Sonya's Garden

Spent my post-birthday lunch yesterday at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay. The trip took almost two hours (South Super Highway is undergoing rehabilitation), but once you've reached and passed the Sta. Rosa exit, everything is a breeze! This is one trip where you'd leave your car windows open to feel the cool air. No pollution, no smoke belchers.

Sonya's Garden is a place where one can't just say, 'just dropping by', since it is tucked away from the main road and you'd really have to exert extra effort to get there. It was overwhelming! Perfect for quiet moments, conversations, relaxations and what-nots.. any nature-lover will go gaga with the country settings, numerous flower gardens and trails, and secluded garden nooks, coupled with the very cool fresh air Tagaytay is famous for. Here I found and was so excited in seeing a red caballero, as Manila would have it mostly in orange, or yellow, as well as multi-colored, what looked like siling-labuyo, planted near the cottages. Parang christmas lights!!

Hopeless romantics, according to their website, sees the garden as, and I quote, "a wonderful haven of romance, love blooms in Sonya’s garden like flowers of an eternal spring.... and have found it to be a popular spot to disarm, to court and to propose." I don't blame them. If you have all the time in the world, and would like to engage into simple conversations-- no frills... then this is the place!

The food is very filling! Their lunch include unlimited freshly squeezed dalandan juice, a garden salad, whose ingredients are freshly picked from their vegetable gardens; freshly baked, oven-hot wheat bread with dips, as well as their pasta with their signature sauces. And if you think that was all, you'll be surprised with their dessert of sweet-boiled kamote (yummy!) banana rolls (turon!) and very moist chocolate cake. Lunch, by the way, also took us almost 2 hours! With the kind of food they serve, you'll be talking and talking in between! How's that for conversations?

I'd certainly would like to return. Probably spend the night to relax and get away from it all.

Hmm..Kelan pa kaya?!?

Four-O

It's the big "four-O" for me today.

Unlike last year, this time it really took a lot for me to finally blurt it out. One thing here is, when you look into the mirror.. you'd also realize that you've really aged. Iba na dating eh. Though I had the majority pop their eyes out and/or leave their mouth wide open, it feels good, hehe. No one believes.

Family Day at 8Waves

It was a first. Family get-together out-of-town. Everything was a blast! We left  Marikina at around 6:30am and had breakfast at Jolibee NLEX. We were 16 altogether including the yayas. ( except bro Earl, and cousin Angge). Arrived at 8 Waves at exactly 9am, but lo and behold! We thought that since it was an early summer treat, we'd somehow have the park all to ourselves. Little did we know that there was this big, big religious gathering, as well as 3 school field trips were also scheduled today!!!
The nice lady at the ticket counter said that they are expecting around 2 thousand guests and if we'd like, we can do an ocular first to see if we'd really like to push through. Hay naku! and pushed through we did. The kids are all excited, not even gazillions of people can stop them! Anyways...
Everyone had a wonderful time kahit sa sobrang dami ng tao. We vowed to return, of course, but made sure we'd call first to see if there were any bookings. Left the park at 6pm and had dinner at Max's NLEX. The kids were exhausted, the yayas have fun stories to tell their amigas, and we had our own tans. Yey!

Welcome sa Kowhsina Kowh!

Oh, the many ways to cook Awdobong Mahnauk! This was forwarded by a long-time friend. Very hilarious. All I can say is...too much laurel leaves, and why did he mix the vinegar before letting it boil?!?! Anyway, to each his own! Enjoy :-)

Waves and henna

It's early swimming and summer for me and friends at the 8 Waves WaterPark in Bulacan! Had a blast.. and the park almost all to ourselves last Feb 8-9! It's times like this that you've got the courage to don a 2-pc bathing suit without worrying if your companions had better toned abs! Well, for your information, pare-pareho kaming naka-tuck-out ang bilbil hehe! That's why it's fun.

Also had (at last!...at least..) a cat-henna tattooed on my lower back. Kaka-enganyong gawing permanent! Konting convincing pa. Almost had one, actually, way back 1990 as Merchandiser for Sylvia Santos, Inc. when, during a get-together with the other merchandisers and designers, was also a tattoo session... and everybody was having one-- a butterfly tattoo above the right ankle. Bakit di natuloy?---- oo nga ano, bakit nga ba??!?!

Anyway, will be going back to 8 Waves on the 23rd as a joint birthday celebration for -- mama (21st), brothers Ron (18th) and Earl (23rd), nephew Jaki (28th), and Me, hehe, next month on the 4th. Till then!