The Robert’s Inn & Suites is the place we stayed in when the hubby and I went for our short getaway to Tagaytay last December. Robert’s Inn boasts of traditional British and Filipino hospitality and they are true to their claim. The hubby loved it most because he was able to watch his favorite football games live.
Robert’s Inn Bed and Breakfast was not our first choice. We went from one bed and breakfast place to another and one of the hubby’s priority is a wifi zone area, which Robert’s Inn has. They have accommodating and courteous staff. Although we had to switch from Tulip cottage to The Magnolia Room (because the Tulip cottage’s cable was busted), we had a good deal with P995/night (approx. $22).
Our family sure loved our time in Tagaytay. We hope to go back to Robert’s Inn Bed and Breakfast and maybe have our Suburban extended stay hotel there on our next Tagaytay getaway.
The country’s leading Japanese fastfood chain, Tokyo Tokyo, celebrates its 24th year by relaunching its bigger and crunchier Watta Tempura. Delight your taste buds from their current selection of Watta Tempura: MIXED SEAFOOD TEMPURA, PRAWN VEGGIE TEMPURA, ALL PRAWN TEMPURA, and TOKYO BENTO PRAWN and VEGGIE TEMPURA.
I’m sure by now you have seen Tokyo Tokyo Watta Tempura fun and catchy television commercials. This Watta Tempura craze will give you every reason to enjoy your prawns, black tiger ones no less, at no extra cost. No more having to settle for unsatisfying undersized meals. Check out www.tokyotokyo.com and go visit Tokyo Tokyo and have a taste of the Watta Tempura goodness at a branch nearest you.
The first time I watched Mr. Holland’s Opus was during my Guidance Counseling class in my Continuing Professional Education course in 2007, under Dr. Pasco. I have posted my paper on the movie in my main blog, Marriage and Beyond.
Mr. Holland’s Opus is a mighty movie. Allow me to start with that. You really do not get to encounter very good movies nowadays. Glen Holland is a musician and composer. He turned to teaching, thinking that he will be able to afford more time to work on his musical “opus”.
One of the most symbolic things that this movie has presented is when the retiring principal handed over Mr. Holland a compass. She was won over by this passionate teacher, who she once criticized for his non-traditional way of teaching. Mr. Holland treasured the compass for 30 long years and held on to it. Educators are set to be moral guides to their students. More than just imparting knowledge, it is the impact that we make to our students that will change their lives that will really matter.
It does not take a professional teacher to appreciate this movie. I first watched Mr. Holland’s before I even got my license to teach and it sure served as an inspiration to me to be a non-mediocre teacher in the future. He was no doubt a very passionate teacher and excelled in being one. But the casualty of his dedication was his family. He held himself far too long in denial about his son being deaf/mute. His circumstance was an oxymoron, to say the least – a highly acclaimed educator who cannot teach his very own son.
It was when his son has grown up that he realized his shortcomings and came to terms with his son’s disability. Chose to learn the language of signing and finally reached out to his son. There were a few more conflicts in the movie that presented Mr. Holland’s vulnerability and how he chose to rise in every circumstance.
The story makes us go deep into our inner selves and encourages us to be of a good impact to those under our influence. One does not really have to be a teacher to influence others. Instead of getting busy on aluminum fence installation to make sure the line is drawn, why not choose to be a compass. The impact you make on those you influence goes way longer than you ever will. Towards the climax of the film, Mr. Holland would see for himself that all the while, he was really working on his life’s ultimate composition/opus – the generation of students whose lives he has changed.
As implied in one of John Maxwell’s books, Becoming a Person of Influence (How to Positively Impact the Lives of Others), your vocation is immaterial. You can be successful at home, at work and in very other area of life by how you impact the lives of those who you influence. Two thumbs up to Mr. Holland’s Opus!
If you are into crafts, then one of the things that you have to try out is making rubber stamps. It is really simple and easy. You can try using nylon stamps instead of the usual traditional ones, if you would like to make things easier. Make sure you purchase this certain type that is for that purpose. It will be the image of your stamp. There are chemicals you could use and tutorials are available online.
Stamping is also one craft that I hope to learn in the future. I probably have tried a handful and it is just so nice to be able to create such pretty subjects from scratch.
Halo-halo Heaven is a good alternative food place, located across Xavierville Subdivision, Quezon City. At first I got confused with two names for one place. Check out the signs:
Chocolicious Alternative Café Halo-halo Heaven
The very first time we tried eating at Halo-halo Heaven was on February of this year. We were really not expecting anything spectacular, for we only went to that place for one food stop – Ababu Persian Cuisine. Ababu is a store away from Halo-halo Heaven. After having indulged in our favorite Persian place, we saw this brand new Halo-halo joint for the first time and decided to try it out.
Our group of seven was craving for Razon’s Halo-halo, but we thought we could try this alternative, while we were there. The server who was waiting on us guaranteed that their Halo-halo is better than that of Razon’s. I actually had to raise a brow to that. But then again, I was open to welcome this prospective competition to my favorite Halo-halo.
You won’t miss the humor that they integrated with their menus. Like their selection of pasta dishes: eTUNApo ang spaghetti (tuna flakes, bell peppers, herbs in tomato sauce), Anak ng Tinapasta! (fried tinapa flakes in chunky tomato sauce) and Ang Gara Carbonara! (bacon bits in creamy white sauce) . All pasta dishes are priced below a hundred.
Going back to this Halo-halo wonder, we really have to give it to them that their halo-halo is superior to your regular fastfood place (yes, Chowking’s) or even the one that are easily available around the corner. And given that my benchmark for a good Halo-Halo is Razon’s, allow me to compare one from the other. Halo-Halo Heaven’s halo-halo is a couple of pesos cheaper than Razon’s. Shaved ice just like that of Razon’s. Aside from Razon’s regular, saba, macapuno and leche flan, Halo-halo Heaven threw in a couple more treats, a chunk of yummy Purple Yam on top by no less than The Good Shepherd’s. And this entertaining phrase from their tarpaulin should really say it all, “…at may surprise pa sa ilalim.” Really innovative and fun, if you ask me. Because you know what, the moment I got to that surprise, I did not regret trying out Halo-halo Heaven’s sweet treat.
Is it good for a home to have pets when there are kids around? This is something a couple has to agree on, especially if they both lean to different biases. As true as children can actually learn responsibility when given pets, it should also go without saying that if you are to keep a pet around the house, each pet should be properly vaccinated.
Keeping a dog in the house can actually be extra hassle, but if pet owners/ parents do not mind the bother, aside from having to buy dog supplies on a regular basis, periodic immunizations and grooming, parents should also make sure that your kid is not left alone with a dog. A child can have unpredictable behavior and the same with dogs. It is definitely a no-no to have dogs and cats with an infant.
Children and dogs can become best of friends through time. It is just important to follow simple precautions and guidelines to avoid accidents and danger.
What can be more delightful than Bizu’s Summer Sorbets and Yoga Cake to cool down the summer heat! This is what we were served with and a handful of other treats during the Bloggers Merienda 2 that was held in Bizu Patisserie and Café in Greenhills.
Bizu’s Summer Sorbets and Yoga Cake are probably two of the most innovative summer treats I have ever tried. The serving of Summer Sorbets consists of: Apple and Mint, Raspberry and Merlot, Passion Fruit and Mango, Lemon and Ginger and Lychee and Vanilla. The set is sold for P285. The sweet kicks you get from the fascinating play of each flavor in every concoction would just have you ask for more. My favorite from the Summer Sorbets collection is the Lychee and Vanilla. I would have delightfully finished a mugful without complaining, if I had the chance.
The passion fruits comes into serious sweet play in Bizu’s most recent masterpiece – The Yoga Cake. As a lover of yogurt, it is not difficult to fall in love with this treat. The complementing tastes of yogurt and custard, topped with passion fruits and the biscuits that hold the cake create a perfect blend for that ultimate summer indulgence. The Yoga Cake comes in three sizes: Personal – P165, Midi – P625 and Grande – P1,255. Make sure to spot and get a taste of the season’s finest: Bizu’s Summer Sorbets and Yoga Cake.
Alabang Towncenter
G/L Corte Delas Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City
Tel. No.: 809-BIZU • 772-1917 • 772-1918
Greenbelt 2
G/L Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. Nos.: 757-BIZU • 757-4749
Glorietta 4
3/L Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. Nos.: 757-2086
Greenhills
The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center
Tel. No.: 724-2498 • 726-2496
I love reading and I love books. It is a blessing that an uncle from the states gifted us with a library of books that overflow our four huge book shelves. Although it takes a lot of space in our tiny house, this is still a treasure for us to have. We use them a lot in our ministry.
Although we already have a considerable library in our home, I still cannot stop myself from visiting bookstores. I have this particular leaning and it is towards second hand book stores. In fact, this is where I found one of my favorite books, James Dobson’s, The Strong-Willed Child. Shopping books from second hand stores certainly takes the guilt away from being a contributor to lesser trees on the forests. Plus, there were even times that I get promotional water bottles and pens with my loot.
From that shift to brand new book to second hand ones, I am slowly evolving to a lover of e-books. No more pages to turn and no more having to carry that current book in your bag, every time.
Arny-Dading’s Peachy Peachy is the best of its kind. It will only take a single bite to get hooked. A package of 20 pieces is sold for P100 (approx $2.17). By far we have only tasted the one generously topped with cheese. There is also a variety of grated coconut.
“Kakanin” is what Arny-Dadings’s Peachy Peachy is classified as- a classic Filipino snack. One of those that are usually called native rice cakes. These yummies are made of grated cassava. It has always been called pichi-pichi, but for some reason, Arny-Dading got away with calling it peachy-peachy instead.
Some glutinous cakes would only be good if they come straight off the pugon or a regular oven, but this kind is as good and as soft even straight from the fridge. This succulent, slide down your mouth sweet nuggets of Arny-Dading’s Peachy Peachy will prove to satisfy you through and through, are for sale at the following branches:
MASINAG BRANCH
Corner Maries Village 2
Marcos Highway, Antipolo City
996.8764 C.RAYMUNDO BRANCH
3444 C. Raymundo Avenue
Pasig Blvd. Extension, Pasig City
583.9232
VALLE VERDE – E.RODRIGUEZ JR. BRANCH
U6 Cathay Builders Bldg.
E.Rodriguez, Jr. corner J.Caparas Street
Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City
T: 996.9944 / 482.1503
After having tasted various types of Halo-Halo, it is not difficult to conclude that the Razon’s Halo-Halo is probably one of the best, if not the best of its kind. For the benefit of those who do not know what Halo-Halo is, here’s a definition from Wikipedia:
Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halo, “mix”) is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl.
There is no specific recipe for this dessert, and a wide variety of ingredients are used. The order in which the ingredients are added varies widely. Primary ingredients generally include boiled red mung beans(monggo), kidney beans, garbanzos, sugar palm fruit (kaong), coconut sport (macapuno), and plantains caramelized in sugar. Other components may include jackfruit (langka), star apple, tapioca or sago, nata de coco, purple yam (ube) or sweet potato (kamote), sweetened corn kernels or pounded crushed young rice (pinipig), leche flan or custard, ice cream and gelatin. Other fruits, such as papayas, avocados, kiwifruit, bananas or cherries, may also be added. Some preparations also include ice cream on top of the halo-halo.
Generally, condensed milk or evaporated milk is used instead of fresh milk, due to the tropical climate of the Philippines.
The seemingly complicated definition what Halo-Halo is, it can be said that technically, Razon’s Halo-Halo is not really Halo-Halo. All you see from their glass of dessert are shredded macapuno (from buco fruit), saba banana, topped with a couple of slices of leche flan. All that really made it Halo-Halo is that it is buried in crushed ice. No ice cream on top, very plain really. But don’t let the simplicity of the package fool you into thinking that it tastes as plain.
one satisfied bunch
What made their Halo-Halo special is their finely crushed ice. The rich flavor of every single ingredient, albeit just a couple of fruits, with just the right amount of condensed milk make a very refreshingly sweet dessert. I recently just found a single prospective competitor to this delectable dessert, located along Xavierville Avenue in Quezon City. Something that deserves a new post altogether. But by far, Razon’s has my loyalty. Razon’s Halo-Halo is sold for P73 a pop.(approx.$1.59)
If you are into crafts, then one of the things that you have to try out is making 
