Ramble Post // JohnTwothreeFour

Along with my crazy antics, and my weird personality...

...in all that I am and will ever be, you would never think that God would be satisfied.
 Apparently, not convinced with just me...

the Almighty created another one...

ψ(｀∇´)ψ

.I have a brother. 

He's a year and a half younger than I am, now don't get me wrong, I love the guy.

I practically canonize the guy. NO, but seriously... He's really important to me.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

"I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.  I sought my God, but my God eluded me.  I sought my brother and I found all three."

– Author Unknown

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Any cow, this post is fairly simple. I wanted one of my first posts to be about one of the very, very few important and beloved people in my life. 

Growing up, my brother and I chose to be introverts without even knowing. Looking back when we were younger, we really never left the house which I find amusing and mildly interesting at the same time because even though it sounds very lonely, we found various ways to be entertained; we both do enjoy talking and communicating with people, we do really but we loved spending it together even more.
 I tend to be more talkative while he tends to be more interesting.

All in all, we are both very open-minded and willing to learn new things.. like a sponge absorbing water.  ⊂((・▽・))⊃

His name is John

not my photo, I got this from his Facebook.
He's the one on the very front.

Unlike me, my brother is pretty straight forward and charming. While he's talking to a crowd of people full of confidence and amour, there I am, sitting in the corner eating...corn.

He may be younger than I am, but honestly, he is way more mature than most people in his age.(I know I sound like his mother... ｏ( ><)o )
I am proud to say that even though our struggles have been tough, he didn't crumble down like most would, he still kept on fighting like the amazing person that he is.
Anyways, the real reason why I wanted to post stuff about him is because i wanted to shout out to everyone who's lurking my blog to please watch his video. He is an incredible singer that the world needs to know about.
[[ subscribing to my blog isn't a bad idea either.. it's right there <--- ]]


Gahh enough with the shaming and on with the playing...
The video is down BELOW.
John made a cover of a fairly popular song in the Philippines.
A band called "Parokya ni Edgar - Gitara"
Gitara which means Guitar.


So without further adieu... 
ENJOY! LIKE! COMMENT! SUBSCRIBE!

YES, it is in Tagalog ( Filipino language )
I understand that not a lot of the viewers will know the words, he took the liberty to translate it to you all while I took the honor to post it along the original words.

Gitara 

Bakit pa kailangang magbihis

[Why would I need to dress up]

Sayang din naman ang porma

[I would just be wasting time]

Lagi lang namang may sisingit

[With other people keep butting in]

Sa tuwing tayo'y magkasama 

[Whenever we're together]

Bakit pa kailangan ng rosas

[Why would I need to give roses]

Kung marami namang nag-aalay sayo

[When everyone else is trying to give them to you]

Uupo na lang at aawit

[I guess i'll just sit down and start singing]

Maghihintay ng pagkakataon

[Waiting for my turn]

- CHORUS -

Hahayaan na lang silang

[I'll just watch them as they try to]

Magkandarapa na manligaw sa'yo

[Impress so they can be with you]

Idadaan na lang kita sa awitin kong ito

[Through the crowd you'll hear my song]

Sabay ang tugtog ng gitara

[along with the sound of my guitar]

Idadaan na lang sa gitara

[I'll just get you through gitara]

[I'll just get you through gitara]

Mapapagod lang sa kakatingin

[I would just get tired from trying to see]

Kong marami namang nakaharang

[With people always in the way]

Aawit na lang at magpaparinig

[I'll just sing loud so you can hear]

Ng lahat ng aking nadarama

[All of the words that i'm trying to say]

-CHORUS-

Pagbibigyan na lang silang

[I'll let them be while]

Magkandarapa na manligaw sayo

[They're trying to impress so they can be with you]

Idadaan na lang kita sa awitin kong ito

[Through the crowd you'll hear my song]

Sabay ang tugtog ng gitara

[along with the sounds of my guitar]

Idadaan na lang... 

[I'll just get you through...]

Sa gitara

[this guitar]

= // =

Please do give him your support~

and as always,

Thanks for tuning in!

 ⊂((・▽・))⊃

Ramble Post // Three shots of Moisturizers please

I'm not one to put make-up nor take care of my face. It was only when I met my best friend, Roka, that insisted that if I don't wear make-up of if I'm too lazy at it; I should at least take care of my face. 

(don't worry, l'll introduce her officially pretty soon)

So after quite some time of convincing, she finally showed me the real importance of caring for one's face.

Honestly, I never thought I had a dry and sensitive face until she told me...
 She really is my savior because I didn't know that the whole reason why my face is all crackly and hurting whenever it's cold, hot or even just a normal day is because of my dry face. 

[[I know, it's Face 101 but I really didn't know]]

As of present, I still don't wear make-up on a daily basis though I try as hard as I can. It's just putting them and taking them off is such a rigorous activity. I do wear make-up on occasions or whenever Roka puts them on me. Now, don't get me wrong, I like make-up and putting it on my face, I really do. I'm just straight-up lazy. 

( ￣┏＿┓￣)

If it wasn't for Roka, I would still have a face as dry as a desert to tell you the truth, so the real reason behind this post is just to share with you all or to those who has the same type of face as mine, which is both dry and sensitive, three (3) everyday products that I use to maintain my face moisturized and happy.
NOTE: I am not an expert, I would suggest going to a dermatologist to figure out what type of products are safe for your face. 

=  // =

To begin with, after a fresh clean face, I start with the eye cream. I basically use 2 of them, one for the eyelid and one where the dark circles are.

First off is my "Dermalogica - Total eye Care with SPF 15"

I tend to put them on my eyelids because our eyelids are the windows to our eyes. They are the softest part in our face because it's only a piece of skin covering our eyes.

I will review this product later on.

In a nutshell: Amazingly effective. (*´・ｖ・)

Second, I use  "Shiseido - Bio-Performance Super Corrective Serum"

I got the trial size one from Shiseido awhile back. It's very reflective, I was really afraid you guys wont see the bottle.
I often refer to this as my 'chameleon' bottle cream.

I will review this product later on.
In a nutshell:  Wasn't really that impressed.

Lastly, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. My face was in dire need of a moisturizer and I've tried countless products for my face but now I think I found the 'one'

This product is perfect for the Summer as it's not that sticky. Again as I said before, I will do a full review later on.

For my moisturizer, I use "Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion "

Just a few pumps of this baby and I'm good to go.


Thanks for making it all the way to the end of this post, I truly appreciate it. So these are the products I use for my face daily.

I just realize this might be the easiest face care I know. This might not be perfect and there might be a better routine, I know, but this is what works for me and I plan to stick to it like peanut butter on the roof of your tongue.

But yeah, thank you once again and let me know what you think! I'm excited to hear from you guys ~

*cricket* *cricket*

Oh well, maybe next time.

Thanks for tuning in~｡◕‿◕｡

Word Cesspool // Happy 16th of July? [[a 4th of July post]]

Hey guys! I know it's too late but I wanted to make sure I shared this experience with you 

>////<

I know it took a long time before I could post this but I just wanted to share with you all how I spent my 4th of July.

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, not only because I'm off at work but also because it commemorated the moment our courageous soldiers fought for what we have right now... Freedom.

The Sleeping Giant has proven to everyone that no matter what situation life puts you in, there will always be hope.

I was born and raised in the Philippines so I apologize if my grammar on most of my post or the way I word them seems pretty, darn horrible. I'm striving to be better and as I continuously do what I do, I believe I will get better. I wasn't born in this beautiful country but I still feel blessed that she treats me like as if I did. 

I'm not gonna start a lesson about the history of this nation's independence, so you can go back to your seats and keep reading as I'm about to unfold what I really came here for...

(*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

= / / =

My 4th of July was spent with my friends at their place wherein as tradition, just had an All-American (slightly Italian) lunch. It was a simple lunch treat that we thought would pay respect for living in this amazing country for the past 5 years or so.

My best friend and I were the ones who prepared and served lunch. I was in charge of one entree and she was in-charge of the other. We prepared  pretty hefty lunch by accident and sadly, we never got a chance to eat dessert but no matter, as all bellies were filled.
And that for me is more than enough.

So without further a do, here it is....

For my side of the plate, I prepared an All-American... *wait for it* 

Burgers!!

While I prepared the patties, my best friend was already cooking hers which is a Traditional-style Spaghetti. We thought I'd be nice to prepare a lot that day. Both of us made these dishes ourselves and for that, we are pretty proud of ourselves.

I originally planned to make sliders so it's not that heavy, unfortunately, the store was out of slider buns that came in bulk that I had to resort to the regular sized ones.

In the end, this is what the table looks like.

The burger was home-made. I thought that if I make them by scratch it'll give me more leeway to add some and subtract some. 

The buns with sesame seeds are actually more expensive so I had to improvise and buy some sesame seeds and just put them there, which worked like a charm!

After everything, we were able to make at least 9 burgers to feed a group of 7, and I'm very elated to say that there were no leftovers.
 (＾▽＾)


In the end, we just chilled in the living room and ended up playing Risk [the board game] and basically just continued watching my guy friends play the Resident Evil 6 game and ended up finishing it in less than a whole day. Sure it's not a family BBQ in the backyard but it's definitely what we wanted to have...just chilling out with your friends.

Oh what a marvelous sight~ ヘ(￣ω￣ヘ)

Recipes will be posted next time as this post is long enough already it already missed the 4th of July train.

I hope you guys had a great 4th as I did.

Please do not forget the real meaning of our country's independence. It's not a day like any normal weekends that you get at work but it's to give respect to those who has served this country well.

As Paul Sweeney said;

"How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy."

And that is that.

Thanks for tuning in~
 ┌（★ｏ☆）┘

Food trip // Goldilocks

I am Filipino. 

Let me be one of the few people to say that Filipinos are Asian and not Pacific-Islanders. 

You may or may not agree with me but it's true. Unfortunately, this post is not about that. 

I will discuss that later on.

Today, I will talk about a famous restaurant here in California, not so much back in sweet, ol' Philippines called 

Goldilocks 

[[^^ You know the drill, click the linky for more infy ^^]]

Back in the Philippines, Goldilocks is famously known for a local bakeshop where you can usually get your last-minute birthday cakes. [[Yup! I know Dad, you forgot my bday again (ʃƪ ˘ ³˘) ]]

Any cow, here in Cerritos lies the famous restaurant.

From fairy tale to famous Filipino bakery grail

I was never really a fan of Goldilocks 5 years back but I am a sucker for sweets so I gave it another shot.

In the Philippines, there are numerous house garages turned to small cafeterias. For someone who was born and raised there, you get that nostalgic feeling whenever you encounter a place where it reminds you of home and that is exactly the atmosphere that Goldilocks gives you when you first enter the restaurant.

Once inside, you are then greeted by a host that will escort you to your table. Around you, you'll see copious 'kababayans' (fellow Filipino) eating with their family. This place really gives off the sense of home.

Filipinos, filipinos everywhere!

Goldilocks' icon is nonetheless the famous fairy tale character herself, as shown below. Kind of creepy but you get used to it.

I don't know how they did it; how they owned such a famous character but they did.
And for that I salute you.

A waiter then approaches you in your table and gives you the menu. A mid-size menu full of  the restaurant's specialties.

For a native, you will see very familiar words in the menu, delicacies served in a normal Filipino household such as Pancit (Noodles), Sinigang (Sour soup), Nilaga (Stew) and even Lechon Kawali (Deep fried Pork belly)

The menu has english descriptions for non-native speakers. Very convenient!

Just a brain blast moment; I didn't know that Filipino's have soul food. Very interesting. 

Crispy Dinuguan - Crispy Pork Blood Stew for your soul, anyone?

Once done ordering, the waiter then distributes the tableware suited for what you ordered.

I think this setting is really dashing.

Unfortunately, I was too hungry to even take a picture of what we got. It's simply Fried Rice but of course, Filipino-style which means it's sweet and just right for my palette.

For desserts, my friend got an Avocado Chiller which looks definitely refreshing

She has her own blog and her own review of the place.

Check her out HERE

Avocado Chiller - Avocados, silky evaporated milk, tapioca with shaved ice all over.

And as for myself, I got the traditional Halo-Halo which means Mix.
Very tantalizing to the eyes and very refreshing to the tummy.

Halo-Halo - (Mix) consists of a shaved ice and evaporated milk MIXed with a variety of sweet beans, plantains, nata de coco, dash of pounded crushed young rice (pinipig) and a scoopful of flan and/or purple yam ice cream or purple yam itself.

Top view of this majestic masterpiece before it is then pulverized to mix  thoroughly for  fun.

Last but will never be the least, if there's one thing that Goldilocks never got rid of; its the bakery.

Still the top leading bakery in the Filipino community, showcases of assorted cakes and sweets lined up on the glass cases waiting to be taken home.

For pricing, it's not that bad. Brazo de Mercedes (Rolled Meringue cake with Custard Filling) - a famous, Spanish-named  roll has taken its toll in my child-like heart. This roll has been my cake since I can remember.
≧(´▽｀)≦

Of course, there are the grand cakes suited for every birthday need!

I like this one, very simple yet sophisticated.

Price: ★★★☆☆

• For something you can simply make at home, the price is good for reminiscing old times.

Food Rating: ★★★☆☆

• Knocked out 2 stars because again, you can try and make your own recipes for these dishes. This place is meant for those who wants to reminisce home or those Filipinos who wanted their Non-native  friends to have their own Pinoy experience.

Overall Service/Experience: ★★★★☆

• For someone who cannot cook that well, I love this place as it reminds me of home. 

Would I come back?

• In a heartbeat. Goldilocks has a special place in every Filipino's heart, especially mine.

Thanks for tuning in! 

о(ж＞▽＜)ｙ ☆

Life as you know it // The little things

Happy Sunday Pacific Coast!

Just a quick update with what is going on with my life, I hope you're as interested as I am.

Expressing myself through words and pictures, the best thing I can do.

This post will be better off as a photo dump rather than an update but it doesn't matter, on wards to the snapshots.

I recently got a full-time job so it's really hard to come up with something interesting to blog knowing I have ZERO time for anything else. But I know I can be interesting somehow （//･_･//)

= // =

Green Juice -  something healthy that my best friend concocted. I'm obviously obsessed with the thing no matter what color it has. 

Spaghetti dinner my best friend made for us a couple of nights ago. I thought it was a nice way of expressing gratitude by putting it up here.

The whole enchila.... spaghetti. 

= // =

Have you guys ever been to Five Guys? If not, you are missing out. Sure, it's not like In-N-Out but in my opinion it can be one of the next best thing after. 

As stated, it's kinda true. I enjoyed my time here. I should do a review, no?

FREE PEANUTS

I cannot stress that enough.

= // =

A trip to Little Tokyo and this amazing banner; unfortunately I get overly excited over the simplest of things

I am currently obsessing over my Dansko shoes, the bane of all shoes..
Seriously why does it have to be so comfy?!

You gotta admit, these water bottles are adorable.

= // =

I might lose readers but i am ultimately terrified of cats, due to past childhood experiences, the worst thing that could happen is a cat blocking my way home knowing that I needed to pee badly.

= // =

Why would I post something so random? Simple. 

Why not?

The title of the post is "The Little Things"  and it's exactly what it is, small things in your life that matters. Do not ignore them, for the love of Loki.  Do not look into life like a bullet train, stop for awhile and think what made everything happen, what made you happen. Everything in your life has something to do with everything. Take the time to appreciate the people around you, give them a hug, a Thank you for they are responsible for what is happening around you. Take the time to respect your surroundings for they never last. 

Smile. Laugh.Love.

My friends and I, sadly, we're all wearing glasses （/｡＼)

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

John Wooden