Frannywanny

Our second day in Singapore began really early. It's a good thing that Paul and I took the time out to drop by the convenience store that was located at the ground floor of our hotel to buy a couple of instant noodles the night before. Since call time was at 8 in the morning, eating breakfast inside the room is the most sensible thing to do to save us more snooze time. After quickly getting dress, our group met up again at the hotel lobby to wait for the organizers of our tour. At exactly 9AM we rode our assigned bus and our Uniquely Singapore tour was just about to begin! 1st stop: Clarke Quay and the Royal Selangor Museum Located just a couple of minutes away from our hotel, we quickly got to our first stop. Clarke Quay is located along the Singapore River and is a popular night destination among the locals. During the day, we enjoyed watching the peaceful clean river as colorful ferry boats goes up and down bringing passengers through the entire stretch of the river. Too bad w...

It was a black-tie event as mentioned in the invite. Decked in our evening dresses and suits, we all gathered at the lobby of The Link Hotel as the organizers from Nuffnang led us to one of the four buses waiting to transport us to the beautiful Pan Pacific Hotel . Upon arriving at the hotel ballroom lobby, we registered and mingled around while munching on platters of Pringles chips that came in three delicious flavors! Finally, the ballroom doors were opened and we proceeded towards our assigned tables. Everything was done in such an organized manner! I was really at awe upon knowing that the team who worked so hard to make this event a reality is composed of a group of twenty-something enthusiastic boys and girls! It really goes to show that age is not a measure of success rather its passion and determination that will get everyone going. Kudos to the Nuffnang team! Our Dinner Menu Finally, the program began and dinner was served. As we were enjoying our dinner, Amazing Race Asia...

We arrived a little before lunch at Singapore and after getting word that we can't check into our hotel rooms yet, Paul and I have decided to begin our Living lah Singapore adventure right there and then. First stop was at IKEA along Alexandra road . Upon hearing that I wanted to go to IKEA, Paul suddenly panicked thinking that I will be lugging a huge home furniture on our flight home. I assured him that I was really after the food after hearing a lot of raves from friends and colleagues. So following the directions given by friendly locals, we took the escalator up to the second floor and followed the crowd that finally led us to the IKEA Restaurant ! There was a long line and there were hardly any table available, not wanting to give up, I grabbed Paul's hand and led him towards the end of the line as we browsed through the menu while waiting. Of course, being in Singapore means enjoying the efficiency of its workers. In less than two minutes we have reached the se...

I'm finally back , dear readers! Just as I hope that the trip will do me good , it has successfully rejuvenated me as I resume my daily crazy schedule. Thanks so much to Nuffnang and to the Singapore Tourism Board for giving us this much-needed break! Despite the fact that the trip was pretty short, spending three wonderful days in beautiful Singapore has made me fall in love with it not once, not twice but for the third time. Singapore , the Lion City , is located right at the middle of the equator so expect warm weather throughout your stay. It's a melting pot of a lot of different cultures and races. You'll see a lot of Chinese, Malays, Indians and Filipinos (yes, I've met and seen a LOT of fellow countrymen during my stay) around and the good thing is that most of them have a pretty good command of English. It has been 8 long years since my last visit and a lot of things have changed since then. For one thing, it was the first time for me to see the Singapore F...

I can't believe it's finally OUT! As the first copy of the book was handed to me last week, I carried it around the office like a proud mommy :) Presenting, the first ever Yummy Book entitled Meals in Minutes . This is the first of three books that we will be launching for this year. You'll love this first book because it presents 65 super easy recipes! I'm talking about the kind that you can easily make in less than 10, 20 or 30 minutes! It's like a cooking show on print! You'll also love the beautiful mouthwatering photos that will encourage you to try the recipes yourself. Here's my favorite recipe of all: Oriental Fried Rice . Not known to many, fried rice is my weakness. I may be able to skip not eating plain rice for a year but cook it with some oil, as some garlic, onion leeks, meat and egg then that's when I raise the white flag on one hand and a spoon on the other. I totally adore eating fried rice and I'm so happy to have this as our cover...

How I wish I can live like a kid... I think it's time to take a BREAK. This break will do me good :) Repeat after me. Till next week dear readers. Love, Frannywanny

Finally the secret is out! Last month, my sister and I were invited by fellow bloggers Jane and her daughter Christa to join the shoot of the Ako ang Simula MTV . Initially, I thought we were just allowed to cover the shoot and eventually to blog about it, little did I know that we will actually be part of the video. This video is ABS-CBN's campaign for the upcoming elections. My sister and I truly believe in the power of one's vote and how we can make things happen. At long last, the video has been launched and it's out in the public! See my 7 seconds of fame happen! :) (see frames 00:50 and 00:46) Take a peek at some photos taken during the shoot: train shoot Direk checking the scenes with Pat Evangelista

Rarely do we get to hear this statement anymore...It's funny because this was actually one of the first things that we were taught in nursery along with the words Please and Sorry . Thankfully, Toblerone Philippines launched the National Thank You Day where we take a little time out of our busy schedule to say THANK YOU to all those who has played a part in making our lives wonderful. Today, I'd like to say thank you to.... ...my family for being so supportive and caring. ...the love of my life, Paul , for coming at the right time and at the right place and for loving me unconditionally. ...my bestest friends in the world who I know I can count on at all times *hugs*. ... Scottie , the newest member of our family, thank you for brightening up my day ... everyone reading this, for sharing my passion and for making my dreams come true. How about you? Who do you want to thank today? Btw, don't forget to send in your entries for the Toblerone Photo Contest !

It was the first leg of my cooking demo and this time, we went down south. Together with my ever-supportive mom, sister and fiance, we made sure to reach Parañaque by lunch as we have been hearing a lot of wonderful raves about the different restaurants located particularly along Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes . Our chosen food stop was at Chi's Brick Oven Kitchen . I've been wanting to try this restaurant and boy was I excited! Entering the cozy looking restaurant, I scanned a couple of clippings that were displayed on the wall. I took note of the recommended dishes and sat down to order. I liked the sunny interiors of the restaurant and the smokey smell coming from the huge brick oven located up front. First choice was the Wood-fired Buffalo Wings (Php. 190) for starters. It's actually the first time that I've tried a non-greasy buffalo wings and the healthy feel actually gave a good start to our meal. I love the bleu cheese dressing that came with the wings. It wo...

It's no secret how much I love to travel...and to eat. This actually goes hand in hand as my travel itinerary is normally filled up with new places to try and local delicacies that I make sure I bring home for my family to enjoy as well. In fact, one of the best birthday gifts that I've ever received was a handy travel journal given to me by my best friend. At present, I have already filled up around 10 journal pages documenting my adventures in China , Hong Kong , Iloilo, Bacolod and more! Soon, I will be adding a new entry as I embark on another fun trip this time to my favorite Asian destination -- Singapor e . There are times when I would find myself craving for a local food item that can not be found here in Metro Manila. Despite my efforts in searching high and low, the only answer to my craving is a plane ticket back to the province where the object of my gastronomic affection can be found. Thankfully, most of the key cities here in the Philippines have a couple of entre...