Snapshots: Dessert! Buon Giornio Caffe & Bistro, Tagaytay, Philippines

Might as well close the week out with one last dessert photo. Have a delectable Friday!

Snapshots: Sweet Treats, CoffeeSmith, Seoul, South Korea

My officemates and I have been in a dessert binge all week, so here's a picture of all the sweet treats we found in CoffeeSmith, this hip(ster?) cafe we went to in fashion-frenzied Garosugil in Seoul, South Korea. Plus, my friend and Korea companion Rissee wrote this cute post about a random moment on our stroll along Garosugil, so I guess I got inspired to write about our Seoul excursion too.

Snapshots: Fancy Popsicles, Bar Dolci, Burgos Circle

The summer heat was getting to us last week (not to mention the midweek work stress) so we made a short trip to Burgos Circle for some Serenitea and a few treats at Bar Dolci. We didn't buy the popsicles in the picture above, but they sure look like they'll be so much fun to eat on a hot summer day, especially as I think they are alcoholic!

More about our midweek, midday break soon!

Snapshots: Retiring My First Passport

I had my passport renewed last week and will finally be retiring this one, after five years of adventure and travel. I got it in a rush on my first year of work, because I had to fly to Macau last minute. It had a really horrible photo of me, the most horrible one in any of my IDs to date, which I will forever be mortified about. Nevertheless I made so many memories with my very first passport, which I was able to use a considerable amount of times, as the many stamps and the one visa would attest to. But now it's time to start over. More blank pages to fill with stamps, I look forward to them!

Snapshots: Of Thai Milk Tea and Anniversaries

If you're still reeling from the weekend and it's putting a damper on your productivity (on Monday, of all days), why not visit DekA for lunch? Their Thai Milk Tea is refreshing and energizing - it will definitely give you the energy (and happiness!) boost you need to start the week right.

Also! This is unrelated, but yesterday was my grandparents' 52nd wedding anniversary and we took them out for a long and leisurely lunch. Nanay and Tatay, congratulations! Tatay is quite the adventurer himself, if I may share. In fact, I probably got my love for travel and adventure from him. He is a known "hunter" in our town, always going off with his friends wearing his camouflage outfits and wielding his gun to go hunting. Don't worry, he doesn't do it often enough to wipe out bird and bat populations, and of late, I believe he's been quite content to do practice shooting on non-living targets in our backyard. I do remember having tasted grilled bat and bird when I was a child, the fruit of one of his hunting trips.

My lola, on the other hand, is an amazingly beautiful woman, and an equally amazing cook. I remember spending many a summer afternoon as a child, looking through her old photographs. She remains as beautiful, radiant and elegant as ever. And her unique lasagna, Filipino-style! There are no words for her unique lasagna, Filipino-style. I guess I have her cooking to thank for my love of good food.

They have been together for 52 years and it amazes me how loving and sweet and happy they still are. I've written about this before, but it's worth mentioning again - one of my favorite childhood memories. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and we were at my grandparents' house. My lolo and lola were listening to this station that played oldies music - Nat King Cole, Sinatra, the works - and this "dance" song came on. My lolo stood in the center of the living room and casually held out his hand to my lola, and they started dancing. Graceful, nonchalant dancing, as if they'd been dancing for years (which they have, and still do!). Everyone was silent, watching them. If I get to have at least half of what my grandparents have in one of my future relationships, I'd be extremely grateful and happy. And I am always grateful for the love that they have shared with us younger generations that have come after them - my cousins and I are happy, well-rounded individuals because we are a product of a wonderful, loving family.

Happy 52nd Anniversary Nanay and Tatay! :)