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Mommy-ger

17 May 2013
Food, Personal
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Mother's Day Lunch at Sambo Kojin, SM Southmall

Mother’s Day Lunch at Sambo Kojin, SM Southmall

Now this is the post I had planned on writing about last Monday since it was a holiday here in the Philippines. However, I got caught up with other things—the National and Local Elections and I had to finish working on our missalette for the wedding.

For this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, we had lunch at SamboKojin, along with my future parents-in-law. Since Miggy and I are nearing six-months-wedding-countdown, our topic over lunch is everything wedding-related. I can tell both families are excited about the much-anticipated event of the year.

It’s a shame, though, that I was not able to get Mom a personalized gift nor a simple birthday card this year. I don’t want to justify my reasons, but it’s pretty evident why. It’s sad that I failed to exert more effort into making Mom special on this day. I’ll make it up to her on Father’s Day, perhaps?

Mom is my official Mommy-ger. She’s a hands-on mother (and wife) to her family. I admire her for she did (and continues to do) great with her role. I look up to her so much that I want to be as amazing of a wife and mother to my future husband and children as she already is.

Soon, I will be opening another chapter of my life as a married woman, and I wish that I make her proud for I will be a reflection of her love and dedication to her family. If I can’t be like her, I will, at least, try to become the best person that she ever hoped and prayed for.

No words can express nor define how much we are grateful for you, Mom. We are truly blessed to have you as our mother. I love you, Mom. Always and forever.

P.S. Please excuse Mom’s muffin top. She just finished a plate full of grilled goodness, plus she had all three of us, remember? Don’t judge her. She’s working on getting back in shape for my wedding. :)

Awareness

16 May 2013
Musings, Personal
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Nanay's 74th Birthday Celebration, AristocratI know I have yet to post what we did on Mother’s Day, but a relevant news involving Angelina Jolie reminded me of my grandmother’s before-death battle.

My mother’s parents had been living in the US with her eldest sister for a long time when they decided to finally come home to the Philippines in October 2006. The news came as shock to everyone especially when they seem to have made up their mind before breaking it out to their children. A month or two later, we were surprised to know that my grandmother had checked herself in at St. Luke’s Medical Center to undergo a major operation: a mastectomy, removing her right breast.

Another month later, my grandmother was brought to the hospital due to complications from her operation. It turned out, she had breast cancer, and that the cancer cells have metastasized throughout her body. Everything happened so fast that no one really realized that my grandmother suffered a mild stroke in her sleep, thus resulting to slurred speech. It was devastating most especially to my mother, who was the immediate family member to attend to her needs (apart from my grandfather). My grandmother was in and out of the hospital until all seven children decided to take her home.

With the assistance of my mother’s brother, they turned my grandparents’ living room into a bedroom, fully accessible to other parts of the house (i.e., bathroom, kitchen, dining area). My grandmother was obese, so they had to take her bed down in replacement of the living room couch. Though very costly, the children decided to employ two caregivers to attend to her needs.

My grandmother’s battle with breast cancer lasted for about nine months despite her doctors’ initial assumption of only three to four months. It was heartbreaking to see my grandmother suffer with her illness. There were days when she would wail for hours, perhaps because of unbearable pain. She was restless, hardly even had a decent sleep. Likewise, it was difficult to see Mom endure the pain of seeing what her own mother’s going through. My mother was there every minute of every day.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

I relive this memory as I read through Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy earlier this week. According to news, her decision was influenced by the cause of her mother’s death in 2007. Marcheline Bertrand died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56, and after learning that Angelina carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer, she made a decision for herself and her family. Angelina claimed that her chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%.

Source: http://www.breastreconstructionnetwork.com

Not so long ago, Giuliana Rancic, a host (E! News/Fashion Police), a reality TV star (Giuliana & Bill), and a breast cancer survivor, also underwent a double mastectomy in 2011. Giuliana and her husband, Bill, had been trying to conceive a baby when she learned that she had breast cancer. I watched a few episodes of Giuliana & Bill at the time, and I could tell that it had been a very difficult situation for them and their families.

These two ladies have used their public figures as a platform to bring awareness to women, especially those who may be walking in the same shoes as theirs. I personally liked the following parting words from Angelina Jolie herself:

“For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,” Jolie wrote. “I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.”

But for Jolie, the decision ultimately came down to her kids.

“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she said.

This news may have rattled everyone else who has heard about it, but I truly admire her courage to do something that could greatly affect her and her family in various ways. You are phenomenal, Angelina Jolie. You truly are beautiful inside and out. God bless you and your family, Angie. May you continue to inspire people through your peacefulness as well as your battles.

Give Me A Break

15 May 2013
Food, Personal, Travel
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Have you ever wanted to take a breather, get out of the city, but you decide against it, thinking it could be costly? For someone who works most days of the year, I think I deserve a break at least for a day. Since summer season kicked off here in the Philippines, my Twitter and Instagram timelines have been plagued with photos from my friends’ beach getaway. I’m not going to lie, but those photos make me envious.

Source: http://www.splashandrelax.co.uk

My family hasn’t seen the clear waters and fine sand of the beach in three years, and this year was no exception. The prickly heat would have made more sense if we were lounging by the sea. Oftentimes, my brothers and I coax each other into buying an inflatable kiddie pool just so we could at least take advantage of the extreme hot weather. For your information, the weather in the Philippines is damp, hence making it more unbearable in most days.

Two weekends ago, Dad finally took us to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Calamba, Laguna. It’s only a few kilometers away from the city, but it’s far enough to enjoy the beauty of nature and its scenery. We arrived there just in time for lunch. I was really up for some sushi and sashimi, but I was outnumbered by my family, so we ended up at David’s Tea House, a Chinese restaurant. 

Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Lunch at David's Tea House & Hot Pot, Nuvali

After lunch, we stayed by the fish pond and fed the koi fishes. We used to do have an aquarium at home with a few gold fishes, and feeding a lot more fishes was actually fun! We, then, took a stroll towards Solenad 1&2 to check the retail shops and other establishments out. Before we return to where we were first stayed, we made a quick trip at Serenitea for a milk tea fix. Incidentally, Dad’s former colleague lives nearby, so we were invited to come over to their house for a little get-together. He even took us to see Republ1c Wake Park, a place suitable for sporty people like myself! Who would have thought that a wake park could be accessible here? I mean, you need not go to Camarines Sur to get the wake boarding experience. In fact, we might try it out when Miggy comes home again this year.

Family at Nuvali

Nuvali

Republ1c Wake Park, Nuvali

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Most people think that the best places to go during the summer are somewhere a boat- or plane-ride away from the city, but really, all you have to do is drive further down South to get the break that you deserve. That trip to Nuvali wasn’t our typical summer getaway, but we sure enjoyed a day spent with family and friends. Another one for the books!

A Good Kind of PMS-ing

14 May 2013
Personal
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Today I returned to work from a three-day long weekend.
 As expected, I am swamped with work, 
but not anything I can't manage.
 My Tuesday kicked off well except that I had been 
unusually lethargic.
 Ah, must be the PMS.

Source: http://jinxipedia.blogspot.com/

Just when I tried to ward the feeling off, 
I received a very exciting news from one of my girl friends!

Source: http://memefaces.tumblr.com

Literally cried tears of joy today! 

So, how did your day go, guys?

SEPANX.

2 May 2013
Personal
2 Comments

I am a very emotional person. By emotional, I mean I am easily affected by random things: I laugh at the corniest joke and cry for the silliest reason. My family and most close friends can validate this claim. When I was younger, my uncles and aunts used to tease me that I could well pass for a great actress should I choose to take that path. While it did cross my mind once or twice, I never took the joke seriously.

I am terrible with goodbyes. I actually remind myself of Abby Abernathy of Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster when she’d rather leave unannounced than suffer from separation anxiety. Last week was the last day of one of my buddies at work. Nica has decided to leave the company in search for “greener pasture”. Nica is four years my junior. She is actually the same age as my younger brother, hence I considered her as my little sister.

For future reference, I have written a short list of things NOT to do with this young woman:

  1. Save her from a potential parasite. Nica was a fresh graduate when she was offered a job as a Journal Account Officer. Being the youngest in the team, she allowed herself to make friends with her new colleagues. One of them took advantage of her youth, and that was when I decided to step into the picture. I need not elaborate on what happened, but Nica and I knew it was the beginning of a budding friendship.
  2. Ask her about anything Korean. When she’s at it, she never stops. Never. She can go on for an entire day animatedly talking about anything and everything Korean. She won’t give up. You will.
  3. Ask her what book she’s currently reading. For the record, I have to thank her (and Micah), for they influenced me into reading again despite how busy I have been. Anyway, when she’s really into the book she’s reading, she has the tendency to spoil the story for you. This applies to whatever she’s reading, regardless of its genre. You won’t even need to read it yourself.
  4. Talk to her about shopping. I have to link this with the second item above because to Nica, “clothes” and “Koreans” go together. Enough said.
  5. Discuss political and/or religious views with her. If you’re not up for a debate, then don’t. Just don’t. The kid has a degree in International Studies, so you may not win a way out of whatever opinion you may have. Nica takes these things to the next level; whoever dared will either be left dumbfounded or annoyed.
  6. Confide in her. She may appear out of sorts sometimes, but this lady sure knows how to keep secrets. I knew this when for whatever reason, she called me, and asked me to find her in the ladies’ room. I didn’t know what was going on, but she suddenly burst into tears. I was clueless, but I tried to comfort her like an elder sister would. Nica is as vulnerable as I am, hence I don’t hesitate to confide in her whenever the need arises. We may not be the best of friends, but we sure know how to lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on like most good friends do.
Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

I could come up with a longer list, but that would take so much of your time. Now, here’s my little farewell message to you, Nica:

You are an exceptional person. You are wise beyond your years. While you excel in a lot of ways, you also have moments when you’re slow on uptake. That is fine because you are still young. Well, you’re not getting any younger, but you possess the ability to learn through life’s experiences. I know you’re not afraid to take chances—resigning from your previous job was the first of the many opportunities that will come your way.

Remain humble. I cannot say this enough because I know you really are intelligent, but you also have to learn to be modest. Just do your thing, and let people realize [in their own ways] how valuable you are. Surprise them with what you got, Nic!

Last, but certainly not the least, invest on good friends, not on tangible things. People come and go. Every person you meet along the way may not be as significant as you expect them to be, but they may have taken part in your own play, your so-called life. Be grateful because you truly deserve the blessings that come your way.

We miss you already! Good luck and Happy First Day Funk!

For what it’s worth, I did all the above-mentioned with Nica. I know I failed miserably, but it sure was a friendship for keeps. No crying, young lady. I’ll see you in my wedding! ;)

Becoming of a Woman

25 April 2013
Personal
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For this week’s #ThrowbackThursday post, I will write about my 18th birthday celebration. So what makes it worth writing about, you may ask? In the Philippines, celebrating one’s 18th birthday or Debut is equivalent to what others refer to as their Sweet Sixteen. The Debut is a traditional Filipino coming-of-age celebration for young women. The occasion is somewhat reminiscent of the Latin American Quinceañera, although instead of celebrating the girl’s 15th birthday, the debut celebrates a young woman’s 18th birthday, the age of maturity in the Philippines.

I remember being asked by my parents what I wanted for my 18th birthday a year or so before the day itself. It’s typical to throw a large party, complete with three sets of 18 individuals to represent roses, candles, and treasures, respectively; however, my parents were trying to talk me out into considering a trip to Singapore with the family instead. Being the unica hija, I opted to celebrate my birthday in a party with family and friends. Apart from this, I don’t really celebrate my birthdays on a yearly basis, thus further justifying my decision. I had no idea that my parents were actually thinking of giving me a grand celebration until Mom accidentally revealed where it will be held. Apparently, they planned on making it special, so special that it’s going to be in a hotel.

My mother was hands-on with the preparation of my birthday celebration. In fact, it was as if she was planning her wedding all over again. She had everything laid out that my only involvement was when she asked me to provide her with the list of friends who will participate as 18 Roses, 18 Candles, and 18 Treasures. Needless to say, I was a princess for a day.

Where: Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Manila)
When: 06 November 2004
Color Motif: Yellow and Apple Green
Theme: Butterflies

Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
College Friends, Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Kuya Bab and Jae, Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)
Westin Philippine Plaza (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza)

Last 07 April, my youngest girl cousin from Dad’s side of the family, Macy, turned 18 herself. Like me, her parents threw her a grand celebration at a hotel. It was a slightly different though, what with all other 18 things she added in her program. All of five of us in the family had our respective roles in Macy’s party. Dad and my brother, Roi, were part of the 18 Gifts, while Kevin was one of her 18 Roses. Mom was assigned as one of the 18 Treasures, while I was expected to participate in 18 Song Lines. Fancy, right?

All the while I thought I was only going to recite a few lines from a song, but when my other cousin, Kim, told me that I was supposed to sing Macy the song I dedicate to her, I panicked! Funny thing was I had Britney Spears’ I’m Not A Girl (Not Yet A Woman) in mind. Oh, and by the way, I sang the very same song in my debut, too! See that photo of me singing above? That’s it. Anyway, I plucked up the courage to sing a few lines from the song for my cousin.

When I turned 18, most of elders advised me not to rush things. Just because I’m of legal age, doesn’t mean I have all the excuse to be crazy and stupid. It was the same thing I told Macy in my message to her. I reminded her to take her time in growing up because maturity comes with age and experience. I know I’m only a few years older than she is, and it doesn’t make me any wiser, but I’ve been in the same phase, so I should somehow know better.

Watching my cousin the whole time brought back memories to my own debut celebration. I know exactly how overwhelming it was to spend a very special day with dearest family and friends. It was evident that she had a blast, so did her guests. It’s unfortunate, however, that some of our relateives weren’t there to witness it, too.

Where: The New Camelot Hotel
When: 07 April 2013
Color Motif: Pink and Purple
Theme: Royalty

The New Camelot Hotel
Macy, The New Camelot Hotel
Macy @ 18, The New Camelot Hotel
Macy and her family, The New Camelot Hotel
Cousins, The New Camelot Hotel
Cousins, The New Camelot Hotel
Ladies, The New Camelot Hotel
Macy, The New Camelot Hotel
Macy and Kevin, The New Camelot Hotel
Gentlemen, The New Camelot Hotel
Father-Daughter Dance, The New Camelot Hotel

4 Pics, 1 Word

18 April 2013
Musings, Personal, Writing
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18042013

Unlike most people nowadays, I don’t find popular or top-rated games applications appealing. Would you believe that I haven’t downloaded games nor music into my phone since I had it? All you can find in my phone are a library of eBooks, some photography apps, and a few apps for productivity. That’s until my brothers and I played 4 Pics, 1 Word in Jan’s (my brother’s girlfriend) iPod Touch. I find games involving words more stimulating, so it isn’t much of a surprise that I eventually got hooked on this game.

The answer to the photo above is a no-brainer. You would have guessed this the moment you saw my post in your Reader. This is my take on BLOGGING.

I know many of us have read a lot about blogging: What Makes a Blog Interesting, What Makes a Blog Successful, Tips on Blogging. The list goes on. As mentioned in my About page, I am not a professional writer nor do I have a formal background in writing, but I would like to believe that someday, somehow, I will serve as an inspiration to people from all walks of life. This remains true to this day.

Followers of this blog know very well that I have been slacking off with entries for the past few months. I do have a lot of ideas to write about in most days; you know, thoughts about random things, but I had been caught up between my day job and wedding preparations. When I do find the time, I draft a post, and gradually work on it again the next time I’m free. It isn’t like I make a living out of writing, but since it is my way of sharing my experiences, expressing my thoughts and what-nots, I know I just have to make time for it.

Two weeks ago, I blogged about my deceased friend, Gela, and her long-lost lover, Ralph. Boy, did it earn a lot of likes. I was really overwhelmed that it almost brought me to tears. I know it’s too shallow, but I don’t get that much likes in a post, hence the reaction. No, don’t take pity on me. It’s fine, really. While you’re at it, I gained a couple more followers from that entry, too. Okay, do I get to cry now? Kidding aside, these stats weren’t as dramatic as you would have imagined, but it is a good start.

Below are few of my thoughts on blogging:

  • I don’t have a particular theme for my site, but I write mostly about experiences with family and friends. I realized that I have turned my site into an online journal/diary of some sort. As my fellow blogger friend would put it, my entries oftentimes bear a personal touch.
  • As much as possible, I don’t plague my site with frivolous rants not because I want to kiss my readers’ asses (no pun intended), but for the reason that there are a lot more reasons to focus on sensible things. After all, my aim is to inspire other people, right? How am I supposed to do so if my entries are full of negative thoughts? Don’t get me wrong. It’s just me.
  • I may have this much of followers, but only few them have actually commented/reacted to my entries apart from hitting the “Like” button. More than anything else, I appreciate it when they do drop me a line or two based on what I had posted. Some comments are compliments to how much they enjoyed reading my entry, and some leave me with questions that calls for a good conversation. I can’t really blame those who just settle in liking posts they find interestingly good, and don’t bother leaving a comment because honestly, I do this, too. It isn’t because I have nothing to say at all, but sometimes, I get chickened out thinking what I’m about to say may come off completely ridiculous. I don’t want to be labeled a troll or something else worse. In my case, however, I encourage my readers to speak their minds regardless of what they are going to say.
  • Read. Go out. Meet new people. Get a life. Reminisce. Not in that particular order, but you get the drift. I do these to draw ideas from the unusual things I experience out there. When I’ve organized the pool of thoughts in my head, I put them into writing. It sounds easy, but it takes some work, too.

If you think these are all there is in blogging, you’re wrong. The possibilities are endless. In fact, I dream of being able to do stuff like host blog giveaways, post entries on fashion, share an excerpt from a fictional story I wrote myself, discuss my personal views on politics and encourage constructive criticisms/arguments without lashing out on other people, upload workout videos or make-up tutorials, etc. My fellow blogger friends influence me into believing that I will have the courage and the means to post such entries, too. Someday, someday.

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Sibs

11 April 2013
Personal
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So, according to my Twitter and Instagram feeds, today is National Siblings Day. I must admit that it’s the first time I heard about it, and looking at the photos of other people’s siblings made me want to partake in it, too. Incidentally, today is also Thursday, so I will be posting some photos of me and my brothers from not-so-long-ago for #ThrowbackThursday.

Anvaya Cove, December 2009
Anvaya Cove, November 2010
Mom and Dad’s Silver Wedding Anniversary, January 2011
Anvaya Cove, September 2008
Anvaya Cove, December 2008
Mr. Kurosawa, November 2012
The Buffet 101, January 2012
Casa Roces, March 2012
University of Santo Tomas, March 2012
Josephine’s Restaurant, Tagaytay, October 2011
Enchanted Kingdom, April 2009
Anvaya Cove, November 2010
Fish & Co., November 2009

My avid readers are very much aware that I talk about my family a lot, and that my brothers are dearest to me. I’m the eldest of three, and I have assumed the role of a responsible sister at a very young age. I’m not saying that my parents were irresponsible, but we grew up with no nanny, so when Mom and Dad were at work, I look after the boys.

Like most siblings, we went through the typical siblings bickering that eventually led to fights. Although I have two brothers, they never really beat each other to death, but may have hit each other once or twice out of annoyance. I guess it’s another indication that my parents brought us up well. My two brothers differ in so many ways, but both of them are very protective of me despite being younger than I am. When Dad’s on a business trip overseas, my brothers assume Dad’s role in taking care of Mom and I.

As we grow older, we have witnessed how Mom and Dad’s relationship with their siblings fell apart, respectively. It’s unfortunate, but we see it as a blessing in disguise in order for us to realize how important family values are. Dad never fails to remind us that no matter how things get tough, we will always have each other’s back. Friends will be there, but as the saying goes, blood is thicker than water.

From my siblings to yours, we wish you a Happy National Siblings Day! May you remain one another’s best friend through the years!

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Universe Conspiracy Theory

5 April 2013
Personal
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Source: http://www.flickr.com

Three nights ago, as I was getting ready for bed, I tapped the Mail app on my iPad to check my emails. As usual, my inbox was plagued with feeds from people I follow on WordPress.com and daily digests from a wedding online community. Reading through each and every mail, a particular notification–a comment–to one of my blog posts made my body quiver. The comment was from a former school mate in elementary who happened to be my deceased friend’s first love. Upon reading who the response was from, I felt gooseflesh all over. It was Ralph, and I might as well think he bobbed up from the grave.

Remember my friend, Gela, who died of lupus at age 17? Well, Ralph was her childhood crush/love. We were in fourth grade when Gela and I became close. We never were classmates, but we rode the same bus service to and from school. That’s where it all started.

See, Gela and I had been so close, there hardly was a day we didn’t get in touch. After school, even when we rode the bus together on our way home, we would call each other and talk on the phone for hours. Like most ten-year olds, we talked about friends and crushes. I would have said “boys”, but it wasn’t like we were of legal age to be in a relationship at that time. During summer break, instead of seeing or going out with each other, we settled for writing letters and have them sent by post. Our mothers would have thought that we were nuts because we wrote to each other almost every day.

Gela’s letters were mostly about the stuff she did since school ended. She would animatedly describe how their family trip to the province went or how she’s catching up with her swimming lessons. It was the kind of fun kids our age loved back then. Gela was the youngest and the only girl in the family. She was pretty much the baby in the family, so the idea of her having suitors at a very young age was out of the picture. She was like a mestiza doll with her fair skin, natural brown hair and eyes. There was no doubt boys admired her because she was a smart kid and had a bubbly personality, too. So, what’s not to love?

But love was something so premature at a very young age. Rarely do I find couples who have been in love with each other since their childhood years. Gela mentioned Ralph a lot of times in her letters. We even came up with a code name for him just in case our letters get lost, and fall into someone else’s possession. Oh, you know, we were just being kids. Gela’s fondness of Ralph was evident in her letters. Oh, puppy love. In fact, they were often teased by their classmates because they knew how the two felt for each other. They were like Alfalfa and Darla (of The Little Rascals) back in the day, only to end up as reversed version of Thomas J and Vada in the movie, My Girl.

Ralph’s response to my blog post was poignant. Apparently, after all these years, he remained attached to Gela. He moved to the US when he was 14, and has never visited the Philippines since. When he heard about Gela’s demise, he wanted to come home, but circumstances didn’t allow him to. Gela has been dead for nine years now, and she remained in his thoughts and dreams since. It could be the guilt for not being there, at least, during her wake that bothered him through the years. In his words, he’d written these:

For the life of me, I just woke up and wanted to look her name up on the internet. Back then all I could search for was her name and simple obituary. Now I’m really glad that there’s this little blog where anyone could read a little about Clara’s life.

That’s how Ralph stumbled upon my humble website. It was overwhelming to realize that I have actually done something to somehow ease another person’s grief over the loss of a loved one. I may not be able to bring Gela back into this world, but I have, at least, served as an instrument in inspiring other people by reliving her wonderful life through my writing. Who knows, it may be God’s doing to let us all know that Gela’s in [His] good hands. I wish Ralph the peace of mind and heart that he deserves for he has truly loved Gela, but more importantly, I pray that he may be able to move on without having to forget the memories that will forever remain beautiful.

So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.

—Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

No Particular Reason

25 March 2013
Food, Personal
6 Comments

It is common knowledge that my family’s favorite pastime is eating, and every special occasion would mean celebrating it over a meal at a fancy restaurant. Last weekend, my family and I went out for a lunch date for no particular reason. Not that there’s nothing at all to celebrate about, but we hardly do something like this nowadays just because.

I was with Miggy when I first dined at Yabu: The House of Katsu in SM Mall of Asia. I’ve heard a lot of raves about this Japanese restaurant from friends, so in one of our random dates, we decided to try it out. The restaurant was called as such because it offers a wide variety of katsu on its menu. With every meal’s serving size, we find the PhP 300–500 (US$ 8–12) price range very reasonable. Every katsu meal is served with unlimited Japanese rice and cabbage salad. What makes it more interesting is the part where you get to make your own katsu sauce (as shown in their website). I promised to take my family to this restaurant, and I thought the timing was perfect.

Original Katsudon Set at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Seafood Katsu Set 1 at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Kevin, Jan, and Dad at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Rosu Katsu Curry Set at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Menchi at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Menchi at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia
Mom, Jae, and Roi at Yabu: The House of Katsu, SM Mall of Asia

After a very sumptuous lunch, we all went for a much-needed walk. You know, to somehow burn the calories we consumed, enough to fill our recommended daily intake (RDI). Shopping wasn’t in our agenda that day, but the ladies (Mom, Jan, and myself) found ourselves going in at Forever21. We got ourselves a few things, something we all thought that we deserve. After which, Mom and Dad had to rush to the SM Mall of Asia Arena to watch a live concert. Foursome, a repeat performance by the Philippines’ top local artists: Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Regine Velasquez, and Ogie Alcasid, is Mom’s belated anniversary and Valentine’s day gift from Dad.

Something interesting happened that night. My brothers, Jan, and I were on our way to the Arena a few minutes before the show commenced to give Dad his camera. Initially, he didn’t bring his Lumix because it looks like a digital SLR, and according to security, cameras like this aren’t allowed inside. To Dad’s dismay, there were a lot of people who had their dSLR inside. When we walked pass the entrance for employees and/or VIPs, someone called our attention. Apparently, it was one of the back-up dancers offering us three free tickets to see the show. Because we were much in a hurry to take Dad’s camera to him, we completely ignored him. On our way back to the mall, we realized that it must be a legit offer, even coming to a theory that the owners of those tickets are the dancer’s family members/friends who couldn’t make it to the show. We were hoping we could still score those free tickets, but the dancer may have given them to someone else. What is missed chances!

Despite the thick crowd and traffic on our way home, that weekend was one of the best we ever had! Surely, no particular reason is necessary to spend weekends like this with family and friends.

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