My Top 10 Favourite Food

10 - My Top 10 Favourite Food

"Write the names of ten things you like to eat. Describe them."

     When I eat food, I tend to savour its taste or flavour. I don't usually just munch it down and swallow like what some people do. I enjoy what taste the food has to give me. I mean, isn't that what cooking is all about? Playing around with the food's flavour, making it something new. What's the point of adding seasoning if you're not going to take the time to taste your food? I eat slow, because I like to taste my food. A lot of people don't realize that about me, but now you do since I've just told you.

     Anyway, I have made a list of my top ten favourite food. I like these foods mostly because of the taste, but I have my other reasons too which I will explain as we go on. This is probably not the healthiest list of meals but I did say that this is going to be a list of my "favourites", and usually one's favourites are never the healthiest of kinds.. usually. So, we're going to start form number ten then descend to the first.

10. Tempura 

These are the ones from Mann Hann

This is basically deep fried prawns and is usually accompanied with a dip (I'm not sure what it's called though). The best place where I like to eat Tempura would be at Mann Hann. You can find one at Mall of Asia (MOA) or at SM Megamall, but I think you can find some in other places too. Those two malls are just the usual places where I go to.
I really love seafood which is why I love Tempura too. It's so crunchy and "prawny", I don't know, I like how it tastes. Especially with the dip (which I still don't know the name of).

9. Kimbap (Korean Sushi Rolls)

When I was in high school, I befriended some Koreans namely, Chloe and Cecilia (those are their English names). They became some of my closest friends and they also introduced me to some dishes native to their country. One would be Kimbap, which is basically their version of Sushi, however, nowadays you can put in any type of fillings you would like. So it kinda evolved to being more like a sandwich that looks like Sushi. That's one way to put it at least. If  you guys are interested in making some then check out this website for the recipe on Korean Sushi Rolls (Kimbap).

8. Ramyun

Another food which my Korean friends introduced to me was Ramyun. It's actually instant noodles but you could probably make it traditionally as well. However, I don't really know how to make it from scratch so I just cook the instant noodles instead. It still tastes good for me. I really enjoy how it's so spicy but still kind of sweet in my mouth. I should also mention that I really love spicy food too. The way it burns my tongue while being so savoury is just awesome. Although, some Ramyun noodles are also not spicy, but I prefer them spicy. It tastes better for me.

7. Myeolchibokkeum (Dried anchovy side dish)

Here's one more dish my Kroean friends made me try, it's dried anchovies. I like the ones that they make because it tastes either sweet, spicy or even both. It's just so good. Every time one of my friends would pack some for lunch I would always ask for some because I could never get enough of it. If you guys want to try it out then check out this link for the recipe.

6. Pizza

Ah, pizza, one could never get enough of it. Unless the ingredients used would make it heavy in your stomach which would make you feel very full, then I guess you would have had enough. Anyway, I love eating pizza but it depends on how it was made. I kinda like it when it has a thick crust rather than a thin one. Like the ones at Pizza Hut; their pizzas are really good. I also like it when it's loaded with meat because I'm a carnivore. I like to eat pizzas at Sbarro because they have all sorts of pizzas there. They seem to be more adventurous with the toppings, so they come up with the most delicious dishes there. You should try eating there sometime. One slice of their pizza would make you feel stuffed.

5. Cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes? They are like mini versions of cakes except, this time, you can overload them with as much frosting as you want and it will still taste amazing. I love desserts and I will definitely place cupcakes in that list. If I were to think about which flavour I like the most, it would probably be Red Velvet. I just like how it tastes so sweet and how it looks so red. I mean, I like chocolate flavoured ones but I don't always get to eat Red Velvet cupcakes, so I guess that's why I like them so much.

4. Apple Pie

I love apples. For me, they're the best fruit. So what better way is there to eat them than by turning them into pie? Now that's like rolling two delicious things into one dish.
My boyfriend made me home-made apple pie once. It was delicious. I loved it so much that I wished I didn't have to share it with my dad, but unfortunately, he is also a big fan of apple pies so I had to give him around 1/4 of it. I'm hoping that the next time my boyfriend makes some more, I won't have to share it. Because It's so good. (You can't have any either, reader).

3. Crab

This was the best picture I could find.
The ones on the right are my favourite.

Of all the seafood that I love to eat, crabs would definitely top that list. For me, crabs are the best. I love the way my mother cooks it. We have to eat it with our hands though, but it is worth it since it's so savoury. Especially when she makes it spicy. I love that. Also, I feel like eating it with your hands, like breaking it apart and reaching in for the meat, makes it taste even better since you would have to work your way to get the good stuff. I'm sure that some of you would think, "why would I have to work hard just to eat my food?", well, you're missing out on a lot. It makes me appreciate the food that God gives me more. Besides, those crab sticks that you can buy ready-made and packed in the groceries just aren't the same. Fresh is always the best.

2. Chocolate

Yes, I am a chocoholic. Guilty! But I can't help it. It just tastes so awesome. If I were to narrow down what kind of chocolate do I like the most though, I would say "the ones that look like shells" or "shell chocolates". Why? Because they remind me of my childhood (and they taste amazing too). When I was a kid, sometimes, my mother would buy those shell chocolates and we would share them with my dad and younger sister. That would always be how I would depict those moments whenever I would think about "shell chocolates". It's like a moment of togetherness or bonding. We don't do that any more, which is why I appreciate those memories these chocolates always remind me of. However, it is so difficult to find them. I almost never see them whenever I go to groceries. So I don't always get to eat them any more either. They're like a rare thing.

1. Ice Cream

Look at that delicious delicacy hand-crafted by angels!

Finally, my number one on my favourites list is ice cream. My favourite flavour would be vanilla. I like how it's so sweet and plain I guess. But, sometimes, anything with vanilla would do, actually. Like Cookies n' Cream, or the ones by Selecta that's got Hershey's Kisses in them. So, if I think about it, vanilla would be my favourite. Chocolate being my strong second. But I love it when you mix them together. They make an awesome combination. Man, I'm complicated. It's hard to explain.

Anyway, I eat ice cream whenever I feel sad or depressed because it helps lighten up my mood. I always refer to it as my cure for sadness. I'm pretty sure it can work for other people too, depending on how bad the problem is. However, if you're lactose-intolerant, then you should look for another solution.

     So, did you realize that my tenth post is about my ten favourite food? It's a weird coincidence. Really, I only realized it while I was writing this down. Anyway, I hope that you all found this very informative. Go and enjoy your day by tasting foods you haven't tried before, you just might find a new favourite.

Warm Embrace

9 - Warm Embrace

"Poem"

Alone, I seek his warm embrace.

One that envelopes me as if it will never let me go.

One that will save me from when I feel as if every one is against me.

One that tells me that he will never leave me.

For in his arms, I feel at home.

I feel like nothing can hurt me.

I feel like it can protect me,

From the world and the judgement around me.

There is no other like it,

For his is what I dreamed it to be.

He could hold me forever and I would love it.

For how could I possibly tire from being in his embrace?

I could never trade it for anything else,

For there is nothing that can replace it.

The comfort, warmth, protection it gives,

How could all these be found in one gesture?

When he is not present, it is all that I crave for.

His warm embrace during the cold nights.

I only wish that I could return the favour,

By giving him my embrace in hopes that he feels the same.

     So, yeah, we were asked to make a poem for class today, inspired by one of our past blog entries, and I chose my blog post entitled "In His Arms" for reference I guess. We found out that poems don't necessarily have to rhyme so this was a bit easier to make. However, I always did have a difficult time making metaphors and such. Anyway, enjoy the poem. I hope some of you guys can relate to this. Have a happy Valentine's Day!

A Strange Nightmare

8 - A Strange Nightmare

"Write about a terrifying nightmare."

     Nightmares are usually supposed to be scary. I mean, that's how you classify them as one. If it made you feel uncomfortable or scared then you call it a nightmare, a bad dream. But, for some reason, my nightmares are not always 100% horrific. Most of the time, it has its weird and funny moments that just don't make sense. It's like my mind wants to scare me but does not want to scare me at the same time. Sometimes, I would question the strange things that my brain comes up with when I'm dreaming.

"I'm the devil and I'm gonna chase you now,
 MWAHAHAHAHA!
(and I'm taking the moon with me)"

"holy" cupcakes I guess?

     There is this one nightmare that I had when I was in fifth grade. I found it to be so scary that I never forgot about it. However, it was also quite weird. Here's what happened, I was alone, walking on the street, on my way home I think. Then, I looked up to the sky and saw the moon. It was a full moon and it was really big. Then, I noticed that something was behind it. I saw a dark figure with horns and wings. It was the devil.  After seeing it, I panicked and ran as fast as I could. But I was having a difficult time running because, apparently, I was wearing these slippers that I only wear at home (my brain loves giving me a difficult time). While I was running, I kept looking back to see if he was still there. As I kept looking back, I noticed that he was getting closer and closer (or he was getting bigger and bigger, either way he was still chasing me). So I got even more scared. But, I saw this building from afar, it was a church, and there was a mob of people with torches and pitch forks rallying around it. Desperate to get some help, I ran towards it. When I got there, I told them about the devil that was chasing me. So they did a ritual to defeat him. The people joined hands and formed a circle. Meanwhile, the children, who were present, were given these "holy" cupcakes to eat (yeah, I have no idea why cupcakes, I think I was hungry). Anyway, in the centre of the circle, there was a box. Then, I think the people started saying some kind of incantation. When I looked up at the sky, I saw the devil. But when he got near us, the ritual started taking effect. He slowly began to shrivel unto the box that was in the centre until he formed the letter S on it. After seeing what happened, every one cheered. But I didn't. For some reason I felt like something was wrong. When I looked up at the sky, once more, I saw that he was still there! We all thought that that had destroyed him but it didn't work. So, some one told me to run home because there were some people there who could help me. So I did. I ran as fast as I could. Then, in the midst of all that confusion, I suddenly saw my classmate, Cheska, in one of the houses. She greeted me, "Hi Kim!", as if nothing wrong was happening. So I replied, "Not now Cheska, I'm being chased by the devil." then continued running to my house. Then, when I finally reached my home, the front door opened and I saw a bunch of people inside wearing these black robes as if they were members of a cult or something. Just when I was about to go in and ask what was going on, I woke up, shivering and sweating.

     That was the most frightening dream that I had ever had at that time. I had no idea why I had it. I had so much questions like, why was the devil chasing me? What's with the letter S? Why did I think about children eating holy cupcakes? Days later, I tried looking up what those things might have meant from a book I found in our school library that had the meanings to some things that you could find in a dream. All I learned from it was that I could have been facing a problem or a troubling situation at that time. I wasn't sure if I was, but I could never forget that nightmare. That weird, weird nightmare.

The "Haunted" House

7 - The "Haunted" House

"Describe a place from your past."

     I miss my childhood. How everything was just an adventure waiting to happen. I can still remember all the fun things I used to do like, play with random kids in the playground, climb the post where the basket for the basketball was (since it looked like a vertical monkey bar), ride my bicycle, get injuries from playing in the playground, play make-believe with my sisters, etc. Sigh, those were the good old days. Speaking of my sisters, I remember this one time we came across this haunted-looking abandoned (at least it seemed abandoned) house on the same street where we lived in.

     My big sister was the one who told us about it actually. It sounded creepy so she, my little sister and I decided to go check it out. We went to the house on our bikes, even if it was practically just a short walk from our place, to give it a sort of undercover spy feeling since we felt like we were on a secret mission to infiltrate the "haunted" house. When we got there, we parked our bikes in front of the gates. The house wasn't so big, it seemed like it didn't have a second floor. Also, from what I can remember, the place wasn't very neat and tidy. The driveway was covered with thick vines which almost reached the gates. The house itself looked old and rickety. The walls were white and dirty. The roof and the gates were painted green which blended with the vines and other vegetation. This is why we thought that the place might have been haunted and abandoned. Anyway, we opened one of the gates, which was only up to our shoulders, which made it easy to get in. Then we walked over the vines which covered the driveway and went over to the front door. The door wasn't locked so we were able to get in. The place was dim and everything was covered in dust. I remembered that only my big sister had a flash light. Also, the room we were in (which was probably the living room) was filled with these cardboard boxes. I opened a few but I did not find anything of particular interest. I can only remember finding a box that had dusty old feathers in it. There was also a giant broken television at the end of the room, right next to these stairs. Its screen seemed like it was gone, and it looked like something was going to come out of it if I got near it so I stayed away from that part of the room. My little sister stayed close to me since she did not want to be alone (honestly, I did not want to be alone either) but my older sister went over to the stairs, next to the broken television. She didn't go too far though, she only wanted to see what was in there. I remember asking her what she saw but I don't remember if she told me. Afterwards, we decided to leave. But before I left I decided to go around the back to see what was in there, only to find detergents and other cleaning supplies for laundry and things. This surprised me since they didn't look as old as the things we saw in the house. They looked like they have been used, but not recently. So I wondered if this house was really abandoned or not. But then, my big sister called me so I left in a hurry. It turned out that our housekeeper found us trespassing. So she scolded us. Totally worth it though. I mean, how often can you get to explore a, seemingly haunted and abandoned, house?

     It's experiences like those that make me wish I could relive my childhood because It was fun while it lasted. But I'm not going to let adulthood stop me from having those kinds of experiences again. Maybe next time I could explore an actual haunted or abandoned house and not get scolded for trespassing this time. I mean, at this point, anything can happen. So, I'm going to live through it to the fullest. If I do get to explore a haunted house, I'll try to write about it one day.

In His Arms

6 - In His Arms

"Describe the most comfortable spot you can find."

     In the dictionary, the word "comfortable" means producing mental comfort or ease. But we also have our own connotations for it. For some of us, it could mean being in a certain place, having a certain thing or being with a certain some one. Whatever it is, it gives us this sense of comfort. For me, the most comfortable spot I can be in is being in the arms of my love. That is Emmanuel Benedict Burgos Briones.

     There's just something about being in his arms that I find so comforting. The way it feels so warm and caring makes me feel safer. Like nothing is going to hurt or judge me. It's as if, the world slows down, and what anybody says about us doesn't matter. And knowing that he's right there for me makes me feel like I'm needed. Most of all, it makes me feel like I'm not alone. I don't know if he knows just how much I love being in his arms. There's nothing like it. If we could, I would hug him for hours and I would never get tired of it. I know, it sounds pretty sappy but I mean it. That's just how much I love being with him. Even if we didn't utter a word, I would still enjoy his company. I don't mind because his presence is enough for me. I have always wondered how it would feel like to be in some one's arms and I'm very lucky that I get to be in his.

     I'm sure that other people know how I feel. They must enjoy being in the arms of their lover too. But other people probably enjoy being in the arms of some one else like their mother, father or friend. However, it doesn't matter who he/she is to you. As long as that person makes you feel comfortable, safe, loved, cared, and needed, then being with that person is where you would want to be in the most.

The Most Disappointing Movie Ever

5 - The Most Disappointing Movie Ever

"Write about a disappointment."

     I am a big fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon series that aired in Nickelodeon. It was set in a world where some people had the ability to control one of the four elements, namely: earth, water, fire and air. However, there was one who could control all four. He/She would be given the title, "Avatar". And every Avatar would always be destined to do something that would change the world or have a large impact on it. In the series, the Avatar at that time was Aang, the last airbender and the protagonist. He became the last of his kind since the firebenders from the Fire Nation had killed all the remaining airbenders. Hoping to end the cycle of the Avatars and to take over the world. If you want to learn more about the series, then check out the link provided.

     Anyway, to get to the point, the series became a huge hit. It had a lot of fans. Not a surprise since it had such an interesting story. And the characters themselves were just as interesting. I watched every episode from all three seasons when Nickelodeon was showing the Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon to feature their season finale, which was amazing (just saying). After the series ended, they decided to make a live-action movie due to its success. It was called "The Last Airbender" which was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Naturally, we were all very much excited to see it. I guess you could say that everyone began having high hopes and expectations for it. Unfortunately, we set them up too high. The movie was a complete disappointment for everyone. I mean it. It was just so bad that I felt like I just wasted my money seeing it in the cinema.

     

     First of all, they messed up the story. In fact, they did not summarize it very well. It focused too much on the mission, and the romance between the protagonist and one of the female characters there was not even mentioned. They barely had a romantic moment. And I'm pretty sure that that's what most of the fans were really excited about (like me for instance). I mean, even action movies have some romantic scenes for the protagonist and his leading lady, but not for this guy, apparently. Also, they failed to catch the personalities of the characters. Aang was supposed to be a cheerful and playful kid in the series but they made him a serious person in the movie. This was just really disappointing. And most fans were unhappy with the choice of actors who portrayed the characters. They thought that most didn't even look like them. But I thought that it was all right.

  

     If there was one thing I liked about the movie, it's the effects that they used. It was really amazing how they were able to make it all look very realistic. I'll definitely give them credits for that. However, there were just too many negative comments for the whole movie that a lot of fans would probably overlook that. Again, it's a shame. And if they're still planning to make a part two, they should probably hire a different director this time (just saying).

A Hike To Remember

4 - A Hike To Remember

"Describe an outdoor experience."

     Don't you just love the outdoors? How it's so peaceful, especially when it's far from the city. I love the outdoors. I love how the sun warms up your skin, how the trees give you this sense of adventure and how the environment feels so clean. It's a nice place to be in when you want to get away from the city because, sometimes, it's annoying how, everywhere you look, there will always be trash in inappropriate places. And I also find it unfortunate how I don't see a lot of trees either. That's why I enjoy being outdoors where I can see a lot of them.

 

     During the summer of 2012, I went on a hiking trip with some schoolmates. I believe that it was an outing planned by the members of our school's Social Builder's Club. I wasn't a member but I decided to tag along since I haven't gone hiking before. It was a long drive to the province and we were very cramped in the van. One of the boys had to lie on the coolers since there was no more room for him to sit. And whenever we would go through a toll gate, we had to cover him with a towel or a blanket so that we would not get caught overloading with passengers. When we finally arrived at our destination, we settled down first at this house. It had old-looking furniture and the second floor, which wasn't so big, was practically made out of bamboo. Anyway, after we had lunch, we prepared ourselves for hiking and continued to the mountain. It was a hot and sunny day which made the hike a bit more tiring but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I kept admiring how green and beautiful the scenery was. However, I ran out of water. Luckily, my friend had some with him but he made me carry it in my backpack which was still all right I guess. As long as I could drink from it. When we were near the peak of the mountain, it got steeper and steeper. And I was at the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. But I kept shouting "Adventure Time!" and I guess it gave me some strength to make it to the top. When we did, we stayed there until we regained our stamina. While we rested, we enjoyed watching this wonderful view. I felt like I was on top of the world and satisfied since I could finally check that activity off of my "Things I Must Do Before I Get Old" list. Once we regained our energy, we hiked back down the mountain. But we stopped by a river first, before returning to the house we were staying in, and went for a swim. That was also the first time I have ever swum in a river before. Unlike the ocean, which gradually gets deeper and deeper, it has some shallow parts and, suddenly, some really deep ones. Anyway, after swimming, we continued back to the house where others started preparing dinner while the boys began pitching up their tents. After having dinner, we played hide and seek somewhere not too far from the house. It was dark so the seeker needed a flash light in order to find us. It was so much fun, but we were running out of hiding places. At one point, I just hid behind a small hill by lying on the grass. It wasn't very effective. Anyway, I noticed how the sky there was filled with an unbelievable amount of stars. I never saw it like that in my entire life. It made me wish that it could look just like that back in the city. Too bad that was the only time I would ever be able to see it.

     I always wish that the city could be cleaner. So that there would not be so much pollution that keeps nature from flourishing. So that there would not be smog to keep me from being able to observe the stars in the night sky. I wonder how many people wish the same thing. How many also wish to be able to see the stars at night? Am I the only one who still does? Is there anybody out there who dreams of seeing a cleaner city? Or has everyone given up on that? Have you?