The moment I found out that Dashboard Confessional will have a concert in Manila, I immediately looked for a companion, made sure I can get my leave then buy tickets. This band has been with me in all my emotional drama in life. Even if it's sad to think that the song Screaming Infidelities started it and yes, that I was cheated on. Somehow, when I listened to their other songs I could relate to most of them.
The concert was at 8pm and we were in Trinoma by 5:30 since it was free seating in the gold section. We had dinner at Contis but we could see the long line in the VVIP/VIP/Gold Gate. We were still able to get seats but it was really hot in there.
Franco was the opening act and the whole I was watching them perform, I thought that I should try to research more about this group since I like their sound.
After what feels like forever (ok 15-20 minutes seem like forever for us fans), Dashboard Confessional finally came on stage singing Don't Wait.
What I find amazing and unique with this concert is that they don't have a set list. They were just there on the stage thinking of what to sing next I find it funny and amazing at the same time. They have seemed to underestimate their fame in the Philippines though. They were surprised that the audience were singing to all their songs.
I was satisfied since they sang my favorites, As Lovers Go and Stolen. My friends were wishing they sing The Ghost of a good thing and my sister was screaming for The best deceptions.
Almost everyone sang with them during vindicated. I find some people there to be posers since they don't know any other songs and just reacted when the band played Vindicated. So I guess they were just Spiderman fans instead of Dashboard Confessional fans. I find them to be out of place in that concert since we were all screaming our lungs out to almost every song that I know. I was short on 4 songs since I don't know the lyrics.
The price I paid for the tickets was worth it for the 17 song concert. I think the event was also well organized since I haven't seen anyone complain about it. I find everything orderly as well. I hope that I was seen on Myx though since cameras were pointing at us when we got out.
I'm just hoping they come back to Manila because when that happens, I'll make sure I have VIP tickets. Chris Carraba definitely has Stolen my heart.
(Concert pic courtesy of my sister who is a more die hard fan than I am and in the VIP section. She has a really bad camera though).
I just had my Mexican craving satisfied last weekend. And I never thought it will be satisfied in a BIG way. After months of craving a planning which doesn't go as planned, we finally went all the way to Wilson to have lunch at Ristras. Ristras is the Mexican restaurant of the family where Charlie's and Cyma belong as well.
The ambiance was cozy enough but nothing fancy, which would give you the instant hit that it is a cantina. Anj has been here several times and she knows how much we can order based on our appetites. I was quite surprised when she said 1 burrito, 1 quesadilla and 1 nachos will be enough for us--and indeed it was.
We ordered the burrito and they will make it in front of you. You could see from the counter the ingredients for the dishes. On a huge tortilla, we were first asked what kind of rice we wanted and we opted for the Lime Cilantro Rice.
We were then asked what two kinds of meat we wanted. We opted for the Chicken and Carnitas (shredded pork) since Shai doesn't eat beef.
Then then topped it with veggies, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, and a variety of sauces like salsa and sour cream.
We opted for the wet burrito which they will bake with cheese sauce on top.
Shai didn't have much of a choice with the quesadilla since we had beef toppings for it. The big tortilla was loaded with cheddar cheese.
And then the meat toppings then baked.
It was served with veggies, salsa and sour cream on top.
Lastly we had the nine layer nachos. The nine layer means that the dip has nine different layers of ingredients. these were 2 kinds of beans, slasa, corn, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, jalapeno, olives and nacho cheese (as substitute to guacamole which was not available that time)
Every dish we had were bursting with flavor. I love how tasty the lime cilantro rice is on the burrito. The meats for the burrito and quesadilla were tasty with the ingredients used for marinating and slowly cooked. Flavors of different ingredients would burst in your mouth after every bite.
We had a little bit of difficulty dipping our chips into the dip for nachos so we laid it out and made it ball park style. Ball park nachos are available too.
I wasn't able to note the prices for each item as getting lost going to the place just made us so hungry. The food was all worth it though. Sans and I were busy taking food photos since it looks so good as well. We each spent about 250 PHP each which included the sodas we ordered. I will opt to try the Margarita slush next time or the Mexican beers.
How to get to Ristras: From Ortigas Ave (coming from EDSA), make a left turn at Wilson St. Make a right turn at J.A. Santos St and go straight. Ristras will be on your right after about 10-15 meters.
People would often drive to Subic for shopping or even just to eat and hang out. Subic was our lunch stop over during our team outing in Bataan and we have chosen to have lunch at Xtremely Xpresso or XX.
It was my third time here and it still did not disappoint me since I love their Carbonara. This time around though, I opted to try something new.
We ordered the 22 inch Big Ben Pizza (699 PHP). It was really huge. It's got a nice soft thin crust and loaded with toppings. You indeed get your money's worth with this.
Marlon and I opted to share the Bacon Cheeseburger (180 PHP). The beef patty was juicy, the bacon crispy. I would want it with more cheese though. I find the bun very soft as well.
Some things my team mates ordered which they liked as well are the seafood pesto and the stuffed pork chops.
Marlon got the Mango shake (120 PHP), it was nothing special.
I liked my Iced Mocha (90 PHP). I find the coffee and sweetness just right for my taste.
The others didn't like the specialty drinks they ordered like the peach mango shake and strawberry shake.
XX has puzzles you can answer while waiting for your orders. This is quite nice especially if you have kids with you. Some of the puzzles were quite challenging though like the sodoku. Some of my teamates were very serious answering these.
Overall, XX is a good dinning experience. Service may suffer a bit during peak hours. When in Subic, this is worth a visit.
Our team invades Morong Bataan once more for our Summer Team Building and Outing. We had a diffucult time looking for a beach resort since everywhere else is booked. Phi Phi was recommended to one member of our team. The name sounds funny although it stands for something to do with the owners' last name contrary to what we thought as Philippines Philippines.
Phi Phi is about two months old only. It has a nice fresh coat of orange, white and chocolate brown. We stayed in a dorm room (6,400 PHP). The room can fit 12 people, with 4 bunk beds. Two sets of bunk beds can fit 2 people per bed while another two sets of bunk beds can fit 1 person per bed. We also have a TV in the room and a really cold air conditioner. The room and bathroom was also really clean. You have to pay for blankets (50 PHP each) though.
There is also a small pool at Phi Phi and during the time we were there, there were so many people in the pool that I thought the water already looked murky.
I'm not a big fan of Morong's stretch of black sand beach. The sand was soft though and the water is clear. It can also boast of a nice sunset as well since the sun sets on the side of the beach and one can take beautiful silhouette pictures.
We didn't order food from Phi Phi since we find it a expensive. They have a grill that guests can use and we grilled a lot of pork belly. They charge corkage for food and drinks though. For big groups, it is more practical to bring your own food and drinks. By the looks of the food I saw served at Phi Phi, it looks nothing special to be priced as such.
I would recommend Phi Phi if you need a weekend get away from Manila and you come as a big group. Otherwise, it may be more practical to just fly out to Boracay or Palawan.
How to get there: Go to Subic via NLEX and SCTEX. From Subic, follow the directions to Morong gate and you may find directions going to the resort once you're out of SBMA.
You may check out their site for more information: http://phiphibeachresorts.com/
And one last thing, It's pronounced as "fi-fi" and not "pi-pi" as to what I heard some guests there call the resorts. No points for you guys.
Cebu is well known for it's lechon and chicharon. When my sister went there for vacation, I made sure she gets me these sinful pork temptations. I was only able to try CNT lechon during my last visit and I find it tastier and saltier than the lechon in Manila. The pork was more tender as well.
Zubochon offers a different taste compared to CNT. It has a clean taste and the herbs like Rosemary was very distinct in the flavor also. I couldn't judge how crispy the skin is since I was brought the packed and frozen zubuchon. The meat was very tender also. This is something I want to try when I get to Cebu.
Villalonga is a chicharon brand that is very familiar to me since that's what we always get when someone goes to Cebu. The store is harder to find compared to Chilen but it is quite worth it. My sister made sure they go all the way to Guadalupe just to bring this home.
The skin is really crispy and I love the laman. The flavors of being hot and spicy was well blended.
These two are must tries when one goes to Cebu.
