A day out with housemates (July 13)

New couple Joel and Marsha came all the day from Balayan to Lipa to spend some quality time with us. It was the first time that we got to bond with them since they got married in December, since we didn't have a chance meet with them during the (Hernandez's) house blessing.

It took a little while to tenderize the manok na tagalog, that Bunso prepared, but it was worth the wait. The chicken itself was so delicious and the broth was flavorful with just the right blend of patis and sili.

Later on, we headed to Robinsons Place Lipa where we tried the 4DMaxRider experience for the first time. It was fun and exciting that I nearly lost my voice screaming at the top of my lungs. I just felt that it was a bit "bitin". The thrill went on when we moved to Timezone. I was never a fan of arcade but I did enjoy it. We had dinner at Pizza Hut afterwards. Oh how I've missed their stuffed-crust pizza with sausage, not to mention their pastas. So Irresistible! 

 

Click link for photos:  

Marian Orchard (July 14) Jul 28

Location: Brgy. Malabanan Balete, Lipa City

When I woke up that morning, I couldn't open my right eye. My eyelashes were sticking together and my eye was feeling a bit sore and with visible redness. I freaked out that I might had been infected with sore eyes (conjunctivitis). No way! I told myself that I wouldn't let it spoil my holiday.

And so that afternoon, we went to Marian Orchard. The place was very holy, serene and peaceful. Somehow it made me feel guilty that my main purpose for visiting was not to pray or to contemplate, but just to take photos. They say that large number of people mostly come during the observance of Holy Week to do "Bisita Iglesia" and "Stations of the Cross". That might be one of the reasons why the place looked unmaintained in terms of cleanliness. There were pieces of rubbish everywhere, weeds and bushes sprawling all over, faded and peeling off paint of structures and mosquitos. I was trying to visualize how the place would be like if it was well taken care of. There had to be something that the community or local government should do about it before the orchard lose its beauty.

Click link for photos:  

Sean Patrick's 7th Birthday (July 2)

On his special day, we wanted to give him a treat.

At SM Storyland, Sean, and my two other nieces, had a wonderful time with the fun rides. The smile on their faces and their soft giggles were signs of pure joy. Watching them and how they seemed so carefree, not being troubled by any problem in this world gave me a twinge of pain. How I wish I could be a kid once more?

After having a few rides, we had dinner at where else but Jollibee. They always want to eat the same stuff every time we dine in or even get take aways. In fairness, Jollibee has never failed to satisfy hunger for their best-tasting Chicken joy that everybody has loved for years. Glad they've now got coke float and flavored fries, for a change.

We were supposed to go home after dinner, but he reminded me that I was still missing something. When I asked what was it? He said that birthdays always come with a cake and a gift. All right, all right... And so Auntie bought a cake roll from Goldilocks and a Transformers toy from Toy Kingdom. 

Click link for photos:  

Tagaytay City (July 1)

Tagaytay has been like a dream destination I want to go to a lot more often, if given a chance. And since we're staying in Lipa, it's not too far away for a drive.

It was actually a crazy idea of mine. Going to Tagaytay at 3PM, how was that? Everybody got changed promptly and in less than an hour we were heading north-bound. We paid no attention to the heavy rain that started to pour in Lipa because a clearer view of the sky could be seen over Tagaytay area. True enough, it wasn't raining and it never did the whole time we were there.

On our way up, we stopped at selected fruit stands to buy pineapples, bananas and my favorite ripe langka. It was starting to get dark when we reached city proper. We did have a few photos at the top overlooking the majestic view of the Taal volcano, but that was all, then the blue sky swiftly turned purple then black.

We found our way to Bulalo Point to have dinner. I didn't expect the food would be so good, especially the kalderetang kambing, sisig and kare-kare and of course their specialty bulalo. Looking around, I liked the bamboo cottages, but there was nothing else to delight my sight since the pitch dark sky has covered the view. Around the corner, a group of guys where rehearsing some songs, that I presumed they'd sing to their customers. And I was right, we were in the middle of eating when they started playing Bruno Mars' "Just the way you are" and another song which I cannot remember the title because it was an old song.

No doubt we enjoyed all the food, plus the live entertainment that we only get to see often. We could have seen other nice places in Tagaytay if only we had planned it better or left home a bit earlier. 

Click link for photos:  

Monday Afternoon in the Park (June 27)

A leisurely stroll around the park is a great way to spend an afternoon. Tired of sitting all day in front of my laptop - facebook, photoshop, skype and a little bit of texting, I wanted to breathe some fresh air and see some greens.

Granja Park was the first that came in my mind. I've only been there once, last year, together with Inay and the rest of the Santos family.

This time for my second visit, I brought the camera along and was more than glad to see how the photos came out. 

Click link for photos: