Ochi In The City

The Maginhawa Diaries : Me Love You Long Time

I'm a sucker for Asian food, every one knows that. And no, I'm not just talking about Filipino and Japanese, although I must say I have a huge bias on the two, hehe. During one of our Maginhawa expeditions, we were trying to avoid StrEAT Food Park as much as possible because I've seen the amount of people that flock the place and no, I won't subject myself to that.

Fortunately when we passed by while looking for a place to eat, there weren't a lot of people! Then we realized it's a weekday, maybe that's why. We decided to give it a try since I've been dying to try the fancy Milkshakes at Lost Bread. When we got there, I was racing to get a table since I was expecting an influx of customers. Surprisingly, the place was chill, hehe.

I was impressed with the Beef Rendang + Rice (P159.00) and Laksa (P149.00), but no so much with the Fresh Spring Rolls(P99.00). According to the waiter, the Spring Rolls is one of their best sellers but it felt like a rip off. The sauce was bland and didn't even come close to what peanut sauce should taste like. The service was fast and the food was served immediately. If not for the service I wouldn't even recommend eating here.

Last Friday, I went back to try other things on their menu. But this time, I tried their branch at Z Compound. I ordered the Pad Thai Combo (P219.00). The Pad Thai combo inlcludes Pad Thai (of course), 3pcs. Spring Rolls and your choice of Thai Iced Tea/Honey Calamansi; I went with the latter. The Pad Thai was just okay, nothing spectacular there. Surprisingly, the peanut sauce at Z Compound tasted better. The taste was still mediocre, but at that price, I guess you get what you pay for.

I still have plans of coming back despite the mediocre taste. I still have to try their Pho and Chicken Satay! Even if the food isn't that amazing, the waiters/waitresses are always friendly whether at StrEAT Food Park or Z Compound. I guess that's why I feel comfortable giving their food another chance. It was scorching hot when I went to Z Compound but my mood lightened up because the person who served my food was smiling and I don't know why, but his aura was contagious.

Read more about my experience over at When In Manila. Yup, I started being an active writer for the site again! Writing takes my mind off of a lot of things that's why I decided to be involved again despite my busy schedule. I know I have my blog for that but sometimes, I get bored that I have a tendency to tinker with my theme and HTML code; which in turn prompts me to keep on changing the design! I have to tell myself over and over to not fix something that ain't broke! Splitting my writing time to two sites takes my attention off my theme--at least for now! So off I go to explore the confines of this city so I can share more of my adventures with you guys! Toodles!

Me Love You Long Time

Budget - P120 - 200 / person

02 2469069 | 3PM - 1AM

StrEAT Food Park, 91 Maginhawa, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Kiltepan Sunrise

Sleepless in Sagada : Kiltepan Viewpoint

This is the last entry for my Sleepless in Sagada series since this is also the last destination we went to. I was thrilled to witness the amazing sunset a lot of people deem to be breath-taking. As popularized by TTCT, I felt that this is the place to renew myself and get rid of all the bad aura I have been carrying. We were supposed to leave our inn at 5AM so we can have a good view of the sea of clouds. I joined a couple of friends the night before for a drinking session. When I got home, I didn't want to sleep anymore because I was scared I won't wake up on time. But because of the weather, I fell fast asleep when I hit the bed.

Luckily, I woke up and got ready on time. Unfortunately, some of the members in our tour group were still preparing. That's one downside of doing tour packages with people you don't know. This bunch in our group were consistently late all throughout the trip. Our driver/guide would let us know how much time we have in one place and what time we'll be leaving and they're always the cause of delay. Again, if I actually had the time to create my own itinerary, I would. That would give me a lot of free time to go around the places I love and not be bound by time. I was pissed because I was drunk the night before and but I was responsible enough to wake up on time so that we will all have our chance at the splendid Kiltepan sunrise. I was thinking I'll miss my chance because of a bunch of people who obviously doesn't respect other people's time.

We were late for about 15 minutes but it was still dark when we got there. I though, okay good. We still have a good chance of having a nice spot to view the sunrise. When I saw the place, lo and behold, it was packed with tourists! I couldn't get a hold of a good spot to position myself, more so my camera, HUHU! I saw the sea of clouds but I wasn't able to take a lot of photos using my camera. There were just too many people obstructing the view and I couldn't hold my camera up high for too long. I gave up and started taking photos using my phone instead. I was able to take a few good snaps, here, here, here and here, After which, I just surrendered and enjoyed the view instead.

There were too many people who wanted a good show as well; the view point looked like a scene out of Mall of Asia Arena while Ariana Grande was having her concert. I couldn't see the sun rise out of the sea of clouds. I'm small so I only saw cellphone lights and GoPro sticks. I kept moving from one area to another until I found the perfect spot---to watch, but not take photos. After most of the crowd went back to their tour groups, that's when I was able to take photos of myself. I may not have the sea of clouds as a background, but the light was equally stunning.

Sagada will be one of the memorable trips I'll surely keep close to my heart. This is the place where I was able to think clearly, this is the place where I realized what matters most and this is the place where I started loving myself again. It resembles my favorite city in a lot of ways. Not only because of the weather, but because of the kindness in everyone. It's a good place to recollect your thoughts and start thinking about your priorities. It's also a place to find yourself. With that, I therefore conclude that my soul searching in Sagada was a huge success. I would love to go back again, hopefully with a personalized itinerary and with the person who also helped me all throughout this ordeal. You guys will be meeting him soon!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

food

Food Diary : The Halal Guys | Gyro and Chicken

I never knew about The Halal Guys until one of my online friends mentioned how excited he was about the opening. Since the opening, I've seen a lot of friends rave and rant about this certain food stall. Given the mixed reactions, I was curious and wanted to find out for myself what the fuss is all about. Coincidentally, one of my friends wanted to meet up at Megamall to personally hand out her wedding invitation. Giddy because I finally get to wear a long gown again, haha! We all decided to try The Halal Guys despite the queue. The line might be brutal but we thought, hey, it might be worth a try.

Story

According to Jaime Daez, master franchisee for The Halal Guys Phils., The Halal Guys was started by three Egyptians who migrated to New York. They initially started as cab drivers who decided to open up a Hotdog stand. They eventually got tired of being one of the countless hotdog stands in New York and decided to finally make their own food. They created Halal food, which became a phenomenon in NY. As of today, you can see Halal food carts practically everywhere in NY. They started their franchise operations last year and now have about over 200 locations under development.

Food

I can't really say a lot about service since the stall is located in a food court setup. You just line up, place your order and get your food. Everything else is practically self-service. I won't elaborate too much on the line since I'm pretty sure you've seen a ton of photos online. The Halal Guys serve platters and sandwiches. The platter includes meat (chicken, gyro beef or both), rice, iceberg lettuce and slices of pita bread. Their sandwiches have the same ingredients wrapped in pita bread.

I ordered the Gyro and Chicken Combo - Small (P269) and my friend got Gyro and Falafel Combo - Small (P269). I was beyond thrilled to finally have my first bite--of disappointment. The Chicken and Gyro beef were so-so, nothing spectacular. I'm not a food connoisseur in any way so take everything I say with a grain of salt. The white sauce on the other hand was miraculous. Too bad the serving size wasn't enough, you'd have to order another serving of this addicting sauce at P25 if you want to have more. Another thing that blew me away was their hot sauce. The smell was mild so I put a lot on my food. I was happily chewing on my food when it struck me. I could taste a lot of herbs and spices and other things I couldn't put my finger on, but one thing was for sure, this heat will linger. I had to remove some of the hot sauce I put on my food because it was too much. The Halal Guys isn't so bad at all, if not for the queue. If anything, I think their sauces were redeeming factors. Some friends who have been to the original food cart in NY says there is a vast difference regarding the taste of the Chicken and Gyro beef. But I have yet to find out since I'm poor and I don't have money to go to NY, haha. UGH. You can find their full menu here

Verdict

I will go back. I want to give it another chance. Wow, as if I'm a revered food critic, lol. I'll probably bring more friends next time so I can have a taste of the various dishes they offer. I also want to see their take on sandwiches and maybe have some sides and dessert next time. I'll probably wait for the fuss to be over before I go back again.

The Halal Guys

Budget - P200 - P400 / person

02 9414158 | 10AM - 10PM

5/F, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall

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, by Ochi Bernadas

blog

Starting Over Again

The Blog

I gave my blog another make over! The recent one I worked on didn't really sit well with me. While it was responsive and detailed, I felt that it didn't really show who I am. I'm also getting rid of articles that make me cringe! I started this as a personal blog, posting details about my life that no one's really interested in. And while I did have loyal readers who stuck with me, I'd like to be more useful by sharing things that are relevant. I have over 500+ entries on the blog and some of the articles I've posted before don't make sense. I end up blurting, "What the hell was I thinking when I posted that?". I'm also deleting a gazillion useless labels! I'm still in the process of revising my past posts. I'm doing it on a per task basis like get rid of the useless labels first, then make sure my photos are all arranged neatly, then re-check my grammar! My god, I don't know how those booboo's got past me when I usually proof read before I post. Anyhoo, I'm not going to bore you with the nitty gritties. I hope the new layout makes reading my posts easier. I've also made commenting more accessible so thengaging with my readers will be painless.

I actually bought a template on Etsy and it's all sorts of pretty! But I didn't code it, I didn't customize it, I DIDN'T CREATE IT. HTML and CSS are things unknown to me before I started blogging, but I'm learning the ropes. Don't get me wrong, I didn't necessarily start from scratch. I used a base theme and worked from there. I think I secretly want to make things harder for me so that enjoying the fruits of my labor would be more pleasurable. I can't explain the feeling but I can't stop looking at it! I keep on refreshing the page and I just stare. Ugh, what's wrong with me. Anyway, I don't have a place for that template anymore so I might give it away. Stay tuned!

On Love

Pretext : This ship has sailed a long time ago. My love life is public to ~~my friends~~ a lot of people because I'm extremely affectionate online and offline. I'm not posting because I owe anyone an explanation. I just want to make sure I bridge the gap and you don't think I'm a slut jumping from one relationship to another, haha. My relationship of 7 years ended last December. It was painful, heartbreaking, extremely difficult and overwhelmingly upsetting. Imagine getting out of your comfort zone and facing this cruel world alone. Then imagine that happening on Christmas and New Year--that time of year when majority of the world is celebrating the holidays while getting fat. I felt like Will Smith in I Am Legend, but without his best friend dog. Which is totally fine because I hate dogs. It was an ugly break up. I will not go into details but I will say that trust is very important in a relationship. I don't even need to write that down since Elite Daily and Thought Catalog makes sure we don't forget.

Just like any other thing in this world, I believe in the saying, "If you're unhappy--leave." There's nothing happy about leaving something or someone, but there's always a proper way out.That experience taught me that leaving your comfort zone isn't all that bad. You don't have to face this cruel world like Will Smith when you can be Taylor Swift in Bad Blood. Fuck, did I just make a TS reference? Uhm, okay. My point is, there's nothing to worry about when have your squad, your best friends and your family with you. I think I was greatly affected by what happened because I hate change. But now, my perspective on change has changed (lol) significantly. It will always be difficult but I'm glad I'm learning to embrace it; whether at work or in my personal life. I still have trust issues until now but I will eventually get over it.

With that, I'm closing a chapter of my life and venturing into a new one. I'm a little relieved that I've let that one out. Here's to my revamped blog and a better version of myself. I don't want to say version 2.0 because I'd like to believe every version of myself is always the best that I try to be. Fuck, that's so melodramatic I have to stop. I don't want to see this 2 years from now and end up reverting it to draft, haha! From where I am, there's no way but to move forward.

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, by Ochi Bernadas

Lumiang - Sumaguing Cave Connection

Sleepless in Sagada : Lumiang - Sumaguing Cave Connection

During our Sagada trip, I was thrilled about one specific destination, and surprise, it's not Kiltepan! Given that I was soul searching that time, I was more excited about spelunking at the Cave Connection. It's called as such because the two caves are literally connected. You pave your way in through Lumiang Cave (also known as the Small Cave), and you eventually find yourself out at Sumaguing Cave (also known as the Big Cave).

Trained and authorized guides are required in order for one, a couple, or a group to be able to navigate through Lumiang and Sumaguing caves. Interested in spelunking in Sagada must drop by SAGGAS (Sagada Guides Association) Office first to ensure proper record of the visit and for the association to provide guide/s who knows the ins and outs of this cave connection.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I went on this challenge with my sister and her boyfriend. There were actually 12 people in the group, but only the 3 of us took on the cave connection challenge. The others settled for the Sumaguing Cave entrance instead. We've read some horror stories online about people getting into accidents or going through a series on unfortunate events while inside the cave. Luckily, our guide was very informative. He explained to us the reason why such incidents happen and what we should do to avoid them. Apparently, most of the unfortunate incidents that happened inside the cave were due to stubborn tourists. Insisting that they can take on the challenge despite unfavorable weather, to name one. I forgot the name of our guide but he was very helpful and answered all of our questions to ease our worries before entering the cave.

Lumiang Cave

The locals consider Lumiang Cave as a sacred place. Our guide told us that is served as a burial cave, which is evident in the pine wooden coffins piled on top of each other. The coffins can be seen at the entrance of the cave. The photo on top is the entrance to the cave, and yes, it's dark. The guide was carrying a pressurized paraffin lamp to light the way. During the descent to the cave, we had to drop and push our bodies through small holes. Oddly enough, the descent also included using a rope to yet again push our bodies through holes that seemed impossible when you look at it in the beginning.

Lumiang Cave is known for its incredible rock formations. It's true when they say everything that's good doesn't come easy. We had to navigate through a labyrinth-like maze just to witness the said rock formations. We also had to follow strict instructions from the guide like stepping on just one specific point because the next step will direct you right off a cliff. The descent was not all tedious parts. There were points where we can actually walk straight and enjoy ice-cold, knee-deep waters. According to our guide, during the rainy season, the water can rise up to dangerous levels which is why there's always an advisory if it's safe to go inside the caves. Good thing we went last February, which makes the water just right.

Sumaguing Cave

Sumaguing Cave on the other hand is known for its glorious chambers and sensational stalactites and stalagmites! Of course I had to ask the guide what the difference is between a stalactite and a stalagmite. According to our guide, Stalactites are mineral formations that hanf from the ceiling of a cave while Stalagmites grow from the cave floor. We were informed to be careful in touching these mineral formations as the oil from our bodies would prevent the formations from growing for a short while. You might say, but it's just a short while? That's also what I thought but the guide said, they entertain tourists almost everyday and if one tourist would touch the mineral formations everyday, the ripple effect would be massive.

The mineral formations were breath-taking. A small amount of light showcases a dazzling, glitter-like effect which makes it appear as if they're sparkling! The only light source inside the cave would be the guide's lamp which made viewing even more pleasurable since it highlights the shining, shimmering mineral formations.

And I know the guides do this all the time, but our guide was still very enthusiastic in showing us what they're perceived the rock formations to look like. We stumbled upon crocodiles, elephants, a chocolate cake, a mother and child and yes, even sex organs. LOL.

We had to take off our shoes when we reached Sumaguing Cave because the rocks are just downright slippery and according to the guide. the best suction instrument would be our feet. And he was right. Our aqua shoes were useless.

Finish Line

After several small holes, slippery slides and ice-cold water, we re-joined the group at the entrance of Sumaguing cave. Took some photos, played in the water and rappelled our way out. I thought, yay, we're finally done. What an awesome experience. But on our way out, I didn't know we had to climb a plight of stairs to get to our van, hahaha! The plight of stairs proved to be more tedious than the whole cave connection adventure! The guide also gave us certificates for successfully traversing the challenging caves. We were told that it usually takes about 4 hours to fully make your way through, but our record time was about 1hr 40mins! We were trying to compete with a bunch of people ahead of us hence the time, haha! #competitive The cave connection was already included in our trip package which is why we didn't have to pay for anything. But since our guide was fun, patient and kind, we gave him extra money. They are the kind of people we should be helping anyway since tourism isn't much of an income when the rainy season begins.

With that, I want to share a few tips in case you want to do this activity in the future. To begin, don't be scared. I was living a sedentary lifestyle and I don't workout. To say that my body is wasting away is an understatement. But even with that, I still managed to enjoy the hell out of this activity. Just make sure you do a few stretching here and there before you take on this challenge. Here are additional tips;

Listen to your guide! This is very important as you can sustain injuries if you don't. They know the caves like the back of their hands. And they sure as hell know what they're doing. If they tell you to step on their leg so you can get from Point A to Point B, do it. They're fully capable of handling your weight. They wouldn't instruct you to do so otherwise if they can't.
Prepare. I've read countless accounts of injuries incurred while inside the cave which is why I made sure that I at least refresh my first aid basics. I'm not saying something bad will happen but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Dress appropriately. Or dress as you deem appropriate. I wore a rash guard because I know I'll be wading through the water and a rash guard dries up fast. I also wore leggings since they also dry up pretty quickly. I wore two leggings by the way since I know we'll also be sliding through some wet rocks and I've read accounts of other bloggers saying they ripped their bottoms halfway through the caves. For my footwear, I wore my ever dependable aqua shoes. My sister and I also thought of wearing gloves since you have to rappel your way in and out of the cave. It served as protection for our hands since the ropes can be pretty brutal.
Respect the place. We had to pick up garbage left by other tourists along the way. There were cigarette butts, plastic bags and candy wrappers. I don't know what's up with the tourists who left their garbage there, I mean, if you can bring your snacks with you, can't you take your trash as well??
Have fun! The labyrinth-like navigation and the small holes may seem tedious at first but I found myself appreciating the wonderful works of nature when I stopped worrying. I trusted our guide to the full extent and I ended up having one of the best experiences of my life.

Will I do this again? Hell, yeah! I'll definitely bring a DSLR next time since I know it won't be much of a hassle anyway. My photos have poor quality because we brought our water-proof digital camera and it struggles in taking photos in low light. Next time, I'll make sure I get to capture magnificent photos so I can share them with you guys!

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, by Ochi Bernadas

The Maginhawa Diaries : Me Love You Long Time

Sleepless in Sagada : Kiltepan Viewpoint

Food Diary : The Halal Guys | Gyro and Chicken

Starting Over Again

Sleepless in Sagada : Lumiang - Sumaguing Cave Connection

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The Maginhawa Diaries : Me Love You Long Time

Sleepless in Sagada : Kiltepan Viewpoint

Food Diary : The Halal Guys | Gyro and Chicken

Starting Over Again

Sleepless in Sagada : Lumiang - Sumaguing Cave Connection

About Me

Subscribe on Youtube!

Follow Me

recent posts

Followers

Partners

Affiliates

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