I have long accepted the fact that I can never go shopping without being incessantly whiny and in boring times - a bitch. Thinking about it, I feel like I was more of a whiny kid than the bodyguard my Mom asked me to be for my sisters who needed to buy clothes for their Christmas parties.


Oh yeah, Christmas! With Christmas coming and parties going on just about every corner shopping malls gets really crowded every time. And that's when the whining starts!

1.) I hate the crowd.

I may have experienced a terrifying earthquake inside a Mall where people screamed to their lungs shattering nearly every glass window into pieces and leaving two children (an 8 years old me and my 5 years old cousin) crying for help but I don't think that's where my hatred to the crowd started.

It could be the smell and the temperature a crowd creates that usually comes with extra bombing of farts and fifty shades of darkness but maybe there's something more than that. Sometimes my eyes get sore just looking at the crowd moving to every direction. And it's makes me dizzy as hell! 

2.) My indecisiveness!

This is when I feel like I've made the biggest decisions in life. What to buy!? Which color? The pricey or the cheap one? Does this look good on me? Should I buy this? What the hell. This has always been my problem when I go shopping alone. And I'm the problem when I go shopping with others. I get a headache just wandering around to look for whatever it is I 'need or want' to buy and it gets worse when life puts a lot of questions in between picking and purchasing an item. I don't think I'm a bad shopper though.

3.) Strange Faces!

When we go out for shopping we usually see a lot of people around. We meet strangers and even say hi to some who looks familiar but later on we realize that we were never acquainted to them. It turns out we just saw them the other day in a coffee shop, jeepney ride or something like that.

And imagine if you're in a crowd that has lots of strangers in it. I don't know why but sometimes I nod to these eerily familiar people whose names and faces bothers me a lot. Also, I think my mind couldn't process a lot of familiar faces and the pimples in them all at once. I'm easily distracted of the haggard and funny faces of Christmas shoppers that even if I don't intend to be mean I start laughing like an idiot in the middle of the Mall. OH, only God knows why!

4.) I'd Rather Be Alone

This is rather lonely than snobbish but I prefer shopping alone. However, it would be nice and I sometimes wish to meet a friend along the way but whenever I spot a friend my ninja skills would've had me turn invisible. Sometimes, it scares me that they'd be talking about how much I lose or gained, how's my academics, work or worse have I finally gotten into a relationship.

Another thing! I hate going around with pushy staff. They follow you like you're a thief and they try to mess up with your choices. One time, I was having a hard time picking a long sleeve polo that'll suit my brown vest. A saleswoman told me it goes well with yellow. But I look fat in yellow so I picked blue. She told me I'm gonna regret it because blue doesn't go well with brown. Then I told her 'Did you know that 'brown and blue' is a royal color combination most popular to Versailles!' Chos.

5.) The Crowd Hates Me

Who wouldn't? When you turn into a cranky whiny monster who's on the verge of becoming a misogynist asking why do girls like shopping a lot.

I think the only time I'll like shopping is when I have a lot of money which is like only once a month. Do you like shopping? So, how's your last minute Christmas shopping?  

As you know it some people say that the world is gonna to end tomorrow. And honestly, I really couldn't care less to those people and to the Mayan prophecy. I'm a person who believes today is more important than yesterday, than tomorrow and probably than ever!

Yesterday has gone. Let's all move on because contemplating about it would serve no purpose how so ever. Tomorrow is unpredictable. But if you start working on it TODAY, by expressing yourself, doing the things you like and going for the things you love, then you will likely have a better tomorrow. Chos!


So let me tell you what I did today because today is more important like I said. lol

Given that I may or may not put the Mayan Prophecy in consideration. I had an awesome Pre-apocalypse lunch today at West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Sea Food Garden. I was so full that I didn't even eat dinner. And I think I'm good until the end of the world. By the way, as of writing this, the world's end is 1 and a half hours away!


So, the lunch was very intimate for a group of very diverse bloggers. Arguably though you'd always feel comfortable just by being surrounded with people you share common interests with, in this case it's food and of course blogging. More so, there's nothing like meeting the restaurant owners, Ms. Belinda Suaco and Jong Tan, who in the first place invited us over to experience Davao City's newest foodie wonderland.

Before taking our lunch we had a little tour around the recently opened West JBT Plaza located just along Lanang Street across Waterfront Hotel. The JBT plaza has an international fusion cuisine buffet called "Jaime's Restaurant", an authentic Japanese Restaurant called "Chiyo Authentic Japanese Restaurant and Yakiniku House", a coffe shop called "Perfect Cup Cafe and Bar" and lastly, the truly resplendent West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden.

Top Half: Chiyo, Bottom Half: Jaime's Restaurant

These 4 distinct food establishments in one building, I must say, gives exactly the kind the kind of ambiance you would expect. Chiyo being authentic especially with two Japanese vip rooms; Jaime's perfect for binge eating with its elegant fine dining ambiance; Perfect Cup Cafe being cozy and West Empire being an empire where you don't only get to eat good food but feel like an old hungry Chinese emperor!

I think I'll start calling the restaurant 'West Empire' so its quite lengthy name won't disrupt my flow. Heh. Now I'm about to talk about the food but before that I need to tell you I want to keep this post short. Perhaps, I'll start by presenting to you the foooooooooooooooood! Count the o's and that's exactly the number of dishes served to us. Imagine that!?

Siomai , Hakao, Assorted Cold Cuts and Xiao Long Bao <3

For appetizer we had the Assorted Cold Cuts, Siomai and Hakao. And for soup we had the Eight Treasure soup which had 8 different chunky ingredients in a rich tasty soup. Also they served us their best seller! An instant favorite after I first tried it at Crystal Jade in Greenhills - the Xiao Long Bao! Oh dear God, their Xiao Long Bao tastes better than the former. And Thank you Lord! I don't have to fly to Manila to kill my cravings! Most importantly my quest of finding a Xiao Long Bao in Davao is finally over.

Fried Crabs with Salted Egg

The first main course to arrive the table was the Fried Crabs with Salted Egg. This is a must-try because the salted egg gives a pungent sweet and salty taste that well complements a generous serving of crab meat. Ironically though, the fried crabs was the last to be eaten because we were too shy to show the incredible hulk within us! You know crabs!! Next time I'm gonna get my hands real dirty for crabs. *Grrrr! Crush that puny shell!*

Warm Prawn Salad / West Empire Special Seafood Noodle / Spareribs Salt and Pepper Steamed Lapu-Lapu in Soy Sauce / Taro Puff with Assorted Meat / West Empire Special Fried Rice French Beans / Lemon Chicken Fillet / Sizzling Beef Tenderloin (Chinese Style) Two-way Bamboo Lobster (Sashimi and Sotanghon in pot) / Chilled Mango Sago / Fried Crabs with Salted Egg

Lobsters were also served but it was easier to eat than the crabs. I still like the crabs better though until came a dozen plates of shell-less food which we all ate, of course, after taking pictures of them. We talked about a lot of stuff over lunch. We talked about blogging, about the food, the restaurant, Ms. Joyce shared to us some food trivias where I learned Xiao Long Bao literally means Little Dragon Bun, and some more random stuff while submitting to the tenderness of the sizzling beef tenderloin, the freshness of the steamed lapu-lapu, the palatableness of the lemon chicken fillet and others with each having ridiculously good food adjectives.

And OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! If Aliens were to invade our planet during the end of the world this would easily come off as a peace offering to them. It's gonna send them away from Milky Way because of its creamy goodness! If Zombocalypse were to happen then this is going to be the cure for its sweetness. And if it is indeed the end of the world I don't care for as long as I'm very happy to discover the existence of warm prawn salad.


It was so good that we almost forgot to take happy photos of ourselves! lol





Lunch ended at around 3'oclock with a cool cup of Mango Sago and Buchi for desserts.

Almost three hours of eating, taking of food photos and intimate talk equals awesome Pre-apocalypse lunch that I will never forget even if the world ends tomorrow. And I don't even care. :-)

West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden is located on the second floor of West JBT Plaza along Lanang St.,The Insular Village, Davao City.

There are times when I wonder how it feels to drive cars. A friend says it's tiring if not boring but I still wanna drive and own a car someday. I mean, if it's without purpose then nobody would even consider having one, right? And you know what!? This, Yes this! This had me thinking maybe it's about time to do some real test driving. More than any of the rides and adventures I experienced driving was the funnest of all.



Driving back into my memory lane, I actually did some sort of pre test driving activities which included bump cars, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and a scooter. No damage so far since my last driving activity though but thinking about how it felt driving, the adrenaline rush, the sense of power over something, it's what I may have been missing after all. It's like I never felt so free in my whole life until I got the chance to drive. That when it started to move and I realized I was driving, I felt so free it's almost like I could fly.

I honestly don't know much about cars but I think it would awesome to get a smart and sporty looking one even though I'm not really the sporty type. Yes dearie, I love irony as much as I love to surprise myself. And since I am a creative a person then a car that comes with a customization program would be a great deal too. I love customizing! Google here and there and may I present to you my ideal car.

Image Credits: Green Autoblog

A smart fortwo BRABUS electric drive car with a touch of Arrow's color palette (Black and Green) from smart brabus with electric drive and a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery. Launched just last March, it's a consolation that this car is Eco-friendly! And that my friend is my ideal car. :-)

So what's your ideal car?

I remember the first time I rode the MRT. It was remarkable because it was also my first time in Manila. In fact I was still carrying my big traveling bag that when I got inside the train everybody was looking at me like I am some kind of terrorist. Ehem. Ehem. *changes accent* 'Hey, my name is Mark and I am not a terrorist!', I shouted inside my head while staring all back at them. Anyway, that awkward moment was saved by an audio announcement about the safety precautions inside the train. The train wasn't as crowded as I expected. Everyone must be taking their lunch I thought. I stood facing the right side of the train and from the window I saw rooftops, cables, wires, houses, seemingly abandoned buildings, old apartments, there was even a school I thought, scrapped political banners from the May 2010 Presidential Elections and a billboard of Kris Aquino among many others. The view outside was so depressing that I turned my gaze on the people inside the MRT. During the first stop I took the chance to transfer to the end of the train so I could have a better view of everything and everyone. At last! After a few minutes of standing I've finally been able to sit. The train suddenly became crowded but I still managed to observe people who I thought were interesting and it sort of made me feel happy. Actually, it was fun to think of stories out of their expressions, what they're doing and whatever that has, will or may happen during our ride.



It felt like I just went inside the lives of the people around me. Assuming of course that my theories and assumptions were right. They don't have to be necessarily right though and that's best thing about it. Inside the train, was an old woman who was texting and I thought she needed some help with it. I think her phone was of the qwerty type and I bet she couldn't hardly see. Beside her were two high school students giggling over a handsome guy in front of them who I thought was gay since he's been looking at the direction of the five college students near the exit door. Or it could be that he knows someone from that group because one actually waved his hands to the handsome guy. Or it wasn't the handsome guy that one of the college students was waving to, but the girl beside the handsome guy who wore a pink shirt and was drinking a mocha frappe from Starbucks. Let's just call her Starbucks girl. If that's the case then the handsome guy (who I thought was gay) is so assuming and I guess that makes him even more gay. There's also a guy who looked like a goon from a movie ready to steal or punch anyone who gets near him. What's so peculiar about him though is that he was carrying a book that looked like a bible and all. Across him was a promo girl of some known dish washing liquid who I think is late for work because she's always checking her wristwatch. I wish I could tell her she can't stop time by just looking at her wristwatch. Honestly, it's distracting. If it were the end of the world I think nobody would even care what time it is. Anyway, behind the promo girl was a fat guy who I think was selling stuff on his messenger bag because he's been looking at nearly every direction. He was in a business man attire though, his head bald and he's wearing eye-glasses. I think the guy's searching for a potential buyer around because he appears to be checking on everyone. "Don't you dare look at my direction!" I murmured. I just hate facing persuasive salesmen. They're incessant talkers and it annoys the hell out of me. I don't know where I got this but whenever I hear too much noise and gets load of information all at the same time I get dizzy.

Anyway, there was a pregnant woman who looked problematic on her duster and her 8 years old daughter who was laughing at the old man who was asleep in front of them. I'm not really certain about their ages though. Beside the man who was sleeping was a woman who looked like Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago but in a nurse's uniform also worried that she may already be late for her shift. What's with people checking time every time? It made me feel as though one of them had set up a time bomb somewhere. On the right side was an engineering student who's been scratching his back with a T-square and I think it was his classmate who tried to cover him up for a moment. It must have been very embarrassing for the classmate. T-square? Like seriously? Hahaha. And oh, there was an annoying girl who was standing right in front of me. She looked pretty though but she keeps on giving me hurried glances which made me conscious. And I fucking hate it! Another thing that pisses me off is when people try to make their every breaths audible. It makes me eerily conscious about breathing and I sometimes end up stopping my breath.

By the next stop, a crowd of people went inside and the girl in front of me went nearer to where I was. Suddenly, everyone became close to one another. Among the new set of people is a young man, maybe in his early twenties who looked pissed and was looking for someone. In fact, he wandered around checking people's faces. He even accidentally poured Starbucks girl's mocha frappe and I heard the girl utter "Watch it!". I didn't hear the guy say sorry though but he bowed his head down and went near the exit. That reminded me of bumping into a lady earlier who I thought was a call center agent because she looked like a zombie. I said sorry but she was kind of spaced out or something. There's circles around her eyes and she looked like she never had any decent sleep in her lifetime. Thinking of it made me realize we are actually in pre-zombie era.

Before I forget, there's my friend who's busy texting the person we will be meeting in a mall somewhere. Hahaha. I don't really know where we're going but the person I'm with is actually one of those guys who likes to hit on girls a lot. And yes, I'll accompany him to meet his textmate in a Mall somewhere. We've been friends for years but never have I been influenced by his style with girls. I guess I didn't need that because I believe life is like a movie and everyone of us has a role to play. He plays the playboy type and my role is . . .honestly, I have yet to figure that out. Perhaps, in this train ride I'm the person who likes to observe and create stories inside his head. Oh dearie, I must be retarded!

There are lot of stories one could tell out of riding an MRT. Each and every individual in that MRT is actually telling a part of their life stories. And if only I could; I would very much love to know what's gonna happen to them after the MRT ride. I mean, it's really interesting to know because life offers a lot of possibilities. Maybe, my friend's textmate was the old woman who struggled coping with technology. Maybe the guy would say sorry to the girl in pink and ask her out on a date later. Or maybe the new guy was looking for his Mom who happens to be the nurse in Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago's mask. Maybe, the salesman is actually the lookout of annoying girl in front of me who happens to be a member of a Chinese mafia. Or the handsome guy wasn't actually gay but the older brother of one of those college students. And the lady zombie might fall in love to the hoodlumy-looking guy who happens to be a clergyman. Anything can happen! And I also believe everyone is somehow connected from any other person in the MRT not through six degrees of separation but maybe on a much larger scale.

There are over 11 million people in Metro Manila and if each person's life is to be adapted into a movie then we'll have 11 million movies produced during these people's lifetime. I'm not really good in math or statistics but the thing is anyone of us could be part of each others' movie. In your film you're the protagonist, in others' you can be the villain but to whosoever films I'm in, I think I will be the narattor. The typical guy you don't normally see in the camera. A guy who's just there to observe and scare the hell out of people when he smiles at them.

Sometimes, I think life is like an MRT Ride. It starts slow and for a moment it keeps a certain speed and then slows down during stops. It's a mecha beast that is hard to escape. A place full of strangers, would-be friends and even love interests. A place where anything can happen. You know where you're headed but sometimes you have stops to make. And the time you'll get out of it, you know, you'll have more rides to take!