raves

there are just so many things i love... sometimes, they affect the way i act and live my life... most of the time, they're there to entertain me... so i made a list of the things i'm addicted to (some are current while others are classics)... :)

favorite viand
i prefer my sweet & sour pork crispy and has a thick sauce.
most restaurants serve theirs not crispy which takes away
the goodness of the dish. i tasted the more sumptuous
sweet & sour pork in king bee and luk yuen (recently).
a favorite since i was a kid... my mom used to cook this
on rare occasions (due to budget constraints) that's
probably why it tastes extra special when she cooks one! :)

favorite pasta
my first (and only) encounter with creamy ebiko pasta
was during my first visit to tokyo cafe and i LOVED it
that i couldn't stop saying "sarap nito!" to my mom
(who was then devouring her yoshi's burger). it was
unbelievably good that i consumed the whole plate!
(one plate is good for two servings) plus it has a hefty
serving of fresh prawns which makes it extra enticing.
a trip to tokyo cafe isn't complete without my creamy
ebiko pasta! :)

favorite salad
this salad has the best serving of grapes and mangoes!
the diced mangoes are so fresh while the grapes are so
sweet with a bit of a crunch. i also love the big chicken
chunks on this one. the ceasar-like dressing is a good
pair for this salad. mango and chicken salad is a must!

favorite desserts
i've never been a fan of chocolates until black (or dark)
chocolates made its way to my heart! (haha) yup, learned
recently that it's good for the heart too. among the brands,
i specifically like meiji's for its taste and creaminess.
thank god for the health buffs! this is fast becoming
a major addiction (my trip to moa won't be complete
without a visit to i love berries. yup, even if it takes
going home late, i'll buy one once my craving strikes).
i also discovered just the other day this amazing store,
white hat, which serves yummy froyos as well. not only
is frozen yogurt good for the body, it super tasty as well!
i now prefer it over ice cream. :)

ok... my first four favorites were all about food... before you think i'm a pig (although i love pigs), let me proceed with the non-food favorites of mine... ;)

favorite books
this book made me sympathize with its antagonist.
for the first time, i got a glimpse on the life of a
struggling star, how she battled her way to get
what she wanted at all means, was victorious, but at
the end, all that was left of her was emptiness.
christopher pike is one of my favorite authors of all-time.
he is the hipper dan brown of the 90's. what's great about
his books is that he will challenge your perception of things
(which is what dan brown's been doing lately with his novels).
it's also cool that his books mostly depict teenage lives and how
carefreeness can sometimes lead to unfortunate things
when i first read the da vinci code, i thought it was
the best book i've ever read but then i read this one
and suddenly, i had doubts. this book kept me awake
until 4 am (and that was the week of my periodical exams).
i just couldn't put it down, literally. dan brown made me think
twice about miracles. do they really happen or is it just faith
that makes us believe they can happen?

favorite films
the movie made me fall in love with ewan mcgregor!
he was so passionate in this movie that it will move
you and make you believe in the power of love (:D)
the dance sequence was so beautifully-choreograpped
that i wanted to join the spectacular spectacular. :)
i love it when women kick ass. i love it even more when
women look good while doing it. ;) this movie not only
showcased the fighting skills of the three leads (shu qi,
zhao wei and karen mok), it is also a moving story of
two sisters who beyond being assassins, are also just
two simple girls who dream of living normal lives.
the french has a way of turning a simple story into
a fancy dream-like fairytale. amelie is an adorable
girl who searches for a guy who owns something
she possesses at the moment. her interaction with
the other characters is so adorable that you can't
help but root for her.

favorite artists
i listen to different music genres but i only have a few
i love listening to over and over. on top of them is
definitely garbage. the mv of their first single "push it"
is what made me listen to their songs. i also love
"i think i'm paranoid", "androgyny" and "cherry lips".
besides the fabulous bangs, her music is what draws me
to her. lady gaga made me love dance music. listening to
her songs, i was surprised at how diversed her music is.
she sometimes sounds like gwen stefani and at times, like
shirley manson. "paparazzi", "beautiful, dirty, rich",
"poker face" and "eh eh (nothing else i can say)" are among
my favorites.

style icon
she looks too young to be in her 30's
and she's freakin' hot! those are two
of the things i love about vivian hsu.
besides those, i also admire how she
fought her way to achieve the success
she's experiencing now, how she managed
to rise above her scandalous past and
emerged as a positive role model.

so there you have it... my list so far... these are all highly-recommended so you better check them out and see if we share the same taste in pop culture... ;)