A few weeks ago my friends and I were just chatting on FB (as usual), mostly talking about memes and general goings-on in our lives when we came across this ad from Cow and Chicken:
For Valentine's Day I decided to spend some time with the people close to my heart - because that's basically the point, right? Thought so.
I've been meaning to meet up with my friends from Adamson for a bit of time now, and when they set up the meeting of course I just had to say yes! It may come as a surprise but gatherings like this are a tad rare for us, because we've all grown up and assumed different priorities. Adulting is hard, lol.
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| Not even the whole gang. I miss them already! |
For someone who'd been quite busy the past few weeks, this is a refreshing change of pace. To say I had a blast would be an understatement! It kind of took me back to our time in college, of late night merriment and devil-may-care mindsets, without a care in the world. I'm quite thankful for little joys like this.
We spent as much time with each other as we could, until the night wore on and I eventually had to head home. Valentine's Day was coming in a few hours, and I'd like to get as much sleep as I could. But just when I thought my heart had had its fill of happiness, Jed just had to come in and prove me wrong:
A post shared by Ａｓｈｅ。 (@_subliminalwish) on
I'm not fond of flowers, and while I do think they're beautiful and appreciate what the gesture means, I'd rather go for a more practical approach. No mushy gifts or dedications for me, thanks. Despite this he's unafraid to show me how he does things, how he likes to pamper me with the occasional rose, or a cute note on my desk, or the not-so-occasional sushi treat. And sometimes he likes to make a statement, like this. It's the little things, the big gestures, the works. And I didn't think I'd love it but I do. Absolutely.
The next day we were out and about again, this time for a little gathering of our own. We've been planning this for some time now, and we've decided Valentine's day would be the best time to introduce our mothers to each other, because why not? We set a time for us to meet at Mokja in Maginhawa so we can bond over unlimited samgeopsal~ ♥
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| L - R: Jed's Aunt, and Mom, with my Mom. |
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| Photos grabbed from Jed's Mamoo. :D |
This year's celebration is something I'll hold close to my heart, and it's something I'd like to do again! After all, there are many kinds of love, and I'd like to take Valentine's day as a celebration of all its forms. Can't wait for next year!
I have always valued the slow hours, the quiet days that let you wind down and breathe.
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Back in 2015 I headed out with my office mates to Binondo to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and had quite the trip! Apparently we underestimated the number of people that wanted to celebrate as well, and we ended the day wanting to return and explore some more. We've made plans to come back and spoke about the upcoming trip here and there -- aaaand then nothing happened. Because the thing about making future plans is, sometimes they don't go the way you pictured it in your head. But the thing about life is, it likes to surprise you sometimes.
On the first week of February this year we found ourselves making an impromptu trip to Binondo after running our errands in Recto. We definitely didn't plan any of this out! We just went with our gut, grumbling after a morning of walking around the metro, and went for it we did.
Ice Scramble! Haven't had this in YEARS. Childhood feels!
Shrimp Hakaw from Cafe Mezzanine
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Kuchay Dumplings from Dong Bei. These are so fresh - they literally made this from scratch right in front of us!
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A trip to Binondo is not complete without gorging on some xiao long baos! We got this from Cafe Mezzanine as well.
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New Po Heng has THE best fresh lumpia in town.
Went for Miniso while we were in Binondo and got these!
We've only tried out a couple of restaurants that day, including Cafe Aquatica (no shots because we only had some coffee, and I didn't have enough light to take shots). I'd have loved to stay until nightfall but we eventually had to go home; it's been a long day. :))
I'm quite happy that this trip refreshed my last experience with Binondo. I walked away from Ongpin Street feeling satisfied but still wanting more. There's still so much to see and do! It will be a while before I can come back, so I'll be saving all my energy until then.
If you've got any suggestions on what else is there to do in Manila's Chinatown, feel free to leave a comment! See you then. :)
