Can I just say I'm relieved because we're almost done unpacking and arranging our things at the new house?! It took us almost two weeks to finish everything because, work. Hahaha! I've been loosely using that phrase because my friends were ganging up on me when I didn't have work and I was still too lazy to do things. Now, I have a legit enough reason why I don't get things done! Ha! And as promised, I'll be telling you a bit about the new house--well, uhm, it's not really a house. It's more of a shoebox, really. 

So, the new work prompted the move. I don't like wasting my hours stuck in traffic so I asked the boyfriend if it's okay for us to move to a place closer to my work. And he agreed because the new place is also closer to his work! The new work is situated in one of the busiest part of the Metro, so, heavy traffic has become a part of my daily life, and it's annoying. I learned that life in QC is very "chill" compared to the one that we have here now. Heavy traffic is unforgiving enough not to spare weekends. Have I told you as well that hailing a cab is 10x more difficult especially when it's raining. I have to allot 5-10 mins so I'll have enough time to get a cab. But then again, is this what success really means? I don't know, and I definitely can't tell. I think moving to this company is a good choice, everything else around it though, I don't think so. But let's see, maybe this is bound to go somewhere. For now, let me share this quick and easy chicken recipe I discovered when the pantry was almost empty. Lol. 

The weather has been crazy these past few weeks! Whenever I go out, I don't know what to wear because it can get extremely hot, windy and cold all throughout the day. It's making outfit planning difficult. But outfit planning is really the least of my concerns. The crazy rains and the terrible roads we have here in the Philippines has made travelling to and from work really difficult! And yes, you heard that right. I started with the new job two weeks ago. Which also means I'm a responsible tax-paying citizen again. I'm excited and scared at the same time. New people, new environment, new boss, new work and new colleagues. I'm not very fond of change but I hope this one does my career some good. I rarely make good decisions but I hope this is a part of the good ones. 

Being employed again after 2 months is a breath of fresh air because there are days where I'm so bored and I just want to start working again. But then again I have more days where I feel like, "Aaahhh this is the life!". When I was unemployed, I had the luxury of cooking what I want anytime I want it because I didn't have to rush out of the house to go some place. I also feel a bit sad adjusting to the new work and the new place (yes, we moved!). I'm overly attached to certain things, my old place and work included. I'll talk about that in my next post, for now, I have a series of recipes I experimented on when I was still enjoying the bum life. Meh. I already miss it, haha!  

Moving to Maginhawa wasn't easy for me. Tomas Morato has been my home for 3 years and being surrounded by bars, pubs and restaurants that operate 24/7 isn't actually a bad thing. But whenever I remember all the times I had to feel like a survivor just to get home while battling the rain, moving makes sense all of a sudden. 

Looking for a place close to work wasn't easy either. Sometimes I begin to think, why did I decide to work here in the first place if I had to endure all the evilness this place has to offer? Business-wise, Manila is a pool of endless job opportunities and aggressive career growth, but it's not a conducive place for a healthy and productive life--unless you're rich and can actually afford a nice place to live in. I have more to say on the topic but that deserves a separate blog post, back to the topic. Maginhawa is like a more laid-back version of Tomas Morato. There aren't a lot of establishments that are open 24/7 but the selection of places you can go to are eccentric and fascinating. One of which is Gerry's Jeepney. 

If there's another kind of food I love more than Filipino food, it's Japanese! I love sushi, teriyaki, katsudon, name it and most probably, I love it. And any Japanese meal would be incomplete (at least for me) without Miso soup! It can be the cheapest thing on the menu and it can also be a bit pricey, depends on the restaurant really. Since I love it, I wanted to know how to make it. 

Before I proceed with the recipe, can I just rant about the weather? Earlier, there was a thunderstorm and I had to cancel a very important meeting. After an hour, the heat started to intensify making the weather ultimately humid. UGHHH! Buuuut, this recipe is perfect if you get one of those perfect and cold rainy morning, without the weather getting bipolar. Let's start!