The Knick Knacks In and Around Provenciano Restaurant

The Provenciano restaurant had these quaint knick knacks in and around their well-lighted, well-ventilated dining areas.

It helped that their food was yummy as well since it reinforced the Ilocano vibe that they were aiming for.

If you have foreigner friends who are brave enough to eat local food and panghimagas and who detest the mall culture, you can bring them here. You can also take a walk along Maginhawa street and discover what else the neighborhood can offer your intrepid tourist friend.

Ji Chang-Wook: The Healer

Once in a while, I check the local channels and chance upon a cute actor who catches my fancy!  One of them is Ji Chang-Wook - the Korean actor who plays The Healer. I'm not really into Koreanovelas but sometimes, they do have interesting shows with equally handsome leads.

Julian Trono: Dancer Turned Actor

Once in a while, I watch local TV shows especially on Saturday afternoons when local TV features true-to-life relationship and crime stories.  So during those afternoons, I shift between ABS-CBN and GMA as both show interesting shows like Karelasyon, Ipaglaban Mo, SOCO and Wish Ko Lang.  I like all four shows and I usually focus on one or two which has the more interesting slant for me - so this Saturday, I'd be Kapuso, another Saturday, I'd be Kapamilya.

One of those afternoons, I saw Julian Trono in a Wish Ko Lang episode.  It was, as usual, a very tearjerker type of story but since it was the first time I saw Julian, I was hooked on watching him as well.  I mean, how could a guy who looks like that be in jail!  Well, the real guy he played had to suffer through a lot before he was able to pick up the pieces of his life once again. It was actually an uplifting and inspiring story and in the end, Julian does meet him and gives him 'gifts' that he truly deserved to get.

I Fine Thank You Love You - Cute Thai Romcom

Trust the Thais to come up with a crazily titled movie romcom with a beautiful actress and an equally handsome lead.  I Fine Thank You Love You is titled that way because the female lead character is an English tutor - and the mangled English is reflected on the handsome guy who wants to go to America to reunite with his ex.

Both leads have equally beautiful and handsome love interests who throw a wrench into their 'relationship'. Of course, in the end, they end up in each others arms, as any predictable romcom should be. Otherwise, audiences will be pissed!

Masarap Pala sa Recipes, Affordable Pa

I always pass the Recipes restaurant in Trinoma everyday since it's on my way to the gym but since the resto looks so simple and nondescript, it never really piqued my interest to try and eat there.

However, thanks to Tin and Tope, my Body Jam instructor-friends, they introduced me to the place when they ate there two weekends ago.  And voila, I discovered a new restaurant na masarap na ang food and reasonable pa the price!

I love the baguio beans and their lechon kawali and their beef steak Tagalog!  Kasi di naman siya super mahal, ayun, baka madadalas ako dito, if I can find a table, kasi punuan siya palagi e!

Brazilian Hottie: Mateus Almeida

There has not been a shortage of beautiful people from Brazil and today, we add another one - a male model named Mateus Almeida!  All of his pictures here are just breathtaking!  He's not very popular here in Manila but here alone, there are several Brapanese models who have hit it big!

Carlo Romero: My Second Take

Carlo Romero is back in my radar again, but I forgot the reason why!  I was trying to remember if I saw him in a TV show.  Maybe I did but it can't be denied that he's a looker. Too bad he didn't get very famous.  Looks can only get you so far if you don't get the kiliti of the masa.

Crush Du Jour

I haven't had a liking to anyone in a long time but the first time I saw this guy, I was blown away!  Unfortunately, I don't do his exercise so there's no possibility we will meet or interact.  But that's ok, at least I can see him from a distance.  He's always this smiling and nice with people.  That's why he's my current crush du jour.!

Conti's Trinoma: The Best Place to Catch Up with Friends

Since I and two of my closest friends have been very busy these past few months, we were excited to meet up again last Saturday and it was good that we picked Conti's in Trinoma since, not only do they serve delicious food and desserts at reasonable prices, their waiting staff were also courteous enough not to shoo as out since we didn't notice the passage of time.  

We stayed there for more than five hours! 

Anyhow, it was not as if we were abusing our host restaurant's hospitality as we continued ordering as the time went by, first for the lunch food and then for dessert, which culminated with us eating their original mango cake recipe!

I hope next time we visit it on our next friendly get-together, the staff will still maintain their courteous service since we kinda found a 'home' away from home in their place.

Amazed at Today's Classroom Technology

My direct boss is Indian and she's very pretty! She could easily be Miss India or Miss Universe for that matter.

But just like one of the posts I read, "Some women dream of becoming Miss Universe, some dream of becoming a teacher" - or something along that line.

This line of conversation came up because one of my co-teachers saw her in the parking lot yesterday and he saw her in her car, with the windows down, her hair tied up and she was wearing sunglasses, and he swore, he saw a fashion model - and not our boss....

I guess she has decided to 'dress down' a bit because she teaches high school and high school boys can be notoriously horny and can't do anything about it!

Anyhow, this week, I was amazed at how fast technology has caught up in the classrooms! The last time I taught, I used Manila paper and chalk and the board.

Now, I have to teach using a laptop and everything is projected on the board. I can show videos and my students can bring their laptops or Ipads to my class. We can even research together during the discussion!

Using paper is discouraged so all homeworks are done through Google and its Classroom application. It even has an automatic checker but I don't know if I can use that since my class is focused more on essay writing.

Anyhow, I am still adjusting to all this technology since I am used to the traditional chalk and board.

I don't know how they are going to take notes the traditional way like I did since they can easily ask for my notes, which are accessible to them.

I just hope this new way of "note-taking" will allow them to "digest" the lessons. I'm a bit of a skeptic since I think the note and pad is still the best way.

If you notice, even today's TV reporters still do it. They just present their written news reports using their phones.

My Life as a Teacher Starts Today

Today was a whirlwind of activities for me like contract signing and the routine medical check-up.

I really don't know why you have to show your bum to a doctor just to get a job! Buti na lang I only did it twice in my lifetime.

What if I changed jobs every year like so many millennials - di every year I have to expose my bum to a new doctor?!

Oo nga pala, why am I complaining, I expose my bum on a regular basis but not necessarily to a doctor. OMG! I will never be able to joke like this once I add friends from the school huhuhu

Seriously, I had information overload kanina. It was like, here's your job, read all of this! Plus this! And this!

Buti na lang that's a regular thing sa UP so I don't get fazed anymore. Kulang pa ba sa readings? Dagdagan pa!

Anyhow, I am teaching a subject called Global Perspectives. It's like International Studies but concentrating on key global issues. In other words, eto na ang globalized version ng Social Studies that we had in high school.

The materials are amazing! Tatakan ba naman ng Cambridge o di ba? You can charge na agad 400K sa tuition fee!

Kidding aside, these kids are lucky because it's a critical thinking course and even the grading system is so rigid to avoid subjectivity in checking.

And poor them, they got me as their teacher because I have 10 years experience in editing they will see so many red marks on their paper, their papers will be bleeding red!

Just kidding! These are just 14 and 15 year old kids so I have to imagine where I was also at that age. At that age, all I thought about was dancing to Where's the Party and Who's That Girl!

Now they have to write about climate change and global terrorism. Ang saya-saya!

On a closing note, before I sleep, Mrs. Paglinawan was one of my most favorite teachers ever, and she was a great Social Studies teacher.

Now, it's my turn.

My Wish to Teach in an International School Finally Happens!

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine passed the board exam for teachers as part of her reinvention. We were high school classmates and I've always looked up to her because of her cheerful and take charge nature.

Anyhow, her achievement inspired me to find a way to teach again, after 20 years.

So, last Wednesday, while in the gym, I chanced upon an ad from an international school and they were looking for a teacher for a certain subject.

So late Thursday night, I sent my one-page CV, early Friday morning, they texted back for interview, went to the school for the interview and test, and voila, today, they hired me!

I'm flabbergasted! What have I gotten myself into?!!

On the other hand, it kind of boosted my ego because I am still employable pala, after all these years. You have to understand my last employment was 20 years ago, in a multinational pharma company, so I've never submitted my CV to anyone after that.

Oh well, I've always wanted to teach in an international school before so now, I got my wish! This will totally change my lifestyle -and my posts.

Wish me luck! I think I'm really going to enjoy this!

The Abstract Expressionist Works of Jana Benitez

The Abstract-Expressionist paintings of acclaimed Filipina painter Jana Benitez are on display at Solaire.

These are supposedly distorted human forms, go figure! Or I may be wrong, as this may be a part of another of her collections.

She did her Fine Arts studies at Brown U. Interesting, may FA pala dun? For Laura. Yun lang, no scholarships ata dun....

Abstract Paintings by Rex Dasig: Our World in Yellow

These abstract paintings by Rex Dasig shows our world in yellow - or his world - or in whatever dimension he is depicting.

Art Series: Battlestar Galactica Painting

This painting is really huge like 18 x 10 feet and from afar, looks like splotches of orange and other colors.

However, when you go near, you will see this fantastical creatures and the whole thing looks like some sort of Battlestar Galactica, where alien beings are fighting with each other.

It's like a one big comic book!