Matagal ko na talagang gusto maranasan ‘to, kaya sobrang surreal ang moment na pumasok kami. Una, tinakpan ang mukha namin (para surprise talaga). At noong tinanggal na namin ang takip, grabe, hindi ko mapigilan maging sobrang saya at kilig—parang teenager ulit!

Isa pa, proud ako kasi Batch 1. Doon, I met new people that eventually turned friends. Ang isa sa pinaka-challenge? Kinuha nila ang mga cellphone namin! Hindi ko talaga naimagine na nakayanan kong mabuhay na walang cellphone for 3 days! Walang connection sa labas, walang scroll scroll—kami lang, nakatutok sa mga sarili namin at sa mga workshops. At sa totoo lang, ang saya ng feeling na disconnected sa outside world.

Isa sa mga hindi ko in-expect ay kung gaano karami akong matututunan sa singing at dancing workshops. Ang dami kong baon na learnings, hindi lang sa performance kundi pati na rin sa confidence – kahit for 3 days lang!

Kami na rin mismo ang nagluto ng breakfast namin, at natulog sa mga kama na tinulugan din ng mga housemates dati, pinayagan din kaming gamitin ang pool!

Ang saya at ang special ng simpleng bagay na ‘yon—parang parte na rin kami ng Bahay ni Kuya history. May pa Voice Over pa si Kuya sa huling araw namin sa loob ng bahay niya!

Ngayon, masasabi ko na, healed na ang aking teenage dream. Yung dati kong wish na maranasan ‘to, natupad na at sobra kong maaalala habang buhay.

Maraming salamat, Star Magic, sa napaka-unforgettable na 3-day experience na ito.

The post Ang 3-Day Experience Ko sa loob ng “Bahay ni Kuya” appeared first on kimocea.

It was during the pandemic in 2020 when I decided to buy a lot at Foressa Mountain Town, a development of Aboitizland, at the mountains of Balamban. As we all know, almost everything went low, including this, so I took the opportunity to inquire and buy one.

One of the reasons why I pushed myself to invest on land is because my late father used to invest on land and properties as well. This is my first time to buy a piece of land, and I believe it’s worth the investment.

I’m curious as to how much it costs now that it’s 2023, so I chanced upon a property specialist just a few days ago, and to my surprise a sqm of land went up to 30% up from the rate I got it for. As they say, you’ll never go wrong with real estate. 

Looking at the development of Foressa, there is something to look forward as it said to be the future getaway at the Midwest of Cebu since aside from having houses, there will be commercial spaces and adventure activities to be offered.

I have also heared that sometime in the future, there are plans that the Cebu Provincial Capitol will be transferred to Balamban, and having a place in Foressa Mountain Town is an advantage for me if I, God willing, will go do business with the Cebu Provincial Capitol in the future.

Also, I chose this development is that I want to be closer to nature, and having a place near the mountains in a secured community such as Foressa Mountain Town is a good choice.

I was excited when my property specialist informed me that my lot is ready for turnover. So, here’s me together with my mama and my 2 younger sisters for the turn over. It was around 2 hour drive from the Cebu City proper, and it was all worth it.

I still have no plans yet if I will build a rest house here, or sell it in the future… For now, all I know is that I have a piece of land as an investment, and something I can call mine. 

Here’s to more small wins with you. 

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I drove from Manila City to Subic just to try the Discovery flight that was offered by Capt. Mich & Capt. Daryl.

It was 2pm when my younger sister, Kristiana, and I arrived at the Subic International Airport Gate 5. We first had a pre-flight briefing and then we started to do the basics of taxiing – and then we flew.

With us on the flight was Capt. Daryll, giving me the 1st officer seat for me to have a worthwhile pilot experience as I maneuver from taxi, take off, flight and landing – of course with his guidance and care.

Giggles – the perfect word that described what I felt during that flight, and still the feeling I have now while writing this story.

This experience was a perfect decision-maker for me – if I really wanted to do flight school or was it just a random interest. So, for those who want to try out flying school, you may experience this first, and decide after.

When we took off, it literally scared me to the bones, but after some time absorbing all the mechanics of the aircraft how many feet above and observing the outside environment, especially understanding the wind, my fear turned to cheers – I had an unforgettable experience.

Here’s a raw clip. Enjoy.

Fly with you soon!

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Call me weird, but things that scare you, excites me. I love this night. I love Halloween.  

We first thought of having the party in Seda Hotel but since some of our team can’t attend due to an equally important event in Manila, we held it in the studio, which was quite fun and intimate. 

“Come as you please” was the team of the night, and some guests painted their faces, and others wore masks, too. It was a fun night thinking that we just thought of a simple design and theme, and we pulled it through. I just love this night.

Happy Halloween, everyone! 

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My morning ritual always include a cup of black coffee over morning contemplation, and for a lack of a better term, it helps me poop well (I definitely have to say that too, haha); and when I reach my office, another cup of black coffee is on my desk. Like any other psychoactive stimulant, black coffee gives me a hint of focus and boost my mood, it even calms and relaxes me down.

I may want to fancy freshly brew coffee beans, but instant coffee is already okay for me. I have tried several instant coffee but Nescafe has always been my staple go-to everyday coffee. Aside from its coffee, one of the reasons as to why Nescafe is my primary choice is because of their relatable ad that questions us “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” (Who do you wake up for?) The Nescafe ad warms my heart that makes this question my everyday motivation to wake up with a purpose. I just love Nescafe coffee.

My daily coffee consumption is moderately 3 coffee cups a day, more than that, I get to palpitate. and when this happens, I counteract by drinking a lot of water. My palpitation is so bad that I tell myself I won’t be drinking coffee anymore, but then again, when it subsides, I drink coffee again. I can never say no to my coffee. I love my coffee.

If I have a long day of desk work or study time, I drink black coffee, but when I have a long day of physical work, I take coffee with sugar and cream. Plain black coffee again gives me the focus that I need, and on the other hand, coffee with sugar and cream give me the rush that I need for the long day of work.

I hope you love coffee as much as I do. Conversations with coffee with you may be a good choice for me. Tara, kape tayo?

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I was born, baptized, and raised Roman Catholic. My mama was religious, but my papa was not; My mama brings us all to Sunday mass but my papa was left at home. My mama prays with us every single day but without papa.

I never questioned why my papa was not religious and did not seem to bother. All I know was that even though he was not religious, he was a good father to us, and somehow professed that there is a God — he was agnostic, perhaps.

When I was in Grade 2, I had time with my guidance counselor, Ms. Elena Yee (God bless her soul). She asked me the usual question asked to young kids “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I replied “Ms Yee, I wanted to be a priest.” God bless my good soul for having this innocent decision when I was just 8 years old.

But when I was in Grade Six, I began to get interested in the metaphysical, the paranormal, the religions outside Christianity, the Occult, and the other worlds outside our world. This vastness made me rethink of my reality and made me question my existence, our existence. That in reality, we are just a spec of dust in this universe that bible stories or creation stories can’t justify.

Don’t get me wrong but I was told before by a religious friend that we should not be taking the Creation Story literally. The Holy Bible is full of stories with symbols, and it’s our responsibility with the intellect given to us on how to decipher the messages behind these stories.

Faith and Whys

“Who is the real religion? Aren’t religions just a result of cultural differences that lead to the same awareness? which leads to the same God?”

“Is there really life outside Earth? Are aliens real?”

“If Egyptian Magic was mentioned in the bible several times, Magic must indeed be real. Are there spiritual planes we are not aware of?”

“Who takes care of this planet? Why is the cycle of nature so precise? Do elementals really exist?”

“Is anyone really listening to my prayers?”

“Are prayers just the result of the Law of Universe?”

“When is the End of the World? Many people have already died before me. Is it really near?”

“How can we work with Angels to aid us with our lives? How can we meet our Spirit Guides?”

My questions about life’s mysteries are endless, and being a religious Catholic won’t help me in discovering the answers of my whys and how comes.

Being religious means being limited to a set of restrictions on religion. That if you are not with us, you are against us. That if you don’t believe like me, you are not with me.

I was part of a charismatic group when I was a teenager, and it was a part of my life story that I will forever cherish. I was full of the spirit, from the time I wake up to the time I sleep. I do nothing except praise. I stopped watching TV, stopped listening to secular music, stopped wearing black (because they said it was a color of darkness, and that God was light.) I was living a restricted and disciplined lifestyle, but I liked it anyway. I was contented and happy even when society thinks otherwise.

But I stopped and went separate ways with the group. Though Jesus is in my heart, I know that there is more to what I am believing and their set of rules. I was wrong when I said I was contented because I was not.

Journey to Discovery

In my journey of discovering the answers to my questions, I studied World Religion and immersed myself with their beliefs. And to be honest, as I search for answers, I got lost and confused. I wanted to just go back to my religious life but my mind has already been tainted with more whys. It’s like I have eaten the apple that Adam and Eve ate.

For how many years now, I have had encountered many faiths. I immersed myself by becoming a Born-again, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Pagan, a Hindu, even becoming a believer of the other worlds. But through all these, I grounded myself to the promise that even if I go far, my faith is still with Christianity. My faith is still with Jesus Christ (Mighty is his name.) I will never compromise my Christianity in any way. It was not easy, but it was life-changing and interesting.

One thing that these religions have in common – all religions lead to the teaching of Love, and that most religions somehow originated from a single source that sprouted to become religions on their own. And that through these differences, we are bound to live a life co-existing with other creations of this universe.

My encounters with different faiths made me appreciate the uniqueness of their beliefs. Each of these religions taught me a thing or two on how to live my life pleasing to the creator.

There won’t be divisions of religion in heaven, anyway. And you won’t go to hell for living a good life but believing a different faith. It doesn’t make sense at all. In the end, when we die, it’s how we lived a fulfilling life and helping our fellows that matters, and not much on personal beliefs.

The Complexity of God

I may not completely comprehend God, but I know the higher energy or whatever you call him is here to guide us with our lives. I believe that God is out there, but his or her complexity is far from our human understanding. Even the gender of God I cannot understand. How does God really look like? Is he the usual White-bearded guy in a white wardrobe? or just a ball of bright light? Ah, I don’t know. All I know is God is there above and we owe our lives to him.

That’s is why I prefer being Spiritual than being religious. To cultivate my spiritual life than continue my whys without clear answers to my questions, because it will be an endless search and I had enough.

To Each His Own

For now, my belief system is a collection of beliefs from all that I find beneficial in my life. I still pray my morning prayers, but I also set my intentions to the Universe. I follow the holy commandments, but I also follow the wise sayings of the enlightened buddhists. I believe in God, but I also believe that there is more to human life and this Earth.

A lot of people, maybe including you, may say I am wrong with my beliefs, but this is mine, and whatever gives me contentment, even if it doesn’t make sense to others, won’t matter anymore.

I now understand my father even better. May his soul now in peace. I believe what I want to believe in, and you believe in yours, let’s just live ethical and meaningful lives, and respect each other and continue each of our own unique faiths.

May God gives us all our hearts desires.

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Since we are still in quarantine, there is not much to do in our fiesta – no grand procession, no sports liga, no flores de mayo activities.

I and Chef Rizzi, my childhood friend and now Head Chef of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa made ourselves busy even at the early weeks of ECQ cooking and selling food to neighbors and neighboring villages; and just when the novena started, I opened to her the idea of sponsoring food, and she nodded yes; she planned to do live cooking Filipino street food but ended up serving pastries instead.

Earlier this week, I and Rizzi went to SnR and I bought 3 mason jars and presentation plates for discounted prices, and I think this is the best time to make use of it – serving people food for the good señor’s novena.

For my menu, I have this good for 50 pax –

1. Cheese Chicken Sticks with sweet and sour sauce
2. Chicken Skin with tuba vinegar
3. Chicken Sandwich
4. Buttered Baguette with MexicanSalsa
5. Pinoy Skinless Longganisa
6. Bacon flavored Potato Chips
7. Hibiscus infused Chocolate drink; and
8. Melon Juice

My mama told me “Serve mo lang sa plato. Mga kapit-bahay lang naman kakain.” I listened but did not completely followed. I always am extra, so I made a setup that is worth an experience. Everyone deserves a better treatment even on a budget.

Everyone’s favorite was the chicken skin. It took a while to prepare and cook, so it deserves the much compliment, though everything on the table where savored as I would love it to be savored.

To my community, Happy fiesta to us!

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My desire for minimalism was triggered when I got worn out with pressuring myself to wear new clothes everyday, even to the point of purchasing substandard outfits just to fill the void.

When I decided to unclutter my closet followed the uncluttering of my things – owning a lot of things that I actually didn’t find practical at all, bought things in the moment and piling it up unused. I then decided to give it all away, leaving me with owning just the basic things that I need. I felt relieved.

For how many years now, I lived in monochrome fashion, and it didn’t matter now when people question why I have always worn black, sometimes gray, brown, and basic earth toned colors in regular days. There is no more pressure. All I have to do is pick any of my shirts and I’m good for the day. Though, I do dress up for special occasion.

I also live a very basic lifestyle with doing and having things that satisfy me – basically surviving while enjoying the beauty of simplicity, and letting things be. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a boring life, in fact, my physical fashion may look plain, but my inner world is way colorful and exciting as it can be. As they say – Wear Black, Think Multicolor. I won’t be thriving in the Creative Industry if I was.

There is a proverb by an Indian Spiritual leader named Osho, he said:

“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up.
Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love.
So if you love a flower, let it be.
Love is not about possession.
Love is about appreciation.”

– Osho

Since then, I have just been appreciating things I love without the need of owning it. So, if I decide to have something, that thing is already valuable to me. Much so for love.

Living the minimalist lifestyle has always been a therapy for me, it gave me clearer visions, less noise and more savings. It also made my life more meaningful as I testify to the truth in the saying that Less is definitely more.

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One afternoon while in quarantine, I received a call from Ms. Raquel Toquero Choa, the Philippine’s Chocolate Queen, and asked if how am I doing lately. I answered “I am fine but feeling blue. I hope this crisis will be over.” To ease my worries, she continued if I wanted to try some of her Kape-sino at Pandesal created by her children, Jonathan and Angelie. I would love to have some if only the boarders weren’t stricter; but sadly, even the two bridges connecting Lapulapu City where I live and mainland Cebu were closed.

She has prepared me some kape-sino before when I visited her home in Casa de Cacao, and I still can remember the aroma of the freshly-pressed burnt white corn. It is Angelie, second to the last child of Ms Raquel, who mastered the process of kapeng sinunog.

Perfect to pair Angelie’s Kape-sino is Jonathan’s freshly-baked Pandesal made at the Casa de Cacao through a re-purposed empty drum converted into an oven to fuel the stove. Pandesal, a bread staple to every Filipinos’ breakfast.

These are some of the photos sent to me by Ms. Raquel of the freshly-made Kape-Sino and Pandesal. As the Chocolate Queen herself, the Pandesal can always pair perfectly with The Chocolate Chamber’s Chocolate drinks she said. My favorite TCC Chocolate Drink has always been the Spanish Tskolate.

After this ECQ, I will definitely need to have a taste of the pandesal and kape-sino.

Ralfe Gourmet’s Kape-sino and Pandesal is available for delivery this ECQ. For more information, you may visit Ralfe Gourmet.

Ralfe Gourmet’s The Chocolate Chamber is also located at the Garden Bloc of Robinsons Galleria, Cebu.

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“I will enroll at Culinary School.” I told my mama one morning, and her usual comment was “Ano na naman pumasok sa utak mo?” (What went inside your brain again?”) I replied “I wanted to learn how to cook!” and continued “Kung saan ka masaya, suportahan kita.” (Wherever you are happy, I am here to support.) She knew that I have always loved to explore a lot of things since I was young. I went down the house with a happy heart, excited for another learning adventure.

That day, I went to 2 culinary schools in Cebu. I first went to Magsaysay Center for Hospitality in Ramos Street, Cebu City; and second was at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) at F. Cabahug Street, Mandaue City. I enrolled at the latter the week after using a portion from my savings.

I took the 6-month Professional Cookery Course at ISCAHM with the promise that I will learn the Basic of Cooking in no time, and that I can choose to continue to practice as a Professional Chef after I get my National Certification.

The class was designed for professionals. Our class was every Saturdays from 7am to 2pm, from January to June 2019 with a National Certification at the end of the course. I started 2019 overjoyed and was looking forward to Saturdays for the Culinary Class.

On the photo is Winfer, my ever partner in crime. We were 13 in the class. To my classmates Winfer, Chay, Vanessa, Ate Ange, Anne, Arrah, the Cabigon cousins, Paul and Kuya Roy, I miss you all. Some of them pursued Culinary, while some proceeded to do their own.

I enjoyed the course of 6-months of Culinary school; I may not have absorbed all the discussions and the practicals, but I am sure that I have improved. Thank you Chefs!

I am confident now that I can prepare good food to my family and friends.

National Certification

Look – I have passed my National Certification 2 (NC2) for Professional Cookery. So far and on the side, I have accepted bulk food pack orders since I finished my Culinary school for me to practice what I have learned from class.

These are some of my orders. Looks delicious and tastes delicious!

“Marry a man who knows how to cook.” Well, I guess I’m ready to get married now?

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