10 Things I Miss About Manila

While waiting for my rendering to finish (been teaching myself the rudiments of Sketchup and it's driving me insane!) I thought I'd blog about the things I miss most about Manila. 

*insert song by Hotdog here*

A First-timer's Guide: How to Cook Tiyula Itum (Black Stew)

I have always wanted to learn how to prepare my favorite dishes, and I especially love Muslim Cuisine. Last Saturday was Eid'l al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice,) my brother-in-law's brother brought some (raw) beef that came from a local Turkish school whose tradition was to put down a number of calves for the occasion and give the meat away.

An idea popped into my head!

I researched for the recipe, and found one on YouTube. The thing is, the guy in the video spoke fluent Tausug, though I understood most of what he said, there were some words I just could not get.

Nevertheless, my first attempt at cooking one of my favorite dishes, TIYULA ITUM, was a success!
(at least my family said so. =) )

If Not Now..... When?

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Making decisions can be hard, especially when your future is at stake. I have now hit a plateau in my career life, though I would like to think otherwise.

Being unemployed for almost two months now, I am now experiencing some of the pros and cons of going free-lance. Yet I know that these are just the tips of the iceberg... there will be many more challenges along the way, and I am confident that I can surpass them all, with God's grace.

First Monthsary

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Yesterday was my first "monthsary" of being unemployed. I am now officially a professional bum. I had to say, this was beyond what I expected or hoped it to be. Maybe I just need to be patient more, or I need divine intervention to get me out of this rut I am in.

I am not complaining. Though there are times, like most days, I tend to be disappointed with myself. The last weeks have not been a walk in the park. It's like everyday is a struggle, no matter where I am.

#BitterSweet

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Today's my second to the last Friday here in this office. In this greyish white office table I have sat on for 2 years and 8 months of my career in EsEm. All this messy clutter, chaotic stacks of papers, pens, and even candy wrapper, I always thought that I was leaving this place soon. But neither did I expect that SOON will be five working days from now.

The Fallen

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Last Friday (August 1,) I found out that another colleague in college died on Wednesday. At first, I could not believe it. I did not want to believe it. For one thing, the sources were not too "reliable" in my opinion, and besides, there were no news about it in Facebook whatsoever. I immediately went to the guy's wall. No condolences to the family, no recent posts still. It seems that nobody seems to want to "talk" about it. Only a select few knew... and what's sad is, I really did not believe it until I personally asked one of his closest friends, and she confirmed it.