My Serious Sunday vlog series is back! And hopefully I will learn how to stick to a schedule this time!
This week, I’ll be talking about an age old question: would I rather be with someone I love or someone who loves me?
I think people have different opinions/ approaches when it comes to love so let me know what you think about my answer for today’s post. I highly encourage healthy discussions and I would want to know what your opinions are regarding the topic!
Keep your questions coming,
Just came back from my trip to Moal Boal where we spent our lovely and much needed trip at Club Serena where we were able to watch the whale sharks, the sardine run and the turtles. Along with that trip I was able to come home with wonderful memories and jelly fish stings all over my body! It was totally worth it and although I am itching uncontrollably, I am more grateful than I am angry. Maybe next time I’ll wear a rash guard or a wet suit but that’s for another adventure *two weeks cannot come any sooner*!
Vacations are always a great time for me to insert scenic/ dramatic photo shoots because of the great scenery and new backdrops and even if I have to run back and forth to set my self timer. Yes, I take my own photos with the aid of my handy dandy tripod. So if you have one, use it and if you’re planning to get one make sure to invest in a sturdy tripod because cameras are expensive and there’s no point in scrimping out on your accessories.
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A thought that came into my head as I was writing this is the issue of skin color and the fact that I am currently 2 shades darker than I normally am.
We live in a society where people adore people with fairer skin and think that being white or fairer is the equivalent to beauty. They try so hard to get that look and invest so much on whitening products and stay as far away as possible from the sun. If that’s what you’re into then fine, I’m not going to judge you but at least have the decency to respect those who are not afraid to get a real tan.
I’ve always been a morena, even if most of my relatives are fair skinned. My mom is white, my dad is white, my siblings are white and I am not. My grand father, who I looked up to greatly growing up and my aunt who won Miss Cebu Tourism in 1990 have the same skin color as I am and growing up, I looked to them for confidence when everyone was telling me that I was getting too dark and that I shouldn’t stay under the sun to play tennis, swim and all the activities I involved myself in growing up. They were proud of their color, they never let society define them and they succeeded and are continuing to succeed because color is not proportionate to what you are and what you can achieve.
I’m not saying to disregard sun block and soak up in the sun because these products prevent cancer, burn and premature wrinkling among other things- I use them when I can and I will continue to use them because I believe in taking care of my body. What I am saying is to not look down on anyone who does not fit your personal beliefs of beauty because we are all beautiful in our own ways.
I’ve been called numerous things for being a morena like a farmer, a negra, poor, ugly and I’ve had people choose fairer people over me because to them I was not worthy of their attention/ affection and worse respect. Yes, it hurt but I never wanted to change who I was because of these small minded opinions and neither should YOU.
Love yourself first before you allow anyone else to love you and if you’re a morena living among people who think you need some gluta, papaya soap or to lock yourself in your room then you don’t need them because you’re fabulous the way you are! ❤
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Polo shirt used as a dress: Let’s Stylize
So many thoughts in one night,
The world is my playground and everything, including my neighbors broken down cars, is my backdrop. lol
Just wanted to show the world my chubby arms and my complete lack of lady skills in this boyish ensemble you will most likely catch me in half of the time. I’ve always been a tomboy who preferred sneakers instead of heels, bandeau tops instead of bras and caps instead of headbands and I believe it’s high time this look got its own entry in my own little cyber world. The truth is, when I’m not trying to fight all urges to dress like a girl, I’m in shirts, shorts and any outfit that goes well with my overused sneakers.
Self depreciation aside, this jogger + loose top combo is actually quite useful and efficient for beating this summers intense weather especially if you’re off to do errands and don’t really have anywhere important to be. If I’m not wearing these joggers that are obvs too big for me, I’ll switch them up with beach pants; flip flops and maybe a more delicate top.
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From the boy girl who lived,
When it’s hot outside but I still want to have look chic and have a good fall back for the evening ahead, I know I can always rely on a trusty blazer. It’s not a secret, blazers are a must have in every man and woman’s closet and today I decided to take mine out for a spin.
With the insane weather, I know it sounds a bit insane to be sporting a blazer which is why I keep it off for most of the day and put it on when I’m indoors like while watching a movie which is what is on today’s agenda.
Also, I would like to thank my brother and sister for not being home today and allowing me to raid their closets because I was sick of all my clothes. You’re the real MVP’s. Don’t kill me when I get home.
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Cap: Volcom| Blazer: Promod| Shirt: H&M| Shorts: Cotton On| Shoes: Sketchers
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Invest in siblings. Steal all their clothes,
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Diners have always been iconic when it comes to American culture. By definition, diners are small roadside restaurants accompanied by long counters and booths that closely resemble a dining car on a train. I’ve never personally experience lunching at a real diner before by my Luncheonette experience was pretty close.
Known for their “short order” menu items, Luncheonette offers hungry guests a taste of their deep fried and grilled goodness that we all love (healthy or not!).
Had brunch there with my family a couple of Sundays ago and we were impressed by the food, the staff and the overall experience. Their seating arrangement which is basically lined up stools doesn’t allow you to be as intimate as you would typically have it but it’s an experience altogether and one I definitely would not mind trying again.
When at the luncheonette, don’t be afraid to go down and dirty with your grub. Use your hands, dig in and enjoy the greasy goodness which is what diners have always been known for. And lastly, don’t go if you’re on a diet unless its a cheat day because you will go home stuffed and hating yourself for eating more than you would have wanted. I had no regrets though.
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Hand Cut Fries – P 129.00
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C- BLT (smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo)- P 289.00
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Big Breakfast (2 eggs, home fries, bacon, toast & bottomless coffee) – P 199.00
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Texican chicken sandwich (chipotle bbq, smoken bacon, cream slaw and mayo) – P 289.00
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Luncheonette is located at the ground floor of Robinsons Cybergate,Don Gil Garcia Street Capitol Site
Everything deep fried is heaven sent,
It’s 2 in the morning, my eyes are swollen and my face is super itchy.
What the hell did I have at that buffet???
When I’m not basking under the summer sun, you’ll be sure to find me in Let’s Stylize’s new summer collection of kimonos and cover ups. I love cover ups and I find them super handy especially when you want to walk around but you don’t want to commit to wetting your towel or your change of clothes just yet.
I have a couple of these bad boys which I will be recycling throughout the summer and if you don’t have your own, I suggest your get one before it’s too late.
I find chiffon cover ups to be my favorite so far because they are light weight and dry up easily so I don’t worry about it getting too heavy from absorbing water off from my body. Other than that, cotton cover ups and kimonos aren’t that bad either.
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Cover up: Let’s Stylize| Flip flops: Havaianas
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**DOUBLE CHIN GO AWAY!!**
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May Your Summer Be Colorful,
I am jealous of the things that I cannot change.
Old messages, birthday greetings, inside jokes, best days ever
Because I know that your love is pure- it always has been and it always be
And how am I any different from the ones that you have loved before me?
You have always been so careful, so secure
While I have always ran with my gut- my stupid, ignorant gut
And I was and always be lucky to have found you
But you, you never stumbled into me.
Or did you?
You chose me, you did it so carefully
And I don’t think that I am any different from your dead flames, forgotten crushes and old loves
Because I will never have the same impact on your life as you do to me.
I could go away and your life would have never changed.
And yet the moment you leave, my life would have never been the same.
I’ve always had a fascination for bandeau bikini tops because they look so easy to wear and they don’t leave you with a weird tan line that you have to explain again and again to your friends. Being on the petite but bustier side, finding the right bandeau top has always been quite of a challenge that I’ve had to face. Also, if you do your research, you will discover that bandeau’s aren’t made for my body type and function better on smaller chested women.
But I have learned a thing or two in my search for the perfect bandeau top and I’ve realized that the tube types that come with straps are my favorite kinds so far. With bikini tops like this, I do not have to keep pulling them up while I’m swimming and they don’t expose any boobage that I don’t want anyone to see. However, when I do plan to do more activities while in a bikini, you will definitely find me in a halter top.
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Bikini top: Lulu Ef/ @lulu_ef Bikini bottom: Department store brand
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Happy basking,
My curiosity in Gold Mango sparked when a friend of ours mentioned on a car ride to Mactan that it was always full and required reservations in order to be accommodated. He shared his experience of purposely heading to Mactan on two occasions to sample the dishes at Gold Mango to no avail. I had only heard of Gold Mango that morning while we were headed to go diving/ boating and I honestly knew nothing about the food or the prices except that it was a Korean restaurant but a little voice in me told me that I had to try it. And so I did.
We made early reservations that afternoon and arrived at around 6 pm. I appreciated how the restaurant remained spic and span throughout our meal despite having quite a lot of guests come in. Interior wise, Gold Mango is decorated with beautiful interiors so you probably wouldn’t want to go there with wet hair and in bikinis. There is also a parking area in the front which could be filled up pretty fast so it’s best to go early if you decide to come.
Truthfully, I was a bit scared going into Gold Mango because of what I had heard about it from the morning of- you had to make reservations in order to get in, it was always packed and it was Korean. Things like that intimidate me and I was scared that I couldn’t afford anything on the menu or that everything would be spicy. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that most of the items on the menu were pretty within my normal spending ranges of a little over 300 and below (except for certain dishes).
But that wasn’t the biggest shocker. What surprised me the most was to find out that it was a Korean owned Filipino restaurant and most of the items on the menu were Filipino and Italian dishes!
Crispy Sisig – P 195.00
Coconut Fried Shrimp – P 350.00
Sizzling Spicy Gambas – P 245.00
Caesar Salad – P 220.00
Gorgonzola Cheese Pizza – P 395.00
Baked Scallops – P 195.00
I have entitled this post Hit or Miss because although we did enjoy some of the dishes there such as the crispy sisig (which was spicy enough for me to tolerate), the blue crab rose pasta and the fried coconut shrimp, I would still prefer more traditional Filipino restaurants when it comes to the other dishes. Their interesting take on the scallops which used Mozzarella cheese instead of the typical cheddar cheese was definitely interesting but truth be told, it did not quite hit the spot for me. Same goes for their Caesar salad but their greens were so pretty, I wished that I loved it.
Their reasonable prices, interesting menu items and kept ambiance are definitely worth going back to. Plus, it’s a nice place to go to when in Mactan and you won’t come out smelling like you’ve been grilled. I am still a bit on the fence when it comes to their food though but I didn’t hate it so that’s still something.
Gold Mango is located at Maribago Lapu-lapu city, M.L. Quezon National Highway, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu
Their opening hours are from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
For reservations contact: 0915 330 8432
Follow them on Facebook for more updates!
This post made me crave for scallops,
Issa Talks... Alot 