Frannywanny

I love making lists. This goes for listing off my favorite restaurants in the metro, my things to do, my wants and so on. Blame it on my OC nature but this habit just comes out naturally. To celebrate the end of 2007 and the coming of the new year, I will do another list. As I look back at the past months, I realized that this year has been a travelling year for me. I also realized that through these trips (be it personal or for work), I was able to bond more with Paul, my family and with my friends. I'd like to share with you memorable snapshots taken from the trips that I've had this year: 1) Angeles, Pampanga This was my first out of town trip for the year. Paul and I watched the Hot Air Balloon exhibit at the Clark Aviation Field and I LOVED IT ! Pampanga will always have a special spot in my heart as this is Paul's hometown. Every trip to this province is super fun! I will forever crave for authentic Pako (fern) salad, Aling Lucing's sisig and Perfect Loaf's...

I am currently on a vacation leave until the new year! Yipeee! Unfortunately, since my sister don't have any leave credits yet and Paul is as busy as ever, I have to make the most of my leaves alone and in town. Well, one thing is for sure. I am making the most of these three precious days before I finally drag myself back to work by January 2. Weeks ago, I've decided that this will be my "pamper-me" leave where I'll spend most of my time relaxing and rejuvenating for the new year. Today was Day 1 and first stop was The Nail Loft . This small neighborhood-type spa is slowly getting the attention of girls who frequent the San Juan area. I've heard a lot of raves from my friends and obviously I know i just have to try it out myself. Aside from their long list of services, they have 8 packages available and I find the rates to be very reasonable. Reasonable because they use big name brands like Essie, Orly, L'oreal and Sally Hansen which tells me that they ...

After a month worth of planning, finally I was able to catch the 2nd to the last run of Avenue Q at the RCBC Auditorium. Gaining a lot of raves from various critics and internet bloggers plus my very own sister who was able to watch it last September, I made sure that I will not let this opportunity pass me by without allowing myself to be bitten by the Avenue Q bug. The verdict? I.Ruv.It.!!!! I love watching plays and this one surely ranks high up in my list of favorites along with Trumpet's The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe and The Little Mermaid. It amazing to see Rachel Alejandro switch from nicey-nice Kate Monster to sexy Lucy the Slut. It's true that after some time you'd turn your focus away from the actor holding the puppet to the puppet itself. In other words, the talented cast was able to bring all the puppets to life. Felix Rivera ; who, by the way, sang in select Starbucks Coffee stores during my 12 Nights of Christmas project last year, is the lead actor handl...

L ife is full of ironies. For instance, I am scared to death of heights especially when climbing steps or when i'm in roller coaster but i lovee the thought of flying or riding a ferris wheel. Who would have thought that it has been my life long dream to be able to ride a hot air balloon? Although, I've never done this yet, I content myself by watching a dozen of colorful hot air balloons fill up the sunset sky last year at the Clark Aviation Field. It has been a slow, boring week for me at work so imagine my happiness when I landed at this site one lazy afternoon and saw this message: It’s going to be another year of fun, flare and flight at the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta ! Happening on February 7-10, 2008 at Clark Economic Zone . Watch out for more details. Yahooo!! See you all in Clark next year!! Ü

T wo decades ago, I was 5 and then I believed in the jolly old man who rides in a sleigh and who delivers gifts to all good boys and girls at the stroke of midnight. Blame our wild imagination in believing that one Christmas Eve, we actually saw him parked his sleigh outside our window. Every year, my sister and I would write a loooonggg letter to this jolly old man in a red suit with a list of toys and whatnots supposedly to "guide" him and his elves in case they do not know yet what toys to give us. Obviously, not everything on the list were given us but we didn't really care. Waking up every Christmas morning is fun as we always come face to face with a big gift bag filled with toys and goodies by our bedside. It was when we turned 12 that we learned the hard truth... jolly old man was actually just sweet and kind mom and dad. Nonetheless, it's always fun to come up with our christmas wish list hoping that we'll receive any of those items listed even if it mean...

this is dedicated to everyone who's been getting more than their usual caffeine fix for that much coveted Starbucks Coffee Planner ... To celebrate 10 fruitful years in the Philippines, Starbucks Coffee treats customers participating in the 2008 Planner Promotion to double sticker credits on their promo cards from December 4 to 7, 2007 between the hours of 12:30-2:00 pm and 8:00-9:30 pm. Here's how: Customers purchasing Starbucks Coffee beverages (except bottled water, bottled beverages and fruit juices) on these dates during the specified times, are entitled to two (2) stickers for every beverage purchased. If a featured beverage is purchased, the customer gets one (1) additional sticker on the featured or core beverage panel of the promo card. If a core beverage is purchased, the customer gets one (1) additional sticker on the core beverage panel only. Sticker treats will be handed out with the receipt at date and point of sale only. A no promo card, no sticker policy will st...

Sonya's Garden (in Tagaytay), first popularized the use of broad beans ( patani in Filipino ) in her salads. The crunchy, salty combination is simply a winner. I got hooked to this type of beans as much as i have constantly been craving for another meal at Sonya's. Thus, just imagine how happy I was when i chance upon a small stall at the St. James Bazaar in Alabang selling packs of...what else?!...Indonesian roasted broad beans! I tried one bag this morning and it was sooo yummy! the mexican bbq flavor made it a bit sweet and still a bit salty, truly a perfect answer to my current craving. It's quite a steal too! We got this big bag for only P25 each! too bad, Alabang's so far away..but at least we have 3 bags left hopefully to last us longer than a week. Whoever knows if this is also sold here in Metro Manila, please be a true angel and leave me a message. Ü

I love pizza! I guess, everyone loves pizza! With the long list of flavors to choose from everyone has their own favorite and if all else fails, one can customize their very own combination. The downside of eating pizza though is it could be pretty messy. Matched with a grease-laden kind and you're bound to share your pizza toppings with oil on your gorgeous shirt. Not a very pretty sight, if i must say so. Admitedly being an OC eater, I am very cautious when it comes to having my food drip all over my clothes, book, desk or worst, on my car seat. Thus the reason why i rarely eat with my bare hands (nagkakamay) . I value the use of utensils very much or if none is available then i can always settle for paper napkins instead. Thus, this new concept created by the people behind Amazing Cones immediately caught my attention. Hmmm.. pizza in a cone where all the ingredients are stuffed inside a cone-shaped crust served with melted cheese on top? Very much intrigued by their advertisi...

I would like to interrupt my regular blogging for some shameless plugging Ü See you all there!!

Tagaytay's hidden secret is NOW in Manila! Craving for oysters one Saturday night, Paul and I went to Metrowalk with the sole intention of dining at *where else?!* Oyster Boy. While walking in from the parking area, we chance upon a new establishment located at the back portion and is quite a distance from the more frequented area by Metrowalk's regular clientele. Taste of Sanctuario originated in Tagaytay City. Although this will be my first time to try it out, I am very much aware that they have one of the yummiest coffee and bread! Thus, how can i pass up a chance to try a new place that is right in front of me? Scanning their menu for less than a minute, I pushed aside my oyster craving and went right in this cozy restaurant for another food adventure. First thing that we ordered was a basket of assorted bread slices (P100) with a platter of pates (P100). The bread basket includes: raisin bread, pan de sal, pesto with cheese, cheese foccacia and plain foccacia. It was ...

Allow me to take a short trip down memory lane: Around 10 years ago, my family would wake up extra early on a Sunday morning to have breakfast at Racks Tomas Morato. We would have our fill of their Pinoy breakfast meals with the accompaniment of Racks' signature BBQ sauce. It was also at Racks where my sister and I first fell in love with Baby Back Ribs. This, complete with Baked Potato and Baked Beans! As kids then, it was the best treat after a long week at school. Ten whole years went by so fast, there were more establishments that opened besting each other out with their ribs, grilled chicken and whatnots. Our taste have further developed to enjoy the finer things in life knowing the difference between fine vs. fun dining. We find joy in Spiral's creative buffet and get nostalgic when dining at Dulcinea, Alex III, Sugi or Kimpura. We realized that, after watching Super Size Me, fast foods shouldn't be our regular staple and veered towards restaurants that offers health...

story and photos by: Frances Lorraine Haw (batch ‘00) & Stephanie Marie Haw (batch ‘03) June 2, 2007 (Saturday) – At exactly 6:30am in the morning, we, together with 40 ICA alumnae, boarded a bus to begin our journey to find the hidden treasures of the south. The trip was organized by the officers of the ICA Alumnae Association, namely, its president, Billie Syling, and VP for Membership Kato Tantiansu. Everything was well thought-out, from the emails that kept everyone informed, to making sure that participants were sated during the morning ride by providing us with a bottle of water and a pastry each. Truly impressive, indeed! The trip to our first stop took more than four hours, but we hardly noticed it, as everyone was busy chatting with one another. Since the group consisted of alumnae from different batches, we compared notes about our high school days in ICA, who were under so and so teachers, and who were classmates of whom. First stop: Kamay ni Hesus Finally at 10:30am, we...

with four varieties to choose from!

I 've lost count of the million times I'd utter this expression. Normally it would be when a holiday has been declared meaning there wouldnt be classes or work the next day, or when there's a sale and i was able to score some pretty clothes for a very good price or for other reasons that i barely remember. Today, I uttered this expression a couple of times again but for a more deeper reason. Today started out just like any other day. I woke up feeling more aches and pains on my muscles after 3 days of roadshow. My head still feels woozy but i had to force myself to wake up to make it to the office on time. After deciding that I will get a good massage tomorrow, I got up, took a quick shower, wore my red shirt and ran down to leave for work. After all, today will be the last day of the roadshow. The last day I would have to make 300 taster cups of beverages. It will also be the final day when I have to present my upcoming projects (although this part is fun!) to our excited...

O ne of the things i've learned even before i went to kindergarten was to say THANK YOU . I say thank you to practically everyone who has went out of their way for me or who has helped me even in the tiniest way. In line with Toblerone's National Thank You Day , here's an artwork that I've created for Paul. http://www.thankyou.ph/2007/10/thank-you-to-paul.html Likewise, I would like to say thank you to everyone who's reading this right now. Yep! I'd like to thank YOU for being a part of my technicolored life. To my high school friends who has always been there since day 1, to my work buddies a.k.a. colleagues who makes my corporate roller coaster ride much more exciting (in a good way ha) and yes, to the friends whom i've met in the most unlikely places T H A N K Y O U!!

After a delicious dinner at Guilly Island last night, Paul and I were both craving for something sweet. Would a slice of chocolate cake suffice? nah... How about a bowl of mais con yelo or halo halo? maybe not... We were just circling around Greenhills, wasting precious gasoline and still clueless on what to have for dessert. Finally, Paul suggested that we drive to Aurora Boulevard and see if Nestle Creamery is still open. Yay! I think i am in the mood for ice cream Ü It wasnt a long drive to Aurora Boulevard, but since it was almost 10:30PM, sadly our favorite childhood ice cream parlor is already closed :( drats..so where to next. Then Paul noticed a small Magnolia store across the street. Hmm.. could it be a Magnolia ice parlor hoping to rival against Nestle? We drove over to the other side and true enough it is a tiny (at in super mini compared to their competitor across) ice cream shop by Magnolia. At first glance, the ambiance isnt much, it somehow looks like an old fast food ...

Here's some good news to all travel bugs out there... Cebu Pacific website Yipeeeeee!!! :)

I love nachos! I particularly like it with beef paired with either cheese or salsa or both. However, no matter how much i love this type of snack, i always believe that hygiene and other QA factors will always be at the top of my list (and i think this makes perfect sense). After shopping at Podium last saturday, my sister and I were both craving for nachos. Our initial plan was to dine at Fuzion and avail of their free nachos but sadly there were no available tables and it looks like there won't be any for the next 30 minutes or so. So we moved to plan b. We decided to try NYPD and to satisfy our craving, i'll buy nachos from the Nacho Fast stall nearby. On Nacho Fast Being a nacho fan, I can say i am a regular of Nacho Fast Rockwell where i would buy a bag of chips to take home with me. On other occasions, this is also where my friends and i would have lunch if we want something fast and yummy. Thus, I am not a newbie on this brand of nachos and i can say that they have one ...

someday, when i grow up i want to write for a magazine... that was me back in 1998..close to a decade ago when i began to appreciate international glossies such as YM, Bop (ok nakakahiya ito...) and a lot more that features popular boy bands and hollywood teen stars. A year after, my loyalty shifted to our local titles partly due to the increasing prices of their international counterparts and also because my interest towards international showbiz chismis slowly declined. Then came Candy, Meg and Seventeen. A high school girl's bible on what's in and what's not. We were taught that flared jeans and elephant pants were totally cool so were cargo pants and funky hats that you can wear when you and your barkada would go to Galleria to have your neoprints taken. Of course, there's the traditional prom issue that would come out every January. There's a list of things to do weeks prior to your prom (like getting a manicure, reserving for a boutonniere, etc etc), there...

After reading Anton's write up about this small resto /bar hidden right in the middle of Mandaluyong , it wasn't hard to convince Paul to try it with me after I told him that they have a billiard table that may be rented for only P100 an hour. So after an afternoon of window-shopping around Rockwell, we scheduled to have dinner here as it is also along our way home. It wasn't difficult to find the place because their bright lime colored signage will immediately catch your attention the moment you take a right turn from Boni Ave towards San Rafael street. Lime88 is actually a residence turned restaurant. There's plenty of parking slots along the street and cheerful waiters will greet as you enter the gate. Since Paul really wanted to play billiards, we chose the lone table for two by the pool table. I prefer this area too because its well-lit and at least I'm guaranteed that i can clearly see what is being served to us. The food is literally pinoy street fare giv...

L ast friday was a great day, aside from the fact that i spent most of my time outside the office visiting sites with Ding as well as it being the launch of my newest baby called the Green Tea Redefined series... it was also the day when i finally completed my certification as a Coffee Master. What is a Coffee Master? Every partner in Starbucks Coffee begins as a coffee explorer. We go through the 2 weeks training program immersing ourselves in the culture, the procedures and finally allowing ourselves to gain more appreciation on coffee. At the end of the training period, store partners will begin their regular shifts as baristas whereas Support Center partners like myself move on to fulfill the responsibilities and functions that we applied for. Through time, a partner will then take an exam to evaluate his/her knowledge on coffee. From the different types of blends down to the tiniest detail on how to have the best coffee the Starbucks way. After passing the exam, the partner will t...

Pizza has always been the number one comfort food for me and pan. For instance, a long and hectic periodical exams week will never be complete without ordering our favorite Shakey's Friday's Special thin-crusted pizza and a bucket of Mojos and Dip for one afternoon snack. Thus today was no exception. Resting at home for a day, I've decided to surprise my lil sister, who was a bit upset, with our favorite snack! Enter NY Pizza Express. Paul has been telling me about this new pizza place along J. Abad Santos here in San Juan for a couple of months now. Actually, NY Pizza Express was formerly located along Wilson street but good thing they have decided to transfer to a nicer place with ample parking and better visibility. With a number of New York style pizza brands sprouting everywhere from Yellow Cab to Brooklyn Pizza and a lot more, i wasn't initially that excited in trying this one out because i thought that this most probably would taste pretty much the same just like...

reposted from http://frannywanny.multiply.com/reviews/item/6 dated August 4, 2007 After hearing a lot of raves about this small homey-feel restaurant along Connecticut street in Greenhills, Paul and I have decided to give it a try ourselves. We arrived at around 830PM thinking that it will be easy to get a table since #1 the place is relatively new #2 the dinner crowd are most probably done by this time. oh boy! were we caught by surprised beginning from the lonnnngg (and im serious) line of parked cars around the restaurant and after finally getting a parking slot the wait for table was up next. this small cozy restaurant was jam packed with familiar faces from the ica-xavier community, there were icans and xavierians my age, to families in long tables and it looks like they won't be leaving anytime soon. What impressed me most was the fact that the owners were there to personally attend to their customers. one owner approached us and told us that our table will be ready in 5 min...