EVERYTHING WITH FRIES

"Would you like fries with that?" goes the old office joke. Have you actually said this to a colleague requesting for something?

Syempre, that was top of mind when we tried EWF: Everything with Fries at the Holland Village.

What I had: Bolognese that came with fries and Caesar salad. I love how generous the tomatoes and meat were! It satisfied my pasta craving. For the fries, you get to choose the flavor. Tried sour cream and onion. OK lang. Mas maalat yung sa Manila, mas gusto ko yun. (My first choice was their salmon but it was unavailable that night. Reason to come back!)

Hubby: Pork chop with curry fries and salad. The pork chop was so tender. And masarap ang timpla. His curry fries were more flavorful than my sour cream and onion.

Drink: Lemon iced tea. We requested for more ice. Ang init eh.

Tab: Less than SGD40.

What we enjoyed, aside from the food: people watching. The place attracts a young set. With that name, that's kinda expected. Pareho naman sila ng Pinoy youth: noisy and mahilig mag-picture-an.

HAPPY HEARTS DAY

We don't do Valentine's. Read previous post about it here. Our dates, little acts of love, exchange of "I love yous" are not confined to February 14. We're mushy all year round. If you're into it, hope you had a Happy Hearts Day! To each his own. Walang basagan ng trip. Lol.

But I have a confession: I fell in love with the Google doodle for Valentine's 2012. 

The message is so simple and true -- love is never about the stuff. As a couple who's more into living an enriching life than a rich life, relate na relate kami. *teary eyed*

Washington Post puts it perfectly, "...the determined boy inadvertently finds the answer that was before him all along: The jump rope is the ultimate heartstring to pluck. Together, at last, in rhythm, their hearts skip a beat."

Awww.

THROUGH HUBBY'S EYES

See bits of Singapore through my Hubby's eyes via this music video. The clips were taken during some of our dates around the city.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -- Henry Miller

GARDEN GETAWAY

Cheap thrill: Concrete jungle time-off at the Singapore Botanic Garden. (MRT Station: Bontanic Garden, Circle Line). Eksena on a Sunday: Families and friends having picnics; kids flying kites and learning how to ride their bikes; senior couples walking hand-in-hand. 

What we did: While Hubby was busy with his Project (he was the only one who went around the Garden), I chose a spot where I could quietly read. I'm low maintenance. Iwan mo lang ako sa damuhan, with a book, OK na ako. Hahaha!

Below's my lovely spot under the sun. The umbrella's a despedida gift from my friends N, J and M. It was part of my 2011 birthday wish list.

What a view! It was so relaxing to be lying down on the grass, looking at the sky, reading my book, snacking on my Seaweed Lay's, sipping Coke, napping. THANK YOU, GOD, for such blessed moments!

What I was reading: David Nicholls' "One Day."

I vowed to give the book a chance since the movie failed me. Very good decision.

We've seen the ducks before...

So the date highlight was seeing Black Swans for the first time! 

They're more beautiful than Natalie Portman! *kidding*

Are you joining me on the grass?

Ah, life's simple joys! 

Savored the moment from my reading spot. 

Those are my black ballet flats. (May theme? Black swans, black flats...Haha!)

Merienda at Cluny Court, located at the left side of the Botanic Garden gates (MRT station gates).

Pretty lamps and blooms at the Cluny Court entrance. Yes, Spring Festival pa rin! (I believe the Year of the Water Dragon officially started yesterday, February 5, 2012?).

Pizza Date at Gastronomia. 

Hubby had Chili Con Carne pizza. It was good! SGD7.50. 

I had the Salmon & Pesto pizza. Yum! Also SGD7.50.

The lovely pedestrian bridge near the Botanic Garden MRT station. See the bridge facade from my other Botanic Garden entry.

Date shot. Love, love, love.

The grass is greener
on this side of the fence.

LITTLE THINGS

Little things I'm grateful for:

1. That I can commute with my bag unzipped. I can use my open totes here!
2. That I can commute wearing jewelry.
3. That I can walk alone at night.
4. That people can use their bags to reserve / save tables in hawker centers.
5. Comfortable bus rides. (Where I came from, I stayed away from buses. Too many horror stories. Pet peeve: Pinupuno muna. Such a waste of time. And once the bus is fully loaded, and on the road na, watch out for road rage!)

Low crime rate is not zero crime rate. But I still celebrate my 'peace of mind.'

More items on the list:

1. Thank you that someone very dear to us is feeling better. She values her privacy so yan na lang...
2. Thank you for fresh air

Yes, health is wealth.

PIEDRA NEGRA CANTINA & COCINA

Ola! Craving for Mexican food in Singapore? Go to Piedra Negra, along Haji Lane.

Haji Lane on a weeknight, around 7pm...

(Nearest MRT: Bugis)

Piedra Negra's al fresco tables. We chose to dine inside though because of the interesting interiors. Mas feel ko ang pagiging Mexican cantina niya sa loob. Yes, they serve San Miguel beer, see the ashtray (photo below). And they have Pinoys in their staff so expect good service.

What we had:

Nachos: "...flavorful combination of toppings such as Mexican beans, chicken, delicious melted cheese, and sour cream. SGD10.90

Costillas de Cerdo al BBQ (aka Baby Pork Ribs): "Marinated pork ribs glazed with tamarind sauce, chili and herbs, grilled in slow fire for perfect tenderness." SGD17.90

Hubby: His favorite Coca-Cola, SGD3.

Me: Lime Juice (Had the good-girl version of the Margarita. Lol.). SGD3.

Lovely interiors...

SIMOT ANG RIBS!

What we loved about the place: everything! The ambiance, the interiors, the service, the food - they were all good. We wanted spice, we got spice! The pork ribs were so tender, they'd melt in your mouth. The nachos were super flavorful. Their hot sauce were really hot! Everything was reasonably priced. Total bill was around SGD40 (almost Php1500), with 10% SC and 7% GST. 

Buen apetito!

WRITE JOB

I prayed for the "right" job

and got the "write"-ing job.

Fade up music:

Life has a funny way 

of sneaking up on you...

-Alanis Morissette

Related post: Separation Anxiety

THE HELP

"God says we need to love our enemies. It hard to do. But it can start by telling the truth. No one had ever asked me what it feel like to be me. Once I told the truth about that, I felt free. And I got to thinking about all the people I know. And the things I seen and done. My boy Treelore always said we gonna have a writer in the family one day. I guess it's gonna be me." -- Aibeleen Clark (brilliantly portrayed by Viola Davis), The Help

Best Picture indeed!
"The Help" recently swept awards at the SAG.

Moving. Inspiring, Empowering. The Help is such a compelling drama about the African-American maid's point of view.

You should see this. If you're a mom and a boss (matinong ina at amo, at that), I recommend you watch it with your children...and maybe even your help. Be sure makatao ka ha, or else yaya could pick up ideas.

My favorite napanganga-talaga-ako moment:

Minny: 

Eat my shit!

Hilly: 

Excuse me!

M: 

I said eat...my...shit.

H: 

Have you lost your mind?

M: 

No, ma'am but you is about to. 

'Cause you just did.

I was so impressed with the movie, I'm reading the book next. I've had a copy since last year (a paperback I brought with me from Manila) but I've never opened it. Will do that now. 

Movie tagline: Change begins with a whisper. 

J.CO DONUTS

There was so much J. Co Donuts buzz on Facebook the other day. Because they're opening a branch in Manila (Megamall) soon. 

To satisfy my curiosity -- How good are these donuts, anyway? -- I dropped by Raffles City (B1) today. I got the J.Pops baby donuts. One box contains 24 baby donuts, in twelve different flavors, for SGD11.50. (Baby donuts = baby calories? Asa!)

I agree, their donuts are less sweet than Krispy Kreme. So hindi nakakaumay. OK sila.

12 Flavors (random):
Heaven Berry, Tiramisu,
Why Nut,  Berry Spears,
Coco Loco, Copa Banana,
Oreo, Al Capone,
Caviar Choco, Forest Glam,
Meisisipi, Blue Berrymore

 First ones to go (see below):

1. Al Caponne, the one with almond flakes. Sarap!
2. Caviar Choco. We love the crunch. And the faint bitterness (duma-dark chocolate). 

Oreo, you're next!

Update: 

Which donut flavors did I really, really love?

1. Copa Banana (the one with the white dot on top of the chocolate, 4th row from the front). It's like having banana split!
2. Blue Berrymore (blueberry cheesecake, first row, with cheese on top).

SEPARATION ANXIETY

Dear first paycheck of 2012,

I'm suffering from separation anxiety. From you.

I've been considering spending some of you on an experience -- on something I can always remember you by. I vowed not to spend you on material things. No shopping for dresses, bags, shoes, accessories, not even toys for my pamangkins, or anything Ikea. Yes, I'm a changed woman. As I blogged before, this entire adventure is shaping a better version of me. Haha!

On to the experience. I've been considering: (1) A world-class MBS date with the Hubby? (2) Round-trip plane tickets for two, to Manila and back, to spend time with my newborn nephew? (3) A yoga club membership?

After too much thinking and re-thinking, weighing and re-weighing (Lol), I've decided - you're too special. So I'm just going to keep you. Untouched. 

Thank you for coming into my life. You're God-sent. 

xoxo,

A


PS
Here's to more of you!