2015 Highlights

Happy New Year everyone!

My greeting's quite late and pardon me for not posting much last year! I've been busy and (kinda) suffered from depression. But no worries! I'm feeling okay right now. :) Apparently, I'm more active in Instagram (@nobeeaquino). Speaking of which, I will be sharing with you my most memorable experiences in 2015 through my Instagram posts!

So, here are my picks:

Exploring the Heritage Province of Ilocos Sur!

Finally! Done with the 2nd term!

I'm happy to share one of the highlights of my 1st quarter of 2015, which is travelling to the province of Ilocos Sur! 

Me and my group of friends went there last March because we have to write a Tourism Master Plan for the municipality of Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, as a course requirement. We didn't expect our trip to be filled with so much fun, even just for two days! We traveled for 8 hours from Manila via NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEX, using our family car. 

KOREA 2014: Getting a Korean Visa (UPDATED!)

One reason I haven't updated this blog is because I went to Korea last November 3 and stayed there for a week. 3 months of preparation (which is not enough, I think) and add to that my dilemmas in my other courses. Anyway, here's the 1st part of my 'KOREA 2014' entry, which is prior to my trip.

DISCLAIMER: Most of the things you're going to read are purely based on my experience and according to the Korean Embassy. I had a different case in the sponsorship requirements and this tour was made possible by our school and of course the program I'm in. In addition, I posted this because I love my friends. Haha

So you've already booked your flight, accommodation and planned your itinerary in Korea. But were you given a Korean Visa?

It's not that hard to be granted a Korean Visa, unlike if you're applying for a Chinese Visa, or even Japanese. That's according to my Chinese friend, which I have proven to be true. Korean tourism is on full promotion here in the Philippines (which means they are attracting tourists) so as long as you submit the correct and authenticated general, specific and additional requirements in the Korean Embassy, and if you did not violate their laws, you do not have to worry.

Busy.

Third year in college is taking up its toll on me. Once I get home all I want to do is sleep and forget all school works. But thank God the prelim exams is over and I'm now praying for /very good/ results. I went to the chapel for 5 consecutive days asking for guidance and everything because I'm finding it hard to pull my grades. I guess I 'YOLO'-ed too much before the major exams.

Anyway, just want to share a day of my life for the month of September.

Me and my college BFFs ate this local street food called isaw in UP after our exams for the 2nd day of the prelim week. These are skewered intestines of either pork or chicken. I don't know what to feel while munching on isaw because I want to eat rice and I don't know why the hell did my friends change their minds after eating these little skewers from eating a decent lunch to not having one. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this day because this was my first time strolling around UP.

and and

I'm thankful to these BFFs because they lent me some money when I realized that I left my wallet at home. Typical clumsy and forgetful me. 

'Til the next post~

P.S. Please pray for high scores on my tests  :( 

Always Keep the Faith.

Mini tour around the walled city of Intramuros

OMG It's been a long time! I've been very busy last year and up 'til the 3rd week of March but thankfully it's now summer vacation! This is a long post about everything that has happened these past few months/weeks/days that I wanted to share. :-)




03/05/14 I ditched my afternoon class for the dry-run tour of Intramuros along with some of my blockmates. We had the Mock Tour Guiding as our final exam in our Tour Guiding course. This exam was done a week before the final examinations week so technically we got stressed for 2 weeks haha. This is the facade of Fort Santiago, wherein Rizal was imprisoned. You have to pay an entrance fee of Php 50.00 before having a tour of the place.

Posing at the Tranvia and ignoring the scorching heat of the sun :-)

The entrance to the Fort Santiago. It's been, I think more than a decade since I last went here. Sorry for the bad angle. 

This spot is called as Rizal's last walk to Martyrdom. I was shocked when I turned around and saw this life-size Rizal sculpture. I thought this was a ghost! Anyway, this is also the place where Rizal was imprisoned. The Rizal Shrine is under renovation so we weren't able to go to that one.

Retracing Rizal's footsteps.....

Dungeon turned into a cafe...

San Agustin Church and Museum. It is one of the Four Baroque Churches in the Philippines that made it to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The museum is adjacent to the church.

San Agustin was built under the Agustinian order, the first missionaries to come to the Philippines. 

Intricate sculpture....

At the middle of church and museum...

Inside the church.... at the far left near the altar is where the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the founder of the city of Manila lies. 

 Not sculpted, but painted. 

I just had to take a picture of one of the chandeliers

I still have lots of pictures but I chose what I think are the best ones. :)

I suggest everyone to visit these places located at Intramuros and experience what was left of the Spanish legacy in one of the sites the Spaniards occupied in the Philippines. 

Strictly no taking out of the pictures thank you very much.

Til the next entry bye~

Always Keep the Faith.

New Recipe for a New Year

Happy New Year! 

Sorry for not posting for almost 2 months! Lol anyway, let me share you another recipe and my mom assisted me on this since I do not know how to transform something ready-to-eat into a more delightful one with an addition of different ingredients.

In this recipe, I've combined the traditional way of making a tomato sauce and the modern way which is simply buying a large sachet of tomato sauce and putting it on a pan. XD

I don't know what to call this recipe but it's simply a Tomato Sauce. 

First things first, you need:

- Tomato Sauce (preferably Italian Style)

- Pasta (wheat pasta is more nutritious; white pasta will also do)

- Bacon (more like salt pork)

- Red Wine (optional)

- Cream Cheese (optional)

- Carrots, brunoise

- Onion, brunoise

- Garlic, brunoise

- Salt, white pepper & sugar to taste

Procedure:

1. Mise en Place. Prepare all the ingredients most especially the ingredients that need to be chopped so that what could only be done is put all these in a pan later on. This is preferably done while the pasta is being cooked.

2. Kinda shred the bacon. It doesn't necessarily need to be placed all around the pan lol. The bacon will produce the oil needed while cooking.

3. When the bacon is cooked, put in the carrots.

3. When the carrots turn golden brown or its sides have browned, put the onion.

4. When the onion goes transparent, put the garlic.

5. When the garlic turns brown, pour the tomato sauce in the pan and give it a stir once in a while when it boils. A skimmer is required on this process. 

6. This is optional. I put cream cheese on the sauce. It looks kinda icky but it does not affect the taste. The appearance will improve once mixed with the pasta. :)

7. Sprinkle sugar, pepper & salt to the tomato sauce. It is quite bland at first but it will improve with the help of these ingredients. It won't give off sweet taste but it won't also give you a too-sour-for-your-liking taste XD

Til the next post! 

MY ♥ IS TOO STUFFED UP.

Going to Lumban, Laguna

Last 08 September 2012, me and my group mates went to Lumban, Laguna for our project in Socio-Anthropology.  From Buendia (now Gil Puyat), we rode a bus going to Sta. Cruz, Laguna then rode a jeepney going to Lumban. It takes about 3-4 hours from Manila to Lumban.

Photography 101.

Last November 08, 2010. It was the Opening of the Intramurals. I just wanna share this AWESOME shot by my classmate.:))

MY ♥ IS TOO STUFFED UP.

Photography Madness.

We went to the province in celebration of the All Saints' and All Souls Day. And because of boredom, I took the camera with me and took shots.

Note: I edited those out because my cam is doing worse. Lol. I want to buy a new one real soon.

That's just for now. Lol.

P.S.: I feel bitter today. :| AAAAH! I think Karma hit me. :(
But! Mastermind album, soon to be in my hands. Yay.:DD

MY ♥ IS TOO STUFFED UP.