of several boxes.  I'm just hoping that there will be buyers for some of the BOOKS and CLOTHES I'm selling.  From there, I'm hoping to buy the long talked about shelving which I want to install into various parts of my flat.  I would also like to install the water heater for the shower already.  Yeah, that's been hanging around for 3 years now, I reckon it's about time I installed it.  :-s

As for work, well, just to kick ass in it.  :)  No two ways about it.  And to keep a lid on all the expenditures.  If ever, to have only say, a once a month major date with C with nice food and all.  Maybe even hit KOBIKICHO together.  I will make it so.  And we can even order the omakase menu...egad. *drool*

OH.  And the tattoo.  The phoenix tattoo. AAAAAH yes. 

This is gonna hurt like a mutha.  See all that detail?!  Those LINES?!?  But it is, I think, the best representation of this past year though, and that this year I will be rising stronger than ever.  It will look cool, if I can stand getting it. 

I can't wait for this year.  So much hope and potential. :)  It makes me happy.  Hope it all goes well for everybody. WOOHOO!!! :)

Last meal of 2009

Sorta. C and I went to Myron's a kickass steakhouse. 

We first had the salad with scallops.

That we shared

Though C finished it.

I ordered the steak, Bianca style (the slimmest cut) topped with foie gras.

Let's just have a close up on that livery goodness.

EGAD.

C got the Franco cut, which is twice the thickness of mine.

LOOKATTHAT.

And the happy man with all the different sauces.  He couldn't choose.

(L-R) Chimichurri sauce, peppercorn, mushroom and shiraz reduction.

DROOL.  DROOL. DROOL.

This was my plate. I was proud of how hungry I was.

C was happily eating away.

"Do I LOOK like I'm sad?  OR that this is a bad busog? (A "bad busog" is the code for when you're so full you can't move and it just puts you in a bad mood. hahaha!)

Whatta champ.

NOW he's busog. hahahahahha!

Happy new year everyone!!!  I hope it all turns out well for you guys and that you have a great time celebrating!!!  :D  See you all on the other side of midnight. :D

PS. for those who need a bit of help with those pesky resolutions, here you go! http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/

The QLE awards

It started out as a little protest against not recognising some of the Philippines' great musical acts, undergound or otherwise.  So these three chaps (whom I am very proud to call friends) decided to put up one of their OWN awards, without the awards show.  The basic rule is that, if they like it (the song, the band, etc) then it wins.  It's a very subjective sort of thing, but if you know the taste in music these 3 have, you'd have to agree with most of their decisions.  Heck, it'll at least make you listen. :)

Here is this year's cut: QLE AWARDS

A challenege

The same friend that wrote that beautiful piece in the last blog of the passings of this last year, has issued a challenge to the rest of us:

 "Herein lies the challenge - and perhaps the peace - write down ten things you are grateful for this 2009."

Even with the embarrasment of sounding selfish, here I go...

I don't know how, but I'll try and do this. 

1. I'm glad I got to play abroad this year in Singapore, Saigon and Hanoi.  In Singapore, the food and hawker places there were AWESOME.  Oh and IKEA IKEA IKEA.  And the sprained right ankle that became "Barney".   And in Vietnam....the banh mi and the catfish goodness.  Good friends, and crazy nights.

2.  Because of all the traveling perhaps, I'm eternally glad to have been able to learn the true nature of people when shoved into a small breathing and traveling space together, and to maybe try not to do a repeat performance of THAT.

3. I'm glad that I can still play drums and I'm now in a band full of friends.

4. I am grateful to have a home of my own.

5. I"m glad that I've learned that I'm stronger than any health scare that can come my way, even if I get confined in the hospital.  In the end, it really wasn't so bad, since the meds were kickass.

6.  I am grateful for my family, that despite their own crazy, psychotic, nutty, stubbornness that stems from all of them being so darn smart, I see my own shortcomings, potential and normalcy.  Because of this, I'm becoming closer to my siblings and understand them more.

7. I am grateful I got kittens this year.  They've changed my life enormously and are a source of great furry comfort without me having to ask them to give it.

8. I am grateful that I know when a job is making me feel bad about myself, made to feel guilty for thinking I should strive more to reach my full potential, making me feel guilty for my background, and allowed me to stop thinking for myself.

9. I am grateful that because of that awful job, I now have one that is challenging, engaging and with people whose opinions I value and respect. 

10.  I am grateful that C and I can still laugh even with everything that has been thrown at us this year, either together, or individually. 

I guess that wasn't so hard.  :)  Thanks Gang :)

If I ever become a mom.....

...............I will strive the utmost to look like THIS with my daughter, if I have one. :)  So cute and cool. :)

Nice post Christmas chilled out grooves HERE, courtesy of my lovely cousin. (Labyoo Pixiepatu!)

A Christmas song from one of my favorite local bands (and they were with us in Singapore last year), HERE

Thanks to Ashton Kutcher's twitter for THIS GEM

One of the best tributes to all we lost in our little artsy-fartsy-activitst-rebel-underground world this year in Manila, my friend Gang explains their memories all so beautifully HERE.  I admit, I didn't know all of them, and some only peripherally, but this is enough to have made me shed a few tears today in remembrance of all we've lost this last year. 

I'd just like to add one more.  It's time I did.

This was my cousin, Mike Ledesma.  He died on October 14th in his sleep.  We were technically not cousins, but my only sister in law was his mother's younger sister, aka his Aunt.  Since I lived with my sister in law and my brother for a long while, he and his brothers would always be around.  They were like brothers to me as well, and since Mike and I were the same age (I was older by about 7 months), we'd more or less hang out with the same people through our schools and whatnot. 

The months, and even the few years before he died, we weren't as close as we once were.  But whenever we'd see each other, hugging would ensue. 

This was the last ever picture I have of him and with him.  He was such a kind heart and a fun crazy guy.  And to him, I will always say, "I LOVE YOU MORE CUZ". :D