Best gig photos ever by Hannah Panda

Steve Aoki gigs are one of the few things that are oddly…life affirming. Forget that I had work at 6am the next day, and that this weirdo started playing at 1am. Forget that my bladder was practically bursting after half an hour of waiting for him to come out. Forget that I had to go home after only an hour of the show (and missed Pursuit of Happiness, FML). Forget that I only knew half the songs he played, and felt positively old when some kids knew the newer mixes he spun. When Steve Aoki started playing his entrance spiel mix thingy all prior and future shittiness had been justified. Everything was just awesome. I remember riding the cab back home and feeling very sated. That’s how every party should feel like.

Big, fat, pig out food. Nothing says #baboymode like thick-cut fries, fat onion rings, and burgers with everything on them. A few weeks ago Hannah and I attended the media launch of what I now think is my most fave burger joint in the whole of Manila, BRGR: The Burger Project along Taft. I’m a DIY kinda girl, so DIY food was right up my alley. I was totally in my burger-making element. My creation had mushrooms, gruyere, pepperoni, bacon, egg, an Angus beef pattie, and garlic sauce on an oatmeal bun. It was heaven; on a bun.

A perfect day for me would involve being able to wear cozy sweaters like this. I’m a sweater weather die-hard. I’m also such a slob that my most preferred article of clothing would be a huge slouchy sweater that can engulf my tiny frame. We don’t have enough cold days here in the Phils. My over-worn sweater is from Forever 21, my over-worn shorts are my mother’s.

It’s official: I’m burning myself out. I’m stretching myself too thin. In my desire to do everything all at once I’ve lost myself in the process. I’m tired and stressed and terrified. I miss feeling happy. I start the day eager for it to end, and when it ends I fear its inevitable forthcoming; this is how my life usually goes nowadays. I miss waking up in the morning and enjoying the view, without a trace of anxiety. I miss weekends. I miss having enough time to do things I love. I miss doing things I love. I believe it is important to choose the sacrifices you make in life. I like to think this sacrifice I’m making will be worth it.

Last week I enjoyed a box of these gorgeous eclairs from Gourmandise Patisserie at Serendra. Eclairs are like, on the forefront of  dessert trends. This dainty little French pastry shop will inspire a slew of copycats, I’m pretty sure of it. Decided to feature it because my Instagram feed has been flooded with pictures of these little critters for weeks now. I was a curious little kitten. When in Manila feature here.

“It seems to me if I would want to access the special, mysterious, mystical, powerful and most important, I simply need to live my life more fully.”

Why do I like going to yoga classes so much? Every time I contort my body in the oddest positions I start to ask myself what the hell I am doing there, on the mat, in an impossibly humid room, bathing in my sweat, aching all over my body, with my elbows shaking relentlessly, trying to hold a pose. Yet after an hour and a half of bending my body into delirium, I walk home with so much clarity, and a firm resolve to go again the following day.

I like that moment of calm after a very strenuous practice, when we lie slack on our mats, relishing the remains of an active rush. I like how I feel charges of energy pulsating through every nerve as I lie back, how I manage to feel so alive and aware despite being so still.

Early morning yoga like a baw$$

It’s been roughly a week since my first class. I’m still as flexible as a rock, but I’m okay with that. For starters, yoga has taught me to be less hard on myself, to acknowledge my limits and to  understand that there’s much room and time for improvement. When I can’t hold a pose any longer, or when it gets too painful, I pause and give in to my body. When the time comes, it’ll be ready.

Yoga might be the most overrated form of exercise. You sit in the room and just feel the strong pretense hanging in the air, emanating from equally pretentious people, but you have to remind yourself that you are there for no one else but you; for you and your benefit. When I think of it this way I find each class to be very rewarding.

Feeling zen already

I go to Bliss Yoga Manila. Like them on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bliss-Yoga-Manila

I love wearing clothes that aren’t mine. Borrowed (stolen) clothes just feel more comfy, like second skin almost. I guess that explains why I thrift so much, I find worn out clothes so cozy. I’m wearing my boyfriend’s shirt and my indispensible thrifted blazer that goes with everything, random brand cutoffs and my trusty leather belt. I think I need more leather belts. I’m also starting to reconsider my aversion towards accessories; maybe a skinny bracelet or two won’t be so bad. After all, personal style is all about reinvention.

photos from The Party Bus Manila and Kristel Lim

Had an amazingly cray night rollin around the city on the Party Bus last weekend. We stopped by four awesome clubs and had bottles of booze and had a shit ton of shots on and off the bus. Add to that a photographer and videographer to document the entire process of your getting fucked up, and you got yourself a pimpin’ night which is the epitome of boss status, in my book at least. I might look like a brooding old soul who reads books and talks about the profoundness of life, but I’ll always be a 17 year-old party girl. There’s a wild teenager in everyone.

I feel really bad to have neglected this precious online nook of mine for a while now, my laptop died on me and I only got to have it fixed recently. Apart from that I’ve been so busy actually living life instead of blogging about it. But I’m not complaining, I love being busy anyway.

So here’s a much-needed update on my life, because I like talking about myself

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This is what I wore to a Thursday breakfast date with my friends. I’m starting to really appreciate the functionality of a good leather belt. It’s one of those little things that always make a difference. As always, I’ve tried to make my outfit as ironically ordinary and creative at the same time. Dressing up is such a methodical process.

We had unlimited breakfast at C2 Classic Cuisine, Greenhills. It was pretty hardcore as far as unlimited food goes. There was much to be said.

Then we had these gloriously good cakes after, my favorite part of the meal. I can have the cheesecake out back with the obscure name every day for the next ten years, it was just that good.

And this is Jas and Marese under a cloud of Aztec-print bags. Girls just love that thing, what the hell…

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Being an adult is tough, especially when you have nonexistent cooking skillz! I don’t know how my college friends survived for four years living on take-out in their kitchenless dorms, I don’t even know how I would’ve survived if I lived on my own, I would’ve probably been a Supersize kid T_T. I’m just extremely grateful to still have enjoyed my dad’s cooking during those years. There’s just nothing like a savory home-cooked Pinoy classic! Nothing beats a healthy and delicious ulam like Afritada, Bicol Express and Chicken Pastel, with stacks on stacks of rice, yes? The only problem is, cooking such delicious meals can be extremely time consuming. Good thing Maggi has come up with the perfect solution for us to enjoy awesome ulam in a snap!

*photo from Maggi Philippines*

Ta-daah! Say hello to your newest cooking buddy, Maggi Magic Meals! These packets really are magical, no joke! They take precious time off your cooking, and let you get to the best bit of eating right away.

Maggi Magic Meals are so simple to use. Each pack has a Maggi Magic Recipe Mix and a Maggi Magic Cooking Bag, and each pack has a set of easy-to-follow instructions.

First you gotta get all your ingredients ready (of course lol) then carefully place them in the Maggi Magic Cooking Bag. You then add the Maggi Magic Recipe Mix into the bag along with 1/4 cup of water. Then tie a tight knot on the Maggi Magic cooking bag to seal it and massage the ingredients together, making sure that all contents are well-mixed. After that you place it on top of your bigas in a rice cooker and let it cook for 45 minutes. Yes, you read that right, no need to slave over a stove for this! Your Maggi Magic Meals are to be cooked with rice at the same time, so simple!

*photos from Maggi Philippines*

I love that you get to cook your Maggi Magic Meals with fresh ingredients, none of that processed, frozen, and microwaved stuff you get from convenience stores. That way, you get the goodness of real food, only faster! Highly recommended for people who live in dorms whose only kitchen appliance is a rice cooker (lololol) and people who have the cooking skills of a rock (myself), can’t wait to let my dorm-living friends try this out! Shall make an experiment about it.

Wanna know more? Like Maggi Philippines on Facebook! More interesting tips and how-to videos there fosho: http://www.facebook.com/maggi.ph

The only things I can be absolutely certain of are what I like and don’t like. They’re the only truths I know.

I’ve had this skirt since I was 13. It’s been hiding at the back of my closet for years now, waiting for the time I’d feel like wearing it again (cause I know it’ll come.) I felt today was the perfect day to take it back out. I like breathing new life into the most outdated and unexpected of things. It’s like being reunited with an old friend; it’s a sweet familiarity with an engaging sense of novelty at the same time.

I believe we ordered too much -_-

Here are some gloriously photogenic food from my latest When in Manila feature, and I’m proud to say that I took these photos myself! The rumors are true, Village Tavern has some absolutely mind-blowing good food. Their famous cowboy burger is just as good fresh or a day old and microwaved, that good yes. Here’s my feature, with a more detailed review of everything we ate: http://www.wheninmanila.com/village-tavern-takes-half-the-price-off-their-best-selling-dishes-and-drinks/

And here’s Village Tavern’s special promo for the month of September! Half the price off their best-selling drinks!

I can’t wait to work long hours and start losing weight. I can’t wait to act on instinct, to function so smoothly and strategically, synchronized like clockwork. I look at my companions and wonder if I could be just as good as them, with their vigilance and skill. I know I can’t skip this crucial phase of assimilation and adjustment, but I’m just so eager to get past this awkwardness and plunge into it right away. As usual, I want to rush everything. When will I understand that there’s no need to hurry.