Do-over, please!

I was browsing my old alma mater's website trying to track down the degree requirements I had to fulfill while in undergrad. Apparently the 2002-2003 matriculation bulletin is a thing of the past. I got curious and browsed through the most current one and was appalled to find out that they now offer a Business Administration concentration in.....Arts Management! The concentration allows you to choose electives in creative writing and theater among a number of others. Why couldn't this be there 5 years ago? I could've been a stage manager or a business editor or something more fun! I want to go back and re-do my degree and drop this number-crunching business. There is no 'undo' button in life but that's ok, I just have to make the best of it from now on, right?

A dose of positivity

As this month draws to a close, I am slowly coming to terms with my life and the inevitable changes it brings along. I've learned my lesson. No matter how hard you try to take matters into your own hands and how detailed you make your plans, it will not go through unless it's what God has in store for you. Once He's already pointed the way, there's no use in trying to defy it by making up excuse after excuse and selfishly attempting to do it all on your own because you believe you can control everything. Don't get me wrong,as humans, we have the freedom to make choices but we can't take full control of our lives.Inevitable changes will come about and it's how we choose to deal with them that will make all the difference. I got a letter in the mail from a friend yesterday and she said "There is no best answer or right answer, you just have to learn to take chances." That being said, I'm going to Vegas in 2 weeks to gamble away what's left of my savings in hopes of being able to pay off all my debts. I'm going to take a chance. (Not!) Wish me luck!

Dessert Trip

Mint-Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcakes. Yummy!

Last night, I had a sudden craving for cupcakes from Frosted. So, Marc and I hopped in the car and headed over to the scenic 2nd Street of Long Beach for some yummy dessert and milk.

After dessert, I wanted more dessert so we went across the street to Yogurtland. Whenever I go to these self-serve yogurt joints, I'm always on a mission to keep my bill under $1. Last night, I spent a whoppin' $0.96! I swear, I never used to care for sweets. I blame the awakening of my sweet tooth on Claudine. :)

2nd Street in Long Beach at night

I think my sweet cravings have been satisfied for the week. Hopefully the weather will be better this week so I can get back to my regular running schedule so I won't have to feel guilty about my sweet sins. :)

Open thoughts

I am done fearing what lies ahead, with having "concrete plans" and living the illusion of being secure. I'm ready to tackle the uncertainty of life by living each moment and enjoying the process instead of focusing on a deceptive destination that may not even exist. I'm not looking for a specific or ideal place or situation to be in, I just want to experience life, grow from the experiences and help others along the way. I want to discover. I want to create. I want to share.

Life is too short to waste.

Moroccan Birthday Extravaganza

On Friday night, my cousin Gem returned from a week-long 'job-hunting' trip to New York. On Saturday, we celebrated her birthday as well as her success in securing a full-time design job in the big city. She leaves for a permanent move on Tuesday and I can't help but feel really sad. Gem is the cousin who I am closest to on my Dad's side of the family and while I'm ecstatic for her and the amazing opportunity she has earned, I am going to miss her sorely.

Goodbyes aside, we managed to have a grand birthday dinner for Gem at Marrakesh in Newport Beach. I had been there one other time before and both times have been fabulous! The experience begins with a waiter passing out full-sized bath towels to serve as your 'napkin' for the eating as the meal requires the use of your bare hands for some parts. This is followed by a communal hand-washing ceremony. With all hands gathered around a basin, the waiter pours warm rose water adding a pleasant scent and supposed cleanliness to the guests' hands. Depending on what you order, the courses come out as follows.

1. Drinks. I highly recommend Casablanca-a very light Moroccan beer. I'm not a beer drinker myself but this is truly something else! Not only is it very light but it has some notes of fruit in it.

2. Lentil soup. After squeezing a wedge of lemon into this piping hot soup, you drink it straight out of the bowl. It truly does awaken your senses!

3. Four different kinds of salads-eggplant, cucumber, carrot and potato. Each one has a distinct flavor but when mixed together, it creates an explosion in your mouth. It's quite hard to describe but they are distinctly delicious!

4. Bread. It is recommended that you use the salads as 'filling' for the bread creating some sort of sandwich. The Moroccans know what they're talking about, trust me.

5. Bastilla. This is the round pastry looking dish in the collage above. It is a baked dish made out of filo dough stuffed with chicken, eggs, and almonds topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I know, it sounds like dessert with chicken but it is amazing! This is my favorite dish from this place and always will be.

6. Main Meal. Couscous with lemon-olive chicken and tender lamb. Just when you think you've had enough flavor from the previous dishes, the main meal comes out. Honestly, my favorite part of the main meal is the couscous and the cabbage! I can do without the meats.

7. Baklava. Too sweet for my taste but gets an A+ for flakiness.

8. Moroccan Mint Tea. This delightful concoction of mint, chamomile and honey is the perfect ending to an extravagant meal. I could drink this stuff all day long. There is nothing like it. And if there is, someone better tell me where!

To top it off, belly dancers circulate throughout the tents during the course of the meal making your experience that much more authentic. Marrakesh is definitely a place to go to with a big group. It is quite loud inside but you have semi-privacy by being in your own little tent. I must not forget that there is nothing more comfortable than sitting on a couch while eating one of the best meals you could ever have.

Good luck in New York Gem! I'm going to miss you cousin!

Postal exchange

Prior to the creation of E-mail and the World Wide Web, people sent each other messages through what is now the 'old fashioned' postal service. When my Mom was young, she had several pen-pals from all over the world. Upon showing me her collection one day, I told her that I wanted to have pen-pals too. Somehow, I got into the pen-pal craze and from the age of 9 'til I was about 12 or 13, I was a pen-pal fanatic. I think I did it through a student letter exchange program through a children's magazine. Highlights, anybody? =)

If I remember correctly, I had about a ten people whom I exchanged letters with. I stumbled upon what was left of my correspondence the other night and thought back to the times when I would get excited to collect the day's mail. Receiving personally addressed envelopes in various handwriting totally made me smile. Now, the only mail I get come in the form of catalogs and bills. There was even a time when the letters turned into cards which turned into packages full of flat paper goods such as stickers and stationery. Oh how I miss those days!

I always get excited when a fellow blogger announces a Package Exchange/Swap because it equates to being able to send and receive goodies via snail mail. :) With that said, Danielle at Dinosaur Toes is hosting a "Get to know me knick knack exchange." Doesn't that sound like fun? For more details, click here.

The weekend is about to begin and I'm going to start it by writing a good old fashioned letter which I will send through the mail. :)

Let it pour

Here's a picture of Marc posing outside of the Louvre in Paris on a rainy day.

Not so flattering picture of me @ the Millennium bridge-London.

Note: Broken umbrella

Living in a coastal city, the effect of this crazy storm on our city has been wicked. Just the other day, several water spouts were spotted on the beach. Many of our roads are flooded and trees have toppled all over the place. There was even a tornado warning on Tuesday afternoon and we were required to stay indoors. Clearly, So-Cal is not prepared for this kind of weather. It reminds me a lot of a trip we took to Europe 3 years ago. As I look through pictures, I can't help but laugh because an umbrella can be spotted in almost all of them! In fact, we weren't prepared for the weather and had to buy several cheap 'tourist' umbrellas-two of them which broke instantly upon deployment due to heavy winds.

Yesterday, I broke another umbrella so Marc had to get me a new one. I don't know why but he picked up a huge bright yellow and orange one. Oh and it has a graphic of a sun too. He will do anything to embarrass me in public. I supposed it goes well with my fire-engine red raincoat! Watch out for the walking sunbeam-that would be me! :)

Crafty Hubby

Someone in the house has been super crafty lately and it isn't me! For Christmas, Ella got me the awesome kit pictured above. After attempting the bunny which turned out to be quite deformed, Marc decided to challenge my piece. After a quick sewing lesson from me, he was on his way to making the puppy which turned out to be a lot better than mine. I'm glad someone has the patience to create these because I certainly don't. When I came home from work the next day, I found random drawings of patterns that he thought up himself. I couldn't help but chuckle and ask him "Are you seriously going to make these?" He answered "Yes." Here we are, two weeks later and the herd is continuously growing. To add to the collection, there has been a happy ninja, a bat/cat with wings, and my personal favorite a two-toned owl. So I guess it's not me who will be starting an Etsy store soon. :) Marc has always been one to create things. One of his first 'gifts' to me was this whimsical character he carved out of wood from one of his classes in high-school. With that said, I can't wait to move to a bigger place so he can start building some furniture!

Food makes the world go round

Yesterday, hubby made the mistake of asking me what I wanted for dinner. I told him I was craving daing na bangus, which is a Filipino recipe involving milkfish marinated in vinegar. I failed to warn him about the repercussions of frying this delicacy. Our kitchen now has gigantic oil splatterings and the air reeks of fried-fish. It'll take a few days to clear but it sure was worth it. To top it off, he made garlic fried rice and a tomato-cilantro topping with fish sauce. Thanks Marc! To eat all this comfort food made me feel alive again! I feel like I've been in crisis mode lately and a friend reminded me yesterday that I just need to stop stressing because everything will be ok. I think I will do just that.

Ordinary Days

This weekend, Marc and I went to go see Ordinary Days. It is a fairly new musical that just finished it's off-Broadway run in New York. It is currently premiering here in the West Coast,playing at the local South Coast Repertory until January 24th. The musical features 4 individuals living in New York City whose stories are individually highlighted as they sing various solos throughout. In the middle of the score, the characters connect as events bring them together. It was a pretty entertaining musical about life, decisions, and happenstance. The cast was comprised of 4 well-known Broadway actors; one of them being Nick Gabriel who played Fiyero in Broadway's rendition of Wicked last year. Each individual had admirable talent. However, I was quite disappointed as the songs they sung didn't really allow them to exhibit all they had. A piano was the only instrument used and the songs made me feel like I was at a piano bar/cabaret. Bottom line, the music wasn't that great.

The technical aspects were quite brilliant and enjoyable. Most of the scene changes were done via projections. I really enjoyed the theater as it was small and intimate. The Julianne Argyros stage was the perfect setting for this small production. Though we were seated on the balcony, we were still very close to the stage and could still see the expressions on the faces of the actors. I really enjoyed the actors and the story-line itself. In fact, I was able to relate quite well as one of the characters (Deb) opted for grad school after unsuccessfully job-hunting after college. She later realizes that her thesis isn't even what she wants to write on/care about and ends up throwing her entire draft (notes and all) from a tall building. I kept thinking to myself about how brave it was of her to give up everything she worked so hard for after realizing that it's not what she wanted in the first place. Just something to think about. Though the music was mediocre, the overall message of the musical made it well-worth it!

I was quite sad that the cast did not come out of the stage door this time as they went straight to the meet-and-greet happening inside the theater. As anxious as we were to meet them, we headed straight for the stage door which caused us to be locked out of the theater for the meet-and-greet. Oh well, next time!

Happy 18th Birthday Kirsten

Today is my little sister's 18th birthday. I still can't believe how much she has grown over these past few years. Though I've taught and introduced her to a number things, she has proved to be the better one in most. She is the better snowboarder, the better make-up artist, and the better baker. On top of that, she is the better shopping addict (if there is such a thing), a talented musician, and the more social one (how could she?! j/k!). We may be seven years apart but I'm so thankful that we are still super close.

Kirsten, I wish you all the best as you celebrate another milestone! May you stop growing taller than me and stop beating me in everything. J/k! I love you!

Always,

Ate

No matter how old you get, you will always be my little sister!

Fondue Feast+Friends

Prepping the cheese. Pictured above are Emmenthaler (block) and Jarlsberg (wedge)

This weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a little fondue party fpr the girls. A year ago at this time, we took a girls trip to New York and had the time of our lives. In honor of our memorable trip, we decided to get together and reminisce. Well...and of course, gossip, eat, laugh, and just have a great time. *Mariel & MM-we missed you two!*

I love tomatoes so much and I couldn't resist making bruschetta for this dinner.

Although it ended up being quite gooey, the cheese fondue was a big hit! It was definitely a cheese fest as the girls brought other cheeses, crackers and some pasta.

Nutella Peanut-Butter brownies. I found the recipe somewhere online. I'm sad to say that I won't be making these again. The brownies were really dry and even with loads of Nutella, the peanut butter overpowered it in flavor. Oh well, it still worked out as a great dipper for the chocolate fondue.

Chocolate fondue is ready!

There is always dessert wine when we get together. It just happens to be the 'happy staple' of our gatherings.

Curious Claudine bought a bottle of non-alocholic (well...3% proof) White Zinfandel. It tasted like juice. What's the point? LOL!

Our little group is quite known for camera-whoring. By that, I mean, not in front of the camera but behind it. Here's a picture of Gem working some magic on her newly purchased Canon 5D Mark II. Soooo jealous!

Another 5d user, Samantha!

Claudine likes to keep it simple with the point & shoot. With all these cameras, I'm sure someone took a picture of me. I'll have to edit this post when someone sends it to me. :)

Paparazzi club-that's us!

The food coma we suffered afterwards was totally worth all the laughs and giggles that took place 'til 2am! We concluded that Samantha would make a great president, Gem belongs in either Sweden or in jail, Claudine will not default to "Plan B," and I will become a genetic engineer to re-create the gene that allows people to eat without getting fat. Thank you, friends for driving to visit! Why do the weekends have to end so quickly? Back to work tomorrow!

Whole Foods

I consider myself lucky to live within walking distance to a Whole Foods Market. Earlier this evening, Marc and I went there to get some groceries for a little gathering we're having tomorrow. To our surprise, there was a huge crowd. Turns out, they had just opened a new food station called "Raw" and there was a little mixer taking place. There was live music, free-flowing pomegranate drinks and plenty of tray-passed hor douvres. To add to that, there were plenty of samples all throughout the store. I guess you can say that we pretty much ate dinner for free. Thank you, Whole Foods! Back to "Raw." We sampled a number of things including organic apple pie and 'green tacos.' To me, the food literally tasted like it had just been pulled out of the ground or picked from a tree. I seriously think I tasted mud in my lettuce. It was a little too fresh or I guess, raw. It's kind of sad how our taste buds are so used to the flavor of preservatives and when we taste something so natural, we find something lacking. Maybe thats just me. Don't get me wrong because I love my veggies but I am a flavor-whore and do not like anything plain. So I didn't fancy some of the stuff we sampled but I have to say that fresh beet juice is something that I'll be adding to my diet. It sure is pretty tasty.

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

I'm trying my hardest not to populate our tiny apartment with stuff. Sadly, shopping is temporarily on hold. In the last few months, I've been trying to get rid of old clothes, papers, etc that are no longer being used or needed. Thankfully, Christmas brought us more greens and gift cards than actual goods so not much was added to our pile. So, why am I doing all this? Come March, our 13-month lease on the apartment ends. Wow! I can't believe we've lived here for awhile now. Marc is adamant that we move as we've had way too many issues with our place. More specifically, our disrespectful neighbors who keep us up throughout the night, the owl that won't shut up, the single-pane windows that beats heater 1000 times and many others that I won't bother to mention. Where we'll be moving to is still unknown but regardless, we still have to pack everything in boxes, stick them in a moving truck and head somewhere. We could be moving 4, 40, or 400 miles away. 'Til the verdict is revealed, I will keep on packing as I know that March will be here before I know it. This is both exciting and frustrating but I know that it will all work out somehow. I'll post updates because you never know, I could be your next door neighbor in the near future!

Family Portraits

Every year around Christmas time, my parents insist on posing for family portraits around the house. With all the hustle and bustle of the season, we seemed to have forgotten this annual tradition. This weekend, before Mom put away the Christmas decor, we gathered for some shots. Here are some of my favorites.

My parents had another child added to the family this year-Marc!

Brady bunch?
The siblings

The Unplanned Career

I've casually mentioned my frustration with my current job throughout this blog. A few months ago, I picked up this book by my favorite publisher , Chronicle Books. I started reading it without any expectation of finding solutions to my current career woes and concerns. I recently finished reading and working through it. Though I may not have a concrete plan of how I should go about seeking my next career, (whatever that may be) I've gained enough hope and inspiration from this book to keep learning about myself and trying new things.

It is so common in today's society to identify people by what they do for a living rather than who they are as a person. There are many people out there who are known simply for their significant accomplishments in their respective careers. These people are so stuck to their titles that it becomes who they are. I've even heard that some people tend to 'lose themselves' in their careers. Good for them. However, I still wish that society wouldn't undervalue character traits so much like they do now. Just because I'm not a lawyer or a doctor does not mean that I'm not a good person. What about my punctuality? My willingness to take initiative? My care and a concern for others? Apparently such things don't seem to weigh as much as saving a company from the depths of bankruptcy or generating a few million dollars in sales.

While I'm definitely an ambitious and driven person, I don't view myself as a 'career woman.' I don't want to be identified by what I do for a living. At the same time, I am attached to what I've accomplished so far and would hate to give up what I have already worked so hard for. It's a constant battle of self vs. self. You may wonder how that's even possible or perhaps you know exactly what I'm speaking of. In either case, we all have to make decisions and choices in our lives. More often than not, we struggle over them. If we didn't, making choices wouldn't be such a big deal, right? I'm all about learning from experiences and taking opportunities. If we bypassed every opportunity presented to us, how would we know what it's like to experience something new? We may not always be pleased with the outcome but at least we could say we tried, right?

Growing up in a community surrounded by medical professionals, I couldn't help but push myself down that career path only to find out that it wasn't for me. I still remember my high-school graduation party when I told guests I would be majoring in nursing. It was a safe answer. In fact, it was the only word that every SDA Filipino adult would want to hear. Well, besides 'doctor,' of course. I ended up changing my major two quarters into my college career. I couldn't handle the sciences. Four years of college and a master's degree later, I am still learning about myself and finding out that degrees earned may not necessarily lead to the 'ultimate career experience' that most talk so fondly about. Or it could be that I'm just not into careers.

I was given the false impression that once you're out of school, you will work and make money. With that money, you will buy everything you want and need and you will be happy. FALSE. Not everything will be handed to you in a silver platter. There will always be unknowns and you will have to keep putting yourself out there. It's because of the fear of the so-called 'unknown' that I found myself hiding in the caves of academia, trying hard to savor every moment of the 'safe world.' Writing numerous papers, working out statistics problems and taking exams isn't exactly the fairy-tale description of a 'safe world' or is it? To me, it was better than scrounging around my bank account to pay bills and sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day. Putting yourself out there is more difficult than it sounds but I'm warming up to the fact that it could lead to great things. I'm living and growing from my experiences day by day.

I yearn for the feeling of fulfillment more than a hefty paycheck. I want to be one of those people who love their jobs. Who knows, maybe I won't get that far but maybe I will find something (an activity or a hobby or anything) that will fill the void of the 'successful career.' In that case, maybe I will be able to look at whatever job I have at the moment as 'just a job' and be able to function normally during the hours of 8-5. Now if only there weren't things called bills, this road wouldn't be so difficult to travel on. Careers don't have to define who we are. Stay true to yourself because no matter what others may say, it's your character that defines who you really are and that in itself will take you far.

Eating my heart out

The holidays have definitely messed with my diet and exercise schedule but that's ok. In the last two weeks, I've been busy catching up with friends. I've come this far to learn that it is best to socialize around food. I'm not quite sure why but it just makes everything merry and relaxed.

This has been my first "Christmas break" since high-school and I loved every minute of it. During college, I spent my holidays working to pay for the following quarter's huge textbook bill. I will definitely miss vacation and I'm so glad that I was able to reunite with friends and have time to relax.

Last night, Marc and I went out to enjoy a quiet evening together. We wound up at Eat Chow in Costa Mesa. I have been wanting to go here ever since Savvy Mode mentioned it in one of her blog posts. She was right, the food was flavored just right. The portions were very generous and I have to say that I think I've found another favorite here in Orange County. Honestly, I don't have too many favorites around here. The little joint is located on Newport Blvd. and is adjoined by The Closet. In fact, the owners seem to have schemed it will as they make you wait for a table by escorting you to a seating area in The Closet . Of course, as you sit there, you'll be enticed to shop. Tricky, tricky!

Parmesan-truffle pomme frites. I'm definitely ordering these again. What is it about truffle oil that makes everything taste fantastic?

Warm goat cheese salad with arugula and red wine gastrique. I almost coaxed the waiter into getting me the recipe for the amazing dressing. Maybe next time.

The Ahi burger was quite a delight! I loved the flavor of the toasted brioche and the fish was done just right. The salad had a cilantro-buttermilk dressing which was delicious! I'm a salad-dressing freak, can't you tell?

Back to the grind tomorrow but I'm hoping and praying that this won't last much longer. Changes in 2010 must happen! : )

Another beginning

I hope you all had an enjoyable New Year's Eve. I can't believe it is already 2010. As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun! My NYE was pretty low-key. It's always a toss-up as to what I end up doing for NYE. Some years are spent with friends, some with family and I'll admit that I've slept through a few in the past. This year, my family hosted a little NYE party with hors d'oeuvres, games and the infamous staple of every Filipino party-the Magic Mic. It was an evening full of good laughs and great company. Surprisingly, even with just a few hors d'oeuvres, there was still food coma afterwards.

I miss living at home. All the open space makes it the perfect place for a party. I really miss having my friends over for some good food and fun. Maybe 2010 will bring us to a bigger place or at least one spacious enough for throwing some parties. One can only hope, right?

Unsalted pretzels & roasted garlic dip.

My cousin Geo and my brother Chad dueling on the Magic Mic. They were pretty intense.

My sweet niece, Sophie.

Apples to start the new year. "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away."

Mom's table setting. I didn't get a picture of the whole thing.

Everyone scrambling during a game of "human bingo."

My mom (aka: party queen). She was showing me her green braces.

Yesterday, I finally got the long locks chopped so I can start the new year with a lighter head. Haha!

May 2010 bring you happiness and good fortune and plenty more blog entries!

-Alli