16.9.14

Ways to go

Possibly the only downside to how swiftly time seems to pass lately is not being able to fully savor the moment as it happens and as much as we want and mean to. Sure this is best when work or school is turning out to be a complete bore and before you know it, it's already Friday and your weekend plans are already filing through. But how about when you're still reeling in on "the best vacation ever" when suddenly you realize it had already been two summers since! Time is sneaky like that and I am yet to find a way to counter its tricks.

In my case, I have folders-full of memories waiting to be relived and shared, yet I never get to. So now, while time and how fast it goes is public enemy number one, my lazy self is running close on the list of reasons why I am where I am now, drowning in a pool of left-behind memoirs. In truth, May and June feels like a lifetime ago... But rest assured, it was filled with the best combination, as usual: good food and great friends.


1. Adorned with vintage coffeemakers and glass windows which boasted stunning "views" of a European countryside, the tucked-away cafe of Ground & Brew offered solace for me and my good ol' high school buds.

2. There was nothing like happy dinners with happy friends, while patiently waiting for the other girls and for our unforgettable little weekend getaway to commence. (By this time my camera was getting fixed at the shop, which would explain why the limited pictures for the month of May.)

3. In the month and a half that we were apart, my amazing friend Dess has been to a total of eight countries. The great news called for an obligatory brunch date and an afternoon's worth of exchanging stories and photos as well as books, movies, shows, and music.

4. After an eventful few days of vacation in Singapore with my twin, our brother only had a couple of hours in Manila before his flight back home. We spent it chugging down some merienda with a little bit of shopping on the side.

5. A romantic comedy and a tub of Dutch Speculoos are the perfect Saturday night companions, in my opinion. That evening was for A Case of You starring Justin Long and Evan Rachel Wood.

6. We may have expected too much from the newest burger joint in town. I mean, it's worth a shot, but it lacked that certain oomph my #bae5ever California and its burgers are known for.

7. For our first "alone-time" for a quite a long time, I happily accompanied my twin sister to a lunch buffet. We sampled every single food item served and, by the end of the excruciating yet delicious hour and half, may have used at least five plates each.

8. June was welcomed with a moving worship service, lunch at the Sunday market with friends we haven't seen in a while, coffee and catching up on our lives and some work, and a late afternoon stroll around the neighborhood.

9-10. Post-Taylor Swift, the youngest sister and I spent the following Sunday with our close relatives, attending church, grabbing some Italian, and watching The Edge of Tomorrow. It was the type of weekend we'd love to repeat, over and over again.

11. On the Independence Day holiday after the Hillsong concert, the sisters and I once again stayed over at our relatives'. Come afternoon, we dropped by the mall to meet up with their high school friends over early dinner. There happened to be an ongoing vintage car show while we were there.

12. And then I was back at the buffet place one Friday night. Don't blame me, I was just a plus one (of a plus one?). It was my sister's former department's summer bonding activity and everyone seemed to have brought their families. The crepe station was fun sight but not as enjoyable as making my own wintermelon milktea.


13. Surprisingly, the twin and I ate at Mom and Tina's twice that weekend. Perhaps it was their comfort food or their cozy, homey interiors... Whatever it is, we're absolutely coming back for more.

14. One time we also treated ourselves for a much-deserved Internet date at a coffee shop we haven't been to. I've got a lot of work done in one weekend afternoon, I couldn't be more proud.

15. I didn't even know one of my best friends, Kaye, was in town for board exams review classes until she was already a month in. She shared about her refresher course while I, my job, over authentic Thai food followed by awesome red velvet and salted caramel milkshakes.

16-17. Dess and I finally made it to the artsy Cafe de Seoul one afternoon after our brunch at the nearby Pasta Plate. We alternated sipping on our lattes and talking about the lovely things in life, books and writing most especially.

18-19. Katipunan is just so hard to let go of—so many fond memories happened here and, more importantly, so many good restaurants to choose from. The pretty and comforting Cafe Xocolat and their spicy tuyo pasta is no exception to this.

20. For those of you who can remember, this was the beautiful backdrop to our Everything Has Changed cover photo. It was unfortunate that the wind was crazy strong and loud that afternoon so we moved our recording session indoors instead.

21. I never knew that Rockwell could get even more stunning. I snapped this gorgeous view of the Club as we passed through to get to the mall. Imagine how wonderful it would be to hold parties here?

22. Spontaneous sleepovers are the best sort. We started our evening with a simple carbonara and roasted chicken dinner then before we knew it, Iko, Karina, and I were sharing the same bed, watching the philosophical After the Dark past midnight.

23-24. We gladly closed the weekend (and month) with burgers and burritos as we waited for Iko to order. Later, we did a little shopping then chilled to the museum cafe before calling it a day.

How about you guys, how has life been treating you lately? Hope all's well too!

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