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You’re all familiar with jump shots.

The Candy Team has been known to have taken one or two in the past.

But ever since chancing upon Natsumi’s Yowa Yowa Camera Diary, we’ve been obsessing over levitating shots!

So when I headed to Singapore last weekend with Mimi and our friend Blanche and her sibs, I made my own “Yowa Yowa Camera Diary.”   (Yowa yowa means “weak” or “feeble” in Japanese.) Thanks to Mimi for taking my photos! Check it out!

Would you try this on your next trip? Post a link to your pictures so we can see them, too!

Love,
Macy

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Hi Candy Girls!

First off, I want to greet you all a belated happy 2012!

To honor the start of a wonderful new beginning, I wanted to share with you something new—an uber-cool spot that serves yummy gelato and snacks called
Cafe Publico!

The place looks like a rustic outdoor cafe found in Havana or some other equally exotic European town, but the difference lies in the details. There’s a water-spouting lion fountain (it tempted me to make a wish and throw in a coin, but I’m sure that’s not allowed!), a big-ass chess set (it reminded me of Harry, Hermione, and Ron from the first HP movie), and a mix of antique-looking tables and decors (simply gorgeous!).

The best part of visiting Cafe Publico is getting to sample the tastiest gelato. I must have tried a gazillion creamy flavors before settling on the Ferrero/Strawberries and Cream combo. Drool! I can’t wait to come back and try the Peanut Butter and Jelly, Lemon Pie, and Cream for the Gods. They even serve coffee and wine (for your parents and older relatives), so you can invite them to come with you and con them (haha!) into treating you to gelato cup or two (prices start from P105-up and they offer take out pints as well!).

Visit Cafe Publico at the 2/L of Greenhills Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan.

Hope to run into there!
Mimi

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I read somewhere that listening to music is simpler when you’re sad because painful emotions are easier to relate to, universal, if you will, while happiness tends to be more specific. Which is true—every heartbreak song resonates with me when I’m feeling down, even when my issues have nothing to do with romantic love at all.

So every time I’m stressed or tired, I turn to one of my playlists called “Enough,” which contains songs about giving up on someone, or wanting to. (I know, I know, my playlists are weird. I don’t have the usual “party” or “goodnight” or “emo” ones.) I always find that doing this makes me feel instantly better, instead of fueling my misery. It’s weird how music works, isn’t it?

This is one of the songs in that playlist. I only started listening to singer-songwriter Jack Peñate recently, and I can’t believe I’d never heard of him before because he’s crazy talented! (My favorite lines are: “It’s easy for me, and it’s better for the soul. And it’s better for you, and it’s better for all.”) Give it a spin and let me know which of your many moods it ends up being the perfect soundtrack for. :-)

Big hugs,
Marla

Posted in Candy, Candy Rap, Love | No Comments »

2011 started out slow and steady for me, but by the time the second half rolled around, to say that things got downright crazy would be an understatement. Somehow I ended up in situations I never thought I’d ever be in: opening my mailbox and reading an acceptance letter bearing good news about an artist’s grant I had been waiting and praying for; surviving the most nerve-wracking interview of my life; traveling alone in the middle of a nasty hurricane and finding myself up in the air as the winds battered our tiny plane; being attacked by mosquitoes while writing a story in a town on the other side of the world; falling asleep in front of a fireplace wearing five layers of clothing, with a big black dog (who probably weighs more than me) curled up on my lap; and sitting at my desk writing a very special letter for all you Candy Girls.

There were milestones and feelings and changes and OMG THERE WERE FEELINGS. And when everything became overwhelming and I couldn’t quite come up with words or explanations, I calmed myself down by putting one song on loop and lying in bed for about half an hour, just thinking and processing.

These were the songs I overplayed this year, and they paint a pretty good picture of what 2011 was like for me. Don’t you think it’s amazing how a few songs can tell an entire year’s worth of stories? I hope you can give them a listen (click on the screencap below to view the playlist on YouTube!), and I hope they bring you some form of comfort and clarity, too.

Happy new year, everyone! Looking forward to sharing 2012 with you. :-)

Big hugs,
Marla

Posted in Candy, Candy Rap, Reality Bytes | 2 Comments »

Hi Candy Girls!

Just last week, Macy and I had a filling lunch at the newest twin-concept restaurants in Galleria: Hyphy’s and Lutong Hinirang (after our national anthem, get it?). Before the actual food tasting began, we were introduced to Chef Bruce Lim, a celebrity chef who grew up in San Francisco and is now based in Manila. He shared how he came up with the concepts for Lutong Hinirang (he handpicked popular dishes from the various regions and added some twists) and Hyphy’s (it’s inspired by his fave San Fo dishes), and even inspired me to try making the dishes at home through his on-the-spot cooking demo!

Just wanted to share my top picks from that tasty lunch:

Clockwise from top left: Tasty Dulong Balls for appetizer (the dipping sauce had a kick!), Calamansi Tuyo Pasta and Rellenong Manok (it was like adobo with pineapples and raisins—it totally worked for me!) for the main course, and Chocolate Tablea Torte for dessert. I admit I wanted to bring home the entire chicken (I knew my parents would enjoy eating it too) and the torte (confession: I absolutely love anything with tablea).

Lutong Hinirang and Hyphy’s are found on the 2/L Robinsons Galleria Veranda, Ortigas Center, QC. Hope you get to drop by and try their dishes. Let me know which ones you liked best so I can try them the next time I visit!

Mimi

Posted in Candy Rap | 1 Comment »