Concrete Jungle

File under: "The things you find when you're not looking."

Was walking along the concrete pavements of 13th Avenue, and chanced upon this beauty:

It's so refreshing to see so many flowers and so much vibrant colours in least expected places. It's a nice breather from all the hustle and bustle of city life.

Wish they had more trees like this in our area.

Meals with Mark: Shack Value

Since we're on the subject of "Shacks"...

Now, we don't have to go far to get our Shake Shack fix.

Yes, there's now Shake Shack in Cubao.

Mark and I decided to check it out yesterday. After all, we've tried Shake Shack in Tokyo and in Megamall, so let's give this one a shot, too. (Spot Mark in the photo.)

Well-played, Cubao. Well-played.

Fiesta Official

So, the rumours are true!

One of the icons of my childhood is officially coming back.

Yes! Fiesta Carnival is back on its original site. It would be interesting to see how they'll updated this classic childhood playground of ours.

And the bigger question is: Will they bring the "Moonwalk" back?

Cubao-rcelona

The Sagrada Familia Chapel at Gateway 2 is finally open.

This chapel is the opposite of its namesake in BCN.

While the BCN Sagrada Familia is ornate and heavily adorned, this one in Cubao is very modern and minimalist. From the interior to the exterior, it's all-white and has a lot of geometric lines and patterns, giving it an airy and elegant look.

Nice to know that we have another option where to hear mass at Araneta Center.

Bell's Boss

Looking at this cat that's confidently sitting on top of a table in front of Taco Bell in Cubao, you'd think he's the boss of the branch.

Maybe he is.

Headstrong

I’ve seen this several times along 8th Avenue.

This house might look ordinary, but there’s a detail that’s a head above the rest. 

Literally.

Makes me wonder what the story is behind this.

Painting the town

Today, while in transit to a meeting and headed home, I noticed something similar in 2 different places.

This was along EDSA.

This was at Araneta Coliseum.

Guess people are painting the town these days.

Soup-er!

One of the changes that happened the past months in our community is that the neighbors get to interact more. 

The past few years, everyone was so busy with their own work and lives that we didn’t really know who our neighbors were, much less talk to them or get to know them. But starting 2nd quarter of 2020, everyone started going out and getting to know each other more.

When mid-year came along, it felt that the compound was more of a community, with everyone greeting each other, asking about each other, spending afternoons in the common areas catching up (with face masks and social distancing), and asking if anyone needs help with anything.

Also, people started being more neighborly. Nowadays, it’s common for neighbors to share food with other neighbors. For no reason at all. Just because.

One of them, a Bicolana who lives a few units away, makes this yummy Korean inspired soup with so many good stuff inside! It’s her own recipe that she loves sharing with Mom and me whenever she cooks it.

The soup tastes good as it looks. It’s very hearty and flavorful, and it’s good on its own, or as a side dish for one of Mom’s signature viands.

It’s super how everyone is now nicer these days.

Call it!

The last time I saw Whatchamacallit was in 2019 when we spent Christmas and New Year in the US. This super-yummers chocolate is commonplace in the US, and it's available in every supermarket and gasoline station convenience store. Which is why it was easy to buy and stock-up on it back then.

It's not that easy to find in MNL, though. Last year, was trying to look for this in SM, S&R and Landers, to no avail

But today, was able to find it at my Chocolate and snack haunt in Cubao. Best part, they deliver!

So now, Whatchamacallit is back in our fridge! And my tummy, of course!

Call it a lucky day for my chocoholic self!

Striking Gold

My first encounter with Hershey's Gold was in the US. Found it on sale at Target after Christmas, so it became part of my pasalubong to friends and the creative team.

It was such a different Hershey's experience. For starters, it was caramel and not chocolate, then, it had pretzels in lieu of the usual nuts and fruits. Needless to say, it was love at first bite.

Was trying to look for it in Manila, but it was quite rare. Although it was available at The SM Store for a time, it would go out of stock easily.

Surprise, surprise, they had it at Isetann Supermarket in Cubao. And it was on sale!

Woot! I struck gold!

Altared States

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've last seen this altar at OLPH in 13th Avenue, Cubao.

Since churches are closed during this Community Quarantine period, I'll have to contend with looking at it in photos first.

Here's praying that I'll get to see you again soon.

What sorcery is this? Part deux

The stretch of P. Tuazon, especially between SM and EDSA, is usually congested in the mornings. It isn't uncommon to see cars and buses stuck in between that stretch of road. And I know this since it's my route to work everyday.

But today, Thursday, I pass by the same area and see this:

Whoa! What's happening here?

Whatever it is, it's definitely a good thing.

Life lessons

Seen in Cubao, the most profound, most insightful, and most delicious answer to the question: "What is life?"

Can't argue with that.

Hello there, My neighbor.

So it's confirmed. H&M's next branch is right here in Cubao!

They've finally put their billboards all over the boarded-up part of Gateway Mall. While there were already talks that they were taking over that area, we still had to wait for confirmation. And this is it!

This is so cool! Dangerous in terms of shopping, but still so cool!

If I can make it there...

Why do I always forget that there's an S&R Pizza place in Cubao? Their pizzas are so awesome, I should go here more often!