Category: Jodythinks

Jodythinks · Love/Life

Of jewelry, and ancestry

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Last week, I bought my first piece of jewelry. Why does this matter? For most of us, jewelry doesn’t. And in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t. A shiny piece of rock, a  glint of metal that catches the eye, and sometimes even brings you more trouble than its worth. Jewelry is affectation, meant to show success or just an affinity for things that are pretty.

My lola (my dad’s mom), loved jewelry. I remember growing up and going to her house 3 hours away on weekends to stay the night, and being asked to go into her room, and walking out with a ring, or necklace or a matching whole set. She liked the shiny of diamonds, and collected a lot, and us being her only immediate grandchildren, and only two girls, we were the ones who received them.

I am not saying in any way that we are wealthy. She was comfortable with her small businesses and didn’t like to spend on most anything really. She hated travelling. She wasn’t one to spend on food. She never liked shopping because it meant a trip to Manila, and was not a fan of being away from her home too long. She did like her trinkets. I remember not being impressed with diamonds and other rocks because I saw her a lot of times with a lot, wearing them to bed, and stretching out her lobes so much she needed surgery to fix them. (Ladies, this is probably sounding graphic, but it was true, so please, don’t sleep with your earrings on, or have to have your earlobes sewn back together because they’re so stretched out).

So I guess this is mostly a story of my lola, who had her birthday on April 2nd, and I’m hoping nodding with approval up there when I picked up the eternity band and never put it back down. It is now sitting on my right ring finger, a little bit too shiny for my old fading shirt and ripped shorts sitting near a pond full of tilapia, but just too pretty to say no to.
So hello Lola. I hope this Easter you and Ninong bonded over coffee and pandesal, and watching over us, a little extra shiny now.

 

Jodythinks

Today’s borrowed thought

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quiet talksI know I will sound boring with today’s thought, but sometimes, it really is the real, tiny things in life that are experiences. Finding the time to have a real conversation. Staying awake just because, when you’re used to sleeping at 8 pm. These are some of the experiences that stand out.

Live the reality that not everything is something that sounds like it should be written on a movie script, because life usually is. Quiet.

Well at least mine is. And right now, I am happy about that. Drama has no space in my life right now, so please, unless necessary, please leave it at the door.

What experience have you had recently that jumps out at you?

food · Jodythinks · Restaurant reviews

Duck and Buvette: Comfortingly good.

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When a former colleague asked to take us to dinner for a celebration of a year well done, I had to look for a place in the Shangrila area. It couldn’t be too weird, as our colleague is notorious for being picky, and it couldn’t be too far because we only had a limited amount of time. I had settled with Duck and Buvette because the reviews were good, and not being very familiar with French food or any version of it, it was something we had to try.

For something we all weren’t familiar with, the style of cooking at Duck and Buvette (or at least the dishes we tried), felt comforting and recognizable. Beef with potatoes, veal with corn, fish dishes. Bacon(!).

My friend, being a big fan of all things bacon, ordered the Maple Candied Bacon and Lemon (P175) to start, and this is what we got:

Maple Candied Bacon and Lemon

They were good, I just needed them a tad crispier, as I am of the thinking that bacon should always be crispy.

The table favorite was the 8 hour Angus Briskets (P370), creamy, melt in your mouth beef with garlic mashed potatoes that i wanted to steal from the two people (out of four of us there) who ordered it.

 

8 Hour Angus Briskets

I had the Veal Shank and Smacked Corn (P550)

Veal Shank and Smacked Corn

For me, a really manly type dish that was full of beefy flavor, made a little delicate with the corn.

Verdict: We shall return. Especially for the mashed potatoes.

Prepare to spend: Around P600-P700 per person for food and drinks

Duck and Buvette

02 6310675
+63 9179324843

Level 2, Main Wing, Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City

 

food · Jodythinks · Restaurant reviews

Patio Vera: Gorgeous area, menu hit and miss

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Patio Vera’s Beef Steak and Paella Valenciana

I can’t take credit for finding Patio Vera, as it was the significant other that found it and made reservations the first time we went there. I was awed. The place was gorgeous. It’s set in an outdoor patio, with an all white room that’s airconditioned for those who want their dinner a bit brighter. Filled with vintage knick knacks, I was openmouthed the whole time I was waiting for our food to arrive, and how do you not, with this all around you:

Flowery pretty

The menu is fairly simple, nice Filipino favorites with a sprinkling of other cuisine. It is divided in simple categories of soup, salad, and main ingredients (Pork, Beef, Veggies, etc.). Our first visit, I had the Fabada (P115) soup, which according to their menu was white beans, pork knuckles and chorizo. It was great. Soothing, smooth, and really quite heavy for a single serving. This made me too full to finish my Salpicao Aglio Olio (P325), which the boyfriend finished. To be honest, it was a little too oily for me, too much richness on one plate, and after a rich soup, I couldn’t manage more than half the serving.

Boyfriend had the Halaan in Ginger Wansuy Soup (P99), which had a nice kick and a surprisingly good touch of wansuy, and the Spare Ribs (P325). He left half the ribs on the plate, as they were half slabs of fat, which is nice for a lot of people, but for him, too much as well.

This was not the last time we would go, in fact we went a month ago with his family. A bigger group, we were seated in the middle of the patio, and ordered significantly more dishes. Here is what we ordered:

Crispy Pata (P595) which was huge, enough for 3-4 people on its own. One caveat was the soy sauce that usually accompanies the dish had a sweet taste, which is not really for me.

Classic Kare Kare (P395) large serving too, 3-4 people as well. Vegetables were fresh, there were both oxtail and tripe, which works for me as I’m partial to tripe. Sauce was a bit sweet, but goes nicely with the bagoong.

Beef Steak (P345) good for 2-3 people. Nothing special, but good for those wanting traditional beef steak.

Everyone also had a Fabada which went over well with all.

Verdict: Go for the ambience, try the menu as it can be hit or miss. I am definitely a bigger fan of Patio Vera’s space, their menu I’m still going back and forth on.

Prepare to spend: Around P400-P500 a head with drinks.

Where is it:

70 General F. Santos Street, Calumpang, Marikina City

Please reserve a table before going as they can fill up (02 2390615), and be prepared to be a little patient on parking as there isn’t really space to park, it’s just on the street.

 

 

 

Jodythinks

Too soon, Munchkin.

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Sasha Munchkin  Sasha Munchkin. We loved her the moment we saw her.      A name that took us a day to decide on. We got her January   31, 2015, picked up from an online seller. She was so tiny,    she came in a Zesto box, even if she was three months old.

She was a sweet bunny. Shy at first, but calm. After an hour with her, she got comfortable enough to explore the house, and the first thing she checked was us, nudging her nose on our feet, our knees. This became a habit, after she got out of wherever she was, she would nudge us first then continue her exploring elsewhere.

Even Chester Buko, our first rabbit, loved her on sight. We separated their living areas as we were waiting for him to get spayed, and of course she was very little and could not go too much playing with him, while he could be very excitable about things.

She was a sweet little lady, and liked bananas. Smart, she found a way out of whatever she was being kept, and found herself inside the hay box to eat, a lot (although, as in the photo, it was hard for her to get out).

 

Our baby left us too soon on February 14, 2015. We heard her cry and she left us 15 minutes later. She was buried under a tree, so she could enjoy the sun and the smell of grass.

I am sure she is playing with Eho, our other bunny now, nudging her nose to him. We miss you Munchkin. We’re sorry we couldn’t have you for longer.

Jodythinks · Love/Life · Work

Change yourself, change your world

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I read somewhere that Steve Jobs said, “Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” I truly understand wanting to change the world, and weirdly, the person who said this has changed how the world sees a phone, but I can truly relate to what he said.

I want to say, change yourself and change your world. It can be as small as changing how you eat breakfast, therefore making you cheerier for work in the mornings, creating more opportunities for friendships to form. The butterfly effect, where the smallest change can change the biggest things.

Your tiny decision of sleeping in five minutes can change the world. Don’t forget that.

But I digress, I was saying about changing your world. Your decisions matter because they’re yours. They change your path, your role in your circle, how things around you work.

When I decided to leave my job of four and a half years, I surprised even myself. It was not a decision I made lightly, and was made over a matter of months through a back and forth deliberation. It was a place I was happier than I had ever been, with people I know it would be the hardest to leave. But I knew in my gut it was the right decision, the voice in my head, the pesky one saying “It’s time to go.” didn’t let up, and when I told the people I reported to, it felt right. Even if it felt devastating. This was where I found family, I found love, I realized here, the idea of job satisfaction and going above and beyond because you cared about the outcome not just for you, but for the company as a whole. It was an amazing company to be with, and I will never let go of the people I’ve come to love from there.

Change, though, beckoned. I needed to breathe. Realize what I wanted long term. What will make me inspired more than the short term, and what I wanted for myself now.

I feel like February ran away from me and now, it being March, life and reality are knocking at my door. It’s time to tick off things I wrote down and make sure I get things in my life squared away. There are so many things on my list that my head feels dizzy on what to start first.

I do know that I want to get my room repaired and repainted by my birthday, as a gift to myself. Does anyone have a carpenter and painter they can recommend? I feel like the change in my “environment” will finally let it sink in that I’m not a Christmas elf anymore. And while that idea is a lot scary, it’s real. (Also my room is falling apart LOL)

So here we go. One step at a time. Change might not always be pleasant, but it works.

What did you change about your world recently?

Jodythinks

Endings

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Lately I’ve been thinking about endings. They say everything looks better in hindsight, but this is not something I agree with. I think everything looks better in hindsight only if you’re sad. If it feels right, then you see what ended clearly. What it was, what it wasn’t. And to quote a colleague in a phrase I heard the past several months quite often, “It is what it is.”.

Life will never be perfect. Something will always be a little bit off. You may be extremely happy, yes, and content with what you have, but it will never be 100% going your way. It just takes your choices and outlook to see if you’re good with the life you’re living.

So I ask myself these questions every so often. Enough to nudge myself if something is not quite right, and move myself from where I am if it’s not.

So dear reader, tell me:

Are you staying with something or someone because it’s what you want, or it’s what’s comfortable? Is it really where you see your life going? Do you think you contribute? Is it enough for you to be comfortable and good?

Or do you want more? Are your feet itching to take a leap of faith? Do you need a new challenge, or get yourself out of the rut you’ve been in for some time now?

And that’s why I find myself facing another ending, with something I never thought I’d say goodbye to. I am leaving my current work as a Christmas elf and finding what it is that makes me happy. It is a flying leap of faith, but it feels right, real, and time to go. I no longer want to feel uninspired and want to devolve into phoning in to a job that deserves much more. To contribute to a place that needs me, and makes the bone tired feeling that isn’t shaking off so far, worth it.

I will miss the people I have come to love not just as colleagues but as dear friends. The people that make the heavy, just a little bit lighter when you laugh off the absurd things that you need to deal with day to day. The people that I’ve shared a career with, from writer to email agent to senior supervisor at something I absolutely had no experience with before. I am grateful for the opportunities given to me, and amazed at how quick these almost 5 years have been with them, and hoping that those who will want to stay, will stay.

I am leaving a changed person, and I am hoping a better one, and the next adventure, I hope it’s awesome.

Jodythinks

But isn’t everything a gamble?

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The sunset
The sunset at the casino poolside

 

Gambling. It’s been on my mind lately, maybe because I’ve been in the Thunderbird Rizal resorts casino twice the past week, but also because of what’s happening in my life. I won’t go into too much detail right now, but to say, the future is not as I thought it’d be a few months before this one.

I am not a fan of casinos. Mostly because I never win. I don’t know how to play the games, and the slots never give me back anything. The air is filled with smoke and the food is just okay. It’s an environment built to make you want to concentrate on playing, and when you’re not there to play, it can be difficult to have fun.

Except for maybe a few places that offer other distractions adjacent to the casino. When we’re there, I usually head to the poolside to enjoy a bite to eat and a few drinks to while away the time, sit and read.

Sometimes I go in to people watch. The people who enjoy gambling fascinate me. While everyone knows that the house always wins, it doesn’t stop them, they will keep playing the game, lose thousands of pesos in an hour, while away the day (and night) sitting in front of a screen or dealer, unsure whether their bank account will be wiped out or get more money in without a lick of work in.

It’s a risk isn’t it, because the luck of the draw can make or break you. There is only a certain degree of control in the play, and most of the time, it’s what you’re dealt that will challenge you to come up with your next move, and how you react to it will show what you’re made of.

Cue the obvious metaphor for life. Who except the big guy up there knows what the next thing is, who can predict what life will hand you next? Everything is a gamble because there isn’t any predicting what will come next, and you can only control how you deal with it, and react to the changes you’re served.

That’s what I feel lately. Like this gamble in my life is still keeping its cards to the chest, and that life is yet to show me that this reshuffling is a good thing or bad. It’s a risk, and I’m happy to go with it.

What’s your gamble?

Jodythinks · Love/Life

And I will listen

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Those who know me know that I am not the friendliest of people, or the most talkative. I sit. I listen. I am there most of the time to lend an ear. This has perhaps lent me an air of coldness or superiority, but really, I am more just there for the people who I love.

I find myself mostly by myself.

I am not one to share too much, talk too long. I guess even at a point when everyone wanted to hear my story, I was wary of being the center of attention and masked my brokenness with humor, or sometimes anger. That is to say, when I want to vent, I will, but not really. I am happy to sit in the presence of my friends, listen to them talk, and be there.

You will gawk at me when I say that I feel more an introvert than one who thrives in the middle of a group, as I am often in the middle of one during work functions, or at a random restaurant. But yes, I do. I am not one to approach a person to introduce myself, or say Hi! to a person I haven’t seen in a long time unless I know them very well. I respect people’s space and am wary that I won’t be recognized because I have not kept in touch all that well, or reach out more often.

I guess that’s the appeal of this blog, that I will be able to express myself when needed, and better than I could in moments that I might regret what I say in frustration or fear. It gives me time to think, edit, and clean up my thoughts to a somehow logical train of thought.

But I will listen. I sometimes am afraid that I am not able to express how grateful I am to the people around me, or am more reserved than I wish, but if you are a friend, know that I am. I am happy just listening to conversations around me, and contribute when needed. It’s where I find myself most content.

So please, talk. Let me know if you need an ear, and I will be there. Or show up where I live. I am more than willing to listen, and if asked, tell you what I think. Because I like listening. People are infinitely more interesting than myself and I like getting to know them and their lives more than hearing myself talk.

So, do you want to talk? 🙂

Jodythinks

Today’s moment of cute

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Say hello to Chester Buko. A rabbit that is smart, stubborn and *almost* as much of a greedy eater as my old rabbit Eho.

That face

He makes my day. He is always quiet. He loves carrots and bananas, and likes his apple wood chews. He likes plopping down under the desk when he’s out of his cage. And he lives in a pink cage because he is gender comfortable in any color.

That is your moment of cute for the day. If those eyes don’t make you melt, I don’t know what will.