i can cook pala!

I spent most of my morning worrying on things I should do and things I should have done concerning my masters and my other extra-curricular activities. I know it's a bad thing to do to keep on worrying but sometimes it's the first thing one does upon realizing that your pending tasks are indeed worrisome. = )

For starters I was supposed to go the whole nine yards to survey (the S word!) moms from all over the Metro. It's good that I have 2 other very efficient and reliable groupmates (Hi Crissy and Don!!) but this task (survery close to 300 people) we had to divide among us three. I know I should have started the past weekend but physically, I just couldn't. But I'm all better now and am really raring to tick this off my to-do list - only to realize that I might have started too late. Looking at my assigned areas is enough to make one's head go loco loco!! Add to that the sheer number of respondents I have to accomplish!

1. Mandaluyong - got this covered since I'm from here
   
2. Manila - bf got this covered (thanks so much baby!! super life-saver..more on that later)
   
3. San Juan
4. Las Pinas
5. Muntinlupa
6. Pasig
7. Pateros
8. Quezon City

It was just so overwhelming for me, I guess that my mind went to panic mode!! In times like this, who ya gonna call?? I'm so glad that there are very generous and gracious friends who were more than willing to help a crazed and dazed girl!

Really it felt more like a test on how well you'll be able to manage logistics, time and your network. So instead of me having to go around like a headless chicken, thinking how to juggle all these activities, I stopped my panicked self, sat myself down and just really fixed my gameplan. So since photocopying is much cheaper in the UST area, bf got on to it. He'll take 20 and distribute to his classmates. My brother (also studying in UST) will bring home the rest for me and will also distribute some to his friends. Internet power was also maximized as I sent copies to my former officemates and classmates. As Bo Sanchez said, if you just bite-size things and plan ahead, everything seems more manageable - indeed I agree!

But before I calmed down to that level, I paced the house like crazy thinking and worrying of all those to-do list that I simply had to go out and do something! And then I remembered the episode on Quickfire (a QTV-11 production) where they made a simple (read: easy to cook like I can make this on my own) and seemingly delectable dish (EVOO fried chicken breast fillet, with taco salsa, cheddar cheese, buttered corn) which I intended to make this weekend. But it can't wait anymore so off I went to Pure Gold (just a Php 8.00 jeepney ride away) and bought the stuff needed. Despite the possibility of rain, I went anyway.

Not a pro in the kitchen department but I think I did a pretty good job cooking it. The second version tasted better - and everyone in the household gave a thumbs up! I'm so happy! = ) This is the first time I realized that cooking has its calming, soothing effect too! And the happiness grows once you see everyone enjoy the food!

THE VERDICT:
1. Mom: Do this again on saturday and I'll give some to Tita Rica for her to try
2. Dad: Uno!

With a fuller tummy, and a less-tense me..now I can concentrate on my next immediate task:

preparing for my pathology presentation for sunday!!
will write more about this by sunday! gosh i'm excited! (wheee!!)

and my second immediate task:

my (masters) presentation on developing marketing strat!

======================
so no to panic-stricken, downtrodden, tense spirits and YES to cooking, eating and enjoying!

The case of the chori burger fix

I don't know why I've grown hungry tonight, probably because I had been sick for the last 4 days (and i need all the nourishment i can get..yeah!!) but I feel that my stomach has hit this state of emptiness - like vacuum empty!! Could be the coffee or the medicines I took..I really don't know.

What I know is that out of this hunger grew a deep craving for....CHORI BURGER!!! But I know it's only available in Boracay so I began my search for the chori burger recipe. Spent an hour looking for it in the internet but to no avail. What I found were only pictures of it and how other people longed for it too - both of which only intensified my craving..big time!

That's me enjoying every bit of my chori burger and jonah's shake in Bora (Mar 2008)

But not to despair...I found out that although I may not get the real thing as of now, there are worthy alternatives. From other people's blog I discovered that I need not board a plane to bora just to eat chori chori burger..all it takes is a drive to Metrowalk or an MRT ride to Trinoma and I can eat (read: hoard) all the choris I want from Bun on the Run (BoTR)!! Well, that plus a great deal of other burgers to try next time - Brother's Burger, Bite Club, Cafe Breton's Mozzarella burger...oh the list goes on and on and on...

I just hope the chori burger tastes as Boracay-ly (not the sand okay?) as the one I had in Bora. Otherwise I'd be forced to concoct my own recipe. Now I just need to go get a fix of Jonah's mango milk shakes!

Jonah's pricelist (Mar 2008). What's your favorite shake?

girl on tv

Today i received surprising messages from my friends that i was on TV. No way I say...

But Madz it's really you! Lining up in a cafeteria!!

Thoughts and memories rushed through my brain...

"Eeeeeaaaahh.....it must really be me!!"

Funny how incidents that happened less than a month ago have been completely forgotten..turns out it was that Mel and Joey (GMA-7's) coverage of our favorite nearby carinderia-eatery-cafeteria. I was more concerned whether I looked PG (patay gutom or very very hungry) on TV than my telegenic appeal...hah! yes i have that! = )

It's a quaint place, the "low end" counterpart of Cafe Juanita, both owned by Dr. Vasquez (an ob-gyne). That's low end with quotation marks because the Mechado and Caldereta viands sell for almost a hundred pesos each! Nevertheless, it was very Filipino the way they use the antique stuff they sell as the resto's furniture and how they play Bayanihan songs (think, Ang Pipit) each and every day.

Yeah, how could I really forget..the place whose walls have heard almost every juicy office gossip or latest lovelife chikas..the place I shared with my old colleagues..and a place that I now miss..

Well it's just too bad that our cable connection had a problem due to typhoon Frank...phhuuey...