I Want to Build a Snowman!

Because the holidays just about ended and it doesn't technically snow here in the Philippines, I've been left watch to Disney's Frozen, not once, but twice.

Wishing for a white Christmas...? @.@

Frozen is about two sisters, Elsa and Anna, whose bond is tested after a couple of unfortunate events. Elsa, who is the eldest of the two and also soon-to-be Queen of Arendelle, tries to hide her ice powers as she thinks it is a danger to everyone. Anna however tries her best to reach out to Elsa and even goes to great lengths to get her sister back when Elsa runs off to the snowy mountains in the North. There she meets mountain man, Kristoff, and his reindeer, Sven. Together with a talking snowman named Olaf, the group embark on a mission to get Elsa back and unfreeze the eternal winter that Elsa accidentally unleashed.

I guess I just couldn't get enough of the thought of winter and snow and Frozen really did a great job in giving me the chills, especially during the song "Let It Go" where Elsa magically creates her Ice Castle and beautifully transforms into the "Snow Queen" that the movie was based on.

My newly-found addiction doesn't end there however, since I discovered "Jelsa"! You know, Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians and our beloved Snow Queen, Elsa! I absolutely adore this couple ever since I saw this image on Facebook:

The fan-art that started it all... :3 

Now that I think about it, I don't remember making a review about the movie, Rise of the Guardians. I guess it's high time that I should! Until my next movie review, have fun!

I couldn't resist posting this too...! XD

Holiday Blowout!

Happy New Year everyone! Yes I know, it's been at least 2 months since I last blogged and I'm still in that "holiday break hangover", even though school just about started yesterday. But still, my blog haunts me with this feeling of abandonment, and so I'm back.

Though honestly, I'm not in the mood as of this moment, I'd rather share my humble holiday meal during this last Christmas. I'm sure you've all got a "table-full" more than this but nothing ever beats my grandma's special spaghetti!

It's special... :3

Oh, and don't forget another favorite dish of mine, lechon kawali! It's actually just roasted pork chopped into this tiny bits of goodness, but it's definitely a bestseller during the holiday season.

Chop! Chop! XD

So at least you've now got an idea what my holidays were filled with... Food! :D

A Writer's Block Bonus...

Lo and behold! The ever negligent blogger has come back from whatever "hot-pot-hell-of-a-hole" she managed to get herself into this sem in her college career. Speaking of said "ever-negligent" blogger, I am pleased to inform you that I have safely survived my "shockingly" demanding semester in college, though I'm quite disappointed with my grades I'll tell you that...

As for the above mentioned "bonus", I'll be presenting to you a double movie review! *cricket sounds* Not much of  any excitement there I see... -__-"

If  you are still reading this far into my post however, then you must brace yourself; this film is heart-breaking. "Alagwa" is the title of this indie film which means "Breakaway" and is directed by Ian Loreños.

It's heart-breaking... :'(

The film centers on single dad, Robert Lim (Jericho Rosales), and his son Brian (Bugoy Cariño). At first we are given a glance of the father-son dynamic, with Robert being a strict father who tries to discipline his stubborn son, Brian. Although Robert tries to make up for his strictness by taking his son window-shopping at the mall. In one of their trips however, Robert fails to keep an eye on Brian and ends up losing him. What's a parent to do when your child suddenly ends up missing?

In the end, the storyline had a nice concept of a father-son relationship, albeit a solemn one. It also gives us insight on what really goes on when it comes to human trafficking, and it is definitely NOT a joking matter. Reality check: This is not a Hollywood film wherein Liam Neeson  stars in "Taken" or whatever similar film you've probably watched in the past. I did tell you to brace yourselves right?

So now that I've probably scared the lot of you off, let's now proceed to the lighter part of Philippine cinema! Let there be "romantic" lights! *clap clap*

Like I said, the next film will be "lighter" in the sense that it will be heart-warming, with a little heart-breaks on the side, but you'll surely get over it once you watch this:

Rain and all its romantic elements... :">

The film stars Bea Alonzo as Cat and Dingdong Dantes as Wacky who are bestfriends but are too stubborn to admit that they love each other as "more-than-friends" (cliché right?). Here comes a younger man named David (Enrique Gil), who is obviously interested in Cat and is NOT afraid to show it! With Cat being tired of waiting for Wacky, finally let herself be swept off her feet by David? Can Wacky live with that thought in mind? (...he obviously can't but hey, I want my synopsis to be cliché too you know! :p)



Honestly, I couldn't help but cry in some parts of the movie since my right eye was hurting (... literally speaking...), and also because the dialogue was well written. The confrontation scene between Cat and Wacky struck a nerve in my part (... I feel for you Cat, I really do... ), and the break-up scene! That was ironically the best break-up I've ever scene on the big screen! I mean, come on, how can a guy still look lovable even while he's "proposing" to break up? You'll probably understand me after you watch this movie.

Until next time that I'm utterly bored and restless! XD See ya! :D

Toothy Tarts!

Now after having experienced two sets of long "weekends" due to conveniently placed holidays and an unexpected barrage of rainfall, I know honestly feel stagnant due to lack of anything better to do. 

Yes I'm sure I'll probably start looking forward to the next long weekend once the assignments come piling up, but for now, I urgently need something to keep my blood pumping before it too, turns stagnant.

So what better way to turn to but sweets! Yep, a little dose of sugar rush can't probably hurt, so why not share a few of my favorite pastries:

Cassava Tarts! ;D

It's a local delicacy which I find fulfilling for one's appetite even after just one piece, since it leaves you with a feeling of fullness. So it's a really great snack if one's on a limited amount of sweets.

Buko Tarts! XD

Yummy especially when freshly baked! These delicacies are mostly bought in Tagaytay, specifically Amira's Buco Tart Haus. I'm all the way for this fruity tart!

Blueberry CheeseTarts! @.@

Another delicacy I had the pleasure of tasting from Amira's Buco Tart Haus. (...they've sure got alot of different tarts there...) It's what you would consider a miniature version of your usual Blueberry Cheesecake, but that doesn't make it any less tastier. In fact, one box wasn't even enough for me!

Pretty in Pink!

Due to heavy rains and continuous suspension of classes here in Manila, you could say I have a lot of free time in my hands right about now, so what better way to spend it than by blogging.

It's been a while since I last blogged about "Fashion Statements", but now I'm lucky enough to be able to share something from my recent "escapade":

An invitation & a gift equals...

Yep! You guessed it! I attended a debut party, (it's actually my first one...) and I've decided to sprinkle a little blue in my pink get-up for the night. See here:

The Gown!

The Fashionable Shoes!

This really cute purse!

These "Azures"!

My toes...

... and my nails!

Mix it all up and... Ta-Da!

The Back...

... and Front!

So now I'd to thank "San Diego's Boutique" for my gown, it's located at Stall 2J-15, 11/88 Shopping Mall, Reina Regente cor. Felipe II St., Binondo Manila. My purse from Landmark, Makati. My shoes, which I bought via special order at Celine, Glorietta 1. The jewelry set, which was a gift to my mom, is labled Cote d' Azur. My toes & nails were done at "Perfectly Polished", located in SM Manila; my hair was done at Avesta Salon, located at the 2nd Flr. of Shoppes@Victoria, #78 Timog cor. Panay Avenue, Quezon City. 

Finally my make-up was again done by my mom, Rosyel Sawali, so you can search her name on Google and maybe she might give you some tips on the "art of make-up".

Soup for the Rain!

As I type this for my blog, it continues to rain outside. It's cold, and I can't help but want something warm, preferably some warm noodle soup. This takes me back to some of my fave foods, yes today is a Tuesday after all, which means it's Fave Food Day.

When it comes to noodle soups, I prefer to eat them in Asian restaurants since I seem to like the taste of whatever "special" spice they put in them, especially these ones who have managed to tingle my seemingly insatiable appetite:

I'm sure there's more in there... O.o

Mixed Balls with a combination of Thick Rice Noodles that I ordered in a Thai resto called Jatujak, and I found this dish really satisfying for my hungry tummy at that time.

This'll leave your mouth steaming... :P

Fish Balls with Rice Noodles I had at Oody's which I found was kind of "addicting" in flavor since it was really spicy, along with it's lemony-sour taste that comes along with it. So yeah, if I hadn't ended up full just after the first serving, I would have had another one!

Can't help but stare... @.@

Last but not the least is my favorite Seafood Noodle dish, which I always order at a Vietnamese resto called Pho Hoa, and yes, I always order the "Large-sized" bowl being served! Definitely in need of this right now!

There’s Something Down There

This will surely be another one of my obsessions, so before it dies down, I'll be sharing with you a recently watched movie that's now on my fave list. Here's "Pacific Rim"!

They're definitely not made out of "car" parts! XD

The movie is set in the year 2025, wherein mankind's existence is threatened by giant reptilian monsters called Kaiju. At first, we tried to fend them off by using military forces, but when it was proven that these monsters weren't just going to stop until we're all exterminated, we therefore created "monsters" of our own. These giant, robotic, monster-killing machines are called Jaegers.

The Kaijus however, prove to me smarter than we thought, which ends up with most of our Jaegers being almost destroyed. Now it's up to the Gypsy Danger with its pilots, reinstated Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and rookie Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), to end all the Kaiju War once and for all. 

It's a wrap! The movie's great with its action-packed fighting scenes which, I mostly caught myself swinging and ramming along with the Jaeger pilots as they crushed those freakin' Kaijus to kingdom come! Yeah, it really was an intense film, and the actors aren't so bad either. There were scenes that just made my heart melt, watching some of the characters say their goodbyes; they really grow on you, so points for the character developments there. 

So the effects, the acting, the directing were awesome! Thumbs up to Guillermo del Toro for a job well done! I'm definitely hoping for a wider scope in this interesting universe that you came up with, so if there's a sequel in the line, there's a good way to start. 

I also wished they explored the odd relationship between Raleigh and Mako, they are honestly so cute together and yet there weren't much "romantic" aspects to set your heart on so yeah, I guess that was the only bummer. So I'm keeping tabs on the progress of this film, if there is any. Until the next film showing! See ya! ;D