Singapore Day Tour

Touchdown SG! This is an unexpected trip so I wasn't able to prepare an itinerary. Good thing is Singapore is a highly organized country with connecting trains that enable tourists to move easily around the city. So of course, we began with the famous Resorts World Sentosa.

An obligatory Universal Studios picture!

I've read that the Merlion is a famous tourist icon of Singapore. It's a combination of "mer" meaning sea, and lion. The fish body is said to represent Singapore's origin as a fishing village.

Man-made beach. How cool is that.

Meet my camera-shy friend whom I haven't met for around 7 years, Clarissa. She was kind enough to accompany me in exploring SG.

 

Of course, our visit to Sentosa will not be complete without some picture taking with the cute mascots from the Chocolate House. Young at heart.

After loading our hungry tummies, we then headed to Marina Bay. 

This floating Louis Vuitton store is definitely a statement - makes me drool.

 

Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

   "I wanna be a millionaire, so freaking bad" That's my theme song for this place, yes?

Interestingly, the lobby of Marina Bay Sands is open to the public. Thanks for that!

The Sky Garden at night. Picturesque.

There was a free light show for the tourists and locals alike. Too bad it can't be caught on camera!

The ever beautiful and luxurious Marina Bay Sands.

Art Science Museum - love that it resembles a flower. Haha!

Singapore skyscrapers

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Another obligatory picture at the Merlion Park.

SG's version of 'dirty' ice cream. Ice cream on a perfectly rectangular shape is just cute for me. :)

Map of the train station. 

We were able to go from Changi Airport (which is by the way my favorite), to Sentosa, to Marina Bay in a day. Oh and let me just reiterate how great Changi is, good job Singapore for having such a World Class Airport true to its name! There was a butterfly garden, nature trail, swimming pool, and 24-hour movie theater; mind you this is an airport. And of course, a wide selection of boutiques that are tax-free. I literally roamed there for 7 hours, in pure joy, and went home with a heavier luggage. :)

5 Things I Learned in UP

Disclaimer: I'm no cum laude, achiever, or gifted child.

I'm a typical engineering student who had her fair share of 5.0's, humiliations and downfalls. Presently, I've been very blessed, but before I reached this happy state, I have been through a lot of ordeals (and cried a pool of tears for that matter). And because of that I like to share these top 5 things that helped me survive in this systematized jungle I call as EEE, and life in general.

1.) Intelligence does not guarantee success - hard work does.
So what if your highly intellectual classmates can finish their codes for a day while you finish yours in a week.  Life is unfair, that's reality. But you cannot change the direction of the wind, you can only adjust your sails. If it takes you double or triple time, just work harder. Study harder. You'll learn everything at your own pace.

2.) Don't be afraid of failure. 
Failure badly hurts. It punches you right to that most vulnerable part of your being, your ego. But failure does not equate with dullness of mind, perhaps there's just something else you have to learn. Use that failure to your advantage, as motivation to push yourself harder.

3.) Nothing worth having ever comes easy.

Simply put, never give up. No matter how difficult it seems as of the present, an unexpected curve might surprise you in the end. Relatable, yes? If you feel like life has drained all the energy out of you, just keep your focus. If we can get the things we desire in just a snap of a finger, then success wouldn't be that sweet after all. Just keep going, you'll reap the fruits of your hard work soon, and when you do, all the pain will be worth it. 

4.) Good things come to those who wait (and persevere).
I know, I know, waiting feels like forever. You see everyone become successful in their own careers and you feel like you're being left behind. While everyone seems to be happy with their lives, don't panic! Create your own world, hone your skill, and perfect your craft. Great things really take time. Remember, even diamonds are produced through time and pressure.

5.) Just trust God.
He has plans for you, big ones. Always pray.

These realizations come from a girl who dreamed and worked hard to achieve that dream. :')

So long, UP. Thank you for the training.

Recently, I'm full of bliss because of so many blessings; my graduation, thesis being published, presentation at Sydney, incredible job offers. While some of my friends might wonder, why only now, you should have been at that point years ago. Yes, I took 2 years of Civil Engineering in UP Los Banos before I decided to pursue Electronics & Communications Engineering in UP Diliman. It's been a rough road, I must say. But the career shift is something I do not regret. :) 

Casa Nostra

Again, I'm no food blogger, I just want to keep a sort of photo journal of my dining experiences with the boyfriend. It's nice to revisit our dates once in a while, so I could just be reminded of the good times and good food we share together, especially now we've been very busy with our respective careers. Besides, good food deserves good pictures, right? :) We decided to have one of our evening dates to end the year at Casa Nostra. This Italian restaurant is located at Ecoplaza Building, Makati City.


Hors d'oeuvre 

Casa Nostra serves complimentary bread for diners as they wait for the main course. The bread was accompanied with a variety of dips to sample, which include potted meat, Italian tomato dip, and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. (L-R)

Calabrese Piccanti 

Tomato, Mozzarella, onions, garlic and spicy Italian sausage 375php

He went for pizza (as usual), but it was quite a treat this time! With its soft thin crust bursting with rich mozarella cheese,  it was heaven in every bite. It's not the usual go-to fastfood pizza, this is real authentic Italian pizza. Best devoured when hot I tell you! :) Just typing this post makes we want to go back and have another slice. 

Pork Cotolette Alla Milanese

Pounded cutlet dipped in beaten egg, then into a breadcrumb Parmigiano mixture, and sautéed in olive oil,
 435php
This dish falls under the Carni e Pollame menu, an extravagant array of Italy's meat & poultry entrees.

Risotto di Mare alla Milanese 
Creamy Italian arborio rice cooked with fresh seafood and golden saffron 335php

Risotto is a class of Italian rice dishes cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. I've read that it is normally served as a primo, served on its own before the main course. This picture does not give justice to this dish, for it is just divine! I found pleasure with the lavishness of seafood in the dish. Plus, the creamy texture of rice enhanced by herbs and spices made it so rich in flavour, I almost devoured all. This has got to be my favorite! :) We also had their unlimited iced tea for 70php. It was bitter on its own, until they gave us some syrup for complement. Fair enough.

Adorned with wooden interiors, luxurious thick curtains, beautifully-lit chandelier and lamps, and a perfectly set-up table, this place is perfect for a private and romantic dinner. They also offer a selection of exquisite wines from Italy.

 

Rich Chocolate Gelato 125php

I was initially eyeing the chocolate gelato with dark chocolate chips topped with vanilla ice cream, however to my dismay, the dessert was not available, and so we opted for the plain chocolate gelato instead. The name speaks for itself, as it was very creamy Italian ice cream at its best! Good thing we had separate servings, because when it comes to desserts, I really mind sharing! :)

Casa Nostra gives diners high value to their money through its lavish Italian food and posh ambiance. It truly boasts proud of Italian sophistication.
-Off to our next hunt for foody goodies!

Parvati and Bugsy's Bar and Bistro (Food Mumblings)

We recently had lunch at Bugsy's Bar and Bistro at Makati. The restaurant serves american food and has a laidback interior perfect for diners who just want to relax and enjoy a cozy ambiance.

Calamari

We had this while waiting for our main course. They were good, but the serving was too little, I must say they're a bit overpriced for 175php.

Fish and Chips

Battered dory fish fillet, fries, lemon butter sauce
The waitress said this is a "must-try" and we were lured to order it. True enough! I especially like the fish while he loved the fries.

Chicken Roasemary

Deboned quarter leg, garlic rice, demi-glace sauce

I was a bit surprised when my meal arrived, in a good way. I found this dish bursting with flavor, yummy!

Beef Salpicao

I had a bite from his plate, and I find this course delicious as well, except that the beef was not very tender for my liking.

In my opinion, the food is generally good and reasonably priced; an estimated budget of around 200-500php/meal. You could visit this for their complete menu.

I also like to share some food mumblings about Parvati. My sister and I had merienda here at Trinoma.

"The Parvati Store is the first of its kind. It serves as the outlet store for the “Home Bakers” who are currently on their own, striving to market their products to the best of their capabilities. They cater to them by helping them sell and market their products without losing their identity in the process. It's ultimately where home-bakers and dessert lovers meet."

We both ordered cream of mushroom on which we disagreed. She liked it while I didn't, so she ended up eating mine. :)

Shrimp Etouffee

I like this pasta a lot as it was spicy and they placed really big shrimp toppings in it!

Bolognese

I would also give two thumbs up to their Brewed Honey Apple Iced Tea! It's about a hundred pesos but this one's really refreshing plus it comes in a really huge glass!

So there. Off to our next hunt for foody goodies! :)

My Dreamy Wonderland

Bring me to my dreamy wonderland.

"When you're beautiful, people think you're an airhead..."

I do not claim to be beautiful, but I feel like I'm always underestimated.

***I'm pretty much nervous with what life awaits me, but I know I can and I WILL make a beautiful ending from this mess.

Fuckin' Perfect (Pink)
Made a wrong turn, Once or twice
Dug my way out, Blood and fire
Bad decisions, That's alright
Welcome to my silly life

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss "no way, it's all good", It didn't slow me down
Mistaken, Always second guessing
Under estimated, Look, I'm still around

Pretty, pretty please
Don't you ever, ever feel
Like your less than Fuckin' perfect.
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You're fuckin' perfect to me.

You're so mean,
When you talk about yourself, You are wrong.
Change the voices in your head
Make them like you instead.

So complicated,
Look how big you'll make it!
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game.
It's enough, I've done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same.

The whole world stared so I swallowed the fear,
The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer.
So cool in line and we try, try, try,
But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time.
Done looking for the critics, coz they're everywhere
They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair
We change ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that? Why do I do that?
(Why do I do that?)