Category: Jodythinks

Cheese · Jodythinks · Love/Life

On being unprepared, but grateful.

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

So I found myself in the UK last month. It still seems like something out of the Twilight Zone , me actually getting there(Millenials, see here). After two weeks of preparation, I found myself in the freezing early winter in the UK for a week and a half. I never feel like I’m fully prepared for a trip. I never pack the right amount of clothes, either it’s too much or too little. This trip fully left me with a sense of panic. This was evident as I was waiting for my aunt to pick me up at the train station in Newcastle, wearing layers entirely too thick for the country I left, and pathetically thin for the country I was in.

I have lived my whole life in a tropical country. Our average temperature is around 25-30 degrees Celsius even in the coldest of months. Our humidity is 75% up and smog adds to the thickness of the metro. Knowing this, I had bought and packed parka type jackets and thick coats that in the heat of the weather where I bought them, seemed enough, even too much for where I was going to. Through the advice of my significant other, and (sort of) cousin I packed mostly in dark colors, mainly black, so as not to literally stick out of the crowd in my usually loud colors. I brought (thermal) layers, scarves, headgear, and thick socks.

I was smug and thought for once I had packed quite enough for the weather. I was happy with my monochrome wardrobe, knowing I had survived with significantly less in the thick of winter at the Bay Area, with temperatures at 8-11 degrees Celsius during my stay.

I was wrong. This is what happens when you’re overconfident. I knew I got cold easily since I usually get cold here, but when I got there, I was miserably freezing. After a few hours, a family friend came over and brought over a suitcase (literally, a roller bag full) full of winter things for me to wear. Things I would actually buy if I knew how DSC01788much I was in for, and how cold I would really feel.

That whole UK trip (Scotland, NewCastle, York, Sunderland, London, Maidenhead), 90% of what I wore was from that suitcase. I switched out some things and did laundry, but the average -1 to 3 in the north, 2 to 11 degrees in London was a lesson to me on humility and gratitude. Humility that I did not know what i was doing even if I thought I had enough research and prepared, gratitude to the people around me that understood what it means to be from a country so different.

 

I certainly felt like I was going to a foreign territory, but found myself feeling quite at home because of the community I dropped in on. Those who I was related to by blood, but also those who I knew since I can remember. One thing I’m grateful for is for the warmth of the welcome, the degree of hospitality, and the generosity of the people that I saw when I was there. I never could have enjoyed myself without their help, and have seen the country for what it meant to them and their families for them to be there.

They say the Filipino spirit is waterproof, I say it’s lifeproof. However far we are from each other, how different our lives are, how hard the obstacles, we still find a way to smile through tough days, months, years. I admire each person who leaves our country to work for their families and loved ones, because it is exhausting to be in a place that’s not “home”, and to be apart from the ones you love for months or years at a time is an immense sacrifice. Of course it is also great fun to explore, see another place, find your way around and get to travel the other side of the world, but in the end, home is where our hearts are, and if we’re not there for most of our lives, it’s forfeiting time spent with the ones you love.

Suffice to say I am learning more the farther I get from my home base. And I am loving that I get the opportunity to do so.

 

Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

To agreeing to forever

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

One of my oldest friends got married last Saturday. I’ve known her since I can remember. From running around and playing patintero, to having sleepovers at my place, to running to Hotel Intercontinental having a fancy slumber party with our friends right before we graduated college, Pau has been there all my life. We don’t spend every day together, we don’t even see each other more than twice a year sometimes, but I’ve seen her grow up to be a good woman, a doctor, even.

To committing to one anotherI remember being in a jeep together one time. She was talking about her now husband. That he was her best friend, that there was something there, but it wasn’t quite happening yet. And last Saturday, her ex-best friend turned into her now partner for life. There’s something amazing to me about this story. To start off as friends and go through all these things together, and even if tough times are to be had, you’ve gone through enough to know that you’re going to see each other through it.

I’ve seen and heard about enough breakups, the reasons behind them, the crazy circumstance. Too many people are taking back their vows, or completely getting rid of the promise and just chucking forever.

To actually see the beginning of a life together still gets me. It’s crazy, isn’t it? Agreeing to live with someone for the rest of your life, to knowing that you’ll keep having the same disagreements about petty things, or have massive fights about life changing decisions. You commit to God, and the law, all that in a day. In front of people you love and respect. I get why some people want the big wedding. To share it with as much people as you can, declaring your love to as much witnesses as possible, because your love is JUST THAT BIG. You can’t contain it.

Her wedding was, for me, fit. It wasn’t crazy big. It was formal, yes, but had a touch of goofy to not make it stiff. Food was delicious. We were never hungry or thirsty. The music was covered by the Project 6 Elohist choir and  a string band with two vocalists for the duration of the program. Coordinators were efficient and nice to the suppliers. People looked like they were having fun. I stuffed myself (and had a beer) to a food coma. Photos and SDE were gorgeous. Her gown was perfect. His barong was different enough from the rest of the men to be distinctive but not strange. Almost everyone followed the dress code. Invitations covered any kind of question people could have had.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a review on her wedding, but rather praise on what they accomplished as a couple. How they really gave all they could to make sure their guests had fun, without completely removing their personalities to do it. I am grateful to have witnessed this union, and look forward to being in their lives for their marriage.

To say I still believe in forever is an understatement. If anything, I’m a bigger fan than ever.

 

Jodythinks · Love/Life

The state of the nation: From a 29 year old middle class employee just trying to get through

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Hi, I am Jody and I am not much for politics. I hate it in the workplace, and I don’t read enough of history to write an educated opinion for anyone who wants to reference it. I am just a person who listens when my parents watch the news over dinner, and reads up on articles on Rappler or CNN Philippines.

Why am I referencing politics then if I can’t contribute much? Because last week, I joined the throng of last minute voters registering at the satellite offices, wanting to be part of the voting public. I was registered at 18, at my dad’s town, as we were there often and spent enough time to know the local candidates. However I wasn’t able to vote in the 2013 and 2015 elections, as I had crucial in person meetings on both voting days. In the Philippines, if you haven’t voted for two elections, and currently if you don’t have biometrics recorded in the system, you can’t vote. I hit both those criteria and saw the lineup for candidates, and found a bit of hope.

Thus the eleven hours of waiting in line to make sure I would be able to vote, because I cannot let my vote go to waste. I won’t let another election pass by just sitting at the sidelines. Will my vote matter much? Not likely personally. However, people like me, decry what’s happening to the government and not participate in it, bigger picture. If we all registered and voted for people we’ve read up on for what they’ve done, their abilities and qualifications, maybe, just maybe we can make enough of an impact so that those in power will take notice. That the moves and bills of the coming government will think about not just the super rich or majority poor, but those of us in the middle. Will think about how our lives are affected day to day.

The craptastic MRT we use to ride to work everyday. The massive amount of tax we have to surrender every time we receive a paycheck. Our safety when we go through ports and airports. These issues will matter to these lawmakers and those who uphold because we’ve been part of those who put them in office and will keep them there. Our voices will matter because we’ll be constituents and not just complainers.

I will have a voice. And so should you.

 

food · Jodythinks · Restaurant reviews

Quick thoughts: Cafe Seoulhwa’s bingsu

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I am not a girl that goes to BGC (Bonifacio Global City) often. It is, in today’s traffic, three hours away from where I work/live. This was confirmed when I tagged along my sister and her friends’ monthly dinner thing a couple of weeks ago. We had checked beforehand how long it would take as we didn’t exactly know where the place was (it was the suggestion of their friend that lived in Taguig).

We went to Cafe Seoulhwa for their bingsu, according to Google, a shaved ice dessert with toppings. For 90s kids who grew up in the Philippines, Ice Monster type things.

We ordered two bingsus, the Mango Cheese (P240 for the small) and the Strawberry (also a small at P240)

Strawberry and mango bingsus
Strawberry and mango bingsus

 

They were great. Really creamy, and the ice wasn’t just ice, it tasted creamy. The fruit was fresh and the whipped cream/ice cream, not too sweet. It was soothing, delicious and not too sweet. The servings were large, that by the time we were halfway through, my sister and I were looking at each other, eyeing one another at who could finish the strawberry bingsu we were sharing. (I did, btw)

It’s definitely a return item. Now if they can only open one in the north.

You can find Cafe Seoulhwa at BGC:

2/F Forum BGC South Global
7th Ave. cor. Federacion Drive
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
Their Facebook account is here.

Bring around P550 for two people for separate desserts, or share a small one after a meal and try their toasts or coffee.

 

food · Jodythinks

Jodythinks quick thoughts: Fog City Creamery’s Cookie Dough Vanilla

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I am calling them quick thoughts because I do not think I’ve sampled enough of the brand/restaurant to provide a rounded idea, but rather one thing out of the myriad of choices they offer.

Last Sunday in a trip to Echo Store in Eton Centris, I was happy to see that they now had the Fog City Creamery pints (and mini pints) in their freezer. After I read about the brand on Pepper.ph, I have always been curious about them but as they operate in the South, opportunities were far and few between to sample them. So I had to pick up a mini pint. There were only a few choices, Benguet Coffee, Ensaymada, Cookie Dough Chocolate, and Cookie Dough Vanilla. Let me give you a disclaimer. I am not much of a coffee person, I am not particularly excited by ensaymada except for Hizon’s ensaymada, and I don’t really eat chocolate ice cream. So Cookie Dough Vanilla it was. The mini pint cost P110 for a single serving. A little steep if you’re used to buying ice cream from the grocery, but what I’ve come to expect from artisan ice cream pricing.

This is what it looked like:

20151011_090238

Verdict: Delicious. It’s chock full of cookie dough that has enough bite to not just melt into the ice cream and adds the needed texture for it to be interesting. Chocolate chips hold up to the ice cream, and the base is sweet enough. If you’re an ice cream hound like me, the mini pint won’t be enough. Buy the whole pint.

I can’t wait to try their other flavors. Their website boasts of a lot of interesting flavors that weren’t in the Echo Store freezer at the time but hope to get there another time. Particularly Ferrero Rocher with Nutella Swirl, Vanilla Malt with Maltesers, Organic Tahitian Vanilla Bean and Blue Cheese and Honey Walnut Praline sound amazing to my ears.

How do you find Fog City Creamery? Details below:

Website: http://www.fogcitycreamery.com/index.php

Phone number: 0917 883 3344

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FogCityCreamery

Email address: info@fogcitycreamery.com / fogcitycreamery@gmail.com

What ice cream is exciting you this week?

Jodythinks

Ca Phe Saigon: Salad and spring roll favorites

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Did I mention I was seeing someone who thoroughly misses Vietnamese food? We are always in the search for a good Vietnamese place in Metro Manila but so far, only Phat Pho has hit the spot for a person used to great pho.

We found Ca Phe Saigon almost by accident. His cousin had checked in the joint and it was near where we were at the time, so we dropped by. When we got there we almost thought we read the information wrong and that the place wasn’t open. It’s in a quiet, residential neighborhood in Marikina, and I loved that it was basically their garage converted into a restaurant. I know there’s much to be said about Instagram worthy places, but I’ve been to too many places that were all about the decor and forgot about the food.

This is most definitely a place that did not forget about the food. I’ve never been to Vietnam or can consider myself a Vietnamese food expert, but I loved their food.

Their Goi Bap Cai (cabbage salad) combines shredded cabbage, basil leaves, shrimp, pork, peanuts and dressed with sweet Vietnamese fish sauce is my favorite of the bunch. Fresh, crisp, crunchy, and light even with the pork, it is a salad I could eat every day.

Goi Cuon, their fresh rolls are filled with noodles, pork, shrimp, mint and served with peanut sauce. Three to an order, they’re pretty significant and it takes me a lot of willpower to not eat all of the order all at once.

Pho Bo Kho, their beef stew noodles is a little more interesting than their Pho (bo). I prefer this to the classic as the other dishes are already so tasty that it can overpower the simplicity of the pho.

I’ve been here three times and it is a testament to my hunger (and their good food) that I’ve not taken any decent photos of the food. Their prices are pretty amazing too. An order of the salad, pho bo kho, and Goi Cuon will set you back the same amount as if you bought one bowl of mediocre pho at one of those chain places. For my wallet, it’s a great thing.

Word to the wise, be a little patient as they prepare their food only when you’ve ordered it, so it may take your meal 15-20 minutes to get there. It’s worth the wait, I promise.

Will update this post as soon as I go back and take photos.

Try Ca Phe Saigon too:

Address: 14 Red Cedar Street, San Roque Marikina

Phone number: 0917 801 6411

Open: Monday-Sunday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Will set you back: Around 600 for two, 700 if you get their fun looking drinks

Cheese · Jodythinks

Here’s to unexpected friendships

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

How do you make friends as an adult? Most of us say the same experiences. That means, being colleagues and enduring the same ups and downs, and the intricacies of company policies and politics that inevitably plague any environment that has more than 2 people in it.

I do not make friends easily. I don’t smile. Don’t make the effort to introduce myself. I don’t start conversations. It is not because I do not like people, but really, I am very wary of being shut down when I try. Shy isn’t the word to describe me because no one would believe it, but maybe defensive is the better term. I put walls up. I admit it. It’s easier for me to just sit myself down and think that it’s just not going to happen, or people will assume I’m a b**ch and I’m not going to help my case much.

Now and again one or two people break through that shell. One of them is my friend Anna. She is about the exact opposite of me. Thoroughly girly, she is a makeup artist and content creator by profession. She can talk about outfits. She likes the tall, dark and rugged. She knows how to do a wicked pose. She is actually friendly. She is almost excessively peppy that you don’t know if she’s being fake.

She is one of the most sincere, caring people I know. Count yourself lucky to be considered a friend because she is inclusive and protective of the people she loves to the end. She knows how to bring people together just by her presence. She has one of the most positive outlooks out there, that I hope the world doesn’t beat out of her, because it almost glows through her. Her laugh is infectious and her humor, never malicious.

Don’t get me wrong, she has been through a lot, and life has tried to beat her spirit down, but she always gets up. She finds the good in situations and figures out how to spin it to look at it differently. She is hopeful but not naive.

She turned 29 last week and I was sitting there at the beach, with a couple of her other friends, shaking my head thinking what am I doing here. Because it was so random, and if you told me I would be there in 2007, I would have laughed my butt off at the absurdity of the concept.

I am grateful to have her in my life and I hope you find a friend like her. Maybe you get to meet her one day too, and you’ll see what the fuss it about.

 

Jodythinks

I think you should listen to Katharine McPhee’s Terrified today

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

So I’m feeling a little mushy, butterflies in your stomach, “kilig” today.

For those who want to chase a bit of the Monday stress away, listen here. I am not really a fan of Katharine McPhee, but this ditty with Zachary Levi is my favorite song I’ve heard from her.

With these lyrics:

And I’m in love and I’m terrified.
For the first time and the last time
In my only life.

What are you listening to this Monday?

Jodythinks

Just breathe.

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

I have been called high strung, easily excitable, “pikon”. So many things. Chill or laid back are not words that people use to describe me. One of the SO’s favorite lines to use with me is actually “Calm down.” because obviously, he is the chiller person in this relationship. I have a temper. It’s not pretty, and so are the words I sometimes use when I’m in one of my moods.

 

I am learning to just breathe. Growing older (Yes, I am admitting it) has made me realize that we all need time to think about what we say or do especially at the heat of the moment, because you cannot take those words back. If you think about what you said when you were angry, you’d like to take them back, you didn’t really mean them, or want to serve up that ultimatum, it was just something that came up. Word vomit.

 

If I could, I would take back a lot of things I’ve said in anger. I’ve said some pretty ridiculous things that I’ve felt mortified about after. There are also things I’ve written down that I know I will never say out loud, just to get it out of my system. It is my way of letting it out, so I won’t blurt it out suddenly if presented with an opportunity.

 

I’ve seen too many people take in too much stress, take on too much, and are sick, or have passed from it. When we keep things in, or express things we didn’t mean and feel guilty about it, we add to the burden our hearts carry every day, until our hearts can’t take it anymore.

 

Give yourself the space and time to breathe. We all need it.

Jodythinks

Your words are important

Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Have you ever felt like your words were just drifting into the wind, with no one bothering to listen or pay attention?

I’ve felt that. That sometimes you just don’t count, and your opinion, last on the list of priorities. I could blame being the middle child, or the quiet friend, all the psychological markers that come with the disorders connected with narcissism.

 

Or I can just admit that everyone wants to be heard at one point or another. Even if it’s just by one thoughtful ear, or one that doesn’t understand at all. (Reason #1 I talk to our rabbits) We all want to feel like our voices are heard, and our opinion matters. Because when we care to say something or have thought about something enough, it hurts to feel invisible. Granted, these “episodes” are few and far between and I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually felt voiceless. (I’m lucky, now, OKAY? I’ll stop humble bragging now)
For those who are still feeling unheard, don’t let it slow you down. Write it down. Call a friend you know will listen. Talk to your mom. Have a one sided conversation with your dog. Break open the bank account to go to a therapist if it feels like you just can’t take another second of the feelings you’re feeling without falling apart.

 

Let it out.

 

Get a blog like this one, tell friends you trust, or the world if that’s your thing. Because I guarantee at least one person will be interested in your ideas, your thoughts, your being. It’s just the beauty of the world, and the internet, that when you thought you were the only weird one, ten others share your perspective but in different tones.

 

Your words are important. Remember that.