A Taste of Tuscany: Marcia Adams in Tagaytay

I've made it a goal this year to get out more often, to take the opportunity of meeting new people, reconnecting with people I haven't seen for a long time, and experiencing things I would normally say no to. If you know me, you know I'm not really the adventurous type. When it comes to food, for example, I naturally go to places I've tried before and liked. I mean, why risk spending on something I'm not sure to like, right? But where's the fun in that? All that is about to change this year.

I recently had the opportunity to go around Tagaytay for work. Through this, I got to discover new restaurants and shops.

One of them is Marcia Adams, a beautiful restaurant in Tagaytay. It is not difficult to find it but you need to make sure to call ahead to reserve a table because it gets pretty packed, especially on weekdays. Drive along Aguinaldo Highway and make a right turn upon hitting the arch separating Tagaytay from Alfonso. About a hundred meters after that turn you will see a nondescript signage.

In case you miss the signage, the property also has a huge door with a brass knocker in front. But that's not where you enter.

You go in through another gate that will take you to a path of gorgeous greens.

Even more beauty awaits you as you go farther down. The restaurant has three dining areas, all having the charm of Tuscany. One is this rustic room, their main dining area.

Another is their sunset room, which looks out to a garden. It's gorgeous in the afternoon!

They have gorgeous flower arrangements like this one all over the restaurant.

They make their own chairs and they don't use nails to build them! Pretty cool, huh?

Marcia Adams has been open for some three years now and weekend after weekend, the guests come in droves. They got so packed that they've decided to open another dining area, that gives a better view of the outdoors.

Even the ground you walk on is charming! I heard these are century-old bricks!

Now, let's get to the food. Be ready to spend a minimum of PhP700 for a meal at Marcia Adam's. Each main course comes with your choice of appetizer and dessert. A pretty good deal, I must say.

My personal favorite is their Aromatic Pork. So flavorful, possible the best grilled pork I've ever tasted!

I chose a tomato-based soup to go with my main course. The soup was thick and tasted like fresh tomatoes. Yum!

Dessert was Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce, which I found so refreshing. The perfect end to a perfect meal!

They also sell wine and these darling owl door stoppers. I had to keep myself from buying!

Want to visit Marcia Adams? You may SMS Marcia at 0917-8011456.

On Stepping Up

Do you have any regrets in life? I am tempted to say yes. I've definitely taken a lot of missteps, have done things I wish I hadn't and have things I wish I'd done but didn't.

I wish I'd done better in school, for instance. One of my frustrations was never getting into the Dean's List in college although I came close a few times. 

I also wish I'd been more strategic early on when it came to career path. I chose my internship based on my interest at that time (basketball) instead of thinking about what I wanted to do career-wise. When I eventually realized I wanted to be either a news reporter or work as an editor in a magazine, I did not have enough experience and had not honed the right skills.

I'm sure there were people around me who could have helped those days but I wasn't really thinking about the future then and didn't know who or what to ask.

It's a good thing for young people nowadays that there are programs that can help them figure these things out as early as high school. One of the programs available is called WASSUP Summer Stepping Up Program which I highly recommend because I can vouch for who's running it, my coach (and mom) Susan Rivera, who has 20+ years of solid HR experience spanning numerous industries which includes Globe Telecom, Hewitt Associates, PT&T, CAVEL Group of Companies, the Pioneer Group of Insurance Companies, and PLDT; and is a Professional Coach certified by the International Coaching Council and practicing internationally, and is a member of the International Coach Federation, the International Coach Academy, the Behavioral Coaching Institute, and the Human Capital Institute.

Here's a poster of what this program is about (click on photo to enlarge):

As mentioned in the poster, the program will be held in Sol Y Viento Resort in Pansol, Laguna, and will run for three days, two nights. The full program comes with road trips and one-on-one coaching but participants can also opt for just the regular program or the regular program with coaching, or the regular program with road trips. There will be several speakers from different industries and backgrounds and other certified coaches who will help run it.

Believe me, if I were a high school junior or senior now, I would be lining up to get into this program! So if you have kids or relatives or friends whom you think can benefit from this program, sign them up now! If you register and pay before April 5, you get PhP2,000 off or  PhP1,000 off if you pay before April 12. 

For inquiries and reservations, please call or text 0917-8181838 or email wassup@thetlcsolution.com.

Now going back to my earlier question. I realize that while there were mistakes and missteps, I would not be who I am now if not for them, and I wouldn't know how to help young people if I hadn't gone through them. Everything, indeed, happens for a reason.

American Idol Final Four Forecast

I've been a fan of American Idol since Season 3, a season that gave us the likes of Fantasia Barrino, Diana Degarmo, and of course, the most successful singer from that batch, Jennifer Hudson (who is looking absolutely stunning and svelte these days). I have not missed a season since then, that is, until this current season came rolling around.

I watched the first few episodes but found myself quite put off by Nicki Minaj, who came off as too talkative and too dominating of the panel. I just wasn't interested to watch anymore.

But thank God for late night replays, I got to unintentionally catch some of the semi-final round and saw that the judges (Minaj, whom I'm starting to warm up to, included) actually picked a good crop of singers this year.

Here are my picks to get to the top:

Candice Glover - I was blown away by her performance of one of my favorites, Ordinary People by John Legend. Amazing vocals from this lady from South Carolina, whose third time trying out for American Idol finally paid off.

Candice Glover performing Ordinary People by John Legend

Video courtesy of Fox / American Idol

Candice Glover performing Like a Star by Corinne Bailey Rae

Video courtesy of Candi Rickelle (Candice Glover)

Angie Miller - Overcoming significant hearing loss (40% on one ear, 20% on the other), this incredibly talented artist wowed the judges from her first audition. She's my bet to win the competition this year. She's like the female version of Colton Dixon, who is one of the most successful out of last year's batch. Incidentally, Angie sings a Colton song, which got her a stint as one of the five girls advancing to the live shows.

 

Angie Miller performing her own composition Set Me Free

Video courtesy of Fox / American Idol

Angie Miller performing Colton Dixon's Never Gone

Video courtesy of Fox / American Idol

Angie Miller performing Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me

Video courtesy of Angie Kristine Miller 

Devin Velez - This Chicago Barista has been belting out songs in English and Spanish, which makes him a standout for me among the guys. 

Devin Velez performing Somos Novios (It's Impossible) first recorded by Perry Como

Video courtesy of Fox / American Idol

Amber Holcomb - What an strong contender this one is! And pretty, too! I love that she got a makeover and some confidence to go with the new look. My favorite song she's sung so far is her rendition of My Funny Valentine.

Amber Holcomb performing My Funny Valentine by the late great Frank Sinatra

Video courtesy of Fox / American Idol

There you go. My fearless final four forecast for American Idol Season 12. Can't wait to see them perform live these next several weeks!

I'd love to know: Who do you think will make it to the end? 

Currently In January

It's the first of January, the beginning of a new year. Half an hour before it becomes the second day of the year, let me share with you what I'm up to:

Current Book/s: I like to read several books at once. Normally, one is a book to help me grow in my faith (aside from the Bible), one is a book to help me grow professionally or personally, and one fiction read. For Book #1, I am going through John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be. For Book #2, I am starting a book called Standout: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assesment from the Leader of the Strength Revolution by Marcus Buckingham. I am also reviewing a book I've read before called Develop Your PR Skills by Neil Richardson and Lucy Laville. For the fiction, I went for light reading--Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.

Current Playlist: I've been listening non-stop to Michael Buble's Christmas Album. My favorite song in this album White Christmas, which is a duet featuring Shania Twain. Also in love with Hillsong's Unending Love, which I heard for the first time at worship service last Sunday.

Photo Credit: michaelbuble.com

Hillsong's Unending Love

Current Guilty Pleasure: Tim Tam in Chewy Caramel

Photo Credit: scottg26.com

Current Color: Definitely deep purple.

Current Food: Since it's the holidays, we have a generous supply of ham. I also cooked Carbonara twice (yesterday and today). It's one of the dishes I can cook quite well. Today's batch was devoured by my brother and his friends. When I went down for dinner, it was all gone. 

Current Drink: Water with Lemon Slices and Pepsi Max.

Current Favorite Shows: Scandal and Modern Family. Scandal's second season is soooo exciting! Fitz is so dreamy and that flashback encounter with Olivia in the garden was just so well-acted by Tony Goldwyn I had to play the scene back again and again. Here's a clip of that scene from youtube:

Current Wishlist: A brand new MacBook Air 11" 128GB with a 2-TB external hard drive. An HDMI Media Player so I can watch my shows on my TV instead of on the computer. The Michael Kors Hamilton Bag in Black.

Photo Credit: fashionbombdaily.com

Current Exciting News: My blog is getting a makeover soon! One of  my resolutions for 2013 is to blog more and I hope that with the new design and more frequent posts, you, my dear readers, will visit my blog more this year.

That's about it for now. Happy New Year, everyone! I pray that our 2013 will be filled with breakthroughs, miracles, and exciting surprises from God.

I'd love to know: What are you up to currently?

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Fall Into Reading 2012

It's autumn once again in the U.S. and that means it's time for a reading challenge. I've been joining the reading challenges of Katrina at Callapidder Days for the few years and I truly enjoy knowing that halfway around the world, there is a group of (mostly) women reading with me.

Here are my books for this year's Fall Into Reading:

1. Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud - I've heard good things about this book. God knows I need as much help I can get figuring out my issues so I'm quite excited to get started with this one.

2. 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl by Amy Parham - I absolutely detest dieting but I do know at this stage, I need both diet and exercise to get to a weight and shape I will be happy with. I certainly need the inspiration to keep on going so I'm looking forward to reading this book from a former contestant of the show Biggest Loser.

3. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury - I have never read a book by this author before but I do know she is a popular Christian Fiction writer. Borrowed this copy from a friend some time last year and I haven't even started reading it yet! Need to finish this one pronto so I can return it soon.

4. Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky - Started reading this book in the summer but only got to a the first few chapters. Interesting read about productivity and execution.

5. The Grace of God by Andy Stanley - So happy I spotted this book in last week's Manila International Book Fair! I'm a big fan of Andy Stanley and have read most of his books. Can't wait to read this once, especially since it talks about one of my favorite topics.

6. Where We Belong by Emily Giffin - Emily Giffin is one of my favorite chick lit writers and this one is her latest book. Should be an easy read. I just hope there's no cheating in this book! (Two of her last novels were about cheating partners.)

7. Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron - I used to love watching Full House as a kid! Candace Cameron grew up to be such a beautiful lady. This book also talks about her battle with the bulge. Yet another book to inspire me to keep going in my weight loss journey.

8. Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic - Nick was born without arms and legs but lives a full life. An inspiring story about an extraordinary man! Can't wait to read about his life.

Happy Fall Reading!

Cohen Diaries - Day 12

Photo courtesy of 25 Mushrooms Kitchen Facebook Page

I've always been an advocate of body love. I remember going out on a date when I was in my teens and my date, in an effort to make small talk while we were looking for a parking slot, casually asked me if I was trying to lose weight. Listen, I was never ever stick thin (except for that time when I was a kid when I would eat nothing but pork chop taba, which is super ironic, right?) and even at my slimmest, I always still had a good measure of meat on me. At the time I was on a date, I was also an athlete, playing basketball for my high school's varsity team. I was definitely not fat, and although I did not fall under the thin category, I saw no reason to want to lose weight. So when date asks me this, I say "No, I'm happy the way that I am. I may not be model thin, but I'm strong and healthy and I love that I enjoy food." He answers "Ok yan, it's good that you're confident about how you look. I like that." Unfortunately, I did not like him so our first date ended up being our last date.

 My weight has gone up and down and up and down throughout my teens and twenties. There were times when I would not be happy about how I looked and felt and would resort to working out to bring down my weight. When I was 25, I was in the gym morning and afternoon, and I lost maybe 30 lbs. Then I stopped working out and the 30 lbs found its way back to my body. And even with the 30 lbs extra, I was happy with how I looked. I was not perfect but I was happy.

Then I went to the U.S. with my family. People were warning me about the weight you gain because of the rich food and huge servings. Surprisingly, I did not put on weight. In fact, I lost weight because of the constant walking I had to do in New York. But when I got back to Manila, I was so excited to have rice again that I went overboard.

I had multiple cups of rice, when before I was ok with just a cup. I would have ulam left on my plate so I would get more rice, then I would have rice left so I got more ulam, then I would have ulam left and well, you get the drift. The effect? I put on around 30lbs on top of that 30lbs I gained back.

This time, I will admit to you, I got to the point where I could not say I was happy with the way I looked and felt. And while I am still an advocate of body love and do admire and respect full figured women, I knew I had to make a change. I tried exercising, but maybe because I am in my 30s now, it's not as easy to lose 30lbs as it used to be.

I got frustrated and my confidence started to wane. I was not happy with the way I looked in photos, I was not happy that I got winded after going up a flight of stairs, I was not happy that I could not fit into an XL.

My Mom, having the never-wrong mom gut, knew that even though I never said anything, that I was not happy with myself. She would encourage me to work out, to go to Bikram Yoga with her, to eat her brown rice, and whatever else she could use to encourage me. She went as far as taping a flyer for the Cohen Lifestyle Center on my desk twice. Every time, I would take that flyer down and hide it.

I always said it's too expensive (it is) and that I can't afford me (I can't) so one day in the summer of 2012, she says she is willing to pay for it if I am willing to commit to it.

Wala nang kiyeme kiyeme. I said yes.

I went on a free orientation at their clinic in Makati. I had a hard time finding a schedule where both my mom and I could go so it took a few weeks before we got around to going for it. All that time, I really wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to do. Then orientation came and they explained what the diet would do to my body and how fast the weight would come off. My Mom was so convinced that she paid right there and then and because of this, I was able to avail of the free blood test (done in a lab also in the same building). Because fasting for 10-12 hours was required for the blood test, I had to do it a week after orientation (I went on the orientation right before Holy Week). I was scared that something would go wrong with my test and I would be deemed unfit for the diet but after a few days, I got an SMS that my eating plan was available for pick-up.

It's been 12 days since I started the Cohen Eating Plan. And I am not supposed to weigh until after four weeks but it's just too tempting. I mean, I want to see if this thing even works, right? So I weighed and as of today, at Day 12, I have lost 9lbs. Which is not bad. I am going to try to not weigh until the end of May.

Will blog again after my four week weigh-in so stay tuned! :)

Spring Reading Thing 2012 - my list!

Spring has begun for my four season friends from different parts of the world and that means it's also time for the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Katrina over at Callapidder Days. This reading challenge began last March 20 and will end on June 20, 2012.

If you love to read (like me) and would like to get together with other book lovers online, please do join the fun!

Here's my reading list:

1. 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People by David Niven - I started reading this a few years back but stopped at some point. I remember learning quite a bit from this book so rereading it and this time, I will actually finish the book.

2. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung - Also got to start this interesting book. I've had this since early last year but misplaced it and finally found it stuck between my bed's headboard and the wall. So that's where it disappeared to! This book was quite surprising. Not your usual book on God's will. It certainly challenged my understanding. I've got just a few chapters to go on this one.

3. The 100 Simple Secrets of Healthy People by David Niven - It is my goal this year to be healthier and lose at least 40 lbs (there, I said it) and that's why I am going to start to read up on how I am to get there. This is only one of the health-related books I'm reading.

4. How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes - I am a closet shy person. No one I know will ever think so but I really am! I also have some trouble making small talk with people I meet for the first time, which is not a good thing in my line of work. This book, which I started to read a few weeks ago, has some great tips, which I have already started to apply.

5. Falling in Love with Prayer by Mike Macintosh - I love to pray and desire to learn more about prayer and how to love it even more.

6. The Pact by Jodi Picoult - This copy was a Christmas gift from my very good friend and fellow book lover, Ingrid, from a couple of years back. This book comes highly recommended.

7. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell - I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell! I think he is brilliant. This book is a collection of his articles from The New Yorker.

8. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury - This will be my first time to read a book by Karen Kingsbury. I've heard a lot of good things about her work so I'm excited to get started on this one. This copy was lent to me by my good friend, Varsha.

9. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - This one is probably the book that's been on my shelf the longest. I've had this copy for several years now but started reading only last year. I'm halfway done though and so far, it's been gripping. Stopped reading this when I made my move back home and it got lost in the boxes of books I took home.

10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Bought this book in New York two years ago. I've also got a DVD of the movie version, which I refuse to watch until I read the book.

11. The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric - Started this book at the start of the year. It's a collection of wisdom from a good mix of prominent people from different fields.

12. Where's my Fifteen Minutes? by Howard Bragman - I like to read about my field of work so when I find a book (especially one that's on sale like this one) on PR, I grab, pay, and go.

Photo from
missionalthoughts.wordpress.com

13. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson - Was not able to include this book when I took a photo of my Spring Reading stack because this is the book I am currently devouring. Just used it this morning for my discipleship group so it's still in my bag. This book is a real heart-opener. One of two books on prayer that I've included in this list. I'm only on Chapter 6 but it's already taught and challenged and encouraged me very much.





E-Books

Photo from
down-to-earthgirl.blogspot.com

14. The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan - Shared my weight loss goal with an aunt this afternoon and she told me to consider reading this book. Famous for being the diet that made Kate Middleton wedding gown-ready.

Photo from Nestentertainment.com

15. Start Your New Life Today by Joyce Meyer - Wanted something uplifting to read on my iPod Touch and found this in my library of e-books.

Photo from Goodreads.com

16. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella - Wanted something fun and light for my Spring Reading list so I chose this new one by Sophie Kinsella.

That's my list so far. 16 books in three months! Gotta get busy!

What about you? What books are on your reading list?

Note: Titles that have been crossed out are books I have finished reading.

About Music

My taste in music has evolved over the years.

I grew up listening to Peter, Paul, and Mary, the Beach Boys, Steely Dan, and Elton John. My Dad and my Mom loved music and would often play records on our turntable and I learned to love the music from generations past.


photo credit: patricksoon.com

Music like this:

 If I had a Hammer by Peter, Paul, and Mary

Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys

Field of Gold by Sting

Then later on, I started to appreciate pop and RandB:

 You Got it Bad by Usher

I Know Where It's At  by All Saints

Say My Name by Destiny's Child

Now, I'm beginning to appreciate country and folk music. I don't know what it is about this kind of music that just touches my heart.

 Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing. - Brian Ferry