Vignettes from the week that was

Am totally behind on the posts, so will just be cramming them into one rather lengthy entry.

Saturday, 11.29.08

Stayed home sick with a cold and the worst sore throat of my life. Ended up editing about a gazillion pics from our La Union beach trip two weekends ago (a separate post is in the works for this). Well, at least those pics are all done and posted

Sunday, 11.30.08

Finally went to see Twilight with my sister. We caught the 1pm showing at Eastwood Cinemas,which on the side has got to be my favorite movie theater. It has the perk of reclinable seats not found in most other theaters, without the extra price on the ticket. Each theater seats a comparatively smaller number of people, which means that the whole audience from front to back gets a huge view of the screen. The fact that it’s the closest cinema to the house doesn’t hurt, as well.

Anyhoo, back to the movie. A little conversation just before the movie:

Gwen: I can’t believe we’re watching the afternoon showing! That means we’ll be seeing the movie with a bunch of noisy, swooning preteens!

Genine: I know! I hope we aren’t seated close to them…

And a conversation during the movie:

Gwen: *swoon*swoon*swoon*

Genine: *swoon*swoon*swoon*

Well, at least we weren’t noisy swooning twenty-somethings–we did have the sense to swoon in hushed tones

My two cents on the movie: I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but i thought it was really good. Rob Pattison, who plays Edward, portrayed the restraint his character had to practice really well. The movie was concise, covering all the major scenes and storylines from the book without being dragging. Sure, with the paranormal stuff set aside, it’s still your typical teenage romance, but so what? That was what the book was all about, and i thought that the movie was a pretty good adaptation of the book.

After the movie we found out that Eastwood Mall had recently opened, so we went over to check it out. There aren’t many shops open yet, but it looks like it’s gonna be a great place to hang out in once they do. The layout is very circular, which gives the mall this posh feel (as you can imagine, i’m not very good at describing architecture). But the mall opens out into a terrace lined with shops and dotted with palm trees, so i’m hoping you’ll get what i mean about the posh.

After Eastwood, we went to church I honestly do not remember the last time i went to church. Going back wasn’t as bad as i thought it would be, and i learned something…so maybe i’ll go again this weekend.

Monday, 12.01.08

Went to work early to check on my new schedule for the next two months. As it turned out, i didn’t have to be at work that day. I went home right away, planning to study, but then my sister asked me if i wanted to go to the mall. And i’m not sure if i’m actually capable of turning down a trip to the mall…

We went to The Block at SM North Edsa. I got started on my christmas shopping, and after that we met up with a friend at Bubble Tea, a Japanese pop-inspired place so-called because their tea is served with sago, which looks like bubbles. Will be back for their Japanese green milk tea, which is de-lish.

After that, we just decided to take goofy pictures at the mall. So, like good little kids, we waited our turn to get our pictures taken with life-size Disney Princesses cardboard replicas. Here’s my best shot:

prince charming is mine!!!

I think some of the other kids may have gotten scared.

Wednesday, 12.03.08

TOXIC day at work. In hospital jargon, toxic means very, very busy, with lots of patients who all have lots of problems. Not repeating this again.

Thursday, 12.04.08

My sister and i stopped by Amici’s Tomas Morato, which is not far out of the way home from work, to get our gelato fix.
I had mint chocolate, which is my favorite flavor, so it was safe and yummy. But my sister had hazelnut and it was the best, like having a frozen Ferrero Rocher melt in your mouth. And so, this conversation:

Gwen: How come you always order the best things?

Genine: Because i order what’s special from a place. Like, you wouldn’t order chicken at a steakhouse, right?

Ohhh…so that’s why. And hazelnuts do come from Italy, don’t they.

My sister is food smart.

Friday, 12.05.08

Am missing my kikay kit, last seen in one of the lockers at the nursery, where i’m stationed now. Am hoping for the best but fearing the worst. So, a list of things i’ve lost so far to some wacko(s) at the hospital:

- nokia n series phone –> stolen at the interns’ quarters. while i was asleep.

- thermoscan (the good kind) –> stolen at the ICU.

- kikay kit (?) –> am still hoping this was just misplaced

I mean, who would steal a kikay kit? Most of the stuff in there’s half used up anyway. But the kit itself is all new and pretty and Lancome. And i’m wondering how i’ll be able to survive tomorrow without my oil control film

But i feel better now, after having a bowl of pumpkin pie ice cream. And blogging my heart out.

Missing kikay kit updates will be posted on this blog.

Amici @ Don Bosco, Makati

Food trip at Amici, Don Bosco with people from work finally pushed through, after two months of trying to work out a common schedule! Amici is famous for their gelato, which comes in a spectacular array of flavors and colors, so i was raring to try that. But we did things the traditional way, dinner first and then dessert:

Tutta carne pizza

i know meat’s supposed to be the star of this pizza, but one of the things i loved most about it was the soft, creamy, melted mozzarella cheese–not at all gummy like what you’ll see in other, more commercialized pizza joints. Fresh herbs sprinkled generously all over the pizza also gave the dish a lot of great flavor.

Risotto di mare

Soft, fluffy saffron risotto with seafood with clams, mussels, and prawns–this dish was light and clean on the palate.

Roast chicken

Moist, tender chicken infused with rosemary.

Spinach fusili montanara

Spinach corkscrew pasta with a creamy tomato sauce with Italian sausage and mushrooms. Am such a fan of mushrooms.

Here comes the dessert!

As you may surmise from the photos below, i had trouble choosing a flavor. i ended up with mango jubilee, a dreamy creation mango creation topped with a tempting combination of strawberries and blueberries. The gelato was delightfully dense and creamy. i thought it could’ve used a bit more tang, to highlight the mango flavor, but it was still good, nonetheless.

i also got to taste the sans rival and mint flavors. i liked mint the best, but then again, it always has been my favorite flavor.

With pizzas going for around Php300 and meals at around Php200, Amici is good Italian food on a budget. Sure, it’s not something you’d have for lunch everyday, but if you’re looking for a food trip that won’t break your wallet too much, this is it. And with the gelato going for Php50/scoop, i’ll definitely be back for more of that.