CandyMag.com

If there’s one thing I’ve always enjoyed doing, it’s eating! Being in a family of people who love too cook, and love to eat good food, its something that’s always been a part of me. Forget counting calories and crash diets, eating well is such a privilege. Luckily, for our mini-magazine, I was able to be part of the hot spots feature, which I really, really enjoyed! We chose two restaurants, which were both throwbacks to a certain period in time—Bistro Remedios, which serves old time Filipino favorites, and Ditzy Diner, a really cute ’50s-themed restaurant.

Our first stop was Bistro Remedios, which was located all the way in Malate! Ms. Marla, Mari, and I, along with Sir Patrick, met up with CJ and Mari there. Bistro Remedios is like a tasteful throwback to the olden days, a quaint restaurant with hardwood floors, soft yellow light, and colorful stained glass windows. The staff was really accommodating as well!

Mari, Cj, Mari, and I waiting to eat the delicious food!

They served us a huge tilapia in gata, their traditional fried chicken, as well as a dish served with really pretty (and tasty) squash flowers. Their food was so reminiscent of family lunches cooked by Lola!

From Malate, we headed to Ditzy Diner, a ’50s-themed diner, complete with record players, black and white checkered floors, and neon lights. What I loved the most were the red circular, cushioned booths!

Mari and I with the food!

We had the Ditzy Burger, which was really tasty, crispy Chicken Tenders, and their Ditzy Chicken Fried Chicken, which was fried to a golden brown. Plus, no diner experience is complete without a milkshake! Ours was chocolate, and it was really good.

I realized one of the most enjoyable things when working in a magazine – getting to do things you like, and being able to write about it! The making of the mini mag was really a good opportunity to gain firsthand experience on how it is to be part of a magazine. From arranging shoots, to talking to establishments for features, to the actual writing, to being a part of a shoot ourselves (hahaha! )—it was all so much fun!  Thank you, Candy, for this experience!

<3Gaby

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A couple of weeks ago, my friend Nika surprised me by showing up in Jollibee in Katipunan when she was supposed to be halfway around the world in San Diego, California. It was such a pleasant surprise! My high school barkada reunited (well, half of us, at least), with a sleepover, and endless camwhoring, of course.

Times like those are what remind me how much I love my high school friends. Actually, one of the (maybe only) things I miss the most about highschool is the people. I know, it’s weird to be talking about highschool when I’m already a junior in college, but sometimes I can’t help but feel nostalgic, especially when the universe nudges me into that direction.

Why I Thank God For My High School Friends:

• They’ve seen me grow. From those awkward stages/nene days to what you are now!
• Our friendships know no distance. Or time. Even if we’ve been apart for 23409823021 days/weeks/months, our conversations pick up from where we last left off.
• They are not Good Time Friends. They’ve been with you through the good times, and the bad! ..in inches, in miles, in laughter ,and strife.
• They will not think you impolite if you call them frantically during ungodly hours. It’s the friends you can call at 4am that matter.
• They accept me for who I am—annoying habits, crazy moments, and all. I may not like you all the time, but you know I love you.
• They tell me the truth! (& not just what I want to hear)
• The list goes on, and on, and on.

<3Gaby

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My three-day schoolweek ended today, and quite frankly, I’m already exhausted. As much as I love my majors (Digital Design, Visual Communication, Journalism & Advertising!), I am currently ready to gouge my eye-bagged eyes out with the pile-up of things to do! I guess this is why say that junior year is the toughest.

Nevertheless, my first Advertising class has already opened my eyes to new things, and I’m now training myself to be more aware and to watch out for the local advertisements on TV, radio, and print too. Our first task in class is to sell ourselves as the best advertising agency in town, using a print ad to do so. I’ve started looking for ads online for inspiration, just to see how professional print ads are. Here are my favorites!

1. Dettol Hand Sanitizer
2. 
   I found this really effective, and visually stimulating. I think it’s especially relevant now too, because of the Swine Flu outbreak :\
3. Perrier
4. 
   First saw this in Viscom class, and caught my eye instantly! Spot Bob Marley
5. Nike
   
   I love how Nike ads are so simple yet eye-catching! It’s such a nice view of those gorgeous running shoes, all the way down to the stitching!
6. Unicef
   
   This one instantly tugged at my heartstrings and made me go aww!
7. Pringles Hot and Spicy
   
   Loved this!! Makes me want to eat Pringles. I wish they had that flavor here! Do they?:o

Hoping to unleash her long-lost (!!) creativity,
Gaby

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Gaby has been loving..

1. Baking brownies! Last Saturday night, a baking bonanza was held at our kitchen. My mom baked chocolate chip almond cookies, and I baked chewy, gooey brownies! I had been chocolate deprived the entire week and I loved that we had two of my ultimate comfort desserts on hand in the fridge.
2. Sloppy Firsts by Megan Mccafferty. I reread the series for the nth time, since it was one of my favorites way back in highschool. Here’s my favorite line from one a Christmas card made by Marcus Flutie (my husband-to-be Hahaha), the guy in the book:Do genuine kisses exist in a world of plastic mistletoe? &hearts;

   I also like the titles of her books – check out Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, and Perfect Fifths.

3. The rain! I know the weather’s been bipolar these days, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past few rainy days in bed! All I needed was a blanket and a good book to keep me occupied for hours on end.
4. The last few days of summer vacation! I’m a bit torn between not wanting summer to end and wanting to go back to school already! I already got my schedule for the semester, and I’m un/lucky enough to have a 3-day academic week! Hahaha, Mondays and Fridays are now my days off – although I do have killer Tuesday-Thursdays. I’m feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension, actually, especially since I’ll be having my junior thesis this year. Yikes! But I am looking forward to an interesting sem, especially since I’m taking most of my major electives now.  Here’s my weird, weird schedule for this sem!
   

<3Gaby

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What’s Been Keeping Gaby Busy These Days:

1. Capoeira! It’s still an ongoing obsession. At first it was just so I could cross the “learn something new” item off my summer to-do list, but after the first few sessions, I quickly fell in love with it! I can’t find a group of people as welcoming and as passionate about what they do than the Sinha Bahia Capoeiristas It’s inspiring as much as it’s enjoyable; I’m actually experiencing my first batizado (sort of like a baptism, similar to earning belts in Karate or Taekwondo) this weekend!
2. Catching up on my reading because I haven’t finished a book in ages. During the schoolyear, I hardly had the time for it, so I’m taking advantage of the long hours I have to spare these days to do so. I just finished rereading one of my all-time favorite teen novels, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. It ends with a quote I really like : But there was only one truth about forever that really mattered, and that was this: It was happening. Now. Now. Now.
   
3. Trying to make the perfect s’more! My sister and I attempted to make our own s’mores one night, with marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate, and our trusty toaster, paired with a glass of cold milk. We’ve experimented on different marshmallows, putting the chocolate above and below the marshmallow, and timing it so that we achieve just the right—toasted but not burnt!—consistency of the marshmallows, for the perfect midnight snack! Hahaha.
4. Barkada Project #1: Garage Sale! Hahaha. We’ve decided to collect all our old clothes, shoes, junk, whatever we don’t need anymore (which I have so much of K), and pool them together for a garage sale! It’s a good way to get rid of stuff you don’t need, make a little money and some room in your closet for new clothes, and have a clutter-free environment as well.

What have you been doing this summer?

<3Gaby

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