1/4 cup powdered or grated parmesan for toppings (optional)
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. You can mix everything all together in one go but I prefer mixing everything except the artichoke and spinach and mix them after. This allowed me to easily distribute the flavor evenly.
3. You can grease your baking dish before putting the mixture but I did not and it still worked.
4. Put the remaining powdered or grated cheese all over the top.
5. Bake for about 23 minutes in the preheated oven.
I am a rice eater and we all know that the price of it has increased. But, do we know the top 5 provinces that produce rice? Below are the top 5 provinces and regions that produce rice in the Philippines.
Sometimes we want to travel but no one available to accompany us so why not travel alone? But, it is not easy to travel alone because aside from the cost and planning alone, we have to be extra careful when you are new to a place. Below are 5 places in the Philippines that you can go for your first solo backpacking:
1. Boracay, Aklan, Coron Palawan or any famous tourist destinations
I haven’t been here but famous tourists destinations would have lots of people from different parts of the world and will feel safe since you are not literally alone roaming around.
2. Gigantes Island, Carles, Iloilo
Spots to visit: Tanke Saltwater Lagoon, Cabugao Gamay
Food to try: P1 per piece fresh scallops, fresh crabs
3. Sagada, Mountain Province
Spots to visit: Spelunking Cave, Sea of Clouds
Food to try: Pinikpikan, Lemon Pie, Pastries, Wine
4. Guinobatan, Albay, Bicol
Spots to visit: Cagsawa Ruins, Sumlang Lake
Food to try: Sili ice cream, Pinangat
5. Sipalay, Negros Occidental
Spots to visit: Sugar Beach, Islets
Food to try: Oysters and fresh seafood
Take this with caution. We still have to take extra care. Try to go to places with many people. Do not give in to the pressure of ambulant vendors or people selling services. I am confident to say that traveling anywhere in the world is safe for solo travelers but we have to prepare, plan well and be aware of their cultures and respect that.
I grew up thinking I was not beautiful. Error 404: no confidence found. Until I found acceptance and love within myself through the people I met and experiences I had.
What is beauty standard? For me, it is the physical appearance perceived by the general public in the community as beautiful. In the Philippines, I grew up thinking that you have to have the following main traits to be considered as a ‘beautiful’ woman (very Western look):
Slim or small nose with high bridge
White Skin
Straight teeth
Slim body
Light brown eyes or other color than dark brown/black
Straight hair
Even skin-tone from head to toe
Guess what? I have straight hair. That’s it! LOL!
Slim and tall nose and white skin are the main traits that make you look beautiful. And I have a fat with non-existent bridge nose, dark skin tone, crooked teeth, black eyes and uneven skin tone. There was also a time in my life that I got fat and was borderline obese. And, that swallowed my confidence at presenting myself to people.
There was even a TV show back then called “Bakekang” that depicted these traits as ugly and unattractive. I hated that show because it made me anxious that my classmates or other random people would tease me as that Bakekang girl. And, not long enough, voila! My fear came in the form of a kid that lived in the alleyway where I had to walked by everyday going to school. And that was the time I lost the last ounce of confidence.
When I started working, I used my extra savings to conform to the beauty standard: I used whitening products and it lightened my skin! I had braces and I got straightened teeth! I exercised and lost 20lbs! I even thought of saving money to get a rhinoplasty but this never happened. But, the other successful stuff made me gain confidence! Although the white skin didn’t last because I love my job as an agronomist and we had to do field works making my skin dark every summer season.
I did those things mainly for me to gain back my confidence and I believe there is nothing wrong on wanting to improve the traits that you think bad especially when you are doing it for yourself and not to please other people.
During that transition from my past “ugly” self to the new “beautiful” self, I advanced my education, found true friends with variety of personality, got to travel to different places, met a lot of people from different parts of the world, and had my share of good and the bad in life, and that’s how I slowly changed my perspective about my physical appearance. I came to the realization that I was born to be different and not conform to the standard that the society has set.
I still have my big fat nose and dark skin and I am also gaining weight lately because I am stressed. LOL. But, those didn’t lessen my love for my physical appearance because my appearance have never defined my core values. My will never depend on what others think about my appearance. My worth is based on how I define it which are based on how I feel within myself and how I made other people’s well-being better by doing my best work.
It is fine to do all those physical changes that you perceive will help you but make sure you are not stepping on other people’s feet. To feel beautiful is part of self-care that you should not deprive yourself with.
Are you someone who are nuts about nuts? Here are some ‘nuts’ that we know and their scientific names. Although some of them are botanically speaking not nuts they may be legumes or drupes.
The supermarket is full of vegetable of all kinds. However, there are a lot of vegetables I like that I do not see often in the market. These vegetables have distinct flavor that you may either get from your backyard for free or at your neighbors for free as well but make sure to ask for their permission. I list these veggies below.
Here are the Filipino name – English name – Scientific name of these vegetables:
1. Dahon ng ampalaya – Ampalaya leaves – Momordica charantia
2. Bunga ng malunggay – Malunggay fruit – Moringa oleifera
I was born 30-minute drive away from the University of the Philippines Los Baños or UPLB but my parents have been working in the university since I first got my awareness of the world. I went to a high school that was a 5-minute jeepney ride from the feb fair area. I finished college and worked for 7 years in UPLB. and I have been going there since I was a kid. So, I guess I am credible enough to share my thoughts about it. LOL.
What is UPLB Feb Fair?
– it is an annual tradition in UPLB that started as a martial law protest in the 70s. It is an event every February in UPLB during around Valentine’s week in which you, your friends, family or date can walk around to see different tents of different UPLB organizations, variety of stores, and food vendors of all sorts. At night, there are local bands that play songs and operational mini carnival with darts, throw coins games, Ferris wheel and other kids’ rides.
What are the main activities there?
– I personally like street food crawling of all kinds like grilled corn, meat, innards, and sometimes if they have Ilocos empanada. Usually there are fruit shake stand selling all sorts of fruit shakes. You can also do a little shopping or support local craft and plant stores. There is also wall climbing. Henna tattoo looks fun to do but I haven’t. UPLB organizations have some fun activities as well if you will walk around and stop by their tents. At night, the main event would be to jam with the local bands until midnight.
How to go to UPLB from Manila?
– since I grew up in Laguna and a proud from the province, the only way I know by public transportation would be to find a bus or van station that has a route going to Sta. Cruz or Calamba, Laguna. If you happen to ride the route to Sta. Cruz, you will have to drop off at Olivarez Plaza and ride a jeepney that has a sign board saying UP COLLEGE and tell the driver to drop you off there which is a 10-20 minutes ride depending on the traffic. But, if the last stop of the bus or van was in Calamba, you will have to ride a jeepney with the same signage but it will be 50 minutes to 1 hour jeepney ride. When you rode the one that says UP GATE or the jeepney won’t go inside, they will drop you by the gate and not to the exact location, don’t worry you will just have to walk from there using your map or follow the crowd.
– if you have a car it will be easier, you just use an online app. You can park close to the venue so it won’t be too difficult to go out. You can park before the campus gate as well and just walk to go to the fair. The car has to have a UPLB sticker pass to get inside or you will need to leave your driver’s license at the gate. Make sure to find a safe place to park.
Is there entrance fee in the UPLB Feb fair?
– no. It is free. Unlike the UP Diliman fair, this one is free to enter. At least the ground with all the tents where the stage will be. Although there are events that you will have to pay to enter.
How much money do I need to prepare for the UPLB Feb fair?
– it depends on the activities you will try. Excluding the transportation cost, if you will just eat and jam with the band, I will recommend P500. Your P1000 will already allow you to eat, jam with the band, do henna tattoo, ride the Ferris wheel, and buy few stuff.
Will there still be jeepneys after midnight in the UPLB Feb Fair?
– although few, there will still be jeepneys but usually you will not find them inside the campus and you will have to walk outside to go at least to the gate.
Are there bars selling alcohol inside the fair?
– no. Selling of alcohol is not allowed inside the fair so do not expect to see bars selling one. Although, there are lots of bars outside the campus you can go first. But, drink responsibly and do not bring chaos to the fun fair.
Are there public C.R. or restrooms?
-the closest one I know would be at the Student Union building. Although, they may put portable toilets outside.
The UPLB Feb Fair is one of the fun activities to do during February. It is not expensive but full of activities for people of all ages. You can enjoy it alone or with people. Make sure to be responsible especially with your behavior. Have fun but respect others that are enjoying the event and please put your trash in the bins.
Are you a die hard K-pop fan? Do you love Korean make up or skin care products? If yes, you might have plans to visit Korea but kinda hesitant because you’re thinking that it is too expensive!
Korea probably seems intimidating to go in terms of cost but do not let that stop you from going to your dream destination! Read on to see how I managed to travel to a place that requires us a visa – South Korea for less than P30,000 ($600)! BTW, it was my very first trip abroad!
Here is the story and costing me and my friend incurred:
Round trip ticket (P6000): One random day a year before our flight when my friend contacted me and asked me if I wanted book next year’s flight to South Korea and who can say no to a round-trip ticket amounting P6000 ($120)? The key is to patiently wait and look for the cheapest promo round-trip tickets or have a thoughtful friend who will book for you.
Accommodation for 5D4N stay for 2 (P 10,000/2 = 5000 each or $80): We got lucky here for finding this very affordable place to stay for 5 nights! Try looking from different accommodation sites. We tried several sites (Agoda, Airbnb, Booking) and they all gave us several selections of places to stay and we compared prices and terms of agreement on lodging. Make sure to eye for a place near to your itinerary or train stations. We ended up in a single room with two beds, air-conditioning unit, common restroom, free self-service laundry amenity, free breakfast and free wifi plus it is near the train station and places we planned to visit. Bonus point was they have English speaking and accommodating personnel.
Visa processing (P2,000 or $40 since SK requires our country for a visa): Entry to South Korea requires visa for Philippines residents. Prepare your application form, passport, ITR (if you do not have an ITR, you need a letter stating why you don’t have one), certificate of employment, bank certificate and bank statement. Make sure you have a reasonable amount of money in your bank for the duration of your travel (I only had P50,000 or $1000 in my passbook). We had an agency to process our visa.
Pocket money (P15,000 or $300): The pocket money I had was allocated for food, transportation, entrance fee and pasalubong. I exchanged my Peso bills at BPI to USD in the Philippines and then exchanged the USD to Korean Won in Korea. Don’t worry, there are several money changer kiosks in shopping districts (like Myeongdong) in case you run out of cash. I also had to pay for transportation from my house to NAIA and travel tax with a total of P2,000.
Transportation (round-trip): P6,000
Accommodation for 5D4N: P10,000/2pax = P5,000 each
Pocket money: P15,000
Others (visa, travel tax, transportation): P4000
Itinerary:
Day 0
5:10PM (ETD) – 10:40PM (ETA) : NAIA to Incheon Airport
11:30 – 12:44AM – immigration stuff duties
12:45 – 1:15AM – strolled around Incheon airport, ate midnight snack, bought T-money card and SIM card for internet
Day 1
1:16 – 4:50AM – waiting/sleeping time
5:25 – 6:30AM – Incheon airport to Seoul station
6:31 – 8:00AM – Strolled around Seoul Station
8:00 – 10:00AM – Bfast, Myeongdong Cathedral
10:00 – 1:00PM – Myeongdong and Hoehyon (lunch + makeup and beauty products shopping)
1:20 – 2:20PM – Seoul Station to Jongno
2:30 – 7:00PM – Rest time
7:30 – 9:40PM – Strolled around Jongno + dinner
10:00PM – Sleep time
Day 2
9:00 – 9:30AM – Guesthouse to Gyeongbokgung Palace
10:00 – 3:00PM – Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village and Changdeokgung Palace + lunch
3::30PM – 4:00PM – Gyeongbokgung Palace to Dongdaenum History and Culture Park
4:10PM – 9:00PM – Gwangjang market and Dongdaenum Park + dinner
10:00PM – Sleep time
Day 3
9:30 – 11:00AM – Travel time from our guesthouse to Gapyeong station
11:20 – 3:00PM – Nami Island + lunch
3:30 – 6:30PM – Garden of the morning calm
7:00PM – 9:00 PM – Dinner + travel back to the house
10:00PM – Sleep time
Day 4
10:00 – 10:45 AM – Guesthouse to Seoul Grand Park
11:00 – 1:00 PM – Seoul Grand Park and Rose Garden+ lunch
1:20 – 2:20 PM – Seoul Grand Park to Yeoido Park
2:30 – 5:00 PM – Yeoido Park and KBS
5:00 – 7:00 PM – Yeoido Park Station to N Seoul Tower
7:01 – 9:30 PM – N Seoul Tower, Observatory, Hello Kitty store + dinner
9:31 – 10:30 PM – Going back to guesthouse
11:00 PM – sleep time
Day 5
10:30 – 11:00 AM – Guesthouse to Ihwa-dong mural village
6:00 – 7:30 PM- Went back to guesthouse to leave the pasalubong + freshen-up
7:30 – 8:00 PM – Guesthouse to Myeongdong
8:00 – 10:30 PM – Myeongdong night market
10:30 – 11:00 PM – Myeongdong to guesthouse
11:30 PM – sleep time
Day 6
9:30 – 10:00 AM – Guesthouse to Itaewon
10:00 – 11:00 AM – Around Itaewon
11:30 – 4:30 PM – Seoul, Gwangja, Myeongdong
4:40 – 5:10 PM – Going back to guesthouse
5:10 – 7:00 PM – Prep to go to Incheon airport
7:30 – 8:30 PM – dinner
9:00 – 11:30 PM – Guesthouse to Incheon airport
Day 7
3:05 – 6:05 AM – Incheon airport to NAIA
Up to this point where I have been to quite several places out of the Philippines, this was still the best travel I did! I think it was because of the cheap cost of the overall trip, my first travel out of the country, with one travel-responsible friend, the opportunity to go to an old palace I have seen from my favorite K drama (I am a big fan of historical places), good food and accommodation. It was my first time travel abroad and everything felt perfect!
In the recent events on cheating incidences I’ve been seeing from celebrities, it reminded me of the time when someone was caught cheating not just once but several times.
It has been a big question mark for me from that moment until now why people cheat. I even Googled reasons why cheaters cheat. Some answers that I found were between insecurities and no contentment of cheaters. But I guess the answer would be cheating will never be justifiable by any means.
Luckily, it was not me who got cheated on. Not happily though because it was a friend that was very dear and close to my heart.
That relationship lasted for 5 years. The cheating happened every year. At first, as a friend you will advise them gently of what they can do, but as years passed by with the same cheating happening, you will get tired of your stubborn friend especially if you are someone who has never been in that kind of relationship and does not fully understand the why in there.
It was easy for me as an immature friend to tell my friend how stupid and dumb she was for accepting that guy each time he knocks on the door asking for forgiveness, wanting her back and telling her that he won’t do it again after concrete evidences of the cheating incidences. It repeated several times that I lost count and got tired of repeating my advise to her – which was a mistake from an immature friend.
Then, on their fifth year, I was very happy but still doubtful when she called it quits because it happened several times before. She would tell me that she would break up with him but then after a week they will get back together. It became a broken record that keeps happening over and over again until that point. But, on that fifth year, she broke up with him and never accepted him ever again despite his pleas and promises.
I was so proud of her. She was strong. But, that made a huge impact on how she sees her worth now not only in love but also in other aspects of life like career and friends. It was sad but still a beautiful beginning. She may start again but at least she did not end up spending the rest of her life dealing with the pain from an unfaithful partner.
As a friend, the least that you can do is to not get tired of telling your friend about their worth. In my experience, people in a relationship stay in the relationship despite unfaithfulness because they have hopes that things may change for the better because of love. It may or it may not. Some would argue that cheaters will always be cheaters and I hate to admit it but I agree with them. There may be rare occasions that they will change but it is as rare as the number of people going to the moon. If you know your friend is in a relationship with a cheater, be patient with your friend and give your well-thought advise without making her feel that she is being judged. Do your best to not let them get trapped with an unfaithful partner for the rest of their lives. As a friend, our role should be to shed some light that will let them see what is their worth and hope that in the end that friend will decide for the best.
If you are reading this, then it is one of the things that we are taking for granted and have to appreciate this year. We often take for granted simple things in our lives because we get to experience them regularly.
But, think again of the world now. The wars and the poverty around.
Not everyone is lucky to experience the things that look simple and easy to us that we often take for granted.
Here are the 24 things I have been realizing that I am taking for granted but I have to start being grateful and appreciative:
1. Bed that gives you a good night’s sleep
2. A roof that protects your from the sun or rain
3. Food that fills your growling stomach
4. Water that you can drink safely, use for shower and washing the dishes
5. Job that pays your bills
6. Friend that always nag you
7. Table that allows you to eat, write or work
8. Trees that provide you shade
9. Clothes that give you warmth
10. Light that brightens your day and way
11. Vehicle that moves you from one point to another
12. Shoes that protects your feet
13. Your privilege to travel that makes you see the world in a different lens
14. Your faith that keeps you believing
15. Your strength that shows you your limitless abilities
larswrites 