At 20-something, I know I should start taking care of my body. When medical professionals told me my metabolism would start slowing down at this age, I didn't know they weren't kidding. I started to feel ~old~ about 6 months ago, when I got out of the hospital. I was admitted for over a week due to a problem with my Liver and Gastritis. My health drastically went downhill from there. I wasn't allowed to eat solid food for a while, I was prohibited from eating spicy and sour food, I couldn't drink alcohol and I was advised not to smoke. I was also REQUIRED to drink a lot of water. This was the hardest for me. I don't like water, that may come as a surprise to some, but I really loathe water. I mean, it's boring, it's tasteless and I bloat easily. I also have a tendency to pee every now and then because I don't know, tiny bladder perhaps? But whatever, it's very inconvenient! But we all know it's good for us so kids and whoever is reading this, 8-10 glasses or more per day!

With that, I've been trying to re-invent how I cook my food. One time, I was craving for Lechon Kawali but then remembered how painful the whole cooking process is and all the fat and oil that comes along with deep frying. I was wondering if it's possible to ~bake~ the pork since I've been addicted to oven-baked everything since I got a mini oven! I know this defeats the purpose of naming it Lechon Kawali but who cares?! It's as yummy so fuck off!

I moved to Manila some five or six years ago with delusional thoughts of a greener pasture and an idealistic mindset that I'm ready to take on the world and start building my future. Well all know too well I was wrong. Looking for a job isn't hard. Looking for a job that fulfills your needs and wants as a corporate individual, getting paid the right amount with the skill set that you have and being nurtured as a person and as a professional, that's a different story. Another story would be living close to work and being well within your means to at least live a comfortable (not even a lavish one) lifestyle since you're an independent, working person. That's at least what you deserve, right? I couldn't be more wrong. Apparently, Metro Manila and I are not on the same page. 

When I graduated, I was opposed to the idea of moving to Manila for a job. I love Baguio, as mentioned a gazillion times in this blog. The weather, the people, the pine trees, the honest cab drivers, the economical cost of living, I could go on. But my Mom insisted that I find work closer to home. Home is Pampanga, by the way. Contrary to what most people know, I'm not from Baguio. I did study in Baguio, and fell in love with the place in the process. I declare myself an honorary Cordilleran too. Going back, the daily commute has always been one of my vital problems. I worked in the night shift for a while and that didn't seem to prove much of a difference when it comes to the amount of vehicles traversing the major roads. I always make it a point to live close to work to eradicate the tedious travel to and from work, and also to be able to use my time more wisely. I was quite successful with that, until I moved to Ortigas. 

The weather lately has made me think of Sagada more than my usual yearning to be nestled in a cold place while enjoying a cup of coffee and having my daily morning stick. I love the Summer weather but I hate how it makes you all sweaty and sticky. I think I'd prefer the cold weather any day which is why I chose to talk about Echo Valley for today! After traversing the Lumiang-Sumaguing Cave Connection, which would explain why I'm still wearing my rash guard underneath my hoodie, we went on with our journey to explore Echo Valley which is also where you can find the Hanging Coffins of Sagada. 

From the town proper, our guide dropped us off at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, which is an Episcopalian church famous for its rose-colored stained glass windows. After making our way inside the church and offering our own personal prayers, we went on with the tour. You'll pass by Echo Valley on your way to Hanging Coffins. The trek to Echo Valley takes about 10 minutes and another 5 minutes to the Hanging Coffins. Echo Valley was named as such simply because there's an echo whenever you produce a sound. A lot of tourists mistakenly thought it was Kiltepan and started channeling Angelica Panagiban in TTCT--expressing their woes on love as if the echo would make everything go away. More than the illusion of vanishing love woes, the view from Echo Valley was breath-taking. We stayed longer at that spot more than we did at the Hanging Coffins.

Whenever I'm in a rut and can't be bothered to even cook my own meal, I always resort to canned stuff x something healthy in my pantry. Which is pretty much how last week looked like. I experienced terrible migraines after work. don't know what or who to blame, work or this horrible alternating weather. One minute it feels like you're on a sizzling plate ready to be served to hungry giants, the next minute it's raining horses and elephants. I would usually have all the energy in the world to make myself a good home-cooked supper, but not the past few days. The heat has been terrible and I just want to lay in bed and not move an inch because of the weather, and mind you, I have my air-conditioner on full blast, ugh? Despite the weather, I'm still thankful because I don't have to endure it while waiting for a ride home. I've been reading some really terrible tweets and posts about how insane it is to ride the MRT nowadays. Thank God I don't have to experience that. 

Sorry about the rants, going back. After binging on fastfood and beach food for the past months, I finally had the initiative to reunite with my kitchen again. I haven't been religiously doing the groceries but I have a few items in my pantry. For starters, I know that I have a ton of canned goods because those shit take a while to expire hence the hoarding. I have the basics, onions, garlic and tomatoes, and whole cupboard of McCormick spices that I don't really need but I bought them anyway because they look pretty. With that, let's see what I came up with!