In Pursuit of the Davao Real Chocolate

This is the book that started my journey to finding real chocolate.

I have always liked chocolate.

But my affection reached to a whole new level during my frequent visits in Xocolat. In that restaurant, I began to read a book by Chloe Doutre-Roussel ,'The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone With A Passion For Chocolate'.

The Elusive Bulcachong

For any friends of mine who say that they are from a certain province or they have traveled a specific locale, I've always asked what are the special cuisines of the place.

For example, the spicy Bicol Express is commonly known to originate from Bicol, while Lechon is the prime culinary feat of Cebu. Pampanga, the culinary capital of the country , had produced unforgettable dishes such as sisig,longganisa,tocino and Kare-kare.

Although I am a Davaoena, I'm not sure what certain dish we can dub as exclusively from Davao.I asked my friends for their opinion and one of them mentioned: ' Bulcachong'.

Having heard about this for the first time, I did a quick research in the net and found this blog complete with picture and recipes.

Bulcachong is carabao meat stew with peanut butter, ginger, annato seeds and some spices. According to some blogs, this dish is reminiscent of Kansi in Iloilo.

After copying, I sent the recipe to my boyfriend and asked him to try to cook this dish over the weekend. The ingredients were easy to find, with the exception of carabao meat which we replaced with beef instead.

Served with blanched pechay as side dish. :D

The result was a stew that was reminiscent of kare-kare. I am not sure if we had exactly replicated the Davao dish but the taste was both sweet and spicy. Probably because we added too much peanut butter:P

Our first attempt at Bulcachong

The original Bulcachong

Nevertheless ,that won't stop me from trying to cook it again. Perhaps, I might reserve this Bulcachong tasting itenarary on my way back to Davao.

A Procrastinator's Guide to Cramming

After reading countless self-help books and listening to a couple of sermons from your teacher, mother and perhaps your inner righteous self (this occurs often if you are the introvert type) ,you still procrastinate. This behaviour becomes a problem when you find yourself cramming for an assignment, exam or a project(if you have already graduated).

When in Manila: Divisoria 101

Divisoria is a mecca for bargain hunters. Whether you are looking for clothes, school/office supplies, christmas decors, etc.this is the place where you can get it at a very low price and perhaps lower still if you are really good at haggling.

Stylish Hair Tutorials

I've previously featured make up tutorials on my blog before so it was only just a matter of time  for me to check out other tutorials on beauty. Lilithedarkmoon 's Youtube channel has given me lots of styling ideas for my long hair.

She has a very beautiful hair and face as you can see in her videos. I've looked into her Facebook account and learned that she knows 6 languages such as English, Italian, French, Polish and Russian.

Wow! What a combination of beauty and brains ! :D

Why are you Filipinos ashamed of your weddings?

Pagkahaba-haba man daw ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy.

My foreigner boss asked me that when one of the employees wanted to file his nuptial leave but insisted that we keep it a secret to other co-workers.

"Budget." , I told him.

I explained that it's not because we are ashamed of being married just the fact that the more people know about the event the more people who will expect to be invited. Having a lot of guests would strain the purse strings of whoever was shelling out for the wedding. Culture-wise, we are a people who wants to avoid disappointing people especially to our friends and acquaintances. Sometimes, however on this habit, we end up borrowing and spending more than we can afford.

Probably in his culture, they have it easier saying 'no'.

Religious Conversations

For quite some time, there have been numerous comments and bombardments of anti-Muslim sentiments in news and other media.

People generalize and brand Muslim as terrorist, without thinking that some Christian/Catholic brothers also engage in subversive acts of violence.

Of Chicken, Men and Equal Rights

I have first encountered Elmer in a bookstore in Trinoma. It comes with the premise: What if one day chickens think like people? Should we treat them as new members of the human race? Or do we eat still them?

The story in itself is very original and it deals on the subject unflinchingly,yet manages to add some comedic relief. Though done in black and white color,the art convincingly depicts the emotions and atmosphere of the characters and plot.

This novel has recently won an international award and some good reviews. I'm hoping Gerry Alanguilan and other graphic novel artist can generate more gems so I can proudly add it in my  collection.

Just Wondering...

Why is there only 'Chinatown'? I know there is one here in Manila and also in Davao. How come there is no 'Indiatown', 'Koreantown','Swedentown' or even 'Americantown' 

in our country?  

Online Makeup Tutorial

When I was young, using make up was very intimidating for me. Although I considered myself an artist that time (graphic/illustrations), I could never muster enough confidence to color my face.

I have heard of Michelle Phan's Youtube channel from my boyfriend's sister and checked it out. Her make up tutorials and beauty skincare tips altered my outlook on make up and beauty. How I've wished the channel existed during my college days.

Big and Beautiful

Photographer:Jaimie Nicole Imagery
Dress:Pinup Girl Clothing

I was walking on my way to work when I chanced upon two girl friends who were going on the opposite direction. Both of them were plump and chubby, but that's where the similarities end. One was simply dressed with casual blue poloshirt and jeans, and her hair was cut in a short bob. The other wore a long mustard top with flower prints , paired with gray leggings. She had her red brown hair tied up in a ponytail with bangs framing her face.

100 Araw ng Komiks

To encourage and disseminate information about Philippine komiks, 100 Araw ng Komiks was launched July 1, 2011.

You can check out their Facebook account for links updates of komiks submissions from various artists.

11 Unusual Things I Love about Davao

1. Davao Airport. Douglas Adams might say "It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear" but I am curiously a fan of Francis Bangoy International Airport . The place is clean and well maintained and they even charge lower boarding pass rates compared to Manila.

Job Hunting in Manila

It not uncommon for someone from the province to move to Manila in search for better opportunities. I have my youngest brother as well as some of my friends and classmates relocate to Manila to join the crazy rat race.