I Am Julienne || A blog about kicking my Quarter-life Crisis' butt

Baby Makers

Julienne — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:24:40 +0000

One of my staff at the office came up to me today. He wants to switch into sales because he needs a bigger income and that’s where he feels he can earn more.

My natural question was: Why?

He has two siblings he is sending to school and he just got his girlfriend pregnant.

I asked, was it an accident? And he goes, no. I wanted to have a baby. We did that on purpose.

I nearly lost all sympathy.

While I don’t judge the reasons why people choose to have kids, there is something to be said about responsible parenting. Why would you think you’re ready to make a baby knowing fully well that you don’t have the means, you’re barely out of school and you’re already putting your siblings through school? Now he’s panicking because it’s basically like he has a family of 3, at the age of 26. His girlfriend is 23. They are in love.

I know I sound like a whiny cynic. I’m not even a parent nor a girlfriend but when that moment comes, I want to be prepared. In my opinion, Filipinos need a strongly-worded, painful lesson on the responsibilities (and harsh realities) of parenthood. It’s not all rainbows, unicorns and cupcakes. It’s sweat, tears and sleepless nights. You need money to raise a kid, it’s true. They don’t come cheap. I see this all the time at the office. Young moms and dads, creating children by accident, on impulse and without a thought for the responsibilities that follow. My mom always said that money isn’t everything but having it does ease a lot of your stresses. While you don’t need to be filthy rich to make a baby, you need to put careful thought in how you are going to bring your child into the world and raise him/her as a good person.

Just random thoughts.

Vask = Love

Julienne — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:41:56 +0000

My meal at Vask was like a ridiculously successful first date. How?

1)      I can’t stop thinking about it.
2)      I keep telling all my friends how great it was.
3)      I’m trying to find ways to get ~~together~~ to go there again.

I haven’t had a meal this good in a while. It’s reminiscent of the meals I used to have in New York. When I found out that Chef Jose Luis Gonzalez (the Vask Magician) worked in the legendary El Bulli for a year, it all made sense. No wonder the food in Vask is unlike anything Manila has ever seen. I was blown away.

First, the space. Well-lit, modern, spacious and buzzing with energy. It’s casual so you don’t have to look the part to enjoy the food. Prepare to speak loudly as the noise level gets kinda high.

Amuse yourself with the Hidden Mickeys.

You can opt to sit near the kitchen so you can see them prep.

Don’t forget to check out the view deck. It has a beautiful view and perfect for the lovebirds.

Next: the Food!!!

I was lucky enough to be able to be one of the first to check out Vask. For their soft opening, Chef Gonzalez created a degustation comprised of Vask’s would-be signature dishes. Here is the menu:

Pintxo – Toasted Bread, Curried Prawn, Green Asparagus
Foie Gras on Mango Toast – Mango, Caramelized Foie Gras Mousse

The bread first – difficult to bite at first because it’s crunchy but this is a fun appetizer. The curry flavor distinct but not overpowering and complements the shrimp and asparagus quite well.

The light and airy Foie Gras Mousse is heaps of fun in one bite. The caramel and mango give the foie gras a nice sweetness.

Sea Urchin – Foie Gras Powder, Beer, Orange, Uni

Okay I don’t enjoy Uni (in general) so I’m not a good person to speak to this dish. My friends said it was yummy though. I don’t have any comments.

Huevos, Hongs y Cebolla – 62 Sous Vide Egg, Porcini Mushroom, Garlic, Breadcrumbs, Port Wine Sauce, Onion Foam

This is breakfast comfort food in a tiny bowl. At first I was confused because there seem to be a lot of components to this dish but you know, all of them work. Breadcrumbs for texture, mushrooms for earthiness, port wine for sweetness, garlic and onion of course to give it a nice bold flavor and of course the egg. Delicious. If cholesterol were a mythical thing, I would eat this dish daily for breakfast.

Tuna in Dashi Kombu – Calamansi Infusion, Quinoa Risotto, Algae

Not only is this delicious, it’s also quite healthy. A perfectly seared piece of tuna topped with yummy quinoa. I like the hint of calamansi. I love quinoa and pairing it with Tuna made me fall in love. My only complaint is that my tuna was a bit salty, I think the seasoning wasn’t spread evenly enough because some bites were really salty and some were not.

Wagyu – Mushroom Textures, Mashed Potato, Foam, Saute, Sauce

The description doesn’t give too much away. I guess it’s because few words can accurate express how amazing this dish was. The meat, cooked to medium (though the chef recommends it medium rare), was buttery soft and practically melted in my mouth. Seasoned perfectly, you don’t need to add much. It stands on its own, However, the mushrooms and mashed potato were the perfect complement to the steak. I wanted to lick my marble plate clean. When my friend wasn’t looking, I almost stole a chunk of her steak. That’s how good it is. It’s really is like having a celebration in your mouth.

Creamy Tapioca – Green Cardamom and coffee infusion, Ginger Confit, Crispy Violet, Green tea Ice Cream.

I must say, not my favorite dish. I’m not fan of ginger and while I can eat it (or dishes flavored with it), I prefer it to be subtle. This dish, to me, tasted like it was ginger, tapioca and nothing else. I didn’t even really get the green tea flavor. The violet powder is interesting, it’s not just there for decoration. Make sure you eat it too. I liked the concept of the dish however, I’m not sure it works as well in application. Maybe a different combination of flavors. Better yet, lighter on the ginger. Then again, who am I to tell a acclaimed chef how to design his desserts?

Vask also has an extensive drink menu. Make sure you try their cocktails which are really innovative. We opted for something more traditional.

48 hours later and I’m still daydreaming about Vask, that yummy tuna and that divine wagyu. I’m going to take my family there for my birthday just so they can try it too. Can’t wait to go back. This means it’ll be my second date with Vask in a week’s period. I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful new relationship.

Vask Modern Tapas & Gastronomic Cuisine

11th Ave cor. 39th Street, The Fort (Clipp Building which looks like this: Clipp)

www.facebook.com/VaskManila

0917-5872400 // 0920-9185326

On Shopping, Sacrifice and Goal Setting

Julienne — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 15:35:01 +0000

For Lent, I gave up shopping. I even wrote it down. “My official Lenten Sacrifice is no shopping – Zara, TopShop, Mango, Dorothy Perkins, Greenhills Tiangge or any bazaar, any department store, Warehouse, LaSenza or any other clothing store. No Group Buying.” I was pretty specific, no excuses, no loopholes. The only exceptions to this rule are 1) Deal Grocer 2) basics, essentials and toiletries and 3) exercise purchases. Even my exceptions have limits. I’m only allowed to spend P10,000 for each exception. So far I’ve been good. I haven’t set foot in any of the aforementioned stores nor purchased any articles of clothing. I swear. It’s been two weeks.

Unfortunately for me, once March rolls around, I’m more inclined to begin window shopping. It’s my birthday month and I become more self-indulgent than usual. My Lenten Sacrifice is about to become more difficult. Today, for example. I was walking by Lucerne (the premiere watch store) in Shangrila. Without realizing it, my brisk walk slowed to a leisurely stroll upon which, after pacing the storefront for a few minutes, I gave up fighting and walked right in. Nevermind that I have no money, nevermind that I looked ordinary, I walked in there like I owned the place. My mother would have been proud.

(Photo taken from : http://www.valoriemarie.com/?p=2761)

Okay — before anything, it doesn’t count as shopping because this word (to me) means that I can afford the items for sale. However, I can’t afford anything in Lucerne so even if I wanted to buy something, I would not be able to. Therefore, the action of shopping cannot and will not take place. (my loophole)

Now most people feel embarrassed to walk into a store where they can’t afford anything. Not me. My mother always said that looking is free, so what whether you can afford it or not. I guess that’s why I’m fearless when it comes to stuff I can’t buy. I’ll get it eventually. I like to call this window shopping process — “goal setting.” Others call it motivation. This is how I work —-

I look at expensive things and mentally note the things I want.
I Wait.
Over the next couple of days/weeks/years (depending on how expensive it is), I work and save to get to the point where I can afford to purchase said item. My formula is “SRP x 2″ – obviously my bank account can’t be empty so I need to have double. The higher the multiplier, the better.
In reality, so much time will have passed that I actually don’t want the thing anymore. Simply the knowledge that I can finally afford it will be enough to tide me over until I find the next (more expensive) thing I want. Rarely does my desire for an item last longer than 3 months. If my longing survives the test of time, then I will probably end up buying it (assuming I can). In short, I don’t buy as many things as people think I do. I want a lot of things but I have better self control than most people give me credit for.

So back to Lucerne. There I was, walking around, taking my time admiring different watches. It’s nice to be underestimated because it allowed me to browse in peace. I started with TW Steel (the watch I purchased over Christmas) and made my way up to the expensive stuff.

I found a nice Hublot Big Bang 38mm watch with a ceramic bezel and a carbon fiber face. Php1,026,000. After discount, Php769,000. I really liked it, it was edgy and different. However, my mom didn’t like it because she finds it too industrial, masculine and “hard.” Dad said that I might as well check out Audemars Piguet since their styles are very similar with AP being a better brand.

Saw this Patek Philippe. Not sure what it’s called but I was instantly drawn to it. It’s a stunning timepiece with the diamond encrusted bezel, white leather strap and baby-blue tinged mother of pearl face. It’s a beauty. My mom would like this one. She wouldn’t like the price tag. From the looks of this photo, around Php1.9M

Also checked out this Jaeger-LeCoutre Rendez-Vous Night and Day. I like the night one but I would definitely change the strap.

After my stint at Lucerne, I went to Rustans to stock up on my cosmetics. Okay, the Creme de La Mer was a splurge on my part but Rustans let me pay lite so I kept within my Php10k budget.

All in all, it was a good window shopping, goal setting day.

Holdak Chicken

Julienne — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:18:44 +0000

Move aside BonChon, there’s a new Chicken place in Manila!

I must admit I’ve never heard of Holdak but I’m not one to say no to Korean Fried Chicken. On Sunday, I dragged my brother out of bed at an ungodly early hour (1pm) to go check out Holdak in Mezza Residences. We got there shortly after the lunch rush so it was pretty quiet. I think it gets busy, especially on weekdays.

We took our sweet time trying to figure out what to order.

I’m a fan of how simple this menu is. My mom always says a good restaurant doesn’t need an extensive menu. You just need one thing and make it really well. As an added bonus, everything is reasonably priced. Great value for money because the portions are more than plenty.

We settled on a solo meal each. The chicken is juicy, crunchy and doused with the right amount of sauce. It’s boneless so you don’t have to worry about getting your hands dirty, unless you really want to. This chicken really can’t be any more perfect than it already is. Brother and I were instant fans!

Yangnyam - It’s difficult to put in words how this exactly tastes like. To me, Yangnyam is sweet and mildly nutty.

Padak – our hands-down favorite. It is simultaneously sweet, spicy and tangy. You have to eat it with the spring onions which enhance the flavor. Perfect. Brother and I had a solo meal each and then split a third Padak (takaw). We were ready to nap afterwards.

We also ordered Pajeon which is a Korean pancake. This is okay. Not much to say about this because the chicken dominated our meal. This was just extra.

Overall, brother and I loved the food and wished that there was a Holdak closer to where we lived. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this place expands soon. But, I’d say the chicken is worth driving to and braving traffic for.

Holdak Chicken

Mezza Residences, Araneta Ave cor. Aurora Blvd

(02) 354 2195

https://www.facebook.com/HoldakChicken

Of Marshmallow Clouds and Cookies

Julienne — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:39:35 +0000

I’ve never heard of a wait list for cookies but with Jettee’s Kitchen cookies, it’s possible. Their marshmallow clouds are beyond delicious. Chewy, fudgy, marshmallowey goodness in two bites. You’re gonna want more than two bites. My friends and I devoured an entire bag.

They also have these dark chocolate Callebaut (apparently pronounced Calle-boo) chip cookies with pink salt. They are also very very good. They have the salty-sweet thing going for them, with the salt providing contrast. However, for those who are sensitive to sweets, this may be a bit much for you. The four of us split one cookie and it was sufficient. (Then again, keep in mind, we just had all the marshmallow clouds and were already stuffed)

Call in advance.

Jettee’s Kitchen
0917 564 8683 – Jhon (Jettee’s Husband) will answer. He’s super nice.
http://www.jetteeskitchenpastries.com/

To Settle or Not to Settle: That is the Question

Julienne — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:11:31 +0000

Somewhere out there, Filipinos are taught to have conversations like this:

Person: “How is a girl like you still single?”
Me: “I don’t know. I just haven’t found the right guy.”
Person: “Maybe your standards are too high.”

I think there’s a dozen other things that Person can say such as “it’s okay, I’m sure he’s around here somewhere” or “being single is fun” or “that’s okay, you’re young” instead of blaming me and my standards for being single. Filipinos need to seriously undo this bad habit.

Here’s how I see it: my standards ARE high and rightfully so. Of course they have to be high. I don’t intend on carrying on a relationship with just anyone. Modesty aside, finding a guy is easy. There are guys everywhere. Lowering standards to the barest minimum will mean that my boyfriend options will expand to: Mr. Weirdo I Met at the Bar, Mr. Creepy Customer, Mr. Dirty Old Man, Mr. Old Enough to be My Dad, Mr. 30 and unemployed, Mr. Engaged, Mr. Jejemon, and Mr. Might-be-Gay. I’m not very encouraged. HOWEVER, please don’t misunderstand me. These men might be perfectly nice for other girls however I know right away they’re not for me.

You see, I can afford to be picky. And, not just me. Most girls can. Lowering your standards is a fancy way of saying “settling” or in Tagalog, “sige na nga” / “pwede na.” Only the desperate settle, and I’m not desperate. I’m having the time of my life– I have a family whom I adore, amazing friends and a job that pushes me to be someone great. I’m blessed with a home, a full tummy and environment of love. A boyfriend would not complete my life, he would complement it. His presence would and should bring me joy and inspiration. He would be a companion who I could share new experiences with. While I can’t speak for all women, I want a boyfriend to enrich my life, not to fill a void.

A different perspective…

Last night, I went to a talk with Pastor Jonathan Felix and he spoke of the difference between Infatuation, Love and Lust. It was a great talk, one which I can’t recount here (as I won’t do it justice) however, he talked about lowering standards which I found interesting. He said that many people set unreasonably high standards and non-negotiables(deal breakers). Pastor Felix shared how he’s met so many women who set their non-negotiables at something really specific, like height. If the guy doesn’t meet their required height, no matter how great he is, they won’t say yes to him. Or.. guys who want to date women only rated a “10″ so if the girl is only a “6 or 7″ then, sorry, they won’t ask you to be their girlfriend. Pastor Felix said that God should be the one to double-check your non-negotiables.

I would like to think I’m not that shallow. But all the same, it got me thinking and second-guessing myself. Are my standards indeed too high? Well then, for the benefit of no one, except myself, I will list some of my standards below. Perhaps someone out there can tell me if they are indeed too high.

A partial list… (in no particular order)

Height – taller than me (5’5) .. I like to wear heels so +3 inches is a bonus. Although I know Filipino men are genetically engineered to be short so.. if he’s taller than me I’m happy.
Skin tone – no preference. Although, ideally, I don’t want a guy who is too fair. In a country that prides white, glutathione-infused skin, I don’t want to look like the negrita next to male-snow white (er..snowman?)
Works hard and has a good job. (non-negotiable)
Must own a car. (non-negotiable, because I sell cars for a living. How ironic would it be if I dated a car-less guy)
Intelligent, street smart, witty, sharp and articulate (non-negotiable)
Fun and funny.
We have to be friends first. We must genuinely get along. Not just because we like each other. (non-negotiable)
Must be great at conversation and sociable. (non negotiable)
Honesty is a must. Must be open and willing to communicate.
Must not cave in the face of adversity.
Mature.
Close to God and his family.
Likes to travel and appreciate the finer things in life. Exposed, a plus.
Must get along fabulously with my family (non negotiable)
Must love dogs
Immaculate hygiene. Dresses nice (can’t look like a slob or dressed by his mother, no white socks black shoes please)
Someone who doesn’t do drugs, hasn’t committed a crime, doesn’t beat women
Will. Not. Cheat. On. Me. (on that note, Will not cheat on someone to be with me)
There has to be chemistry. I have to be attracted to him physically. (non-negotiable)
Knows how to treat a girl right. The usual stuff – respectful, sweet, caring, protective (but not smothering), compliments (not criticizes), etc.

There. That’s a partial list. Share your thoughts. Personally, I think it’s a logical and reasonable list however, obviously others beg to differ. Clearly the “Standards Debate” rages on.

Tomorrow will be my 4th Valentine’s Day as a single lady. I almost forgot that it was Hearts Day tomorrow. It doesn’t bug me that I’m not celebrating it. Dear Single Friends, please don’t lower your standards/settle just so you can have a date on Valentine’s Day. If you do, mark my words, you’ll end up with Mr. Worst Valentines Day Date Ever. It makes a great story but not a great Valentine.

I told my parents the other day that they are obligated to take their single children out on a date. I made it up on the spot and they both laughed. As a result, I get two dates, one with my mom and one with my dad. I might get a bonus date with my brother. Family-dates are the best — I choose the restaurant, order whatever I want, all-expenses paid, eat as much as I can without fear of judgment and chismis to my heart’s content. Best of all, I am with people who I love and the feeling is mutual. There’s not much more a girl can ask for.

Happy Valentine’s day Everyone! May you be surrounded with true love on this day and every day of the year. <3

My 2013 Travel Goals

Julienne — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 16:31:59 +0000

Time to update the Travel Goals list. I think for a travel addict like me, it means this list is never going to end. Human desires are after all, insatiable.

I’ve always nurtured a yearning to go out, experience new things and see new places. I don’t know why but this desire has strengthened in the last year or so. I’ve found myself determined, more than ever, to make things on my list happen. You Only Live Once. YOLO.

If you would like to refer to my old list, please click this link: My 2012 Travel Goals. However, I will do a recap here.

	2012	2013
January	Cebu (Sinulog)	Cebu (Sinulog)
February	no new place, but I did travel to Shanghai	Hot Air Balloon Festival, Clark
March	The Farm at San Benito	Calgary, Canada
April	no new place	San Diego, California
May	Sydney, Australia	?
June	no new place	?
July	Krabi, Thailand	?
August	Pinto Art Gallery / Iloilo & Antique	?
September	Singapore (Marina Bay Sands/Universal Studios)	?
October	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	?
November	Mt. Pinatubo Tarlac Pampanga	?
December	Tokyo, Japan	?

Here is my assorted list from 2012, with the 2013 additions in blue.

Bellarocca – Marinduque
~~Hike up Mt. Pinatubo~~
Korea (ideally to Snowboard but just to visit would be good too)
Roadtrip to Pagudpud (which will involve a side trip to Vigan, La Union and other places on the way. No, this isn’t cheating)
~~Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo~~
Mind Museum in BGC
Some Random US State I’ve never been to before
Bohol
Hike up Mt. Pulag

So I crossed off 2/8 things on my list. Not bad. I even got to check out some places that I didn’t expect such as Tokyo and various places in Singapore. Looking at my list and recap reminds me of how blessed I am. I thank the Lord every day for what he gives to me and my family. I’m pretty needy, I’m always asking for things which I’m sure annoys Him. But He never lets me down and even surprises me along the way. In all my years with the Lord, I’ve learned that He allows things to happen when it’s the right time, not when I demand it. That said, I’m not planning too much for 2013, just keeping my outlook positive and my camera charged.. then trust that things will fall in place. 2013, here we go! Kung Hei Fat Choi!

The Clubhouse – Robinsons Magnolia

Julienne — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:36:09 +0000

While everyone our age is out drinking and partying, my forever date, Lyndy and I went for a late evening snack at this new place called Clubhouse in Robinsons Magnolia. It’s a really cute restaurant owned by a cousin of our friend, I think. Anyway, I’ve never heard of it but I’m always raring to try new places. So there we found ourselves on a Friday night.

I love the atmosphere. It was gloriously quiet, cozy and perfect for catching up. Or.. in our case, complaining about our weight, talking enviously about celeb weights, summer plans, shopping, and all things girly.

I love these bench seats and the fun walls. They have a great interior decorator, I’ll give them that.

So this is not going to be much of a review, I know. I mean we ordered two soups and two cakes. Despite this, I enjoyed my meal tremendously and I will definitely be going back for a full meal. In anticipation, I took photos of their menu so I can review and plan out my next visit. I’m already eyeing the Vigan Longganisa, which is highly rated. They serve breakfast til 3pm which sounds perfect for Sunday brunch.

Appetizers/Soup || Sandwiches/Mains || Pastas & Extras || Drinks

We weren’t too hungry so we ordered a soup each. Hers, Tomato soup.

Mine, Mushroom Soup. Delicious. Seriously. I haven’t had mushroom soup this delicious (not too creamy, very flavorful) in a long time.

We also ordered this Dip Trio appetizer – crisp toast with spinach, cheese/mushroom or crab dip. Our favorite was the Spinach and Cheese dip. The crab one was okay.

The best thing about hanging out with a friend you’ve had since 5th grade is that we don’t judge each other if we want to have a slice of cake, each. While our initial instinct was to split a slice, we momentarily forgot about our diets and ordered a slice each, pretending that it was a good way to get to try more desserts. Yeahhh..riiiighhttt. We selected cakes that were both chocolate, not much variety there. I liked my turtle pie better than the pure chocolate cake slice she ordered.

Can’t wait to go back!

The Clubhouse

1/F Robinsons Magnolia

Watami Yummy

Julienne — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:06:37 +0000

The other day, my friend Lyndy texts me “hey there’s Watami in Manila!” My first reaction was.. “What’s Watami?” Apparently it’s a popular Japanese Casual Restaurant that started out in Singapore. Go figure. Anyway, so the long and short of it is that Watami’s a big deal. After tonight’s get together, I can kinda see why. Kinda.

The exterior of their Glorietta 1 branch.

The interior taken Panoramically with my iPhone. Sorry, for the warbled parts, it’s because there were people walking around the restaurant and weren’t captured properly.

The menu of favorites. Heads up: the dishes in the photo appear larger than they are in real life.

We were lucky and Citibank had a 50% off promo. The way it works is that as soon as you order Php2,500 worth of food, you get 50% off. Challenge Accepted!! We used this as an excuse to order ALOT of food. Here you go (in no particular order):

Edamame & Special Roll - Edamame needs to be salted as it had no taste. Special roll wasn’t so special either.

Special Sashimi (4 types) - Sloppily plated and only 3 types — salmon, tuna, scallop.

Tempura Udon - Okay now this was yummy. The broth, flavorful and the udon was the perfect consistency (not too hard nor pasty soft). The tempura was served separately which I appreciated because soggy tempura is not pleasant. The one complaint I had was the temperature of the broth was not as steaming hot as I would have liked. I would definitely order this again though.

Watami Salad – This salad was okay. Maybe it was our fault because we didn’t toss it so we might not have gotten the flavors that the chef intended. Only after reaching the bottom of the plate did we realize that there was a sesame dressing. We thought the salad did not have much flavor to it before that. Also there was a strange unidentifiable white scoop in the middle. It tasted like chicken (or tuna) salad. By the way, gathering from the salad’s ingredients, this is not the healthiest of salads.

Beef Pepper Rice in a Stone Pot – This dish is similar to the Beef Pepper Rice/Pepper Lunch that we Filipinos know and love. The Watami version measures up pretty well and is, according to our server Diane, one of the more popular dishes in the restauraunt.

Scallop with Garlic and Butter – Soft, fresh scallops sauteed with a generous portion of garlic, mushrooms and just a touch of butter. I was in heaven. Order this.

Green Tea Parfait - I’m not one for desserts that have cornflakes in them so I stayed away from this. I can’t speak to it but here is a photo.

Chocolate Cake ala Mode - I took this on by myself. One person can finish it, it looks bigger in the photo. It’s pretty good. I wish the cake were gooey in the center. The consistency was more of a dense brownie than a fluffy cake.

Mango Yakult - Self explanatory.

Mission Accomplished! Our bill came to Php2,800+ and we paid only Php1,400 for all this food. It was a pretty good deal. Citibank should have these promos all the time.

Know before you go:

1) It gets pretty packed so a reservation might be a good idea.
2) Service is pretty fast. They are rated based on their performance so their staff will ask you to send a text message to give feedback. There is a hotline # to text.
3) It gets really loud so it’s not an intimate dinner place. This is a place where you meet friends and you cheer and talk excitedly and overall be happy and..loud. During our dinner, it was quite noisy. Lots of birthday singing, clapping, cheering, bursts of loud laughter and generally people having fun.

WATAMI – Japanese Casual Restaurant

Ground Floor, New Glorietta Mall Makati City

836-7141

Makati Ford Launching

Julienne — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:41:14 +0000

We are so blessed. The business is expanding. I have no words to describe how grateful I am for what we have.

Some photos from the event:

Me & the host Ruby Rodriguez. What a funny lady.

Me with Jaya. I should have requested she sing my favorite song Dahil Tanging Ikaw, which my family listened to on the 7-hour drive back from Baguio. My dad loves this song also.

We had a lion dance. Brings me back to my childhood.

I gave a speech for the first time. I was so nervous.

President FVR graced our event. He is a wonderfully funny man and he was very patient as we all clamored around him for photos.

My Mazda & Ford Team.

My friends from school came which made me so happy.

I got to hear one of my favorite bands play – The Bloomfields. These guys are great and so talented.

We got a lot of flowers. They were so pretty. A week later and they still adorn our showroom. I’m doing my best to make them last as long as possible.

Our cleanup crew.

I got to sit on the big Ford tarpaulin. Not many people can say they sat on the blue oval.

Overall it was a very happy event with our friends, family and colleagues in attendance. I hope our guests had as much fun as I did.