Dakasi

I love love love teas as I've been reiterating every now and then here in my blog!  Teas of all kinds, from different roots, in all flavors, hot or cold.  I am just so overly addicted to tea!  If there is a good addiction in this world, it would definitely be my penchant for teas.  So every time I pass by any tea shop or kiosk, I never hesitate to check and taste what each offers. 

It's visible to us that nowadays, tea shops and kiosks are getting plenty so as it is the fad especially the milk teas.  It is very affordable to put up such kind of businesses 'coz raw materials are sold at the very cheap cost.  However, we have to be careful in choosing the right milk teas that will be good to our physical bodies because 1. the tea might not be properly steeped that can give it a high toxic level, 2. some of the raw materials especially the flavorings and tapioca pearls are synthetically made, and 3. such raw materials are generally made by low-cost manufacturers in China.  So, don't gamble your health over cheap milk teas in mall stalls or just-around-the-corner food stands.  Know the brand first before checking-in and tasting just like the one we tried in Ayala Terraces Cebu last month.  It was not only thirst-quenching but also gave us a whole new experience to tea!   

So Dakasi was the name!  Dakasi is a Chinese term which means "big cast".  Their logo star I presume, symbolizes a "celebrity" star which plays the main character of the story.  Through its wide array of selection, Dakasi truly is a big cast of stars that entertains us in having some quality tea time pleasure.

Unlike any other milk teas around, Dakasi's have their origin from Taiwan.  Every ingredient they have is fresh from the pick!  In fact, 1. they brew just enough tea to be consumed right away, 2. they do not let it set for hours just like the tapioca pearls that they replenish every three hours, and 3. they even make their own sugar and ice to ensure maximum protection for optimum cleanliness.  Just imagine that!  Isn't it amazing to know how such a tea shop thinks of the welfare of its customers?  You would definitely feel loved once you get to taste a cup of Dakasi!

In our visit, I tried the Jasmine Milk Tea as it is my favorite and very rare to find.  It is smooth, creamy, milky (of course), aromatic, therapeutic, and not too sweet.  I certainly enjoyed every sip of it!  Papa had hot Kumquat Green Tea, Mama loved the Okinawa Milk Tea and cousin Cang2x tried Dakasi Bubble Milk Tea and she said that the pearls are not rubbery as the others.  They're soft and chewy and plenty in the serving!  Hehe.....

So, up for some quality tea?  Never mind the splurge and go for the natural and fresh teas of Dakasi!  Visit their FB page here for their menu and list of branches nationwide and all over Asia!  :)

     

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Birthday Surprises

It has been a week since my birthday so pardon me for posting this late.  Busyness at the store is really eating up all my time and drains me so much that I get tired feet every time I arrive at home and just want to lay down my aching body from the standing and rolling and blowing of balloons!  Ha!  OK, breathe.....  Inhale, exhale.  So thanks to my Physics laboratory class at the moment that I get to write this entry for you, blog readers.  Rewind, October 12, 2015!

My day started with a not-so-good mood.  My birthday fell on a Monday, a very hectic day.  No party was planned for the day 'coz I got school and store to attend to.  8:00 to 10:00 AM was spent at the store, preparing balloon orders for the day.  10:00 AM to 2:30 PM was spent at school, without any reminder of my birthday.  In fact, I even forgot that it was my birthday until 2:30-4:00 PM came when I went back at the store.  Surprise #1 arrived from Atsi Ann!!!

Atsi Ann never fails to forget my birthday since we met in 2009.  She's  just the sweetest!  I always receive food, trinkets, and any little sweet something from her.  Every now and then, her tindera just pops up in my store's door, delivering Atsi Ann's love to me.  She's just the Atsi I never have.  Thank you, so much for everything, Atsi Ann! :)  We may seldom see each other but I know that you're always there for me.  As you always say, you're just a text away!  Hehe....  Luv yah! <3

Then surprise #2 came from my Physics majors when I get back to school for my 4:00-8:30 PM class!  The assigned reporter, Daryl requested to borrow my ID so she could get a speaker from the multimedia office for the presentation of her report.  While she was searching for her file in the laptop, I saw in the screen the filename, mam mae so they were busted for what they were about to do.  But not totally busted anyway.  I was still surprised.  Hehe.....  They presented a VTR and the other Physics majors appeared with balloons and a cake.  I was super happy!  I thought they didn't remember my birthday but they did and they even took really big effort in putting up a surprise for me.  I was deeply touched!

They sang Thank You of Nikki Gil and gave each of their wishes for me.  Then we had dinner courtesy of me (nakakuot jud c ma'am!  hahaha) and had a little talk.  They also gave me a very creative pop out sort-of-slumbook birthday card.  It was really a remarkable surprise from my Physics majors 'coz it was my first time to be caught unguarded like this in La Salle!

Teachers can have as plenty of students for the entire lifetime. But students can only have at most 25 teachers for the entire lifetime (in my calculation). This I can only say: for every student I had, have, and will have, I'm trying to leave a mark. Hope these photos will always remind you of me. I love you, Physics majors! :) <3

After my class, I went home already light-hearted.  It was my birthday indeed!  With how my day went, solve na ako not knowing that another surprise awaits me at home.  My sissy June Ann prepared a little something for me.  She ordered take-out from Gat's, our fave cold-cuts, baby backribs, and bihon guisado.  She bought me a cake, too!  I am forever thankful to our youngest sister who is always so generous to us!  Though she is the youngest, she never have whims and capriciousness unlike me.  Hehe....  Thanks Ma, Pa, Ep2x, and Laling for always understanding and considering me.

And my day ended with a smile on my face!  I had celebrated my birthday after all!  I thank God for giving me another year to live.  I thank God for surrounding me with people who loves and accepts me.  Just like the day before my birthday.  Kuya Jun2x efforted to cook our family's dish, Utan Bicol.  He prepared a birthday dinner for me at their payag with the whole family.  And thanks also to my ever supportive Auntie Lourding for the birthday prayers! :)

Not to mention, Mama also gave me an advanced birthday gift. <3  Thanks for this luxury, mom! :)

Lastly, I also got to celebrate a post-birthday merienda at McDo with my former storekeeper who sadly betrayed me.  The cause of my stress, troubled mind, and unhappiness a week before and during my birth week.  But I forgive her in my heart already.  I just pray that God will touch her heart because only she can help herself and the situation she's in.

So that's it, blog readers!  I am not indebted of a birthday post anymore.  Hehehe.....  Thank you so much for always bearing with me! :)

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Double Three

Blew 3 cakes for my 33rd birthday. Yes, double three! It's funny how people always argue with me for that especially my students 'coz some of them already look older than me. Hehe.... Well, this is just me. Young in mind and young at heart. But looks can be deceiving 'coz I've become fiercer inside. Battered by the waves yet still standing firm. Rejected by circumstances yet still trying to be hopeful. The only difference? I, now know what my priorities are. Which dreams are to be let go without regrets and which are still worth chasing. To stop yearning for things I cannot have and to be grateful with what I already have. Living my life in circles with whimsical mood swings, I am now ripe for new adventures and future discoveries. After all, then and again, age is only and just a number! xoxo Mae ❤️

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La Vie Parisienne

And here's the wine shop where Oak and Beans of Ozamiz got its concept from, La Vie Parisienne or "The Paris Life".  This is just adjacent to The Pink House where it functions as a French bakery, deli, and wine library.  Oh, the smell of freshly-baked French pastries wafts in the air the moment you step into its front door that directs your nose right into the goodies!  Croissants, mille-fueille, leek quiche, merveilleux chocolat, macarons, etcetera, etcetera, oh la la!  I may not be a sweets-loving person but I couldn't help getting a helping of these sinful treats.  They are just a sight to behold, a mouth-watering feast you want to devour right away! 

      

On the other hand, the delicatessen has an assortment of French delicacies straight from the country of romance, perfume, and wine.  They have specialty oil, vinegar, mustard, salad dressings, pasta sauces, cheeses, and others - all imported products that are not as costly as the ones found in local grocery stores.  Now you can cook your favorite Italian pasta, Greek salad, and Spanish gazpacho conveniently with ingredients already made accessible to you by M. Lhuillier Wine and Food.

Speaking of wine, La Vie Parisienne's wine library has so much to offer!  From top brands to Lhuillier's collection of signature wines, varieties of white and red, coming from different countries of origin - they just have 'em all.  The wine cellar is too full from floor to ceiling that you can consider researching and be inspired to study winery and get a degree on oenology.  Just take a look at the photo below.  If you want something in particular, you can have it right away!

    
Good food matched with the perfect wine is the best way to spend quality time with your loved ones at La Maison Rose, World Pizza, and La Vie Parisienne.  Now you might think that coming here will leave a hole in your pocket.  Well, it won't.  For this lovely dinner didn't cost us an arm and a leg.  Of course, there are those selected wines and dishes that are pricey - you know, fit for the elite and socialite.  But most in the menu are reasonably priced for every Juan.  

The pizza we ordered is so Italian that ordinary us didn't have a liking for it.  There's also pizza sisig and pizza adobo by the way that we Filipinos can definitely enjoy eating.  Will be ordering that next time.  But it's great to taste something foreign and extraordinary, right?  Hehe.....  Meanwhile, all of us agreed that the chicken dish which I forgot its name is perfect to our taste buds as well as the carbonara.  It is very tasty, creamy and cheesy.  The pasta in olive oil is just like pancit said papa but I liked it.  Plus the wine!  The red wine just pulled everything off!    

So cheers to papa and mama's good health!  Thank God for all the blessings, thank God all is well! :)

If you wanna experience something high-end and sosyal without feeling intimidated, visit La Vie Parisienne.  It's the perfect place to dine and wine with your family, friends, and special someone.  I guarantee you, it is an overly romantic venue for a date especially at the rooftop under the moonlit sky with twinkling stars.  Have that Parisian dream come to life that suits your budget!  Live that Parisian dream!  The wine just got into me in the following photo.  Hehe.....

For authentic French cuisine, visit La Maison Rose just along the highway at 371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City.  Also like La Vie Parisienne on FB here!  #tosomtravels #tosomeats

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World Pizza: Around the World in 80 Pizzas

As promised yesterday, let me now take you to the pretty garden of La Maison Rose!  Before opening La Vie Parisienne (which I'll be blogging about tomorrow) in 2013, La Maison Rose's garden was a vast lawn of greens dotted with flowers of vibrant colors.  As guests started to flock into the place, the pink house and the bakery cannot accommodate everyone at all.  So they expanded to the patio and the garden, offering more seats for everybody to be served comfortably.

The garden is breathtaking with its fancy miniature trees with pink flowers and leaves which look like Japan's cherry blossoms.  There are carriage-like shelters that also look like igloos if you want an airy outdoor lunch.  Tables and chairs are cozy and really cute, making you feel like sitting outside a café in Paris.  With the late afternoon sun, it is absolutely an ideal setting for an English afternoon tea!  My blogger idol Laureen Uy had her outfit pose here so might as well also have mine.  Hehe.....

     

Additionally, Louis Thevenin, the director of AFC/general manager added a pizza kiosk named World Pizza.  It promises to bring you around the world with its 80 pizzas from different countries.  They come in different types, flavors, and of course, experience!  We ordered the pizza of the month, Napoleon (if I'm not mistaken).  It is topped with anchovies, olives, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.  It was served hot from their wood-fired oven which added a more traditional taste to the pizza.  You can even see how your pizza is being made right inside the kiosk!

  

While waiting for our order to be served, we goofed around for fun pictorials!  Once there, you can't help but to strike poses in all four corners of the garden.

By night, the place becomes more charming with its colorful lights.  Glowing shades of blue and pink dominate the place, making it inviting from the outside.  Much more, it becomes romantic with the background music.  With the endearing scenery, good food, and Parisian ambiance, I highly recommend this place for lovey-doveys out there!

It is best to visit the place by late afternoon so you can have a feel and a fill of it both by daytime and by nighttime.  Watch out for my post tomorrow for our evening wining and dining at La Vie Parisienne! :)

Like World Pizza Cebu on FB here!  For authentic French cuisine, visit La Maison Rose just along the highway at 371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City.  #tosomtravels #tosomeats

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La Maison Rose

La Maison Rose is famous in Cebu as "The Pink House" which was the former ancestral house of one of the city's most prominent family, the Velez's.  Completed in 1939, the house held a number of lavish banquets until 2006 when the family didn't live in the place anymore.  The house became unoccupied for 6 years until Louis Thevenin, the director of Alliance Française de Cebu took over.  Then the house became a French hub of the Queen City of the South, hosting a French language school, French cultural center and in July 2012, a French restaurant was also opened.  (Zee Lifestyle Cebu, 2012 and Inquirer.net, 2012)

Outside its gate, the place just looks ordinary and uninviting.  But as the saying goes, "Do not judge the book by its cover", there's actually a gem hidden inside the unappealing façade.  It's like going into the wilderness and finding Sleeping Beauty's castle or going into the woods and finding the witch's house of candy.  So I was glad for not looking at the outside appearance!

Inside, a tranquil ambiance invites you in.  The dimly-lit atmosphere sets you in the mood for an intimate talk with your company.  As an art lover, I goshed all over the place!  The resto boasts of a mix of French and Indo-China interiors and stepping in brings you back to the 30's.  The house is very well preserved.

There were antique items, lovely paintings, stylish lampshades, and the precious piano from the residential house of the owners, Michel and Amparito Lhuillier, another Cebu's prominent family.  Michel, the honorary consul of France also owns the famed M. Lhuillier of the country and proud dad of the world-renowned fashion designer, Monique Lhuillier.

Stepping into a place like this will definitely make you dress up to eat.  Though they don't have dress code, you'll fell the urge of donning your best for the chic place.  Moreover, old meets new in this posh resto for they also have iPad menus and the bill comes in an Eiffel Tower coffee-book-like bearer.  Overall, La Maison Rose is just so so charming which reminds me of the fancy French bistro I visited in Vietnam, the Green Tangerine Cafe and Restaurant.

Stay tuned tomorrow as I take you to a tour to La Maison Rose's garden and will be sharing to you our food experience as well! 

For authentic French cuisine, visit La Maison Rose just along the highway at 371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City.  Also like them on FB here!  #tosomtravels #tosomeats

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2nd Siomai Festival sa Tisa 2015

Location:  a certain hospital somewhere in Manila

Year:  1988 (I was 6 years old)

Scenario:  me talking to the doctor after getting my X-ray

Dockie:  So, nakakain ka na ng lunch?

Me:  Yes po.

Dockie:  Ano'ng kinain mo?

Me:  Bilog po.

Dockie:  Ha?  Hehe....  Sa'n kayo kumain?

Me:  Sa tapat lang po paglabas ng hospital.

Dockie:  Ah, sa Chinese restaurant.  Siopao?

Me:  Hindi po.  'Yung maliit lang.

Dockie:  Junior siopao?

Me:  Mmmm.  'Di rin po.

Dockie:  Malagkit ba?  Matamis?  Buchi?

Me:  No po.  Ewan ko po ano 'yun.  Basta bilog, maliit, nilalagyan ng toyo at kalamansi.

Dockie:  Alam ko na!  Siomai 'yun!

And that's how I came to know the magic word SIOMAI!  It was by far, the most delicious food I tasted in that old Chinese restaurant.  So I started liking getting up so early at dawn para lumowas ng Maynila from Lipa, Batangas for my check-ups way back then.  Luckily, Chinese food is Daddy Charles' favorite so go lang si Mommy Becky kung ano ang gusto ni Daddy.  Then I ordered siomai, siomai, and more siomai!  It was my reward for fasting, skipping breakfast, that is for the lab tests, ultrasound, etc. that I'm going to undergo for the day.  From then on, siomai has become one of my favorite foods ever!

Location:  Treasure Island Industrial Corp., Cebu

Year:  2006 (I was a fresh grad from college)

Scenario:  me talking to my colleague at work

Her:  Lami kaayo mag pungko2x.

Me:  Ha?  Nganong magpungko man ka nga sakit man na sa tiil.

Her:  Hahaha!!!!!  Lahi man gud ang pungko2x ngari sa Cebu.  Kanang mangaon sa kilid2x ba.

Me:  Ay.  Sorry gud.  Unsa man puy kaonon?

Her:  Ngohiong, barbecue, siomai.  Hala!  Dugay na kaayo ko wa kakaon ug siomai sa Tisa!

Me:  Tisa?  Sa Labangon?

Her:  O.

Me:  Kada adlaw man ko moagi diara.

Her:  Tan-awa ra gud ni sya oh.  Kada adlaw man diay ka dira unya wa jud ka kabaw.

Me:  Kana laging sa daplin lag dalan?  Unya lami pud?

Her:  Super!

And that's how I became addicted with Siomai sa Tisa!  Every time I went home from a very long day at work, I dropped by at Tisa to buy siomai and just walked my way to Mama Dita's house when I was still staying with her.  Siomai sa Tisa is just soooo love especially the chili sauce that is spicy to the max!  Ika nga, in vain ang siomai 'pag walang sauce.  It is the flavorful sauce that gives the siomai its very unique and distinct taste.  All-in sweet, salty, and spicy plus a squeeze of calamansi to make it tangy.  This is just so yummylicious!  In fact, I can eat 25 pieces of siomai in just one setting as long as the sauce is unlimited with a very cold soda in waiting!  Haha!  Oh, God!  Just by imagining this makes me wanna go back to Cebu for a heavenly taste of Siomai sa Tisa again!  

        

Fortunately, it was perfect timing that we went to Cebu last week for Papa and Mama's check-up because it was the 2nd Siomai Festival sa Tisa 2015!  The festivities lasted for a week in honor of the barangay's patron saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz.  It was like a mini Sinulog with all the street dancing, fireworks display, and street party they had!  

The whole of Labangon participated in the revelry because the district was already known to the world as the way tugpahay street food high-street!  If Singapore has Jalan Makanan, so is Cebu with its Siomai sa Tisa!  Day or night, rain or shine, all stalls are ready to serve you with the bestest siomai in town!  They also serve hot and spicy pancit canton, chicharon, and very cold cola!  Ika nga ni cuzzy Cang2x, makamatay ug dali sa cholesterol!  But who cares?  It's just a treat for yourself once in a while!  Just don't do it often, OK?

     

Thanks to Cang2x for bringing us to the Siomai Festival!  And thanks to the little brother/sister of Ryan of PBB 737 for the photo op! :)

More festivals to come, dear blog readers! :)  #tosomtravels

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My First Wattpad Story

I've been wanting to write a book since I started reading Sweet Valley of Francine Pascal.  In fact, I had attempted to write a story in Filipino language when I was in high school but I left it undone.  The draft is still in my notebook hidden inside my closet, untouched for many years now.  

In 2008, I stopped my world literally and figuratively.  I got tired of roaming around and chasing life so I laid low.  I went home, watched all the movies and TV series I missed watching while in college, cooked and baked as much as I could, and read all the books I've been wanting to read!  Then I stumbled upon writing a story I didn't intend to write.

After 7 years, I still want to write a book.  A self-help book dedicated to all single ladies like me who are coping up with this "single-blessedness" thingy.  I had taken down notes on how to write it but my ideas are still unripe.  I think I need a support system for this one as of the moment like having a circle of single-lady friends.  I need to confirm with them if they also feel what I feel, think what I think, or experience what I experience.  So, single ladies out there, who's up for a single ladies club?

Anyway, before writing that dream book, I ought to finish what I had started.  I was really amazed that when I found my file on this, I was already on chapter 6!  I couldn't believe I had written that long and until now, I still can't believe that it was well-written!  Haha!  Am I not just too proud of myself?!  But it really really amazed me!  I appreciated my work, laughed at it, and got hooked on it that even in just 6 chapters, I was so thrilled of what might be happening on it.  If I got amazed reading this work after 7 years, I ought to share this to the public so all of you will get amazed too!  Haha!  I'm sorry if I'm too proud of myself again but I just can't help it!

So ladies and gentlemen, here's my first wattpad story!  Hope you'll enjoy reading this as I take you to the past and the present of crushes, first love, and the like.  Hope you'll get kilig over this as what AlDub and Ms. Pastillas segments do! :)  Click on the link below!          
   

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All About Him

statement shirt from all about him shirts.  denim shorts from rodeo drive.  cross necklace and sneakers from june ann.  FFF

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Pechay-Sayote Salad

From my post last week on doing market around OSROX Park, here's the pechay-sayote salad that I tried experimenting on from Pen2x's recipe.  I did little alterations as per ingredient-availability so here it is!

The Veggies

Pechay and Sayote

The Dressing

Honey, Garlic, Calamansi, and Soy Sauce

Then Toss!

The fresh pechay is crisp and the sayote is crunchy.  I don't bother eating 'em raw and I'm amazed by its palatability.  This salad can also do as a side dish to whatever meal you are having.  Let's be reminded that pechay is rich in calcium for strong bones, magnesium for body's detoxification, vitamin C for glowing skin, etc.  On the other hand, sayote is also rich in folate for female fertility, potassium for enhanced muscle and nerve strength, zinc for boosting the immune system, etc.  There are more vitamins and minerals each of these veggies have so I highly recommend this recipe to all of you who are trying to start eating healthy!

Watch out for more healthy recipes as I'm trying to be vegan to preserve the well-being of my health.  For health is wealth! :)

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