How To Eat A Xiao Long Bao

Ever since  restaurants like Din Tai Fung, Tim Ho Wan and Crystal Jade set up shop in Manila, the Xiao Long Bao has become one of the most popular dimsums people like to get.

Homemade All-natural Mouthwash

Another D.I.Y. recipe I recently "experimented" on was on making my own homemade all-natural mouthwash. And this one is another success!

Between the Lines @ BGC Taguig City; Philippines

This is one mural that no one can miss seeing. It's one of the more massive ones and spans the almost the entire width of a building wall in BGC.

Simoy Ng Haraya (Hele)

I hate it when the car smells like "stale" hot air, and living in a very tropical country this happens very often.

Simoy Ng Haraya (Trono)

Ever had the need to go to the toilet, but when you get there, well let's just say (not to over exaggerate) VERY VERY VERY AWFUL smell.? Well there's a handy dandy Poop Drop that will fix that stench!

What We Pretend To Be (The Boy & The Tiger) @ BGC Taguig City; Philippines

This is another one of those murals in the BGC area that I absolutely love!

Iconic Statement Socks (Limited Edition UAAP; U.P. Fighting Maroons)

Iconic Statement Socks just came out with their limited edition UAAP socks! And Of course I grabbed a pair that showcased my Uni!

A Game of Trolls (A Martial Law Musical for Millennials)

I was able to score 2 tickets to watch A Game of Trolls, last September 24, 2017.

Ang Pagbabalik Lupa @ U.P. Diliman Quezon City; Philippines

This is one of my favourite art installations (out of the newer ones) in U.P. Diliman.

Untitled (The Girl & The Moon [?]) @ BGC Taguig City; Philippines

Tucked away on one side of the Globe Tower is yet another mural I like.

Spoliarium by Juan Luna (1884) @ The National Museum; Philippines

Every Filipino knows of this painting, it's been on the wall of the National Museum for years and has greeted many visitors. It's a masterpiece by Juan Luna, a well known Filipino artist (and for me a national and personal hero).

Magsasaka @ BGC Taguig City; Philippines

I've seen this mural very often going and coming from my office. And it instantly became one of my favourite murals in the BGC area.

Rich Man's Lumber (Bamboo Nuggets)

Ever wanted healthier and less processed nuggets.? Well now you can! Or at least when you visit the G.K. Enchanted Farm in Barangay Encanto (yes that's the name of the area) Angat, Bulacan in the Philippines.

Missing My Kampong; Singapore

It has been awhile since I moved back from Singapore (about 9 months). And I miss it A LOT!!!! 

中國美色 (A Gift from A Friend; Before I Left Singapore)

I have had this for awhile. It was given to me after a tearful and sad farewell before I left Singapore for good last year. My friend knows how much I like photography and art, so she knew it was the perfect thing to gift me with, and I loved it every since she gave it to me!

St. Benedict Medal (A Birthday Gift)

A friend went on a recent climb on Mt. Cristobal in Quezon Province. And he got me a birthday gift there; another amulet (of sorts).

Baybayin Keyboard (by Christopher Castillo)

I have always loved Baybayin. Ever since I learnt it in 2007, I have tried to use it as much as I could. And I was really happy that someone made a Baybayin Keyboard for (iOS) mobile devices!

Seng Guan See Temple; Philippines

It was my birthday and I kind of wanted to detox from all the mundane things I had been doing for the past few days. And since I haven't been able to visit a temple in months, I decided to take the day off and head to my "home" temple, Seng Guan See.

Agla (The Graphic Novel) Ynaguinid & Macanduc [Goddesses Are Coming!!!!]

New characters (Goddesses) are coming to the world of Agla: The Graphic Novel. And you don't want to mess with them!

*All graphics/photos that appear on this post were made by Kael Molo, the creator and artist of Agla: The Graphic Novel!

Simoy Ng Haraya (Buwan)

I've always found it very hard to find a fragrance that suits my personality. I've never found the right one; well not until I found myself in Common Room in Katipunan and discovered a Filipino artisanal brand of perfumes on display there.

Agla (The Graphic Novel) by Kael Molo

I've been a fan of mythology and legends my entire life. I have always found it interesting and at the same time a glimpse into a past that has almost been forgotten. My love for graphic novels came in sometime during my teenage years. So imagine my reaction when 2 of the things I like got combined into one mind-blowing book.?!

Duo Sarika Amulet (An Early Birthday Gift)

I got an early birthday gift from a friend who recently visited Bangkok. She knows how much I like and collect quirky and esoteric things; so when she saw this in one of the temples she visited, she knew I would like it, and I do!

Banh Mi Kitchen (BMKN Premium Ca Phe) @ Bonifacio Stopover BGC Taguig City; Philippines

After waking up super early for work, I found myself falling asleep by lunch time and I needed to wake up bad! So I headed down to Bonifacio Stopover, but not to any of the big brands, but to Banh Mi Kitchen, to get their BMKN Premium Ca Phe!

Cafe Fleur by Chef Sau del Rosario (Roasted Salmon Fillet) @ Brgy Rosario Angeles City Pampanga; Philippines

I found myself in Angeles City, Pampanga for work, and the meeting ended up being in Cafe Fleur by Chef Sau del Rosario.

Bees! Bees! & A Lot of Honey!

I was out in the garden one day and I was surprised to hear a loud buzzing noise coming from the mango tree, I looked up and surprise surprise I saw a bee hive on the upper branches!

Goddess of Peace Shrine @ Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga; Philippines

Sitting on the gentle slope of Lily Hill in Clark Freeport Zone, sits a Buddhist shrine with a large 5-ton granite statue of Kannon (Tibetan: སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས Chenrezig, Chinese: 観音 Guan Yin); this shrine is called the "Goddess of Peace Shrine".

NepaCrafts (Tibetan Om Mani Padme Hum Copper Bracelet)

As I have mentioned before I am a massive fan of indigenous trinkets. I am also a fan of alternative healing methods. So imagine my happy face when I found a trinket that married those two things I am a massive fan of (another plus is that it celebrates my Buddhist belief and faith).?!

I found an online shop (from Kathmandu, Nepal) that sells that exact thing (the online shop being NepaCrafts and the thing being a Tibetan Om Mani Padme Hum Copper Bracelet).

Sta. Cruz Island Mangrove-Lagoon & Stingless Jellyfish @ Sta. Cruz Island Zamboanga City; Philippines

While on the Sta. Cruz island, we were also given a tour of the mangrove-lagoon. The tour is a partnership between the local management of the island and the native tribe who call the island their home. The mangrove-lagoon tour, once open to the public, aims to help bring awareness to the protection of the local ecology and teach the public the important role that the mangrove system plays.

SoYoung Insulated Linen Lunch Box (Blue T-Rex)

I was gift hunting at National Bookstore (a local Filipino bookstore) for something useful for my nephew, and stumbled on these cute, quirky and eco-friendly lunch boxes. So what started out as a gift for my nephew, ended up becoming a gift for myself to (I needed a new lunch box too anyway; or at least that's my excuse for getting one for myself too).

Vietnamese Food (Quan Co Ba) @ Broadway Food Court Sim Lim Square Bugis; Singapore

I went with a good friend to Sim Lim Square and since we were both hungry, we decided to get a bite at Broadway Food Court in the basement of Sim Lim Square.

Manong's Lechon (1/4 Roasted Pork Belly/Lechon Liempo) @ Changi City Point; Singapore

I found myself at Changi City Point, and decided to try Manong's Lechon. I was also craving for more Filipino food at the time.

Sergeant Chicken Rice @ Kopitiam City Buangkok; Singapore

One day I got bored and thought to go to Buangkok and check-out Kopitiam City. This Kopitiam is open 24 hours, which recreates the once busy trading port that Sengkang once was.

I decided to try out Sergeant Chicken Rice.

Sengkang Sculpture Park @ Sengkang; Singapore

A few metres away from Sengkang MRT Station is an outdoor park full of abstract sculptures; simply named Sengkang Sculpture Park, it is another unique feature in Singapore.

The Pink Sand Beach (Sta. Cruz Island) @ Zamboanga City; Philippines

So yeah, beaches and the sea aren't my thing, but I am always up to explore the areas I find myself in. So when I got the chance to see the famous Pink Sand Beach on the island of Sta. Cruz in Zamboanga City for work, I got on the boat with my colleagues and our local hosts and headed for the pink sand!

Pop Art Gallery Void Deck Art @ Holland Village; Singapore

Another void deck in an HDB block in Holland Village, got the same art treatment as the one in Pipit Road. It was done again by the Social Creatives. They drew inspiration from Pop Art this time.

Dragon Playground @ Ang Mo Kio; Singapore

In the middle of the HDB blocks in Ang Mo Kio is another one of the Dragon Playground. This one is similar to the Dragon Playground in Toa Payoh.

Punggol Beach; Singapore

One boring day, I decided to go out and explore Punggol a little bit more. I ended up at Punggol Beach, for some odd reason.

Good thing it was a cloudy-breezy day there, or else I would have burned.

Lutong Pinoy 2 (Porksilog) @ Lucky Plaza Orchard Road; Singapore

After a long day of running from Punggol to a job interview, I was again, tired and hungry. So since I was nearby Orchard Road and wanted something Filipino, I headed to Lucky Plaza (which my friends and I have fondly called "Little Philippines", since most of the shops and crowd are Filipinos, like myself).

Soup Master [Chinatown] (Watercrest Pork Rib Soup) @ Kopitiam City Buangkok; Singapore

After a long day, I decided to visit Kopitiam City again. This time I decided to get food from Soup Master (Chinatown).Which is similar to Shen Xi Lao Huo Tong.

Soup Master specialises mainly the very healthy Cantonese style soups. Tasty and good for the body!

Friendchips (That's What Friends Are For) [Sweet Potato; Salted Garlic & Chili Garlic]

This is another one of the social enterprises at the Social Business Summit in the GK Enchanted Farm that impressed me.

Apicuria Natural (Throat Soother) by The BeEmpire Inc.

When it comes to medicine and remedies, I tend to go for herbal and natural cures rather than conventional ones. So when I heard of this throat soother called Apicura Natural, I had to get my hands on one of their 12ml bottles!

Sunto Gyoza @ Maxwell Food Centre; Singapore

Sunto Gyoza another delightful food stall at Maxwell Food Centre. As the name suggests Sunto is most famous for their gyoza (Japanese dumplings). They also have other dishes aside from gyoza (just check out their menu, it's all over the their stall).

Heng Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre Chinatown; Singapore

There's another, less well-known Hainanese Chicken Rice Stall in Maxwell called Heng Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Heng Heng doesn't have the same following and long queues as Tian Tian and Ah Tai, but their Chicken Rice is still tasty and traditionally made. Plus the owner is friendly too.

Alternative Store @ Haji Lane Kampong Glam; Singapore

I've always been a hippie and a free spirit at heart. And I've always loved the ethnic-inspired and artisanal lifestyle. So when I found out about a shop in Haji Lane, I just had to go check it out. And ever since that first visit, I've become a raving fan!

This is the Alternative Store!

Puto ni Papa (The Best Puto in Town) [Salted Egg]

I had gone to the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm to attend the Social Business Summit (last January 22, 2017) and after looking through all the booths and social enterprises selling their products, Puto ni Papa was one of those social enterprises that stood out from the rest and impressed me the most!

Nawa: T'boli Bangles (for a Good Cause)

I am a massive fan of indigenous art and culture (trinkets, jewelry and accessories included). So when I saw a post on Facebook that celebrated T'boli art through a simple brass bangle, I knew I just had to get my hands on one!

Giuseppe Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast @ Tawala Panglao Bohol; Philippines

When you think Bohol, Italian food is probably the last thing that comes to mind. But one of the best Italian restaurants I've tried (in the Philippines) is located at the first floor of a white low rise building in Tawala Panglao, Bohol.

Heritage Mural (Kampung) @ Upper Changi Road; Singapore

On a wall along Upper Changi Road is yet another heritage mural by Mr. Yip Yew Chong. This mural is probably my favourite. This one is a mural of kampung (Malay: "Village") life; something I am well familiar with, coming from a country where kampungs are still well and alive.

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Centre; Singapore

Ah Tai, a man who spent years cooking for the famed Tian Tian Chicken Rice, set up his own chicken rice stall at Maxwell Food Centre. Ah Tai is also a relative of Tian Tian's boss, Ms. Loi Mui Yin, who sacked him after their personal conflict.

Ah Tai also attracts tourists and locals who come to Maxwell for a bite to eat.

Spirit of Kallang @ Kallang Riverside Park; Singapore

There is an abstract sculpture in Kallang Riverside Park. It's entitled "Spirit of Kallang", created by Mr. Lim Leong Seng.

The sculpture reclaimed aluminium pipes and gate valves and other materials that, I would think, came from the former Kallang Gasworks.