Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Goodbye 2014 - A Year of Good and Bad Times

 
In just a few hours we will bid goodbye for the year 2014. Personally, this year is a good year for me and my family. In terms of health, I thank God for the excellent condition of our mother who had just celebrated her 73rd birthday. I wish her to be more healthy for the coming years. With regards to my brothers and sisters, nephews, nieces, and relatives, everybody seems to be in a very good shape because even one of them was never hospitalized or got sick for the rest of the year. I thank God for his blessings, we were able to survived the challenges and trials of our life.

As a frequent traveller and flyer, the year for the airline industry seems to be a bad year. Last March, Malaysian Airlines flight MH870 with 239 passengers and crew disappeared on its way to China and was never been found since then. Until now it remains a mystery. For the month of July, another Malaysian Airline flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine killing all 298 all aboard with mostly Dutch passengers. Two Filipinos was on board and killed.  On the same month of July, Air Algerie flight 5017 crashed and went down in Mali, killing 116 people on board enroute from Burkina Faso to Algeria. The cause of the crash was not clear, but the plane changes its path due to bad weather. Three days before the end of year 2014, on December 28, Air Asia flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java sea while flying from Indonesia to Singapore. There are 162 passengers and crew on board and it is presumed that all have been killed. As of this writing, seven bodies have now been recovered from the waters off Indonesian Borneo.

Locally, the Philippines was not spared of disasters from natural calamities.  There was typhoon Ruby that hits Eastern Samar on December 06 and left 18 people dead with a total damages of more than 5 billion pesos both for infrastructure and agriculture. Last July, typhoon Glenda battered Bicol and Southern Tagalog region and considered as one of the most powerful storm to hit the Philippines this year. It left 106 people dead and a staggering damages of 38 billion pesos both for infrastructure and agriculture.

Indeed, 2014 brings us the good and bad times. But still, we were able to rise from these challenges and trials.  I hope and pray that the new year of 2015 will bring prosperity and blessings to us.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Xin Wang Hongkong Cafe

Last December 28 2014 two of my close friends during college had a get together and reunion at SM Mall of Asia. We tried to dine at Xin Wang Hongkong Café since all of the restaurants around the vicinity are already full.  This is the first time we ate on this restaurant. To our delight, the food here tasted very good and delicious. Aside from their sumptuous menu, the staff and crew are very accommodating and we are served very well.  The place is clean and well maintained.   I recommend this restaurant to everyone who has an appetite for good food and nice ambience.      
 
With my friends Gemma and Precy
 
 
 
YMT Chix Rice

 
Xin Wang Signature Fried Rice
 
Brsd BF Brskt Soup Noodles
 
Fish Slice Mui Fun
 
Chix In a Basket
 
 
 
 
Our very unusual dessert, Special Mango Snow Ice (so yummy)

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas to All!

Today we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  The meaning of this celebration is to spread love and peace to every mankind.  I pray and hope that the war that is going on in Syria and Iraq will end someday.  My heart is bleeding to those Iraqi Christians who are being brutally persecuted and displaced from their homes by these so called terrorists and militants. I don't see any reason why Christians and other religions are being attacked since Iraqis whether Muslims, Yazidis, and Christians are living side by side in peace during the reign of Saddam Hussein and after his overthrow from power.  Christianity is a religion of love and peace, this is the message of Jesus Christ to all mankind.  For all countries who are celebrating Christmas, let us join our hands and pray for all Christians and non-Christians to live in peace and harmony.  Merry Christmas to all!
 
 
 

Monday, December 22, 2014

Southwinds Resort, Pansol, Laguna

I had an enjoyable and grand time bonding with my former officemates from Uptown last December 21.  We spend the get-together at Southwinds Resort at Pansol, Laguna.  We spend overnight there and I considered the resort a first class resort with its clean amenities such as the swimming pools and well maintained rooms, gardens, and its shower rooms.  We are very lucky because the 2nd floor room that was assigned to us is in front of the swimming pools and you can see the majestic Mount Makiling right in front of our window, what an added attraction.  The water in the swimming pool is warm that's why we enjoy swimming in the morning and its not crowded yet.  Overall, this is one moment I will cherished because after two years I met my former officemates from Uptown.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

December and Christmas

December is the happiest and eventful month of the year in the Philippines.  It's because Christmas is being celebrated in this month and wherever you go, shopping center and malls are decorated with huge and big Christmas trees and other items which are related with Christmas.  You will see people are busy buying in every shop inside the mall.   After I finished my appointment at POEA Ortigas to get my OEC, I decided to go at SM Mall of Asia to spend a little time malling.  Well, its not a surprise that the mall is fully decorated with Christmas trees, in and out of the area.  I took some random pictures inside the mall just to share the spirit of Christmas.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Kentucky Fried Chicken - SM Molino Branch

Ever since, I always like eating fried chicken.  I never forgot to dine-in, in any KFC branch whenever I am going outside for some important appointment or just plain malling to relieve my boredom.  Two days ago, my sister and I decided to go out to buy some stuff for my house and after we finished buying the items, we decided to eat at KFC but unfortunately the area is full of diners, so we just bought to take out one bucket of crispy and spicy fried chicken.  Nevertheless it's worth waiting for because we ate the crispy chicken with mash potatoes and macaroni salad in our house together with my mother.
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

At Home for Christmas

Finally, I'm home for Christmas with my family. Spend my second day dining at Kenny Rogers, SM Bacoor Branch and do some grocery for the preparation of our Noche Buena on 24th of December. I'm very happy and satisfied to eat roasted chicken and ribs which is very soft and delicious with matching mash potatoes and muffins, so yummy.