Thursday, June 25, 2015

Cebu LitFest 2015

     Last Saturday, Cebu had its second literary festival held at Ayala Center Cebu. I witnessed the first literary festival, but I wasn't able to blog about it. I learn so many things last year from the free interviews and workshops where award-winning Filipino writers shared their views and knowledge about writing.
   I thought I would never experience such a wholesome experience again, until I saw an update in Facebook that LitFest will be held again this year. I was more than happy and I just can't wait for it.
The day finally arrived and here are some of the shots I took from the event:
     Carlos Celdran came to talk about his art. He shared to us his narratives about Imelda and the Intramuros. I actually felt like I'm in a Philippine history class just because Mr.Celdran shared so many historical facts about our country. I never learn some of them before.
    He shared to us a seal which is also used by San Miguel. I totally forgot the others that used the seal, so if you recognize the one in the photo, enlighten me in the comment section below. hehe
    He also spent some time to be interviewed where Cebuanos are free to ask him almost about everything. There was even someone who did asked him about his thoughts with the presidential bet Mayor Duterte of Davao, and we have the same thoughts.
Bawal mag-drama 'pag na picture-ran ka hahaha
Goodies like these amazing jars and cute cards from Happy Garaje were displayed near the activity area.
Handmade journals were also sold by Papersandtschai 
Must have books written by talented Cebuano writers were also displayed. If only I had enough money to buy them all! hahaha
Badges showing Litfest's official logo were also sold. I should have bought one for myself but then I thought about economics so I just saved my money.
    The day was jam packed with everything literary.There were actually a number of events scheduled, but I was only able to witness two-the narratives of Carlos Celdran and the book launch interview between the legendary Resil Mojares and Jessica Zafra.

     I wasn't able to witness so many events that day because I had more important appointments. Nevertheless, attending Cebu's second LitFest was very rewarding for me. I hope the second time won't be the last time. And hopefully, I wont be too busy for LitFest 2016. I am looking forward to learn more about life and literature.

love lots,
Tin

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Alice

Darling,
stop this breathless chase
and let our hearts lay like
red velvet cupcakes in a plate.

I never knew
loving you is
f
    a
       l
         l
            i
               n
                   g
                                                               into a deep black hole.

This heart's adventure is
making me BIG,
making me small,
pushing me at the edge of uncertainty's table
as I wait to
grow into you.

Let's stop and throw a party for two.
P
     o
      u
 r
some m a d n e s s into our
bitter cup of tea and
let our hearts reign.

Throw all your riddles
and smile for me.
Smile
 for me
like the Cheshire cat.

D
r
o
p
   all the cards
and judge this affection
like your beloved picture book.

Picture my heart like a
little curious girl in blue.
Forever strange,
forever wild,
forever curious.

Eat it,
drink it,
take it,
and be its eternal
w        n         e         l        n
               o          d       r        a         d.

-Cristine Despares

Friday, June 12, 2015

Dresses For Days

    Hello everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful Friday ready for another weekend to come. We are actually enjoying a long weekend in the Philippines right now as we are celebrating Independence Day, so cheers to us!

      You know a great celebration calls for a great party, right? well, not that I am attending parties right now, but I just browsed into some dresses that are perfect for any events that calls for sophistication. I think many women are having trouble if they need a dress that looks fashionable and sophisticated at the same time. It's not a real trouble now because dresses that are very beautiful from homecoming parties can be easily purchased everywhere. I think are the perfect answer if you need something that instantly radiates the sparkle within you. Those dresses are perfect for everyone. You just have to adjust their style to your body type and pair them with great heels. They must be the clothing version of the legs that goes for days!

     These are three of my favorite dresses that I found from looking at Ihomecoming affordable evening dress. I honestly had a hard time choosing these dresses but these are my favorites:
This fabulous A-line dress is so stunning. Reminds me of the great Ellie Saab's collection. I wouldn't mind wearing this anytime,anywhere! 
This dark green bateau dress is simple yet very stunning! I would wear this on events that requires something more formal.
 Blue is one of my favorite colors. It reminds me of the vast sky, and this elegant blue dress just reminds me of a starry night. How beautiful would it be to wear such a gorgeous sight?

     Those are just some of the dresses that I chose based on my style preference. but you can choose something beautiful from ihomecoming that suits your personal style. 

     The best thing about the site, I must say is the fact that Ihomecoming affordable evening dresses are suited for everyone's style. If you want something a little bit sexy or something conservative, you can easily pick the best one for you. The variations of their cut and style won't also bore you as you start browsing.

     Always remember, dresses are great for us to look good, but it's the light in us that makes us really beautiful. 
love lots,
Tin

Saturday, June 6, 2015

10 Dove Street Cafe/Dessert Restaurant Review

       It's a beautiful thing to know that Cebu City is continuously progressing. It is shown by the number of new cafes and restaurants all over the place. I've been living in Cebu for most of my life and I'm still surprise and curious of what my city has to offer me.

       My best friend Sam and I went to visit one of the most promising cafe/restaurant in Cebu. It is the beautiful and dainty eating destination located at Oakridge Business Park, the 10 Dove Street cafe/dessert restaurant.The establishment's existence isn't new to me, but it was only this summer when I had the perfect chance to visit the place. Fact: they named the restaurant from the street where it was originally located before. 10 Dove Street is a street located somewhere in Banilad. It wasn't long since they transfer to another location.

      Sam and I went there twice for her 21st birthday's photo shoot. My friend wanted some place private and romantic looking and I just know 10 Dove Street is the perfect place so I immediately recommended her the place.

       Here are some of the shots I took around the place, including some of my thoughts about the food we've ordered. As you can see, the place has a romantic vibe going on. It's clean and simply beautiful. The whole place actually reminds me of Simply J's because they both gave me the same impression. The place, I must say is perfect for an intimate eating experience like a Valentines date.
     10 Dove Street is a two-storey establishment where you are free to choose where you want to be seated except when the place is full or when early reservations were already made.
In that case, their friendly staffs will help you find the most comfortable table.

      We were handed a very cute menu for us to place our orders. While waiting for our orders, we were given a saucer of bread sticks and a very cute bird cage (the pink thing in the photo) which is actually a bell for us to press if ever we want to add more. So cool!!! And I actually fooled around pressing it just to see if it really works. I don't think it did though because nobody came to ask us about our orders after I pressed it. Lol Sam was like 'Tin Noooo!!!!--' hahahaha

      We did have fun taking photos all over the place while waiting for our orders to come, but man, we waited for almost an hour! I started to get so pissed about it because I had to go to work after. It's just so annoying and it's probably the longest time that I waited for a food order to come. Gutom na mga alaga ko sa tiyan lol

      Sam and I both decided to order The 10 Dove Street Experience which costs 275.00 pesos. It includes a soup,  a salad, and a dessert of your choice. I was surprised and amazed by how cheap it is considering the size of the order. I chose the following as my order:
 This is one of the best soup I ever had. The taste is just right and the its cheesiness is perfect. Not too creamy/cheesy just right.
 Salads were served next and I was very satisfied with my choice. I love the combination of mango and chicken plus, I am confident that it was healthy as it was served with yogurt as a dressing.
     This sandwich seems more of a burger to me than a sandwich. Lol. I do not have any complain about this though because it is so yummy! The beef actually tasted like our very own adobo.
     Cakes were served last together with our Chamomile tea which I added in my set. Just like their other cakes, Avocado-Pandan cake looks very appetizing. Sadly, it didn't taste great as how it looks. My friend and I agreed that its frosting is really good, but the cake itself tasted like the regular cakes we've tasted from a local bakeshop. I'm not even kidding and those regular cakes by the way costs only 5 pesos per slices.

     I felt like I paid 85.00php for a cake frosting. I was a bit disappointed with their good looking cakes because I had very high expectations about how it would taste. But it doesn't really tasted that bad, it tasted 'okay'. The avocado topping btw is so bitter. Bitter than my heart chos! Seriously, it's so bitter that I had to eat candies just to get rid of its bitterness in my mouth.

Sam ordered this but we forgot to take note of its name. It's just a regular wheat bread and butter with a macaroni that doesn't smell appetizing.My friend didn't even finish her order because it's just a plain "meh".
     In our scheduled photo shoot day, my best friend Sam bought us the following. This time, everything is perfect!
     This sandwich is really good. It contains tuna, cheese and some veggies. Contrary to its name, this made me feel so full and heavy. lelz.
This cake is amaaazing! But then again, maybe it's just the frosting. lol. But still, this is really good!
    I haven't tried this one, but my friend said that this is perfect for those who loves chocolates but doesn't want it to go that much.
      Of course, we partnered our cakes and sandwiches with a cup of tea!

      10 Dove Street is a good place if you want some desserts and something light to eat. The place is beautiful and you can always have your own privacy in its location. If you are really hungry, it's not the best place for you. I do not know exactly why but it always took them so long to serve their foods even if the place isn't really crowded when we went there. It's one thing that I do not like about the place.
   
    Talking about their staff and services, everybody were polite and very accommodating. They will really cater to your needs, which is something that I really like about them.

10 Dove Street is located at Oakridge Business Park, 880 A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue City.
The establishment is open daily from 10:00AM-10:00PM. They are open for bookings, walk-ins welcome, good for groups or parties, takeaway, delivery and catering.
Contact them with these numbers for more information: (032) 418-1010, (032) 318-3674, 0917-625-7013
Or visit their Facebook account HERE.

love lots,
Tin