What's in a name? Italians!

I'm sitting here in the sala chatting with my lola while on a quick break from studying for finals. She just told me how I got my name, Beatrice, and she has inspired me to finally read the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

Being an English teacher, she loves reading classic literature and has always taught the Divine Comedy to her students. She told me that her favorite character was Beatrice, who in Paradiso (the last book) guides Dante from hell towards heaven. My lola promised herself that she will name her first grand daughter after this character. 

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Beatrice Portinari was from Florence, Italy and served as Dante's inspiration after years of unrequited love starting from when he met her as children. Tragically, she died at 24 and inspired Mr. Alighieri to write Vita Nuova (must also read this) and use her as the muse for his greatest work, Divine Comedy.

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Since I have never read the book despite it gathering dust here at home, I found a nicely written account of how exactly my namesake played her part:

"In The Divine Comedy it is Beatrice who, out of love for the poet, initiates Dante's journey because she believes that he has strayed from a righteous path and she thinks that this divine journey will save him from himself.  Thus, she leaves her seat in Heaven to descend to Hell where she asks Virgil to serve as Dante's guide.  Beatrice meets Dante in Earthly Paradise (Purgatorio) and acts as his guide through Heaven.  On many occasions during his travels through Hell and Purgatory, Dante believes that he can go no further but the promise of meeting Beatrice motivates him to continue.  Beatrice amply rewards Dante for his travails when she leads him into Heaven and grows in radiance and beauty as they ascend toward God."

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Ah, Italians and romance. And I thought I will never find anything more romantic (or crazy) than Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. My lola never fails to amaze me. 

Zou bisou bisouuuuu

I'm not even going to pretend that I religiously watch Mad Men. I gave up after a couple of episodes into season one because it bored the crap out of me. However, I am not one to pass up an opportunity to sing in French and make a fool of myself. I can totally picture myself doing this number after a couple of margaritas.

Whoever you are, Megan Draper, you are now officially my latest peg in life! I gotta hand it to someone who has the gall to sing a silly song that says nothing but "oh, kiss kiss".

Yes, until Game of Thrones returns and I'm back to braiding my hair and pretending to ride horses like a Khaleesi.

Sisterly love

I have been and will always be a proud stage ate to my one and only sister. I love to ambush her with make-up, force her to wear clothes I like, and generally make sawsaw in all her major decisions in life. Even though we fight and argue all the time, there's no denying how much we (cringe) love each other. Growing up with just the two of us and our mom, well not to mention our whole extended family, our closeness is not what you would call traditional but we have learned to bond in sarcasm and rivalry.

So, the proudest moment of my life (except maybe when I have my own kids WHO SHOULD ALSO BE SMART) came when I saw her marching down the stage towards our mom for her magna cum laude medal. She just recently graduated from Ateneo and when she informed us that she'll be graduating with honors, I had to restrain myself from Photoshopping a huge-ass tarpaulin to display everywhere.

The part I liked most about the graduation was when the President asked all the parents to stand for a much-deserved round of applause. I cannot imagine how my mom was able to raise us so well, tantrums, spoiled brat moments, and demands included.

My ferosh lola and cousin were also there to share the moment with us. Ah, family.

Cheers to you, dearest sister! (And see how I still managed to show my pagiging Lasallista for a healthy dose of sibling rivalry)

More on the Walled City

I just love the old-fashioned signs peppering the buildings of Intramuros and how the establishments have preserved the Spanish-era vibe of the place. Everywhere you go, you can see colorful signs and elegant structures but to my dismay I didn't get to see a guardia civil manning the arches of the walled city.

I have been inside Barabara's before when my mom and I were scouting a place for my graduation dinner. We were torn between here and Ilustrado. I've been meaning to eat here sometime and try their lunch buffet. I can barely remember my first and only Barbara's experience at the Orchidarium branch when I was a kid. 

And yes, I've already forgotten what Fort Santiago looks like inside. We didn't have the time to explore the compound and see Jose Rizal's cell but maybe we can drop by again to properly appreciate the place.

This grand, majestic building right outside Fort Santiago was a nice surprise. It reminds me of photos I have seen of Paris and Rome. There's something breathtaking about the courtyard and the warm colors.

We also had a blast looking at the horses outside Fort Santiago. Jake was too scared to take a picture of one up close :-)

And no trip to Manila is complete without visiting Rizal Park! This was my first time to set foot there despite passing by the place everyday on my way to school and work. No, I wasn't even embarrassed to have my picture taken while squealing like a kid--there's no better way to have the authentic turista experience.

Famous old churches of Intramuros

My little cousin who lives in California just sent me a life-sized paper doll version of herself as part of a project to have your "flattened" self go on an adventure in a different place. Since Jake and I have never explored downtown Manila, we decided to head to Luneta Park and Intramuros on a whim with our little paper girl. I never really appreciated the old elegance of the place. After a quick visit, I can't wait to properly explore these places!

Here we are at Manila Cathedral. I am awed by the gothic beauty of this church. Funny how I never notice it every time we pass by Intramuros.

It's difficult not to stop by every corner and take pictures of the architecture and beauty of Old Manila while walking around Intramuros. I remember when I was little, we went on a museum tour in one of the houses here where they preserved the furniture and interior from the Spanish era. I must check it out again.

We braved the crazy traffic jam caused by the overlapping weddings at nearby San Agustin church. Yes, we would do anything to get that perfect shot.

Outside San Agustin's side door--see the detailed carvings?

San Agustin church kind of reminds me of Malabon's San Bartolome church which is around Jose Rizal's age. That is, until our crazy parish priest who's a frustrated engineer decided to "restore" it and proceeded to ruin the century-old church. San Agustin is very well-preserved and has earned its fame. This place is so popular for weddings that we were able to witness how quickly they were able to shift from one wedding to another--the place was booked!

Here's KC with the UNESCO World Heritage Site marker! Can't believe this church was built in 1607.

The oldest stone church in the Philippines! Ah, history.

wearing Forever 21 top, American Eagle denim shorts, Kickers shoes, Rayban wayfarers

I don't think they would have let me in, though. Old churches and their strict dress codes. Meh.

Oh, and we also spied a Padre Damaso-ish friar walking in the church's courtyard. I was laughing just looking at Jake and his dagger look.

My little ball of sunshine

Hugging a very tired Chucky boy after a sprint around the park and a narrow escape from a bunch of screaming kids.

Lusting over Mango's SS12 collection

I really do wish stores would hand out their lookbooks as soon as you step inside the shop. If Mango had handed me their SS12 lookbook while I was there with my mom last week, I would have bought those plain shirts and sweaters. On the rack, they looked uninteresting; but once you see the styled versions, you'd be banging your head on the wall wondering why you didn't buy some while your mom was feeling generous.

Can't wait to go on a shopping date with her again. I'm prepared this time around.

The boy's pre-birthday lunch at Mad Mark's

For the boy's pre-birthday lunch treat, we hit up Mad Mark's for the second time to satisfy our monster sandwich cravings. 

True story. I also heard (while eavesdropping on the waitress' conversation with an inquiring customer) that management is planning to open a second store either at Fort or Katipunan. I am thrilled! I hope they open somewhere along Serendra because it's finally time this place gets the mainstream recognition it deserves. 

Guess who? :-) So happy I didn't get him kicks for this year's birthday gift.

We opted not to get the THE Man Sandwich this time so we can try other options. I had the Mariner Sandwich while Jake ordered the Lumberjack. Mine was a perfectly fried fish fillet oozing with the house Mariner sauce. It was filling but nothing crazy like the Man Sandwich. 

Jake's Lumberjack was the tamer brother of the Man Sandwich. It's basically the same Angus beef and mushroom au jaus with mozzarella but minus the grilled chicken and huge size. But even at a smaller version, both sandwiches are enough to keep your tummy happy until merienda time. We also ordered a side of fries and zinger wings to make it all perfect. Nom!

But enough of the sandwiches, I came here for the ice cream! On a sad note, I've been looking forward to try the Javan Hot Chocolate only to have my hopes crushed yet again. The damn tub sold out just before we arrived. Boo. 

The birthday boy didn't get to order his half-baked Madagascar cookie dough ice cream so he settled for the Madagascar Crumble--vanilla bean ice cream topped with Oreos and chocolate chips. It was yummy!

I ordered two flavors for only Php 96. I didn't expect it to be THAT huge. I barely managed to finish my Cavendish Chip and Madagascar Vanilla Chip scoops. It tasted like bananas mixed with vanilla cookie dough ice cream. Jake didn't like it 'cause he hates banana-flavored ice cream. I loved it. Or maybe it's because I am a dessert monster.

Cheers to the birthday boy! Can't wait to blog about our night with the boys at Reserve and Draft with his family! :-)

Please don't fire Bear Grylls

I just saw on the online grapevine that Discovery fired Bear Grylls due to a contractual dispute. I can't even begin to explain how much I love watching Man VS Wild and Worst Case Scenarios. Being the paranoid that I am, I always get a kick out of watching Bear demonstrate how to swim against the current to get to the shore of a raging river or how to properly brace yourself in a free-falling elevator impact. The guy's a genius, although a bit crazy.

He will be missed. Now, where am I supposed to get my survival skills? 

Photo from TV guide

Maginhawa Strip Series: Gayuma ni Maria

I think it's finally time I write about Gayuma ni Maria. After one too many visits, I have finally come to accept the fact that I love going here for desserts and to get a kick out of their naughty toys display. 

I first saw Gayuma way back when we would pass by their second restaurant along Gilmore. (The first one at Katipunan's already closed). When the Gilmore branch operations came to a halt, I was thrilled to hear they re-opened along Maginhawa so I can finally try it. It's actually right along V. Luna and quite a bit far from the Maginhawa strip with all the restaurants. Jake and I go here for the cakes, they make the yummiest chocolate concoctions at affordable prices.

Our favorites are the Broken Promises--a chocolate crinkle cake, and Beats Sex Any Day--a rich chocolate cake topped with butterscotch, cream, and even more chocolate. At around Php 70 each, these huge slices are definitely worth the trip.

I first went there with the girls to try the main dishes. I have to hand it to the owners, they have the kinkiest and most creative food names on the menu. You can order dishes named My Major Major Love Affair, Once You Go Black You Never Go Back, Fishy Poque-Poque, No Boyfriend Since Birth, Afternoon Delight, and many more funny names. 

I ordered the Lumpiang Barako, chili cheese pepper logs that were perfectly cooked with oozing cheese and spicy goodness. I have always been a fan of chili cheese sticks ever since I tried them at Chicken Charlie.

Since my friends and I went there on a Wednesday, I ordered the 69-ers secret menu. Every Wednesday, the chef prepares a surprise dish that you can order for only Php 69. Just tell the waiter: "I want a 69 please!" That night's secret dish was a coconut seafood noodle dish with puso ng saging. 

To be honest, I'm not that fond of their main courses maybe because I feel the dishes are too oily and nakaka-umay. My mom and sister also share the same sentiment. However, the boyfriend and I love going here for the cakes. They have different offerings depending on what they baked for the day or if they're trying out new creations. My personal favorites:

Beats Sex Any Day. A chocolate cake concoction topped with butterscotch and whipped cream while swimming in fudge.

I forgot what this is called but it was yummy. A chocolate mousse best served chilled.

Jake also loves the Pa-cute mango cheesecake which we were able to try on the first time they offered it on the menu. I don't have a close up photo of Broken Promises, their original chocolate crinkle cake topped with fudge. It was the yummiest crinkle I've had in a long time. I'm also crazy over their I Love My Banana cream pie which is practically a yummy mush of bananas, chocolate cake, and chocolate sauce.

My mom is also gaga over the Twisted Pavlova--a soft meringue loaded with fruits. I'm not a fan of meringue and prefer their chocolatey goodness creations. Also, the place is worth a visit for the naughty nook and other weird and kinky stuff on display:

Perfect for bachelor parties and bridal showers! Can't wait to dine here again and get my chocolate fix!