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September 17, 2015

Magalawa Island Experience (Armada Resort)

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Magalawa Island is one of the barangays of Palauig, a province of Zambales. It is one of the youngest tourist destinations of Zambales to add to the growing list including Potipot, Anawangin, Capones, Camara, Silanguin, etc.
Look at this map. See the red circle? That’s Magalawa Island.

You will only have two accommodation options when you get to the island – Armada Resort and Ruiz Resort. Since this trip was supposed to be my Aunt with her team but unfortunately the resort called a day before that if the rain will not stop, they should cancel the trip because it is dangerous to sail on boat, something like that. So a week after, their day off schedules doesn't seem to fit with each other, they have no choice but to totally cancel the whole trip. My Aunt already paid the reservations at Armada Resort so we use that instead. She got it at 1,500 per head for 2 days 1 night. It includes The Cottage, breakfast, lunch, dinner and the boat transfers to and from the island.

We left I think around 5 in the morning and got in the port around 9 am. We had McDonald's for breakfast at Subic so that's more or less 4 hours of driving. May I remind you though that before you can reach the port, there's a bumpy ride ahead. Good thing is Armada have their own place so that guests can park and leave their cars in a safe place.

While on the boat, we did not let the sight leave our memories so I snapped these photos and manong the boat driver is my model. 😀



Upon arrival, we settled in the kubo fan rooms that are good for up to four heads each. There’s a socket that you can use for charging so I immediately use that. We roam around for awhile to see how beautiful the island is before getting on our lunch.

My Uncle being silly.
Behind him is the Kubo Fan that we use for 2 days.

It's better to use the Fan Kubo instead of the aircon one for the awesome island experience because at night you can feel the cold breeze entering the kubo.

Our 1st Lunch in the Island

These are more than enough for the four of us. A worthy lunch after that almost 4 hours of driving.
And you know what? We're the only guests in our first day in the island. I mean, the guests who arrived before us is leaving already when we got there and the next guests will be arriving the next day. Awesome right? It's like you have your private island. 🙌

Let me share some of our photos while on the island.


Starfish or Sea Stars and hey! there's Patrick :D


We found this rope and started to jump shot. Lol!




Sunset❤

Dinner
Heavy Breakfast?!
ohhhhh! Scary fish. Forgot the name though

My uncle, cousin, auntie and yours truly :)
It was an awesome trip! No wifi, no aircon, the island is ours for a day, the staffs and the wife of the owner is very accommodating, the food is great, the Chocomucho dessert every meal is kind of funny though, we even take a bath on the "poso", it's a thing that you need to pump for the water to come out. It's a nice island experience and I'm sure you and your family or/and your friends will enjoy too.

Go check out their website http://magalawaislandresort.com/ if you want to experience some island life even just for days.


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Location: Magalawa Island, Philippines
September 13, 2015

Dinner at The Souq

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Copyright to The Souq Facebook Page for this photo

I heard it first from my aunt who is celebrating her birthday at that time. She wanted me to check out the restaurant because she heard that the place and food are awesome. So I search it on facebook and instagram and they've got lots of positive feedbacks so I said yeah we should try to dine there.

 This is her post-birthday celebration because of work and other celebrations with her team. We got at the restaurant around 6 or 7 p.m. of July 22nd. The first thing I noticed after we enter is the beautiful interiors and they've got different types/designs of chairs. Me and my cousin was like "I'm gonna seat here, "this chair is mine" and they also got a lot of mirrors hanging on the walls. It's just a little warm inside the restaurant and to think that it's raining when we dine but there's always a room for improvements, right? :)

 The place is really amazing, If I could just share every corners of it I would but unfortunately I only use my mobile's camera to capture and some of the area is on a dim lightning. You can google, facebook, instagram search it anyway haha!

 Here's some of our photos along with our food.

The Vintage Era feels ❤

Tinapa Paté / Php140.00
Starting our dinner with this and wow! I super love the paté but the bread is inadequate. Hoping they'll add maybe 2 pieces more of the bread or maybe they can we just didn't ask. Lol!

Asian Springrolls / Php 100.00

Baby Back ribs / Php330.00
This, as usual can be served with rice or mashed potato of your choice. I love the sauce and the meat slides off the bone. Yummmeeeeehhhh!!!

Boiling Seafood in Aligue / Php450.00
This is my favorite which was awesome on so many levels. The sauce itself can be eaten with rice because I did that. :D

Mango Bravo by Conti's
...and for our dessert, we had a taste of the famous Mango Bravo. It's a frozen cake described to be layers of cashew meringue wafers, chocolate mousse, cream and mango cubes, drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Overall, the food is delicious and it's a great place for families and friends wanting to dine on a cozy place. Looking forward to visit Souq again and try more of their food.


The Souq is located at Lazatin Blvd San Fernando, Pampanga.

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Location: San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines
September 12, 2015

Cafe Noelle: A taste of home on a plate

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Café Noelle is the newly opened restaurant in SM City Clark's east wing and they have their main branch located at San Fernando, Pampanga.


 The place feels homey and cozy. The interiors of the restaurant is... kawaii! :D
They've got floral designs hanged on the walls, a flower pots on the tables and they will lit a candle when the guests are seated. I just wished that they have this Christmas decors just like in their San Fernando branch. The servers are very attentive. Keep it up, you guys!

Anyways, the food are affordable and delicious. I'll definitely come back soon for more yummy intakes. They serve steaks, pasta, salads, sandwiches and cakes.


 Let me share some of the yummy foods that we order.
Spice Rub Grilled Pork chop
with Raspberry Iced Tea
I loved their spice rub, it's very savoury and you can choose if you wanted it served with rice or with mashed potato. The raspberry is good but it's very sweet for me considering that I have a sweet tooth, maybe they should lessen the sweetness and it's perf!

Tinapa Pasta
It was my boyfriend's meal and he said that it's tasty and good but nothing special aside from tinapa being the main ingredient. I also tried to eat some and it tasted a little like palabok.

Blueberry Cheesecake
Who wouldn't love cheesecake, right? Their cheesecake didn't have the lemon flavor and they are very generous with the amount of blueberry on top so thank you guys behind the kitchen for that. lol!
I will definitely come back and try other items on their menu. I'll update you guys! 

If you're living in pampanga or wanting to visit, go check out Café Noelle located at SM City Clark East Wing and in GreenFields Square, Sindalan, San Fernando. The foods are definitely worth your money.

For more info. you could visit their website: www.cafenoelle.com






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September 07, 2015

Ginisang monggo recipe (Sauteed Mung Beans)

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Mung bean (Munggo) was used as an ingredient in different desserts and main dishes as well. The most famous Mung bean dish here in the Philippines is called “Ginisang Munggo” (Sauteed Mung Bean). This dish makes use of Mung beans as the main ingredient complimented by different flavors from meat or/and seafood, and vegetables. A very healthy and satisfying dish that is friendly on the budget. We Filipinos also like to parter it with fried fish specially galunggong or they call it in english the hard-tail mackerel or round scad.


Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups pork, cut into strips or cubed
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 medium tomatoes, sliced    
  • 1 cup Chili leaves (dahon ng ampalaya) or Malunggay leaves
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce or/and salt to taste
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup mung beans


Procedure:

1. Rinse the mung beans in running water.

2. In a pan, boil mung beans in 3 cups water. Cook until tender. 

3. In another pan or use the same pan where you boil the mung beans, heat a small amount of cooking oil and sauté the garlic, onion and tomatoes. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Using the same pan, fry the pork and cook until tender.

5. Add the sautéed  garlic, onion and tomatoes and fish sauce. Cook for few minutes.

6. Add the cooked mung beans together with the water.

7. Add chili leaves and cook for 5-8 minutes.

8. Transfer to a serving bowl and Enjoy!










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September 04, 2015

The Space Between Heartbeats by Melissa Pearl

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It's about Nicky or Nicole who's now in between alive and dead. Her soul is being in and out of her body and i thought that part was a little weird. But anyway, She think she have a perfect boyfriend, a whole lot of friends but when she is missing? her friends doesn't even care. I'm pissed about that and i hate the Sheriff too. I'm pissed about her parents also but as the story goes i was like hey! i understand you guys. *sigh* Okay i'm giving too much spoilers now. I'm stopping right here.

Yes, there is some or maybe a lot similar stories like this but this book is a must read. It's amazing how it can make you realised how big the impact some things can cause/d to someone. I was completely shocked when the reveal came around. I didn't expect that coming. Of all people, why you? i thought you're a nice guy and could be friends again with her. (Another spoiler i guess?!)

This book is soft and comforting. I finished reading it in one seating and It make me cry for some reasons but i wouldn't tell you because i want you to read and experience the pain Nicky had shared with me. I must say that you really need to add this on your "to be read list".

(Thanking NetGalley and Alloy Entertainment for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review)


P.S.
The cover reminds me of Dale seeing Nicky again in one of their moments in the book.


P.P.S.
"I once lost, but now am found
  Was blind, but now I see"
- Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1779



Release date: September 08, 2015
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment
ISBN: 9781939106568
Source: E-book ARC via NetGalley

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September 04, 2015

The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft

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Twenty years running from your past. Today it catches up.
Leah Mills lives a life of a fugitive – kept on the run by one terrible day from her past. It is a lonely life, without a social life or friends until – longing for a connection – she meets Julian. For the first time she dares to believe she can live a normal life. 

Then, on the twentieth anniversary of that day, she receives a card. Someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed the life Leah has created. 

But is Leah all she seems? Or does she deserve everything she gets?  


Everyone has secrets. But some are deadly.


Leah is trying to live a normal life after being involved in something horrific as a teenager. She is now working in a library with Maria who is trying to be her friend but she always seems to shut her down. As the story goes, it unveils what happen and why she always isolate herself to anyone who wants to be close to her.

 Everything in her present life is getting better for her. She'll be promoted as a Senior Librarian at her work, meeting Ben whom she's comfortable with talking 'bout her life and meeting Julian whom she felt like falling for but someone about her past knows the truth and trying to torture her. Her secret is so big that stains her present life so much that she feels unworthy of having any form of happiness.

 The story is told in past and present times but will not make you confused. It keeps you guessing to what happen that night? why there is someone who wants to take revenge? what happen to her friends? and if you think you've already figured out everything. Let me say that no you did not until you've read the last page. I love every twist and turns about this book. It's amazing and you'll never really see it coming.



(Thanking NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review)


Release date: October 15, 2015
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B014C5K68Y
ISBN: 9781910751237
Source: E-book ARC via NetGalley

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September 02, 2015

Nirvana by J.R. Stewart (Nirvana Series #1)

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When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?

Larissa lives in a world where the real and the virtual intermingle. After the supposed death of her soul mate, Andrew, Larissa is able to find solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world where anything is possible – even visits with Andrew. Although Larissa knows that these meetings are not real, she cannot shake her suspicion that Andrew is indeed alive. When she begins an investigation of the Hexagon, the very institution that she has been taught to trust, Larissa uncovers much more than she ever expected. Her biggest challenge, however, remains determining what is real – and what is virtual.

Nirvana is a fast-paced page-turning young adult novel combining elements of the romance, mystery, and science fiction genres. Part of a three-part series, this book introduces readers to a heroine who refuses to give up on the man she loves, even if it means taking on an entire government to do so. As the lines between the real and virtual worlds begin to blur, Larissa and the reader realize that all is not as it seems, and the complex mystery only deepens. (Goodreads)


I was invited by NetGalley to have an ARC of this book and I was like okay why not because the cover is so lovely and the synopsis is fascinating.

At first I was lost and I 'm a bit confused about the characters that I re-read the first part just to straighten out my mind because for me the story is really interesting that I can't just stop and not finish it. This is about Larissa whom she preferred to be called as Kenders. His husband Andrew is missing and all of them assumed that he is dead but Kenders is having a hard time believing it because she feels in her heart that Andrew is still alive. And there is Serge, her childhood friend that build Nirvana but doesn't own the authority anymore.

So that's all I can say for now haha! I don't want this to be a spoiler thingy.
"I feel a deep chill, you've got thin blood."
 Also, the formatting on kindle was kind of weird, it's like L

arissa blah blah blah...

It's confusing at times but maybe that was just because my copy was an ARC or i don't know. Anyway, if you feel the same, I suggest you give it a second try 'coz it was really a nice read but you just have to really really pay enough attention while reading it because there is a lot of things going on. I enjoyed it and you should give it a try too. I will request the sequel as soon as it's up.
(Thanking NetGalley and Blue Moon Publishers for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review)
Btw, they are giving away 5 signed copy of Nirvana. Here's the link Nirvana Giveaway
but i think it's only for US and CANADA :'(
Hopefully they'll give me a signed book of this or maybe i'll buy it once published and wait 'till the author comes here in the Philippines :D haha!

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September 02, 2015

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers Trilogy #1)

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This is my first Kelley Armstrong book which was given to me by my aunt and uncle as a gift for my birthday together with her other book called The Gathering which by the way is the first book also on her another trilogy.

The first sentence in the book is "Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement." and in my mind I'm hearing the sounds of like when a horror/suspense movie starts. It kinds of frighten me because I was reading it at night. A creepy basement, a mysterious past, an evil babysitter, and it all took place in a flashback? Uh-huh! yes, I’m in.

 For me, this book has a slow start and it really didn’t get a grip on me until halfway through but the pace picked up more after the halfway point, giving the spooks and thrills you expect from a ghost story. But don’t worry it's much more than a ghost story. What I like about this book is that it's about some paranormals that I haven’t read about or even heard of before anywhere else and all of the characters are described so vividly, which is nice because it’s written in the first person.

 The characters that Chloe interacts with in Lyle house have much to contribute with lots of surprises up their sleeve. With plenty of snarkyness, intelligence and intrigue. They are so mysterious because you learn a bit about them, but you're still not given all the details.

 Being patient through the slow parts really will pay off. This book kept me interested to find out more and more. Chloe has so much to learn and asks so many questions in this novel that I kept reading to find out if they were going to be answered. And I could not believe the ending. Things were just getting so interesting and then it suddenly ended.









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