Made With Love 2: Lemon Water Detox (1 Month) // My Opinion



Do you like eating in Fast Food Chains? Do you most of the time eat out or order dinner outside? Maybe the reason why is that you don't have much time because of your hectic working schedule or your hectic school schedule.

Every time I travel from my house to work and university, I always see a lot people eating in fast food chains. Name it! And the line in the counter is always LONG. I can't blame them because fast food chains are developed and established for the sake of making the life of consumers convenient. Most people nowadays DO NOT have time to prepare their food... breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yes, most of them rely on these Fast Food Chains to feed them whenever they are hungry.

For me Fast Food means FAST LIFE. Instant Food means INSTANT DEATH.

Let's see. Almost all of the foods offered by them contains HIGH CALORIE, high saturated fat content, oozing with MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), artificial flavorings, preservatives so on and so forth. Click the link for Nutritional Data of Fast Food Chains you love so much.
Nutritional Data of Fast Food Chains

These things are bad for our health. However, even if people know this FACT, most of them do not have a choice but to eat these oily and calorie-full foods because of TIME CONSTRAINT and mostly because they are DELICIOUS.

The good thing is... We can detoxify our body by drinking Detox drinks like Lemon Water. It is one of the simple ways to flush out toxins and to feel healthy inside and outside.

What you need:
1-2 slice/s of Lemon
Warm Water

Note: There are different ways to prepare Lemon Water Detox, but this is how I prepare mine. As much as possible I want it to be low in calorie.

What I do is that, every morning after I wake up, brush my teeth and wash my face; I go straight to the kitchen and grab my lemon. I squeeze 1-2 slices into my glass and pour in warm water. I drink this prior to eating any food in the morning.

It has been said that Lemon Water:

1. Helps our digestive system to digest food more easily.
2. Burns fats and helps us in weight loss (with proper exercise).
3. Boost our Immune System. Lemon is high in Vitamin C.
4. Clears our skin. As we take Lemon Water, it flushes out unwanted toxins. It also helps in clearing our blemishes in our body. (It depends on how long you've been drinking Lemon Water).
5. Maintain Elasticity of the skin. Helps to avoid getting premature wrinkles.

There are a lot of Benefits and I have here the list of articles around the web for further reading. I hope they will help you.

1. mindbodygreen.com
2. tasty-yummies.com
3. lajollamom.com
4. livestrong.com
5. naturalnews.com

I started drinking Warm Lemon Water on the first week of March and I could say that it helped me to feel better about my body. The reason why I started drinking this is actually for my digestive system. I have a weak metabolism and I needed a natural way to make it better.

This Lemon Water Detox is worth trying for. :)

Sincerely,
Erica/Erix

_____________________________

 

Today is Wednesday. HOLIDAY! However, I might not enjoy my day because recently I have a minor eye infection. My eyes are very sensitive to heat and pollution and I must be careful all time. Last week, I forgot to apply my eye ointment which causes my eyes to be vulnerable with dust, heat and sweat. So, I must rest and do hot compress. People also suggested that I should wear sunglasses to protect my eyes... but sunglasses are not good on me...

 

Nevertheless, Have a good day everyone! Stay healthy!

 

Things that made me happy:

1. Food shopping. Shopping for foods is one of my favorite things to do... lately.
2. Playing guitar... as always.
3. Talking and laughing with my friends.
4. Healthy conversations with my colleague. Recently, they started to eat healthy foods... and I AM ONE OF THE REASONS. haha. :)

Japan Trip Diary 5

(Photo by: Erica/Erix)

 

Dear Diary,

 

Today's Friday. January 31, 2014. Last day here in Tokyo. I ate my last piece of Melon Pan. Drank the last drop of my Rose Tea. It's all about the "Last".

 

Yes, I am sad today because this trip is really short. If I have a choice I wanted to make use of the 15 days I have. However, we MUST go back to the Philippines today or else my Professors will kill me.

 

Have I told you that I sacrificed a lot of things to make this trip possible? I even convinced and begged my professors to let me be absent from the class and to give me a special examination. I did everything I can to make this possible because if I want something to happen... I am the type of person who will make way for it to be possible.

 

We will probably arrive in Manila at midnight and I must attend my Saturday class in Financial Accounting and Financial Management the next day (Saturday). Thinking about the coming Saturday... it makes me so stress.

 

My aunt called for a taxi that would pick us up and bring us to Shinagawa Prince Hotel. There, we will wait for the airport limousine.

 

I received a lot messages this morning. Messages from my students and friends; wishing me to have a safe flight, hoping to meet me again next year if possible and telling me that they had enjoyed their time with me. These messages are enough to make me happy. My friends from Osaka even called me to wished me the same things. They are really nice and sweet and kind. I am very lucky.

 

I decided to meet my friend before I leave the hotel. I sent him a message when I woke up and luckily  he had time to meet me before my aunt and I will leave.

 

While waiting for my friend, I grabbed my notebook and I started to doodle and write fragments of lyrics for my unfinished song. I was very emotional today and I think everybody knows the reason why.

 

I waited for about 30 minutes because I was 30 minutes early. He came on time. I am really impress with Japanese because they always come on time... unlike in my country. We talked about random things and I gave him the thing that his colleague/friend asked me to buy for him. I was really happy during the conversation. It was very brief but I enjoyed the time. I made him a gift but I wasn't able to give it to him because I thought it was a little childish and I am shy (I am always shy) so I decided to keep it instead. Because we were both in a hurry, we said our goodbyes. But before that, I introduced him to my Aunt who was secretly watching us from a distance.

 

 

Somehow, I feel very happy.

 

The taxi (as always) came on time. When we arrived at Shinagawa Prince Hotel, we ate pasta for lunch. My Aunt and I had a serious talk after that and she gave me words of wisdom. I always enjoy talking with her because she always gives me self-confidence.

 

 

 

I slept for an hour inside the airport limousine and the next thing I knew we had arrived at Narita Airport. I received messages from my friends again. I feel sad but my Aunt held my hand and cheered me up. She said "There's always next time... you will see them again."

 

It is very easy for me to get attached to a person and this is the reason why I avoid getting close to others. It's difficult for me to forget and I always care. It's never "Out of sight, out of mind" for me.

 

So see you next time? I want to thank everybody who'd been nice and kind to me. I really had a GREAT experience. I had a lot of funny, hilarious and awesome memories. I will never forget this trip for the rest of my life.

 

Thanking my Aunt will not be enough to really express how thankful I am for everything.

 

I hope next time, I will experience more good things.

PS: I don't know what will happen to me in my Saturday Class. 2 hours sleep enough to make me feel sleepy the whole day. I really hope my professors will not call my name for any recitation because honestly my mind is not very clear now.

 

 

Sincerely,

Erica/Erix

 

________________________________

 

Sunday! I posted an entry yesterday but here's another post. This is the last part of my trip... it's been 2 months since then but the memories are still fresh in my mind.

 

Summer class will start soon. I will be busy... NO! because I will enroll for one subject only... Summer class is not MANDATORY so it's okay. :)

 

Things that made me happy today:

1. Blogging. I really like writing in my blog. Why? because it relieves my stress.
2. Singing and Playing "Country Roads, Take Me Home"
3. Eating Vegetables.
4. Drinking my Warm Lemon Water
5. Trying out Natural Hair Mask. Because of the Summer heat... my hair is very dry nowadays. I need some moisture and I don't want to rely on salon products which are full of chemicals.

Blog // I Met My Friend; We Defined Success (Our OPINION)

(Photo Credit: Google)

April 4, 2014; Friday, in front of shopping mall’s public washroom.

I met my one of my dearest friends and we talked about our definition of Success. We’ve been friends since College. I respect her frankness and honesty towards everything. Her honest opinion about life made me admire and love her so much.

The last time I saw her was 2011 Graduation Rites. After that, we communicated seldom in facebook or sometimes we send each other mail like:

“I miss you Sis! I hope to see you soon.”

“I miss you more… we will see each other soon.”

Until, we lost track of time and the next we knew it was already 3 years since we’ve been sending messages like that. And then, in the most unexpected time, day, place and circumstance… we saw each other again.

LAST NIGHT:

I was about to enter the washroom to change my blouse (I always bring extra blouse in the Summer) when I noticed somebody who was very familiar and close to my heart. I was so happy and I became animated when I recognized the woman in front of me. My friend!

We hugged each other and laughed so hard. We didn’t care where we were and if people were staring at us. We just looked at each other and laughed because we couldn’t believe that we were really seeing each other at that moment.

We talked about almost everything while waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. We got so excited talking about what happened to us after three years. Who got married, who went to other country, who’s going to take the board exam, who’s studying Law, MBA etc… until we talked about taking the CPA Board examination.

Our Major was Accountancy. However, both of us didn’t choose this major for ourselves. In her case, she wanted to study art related course and I wanted to study literature and language related course. But since we both wanted to make our parents happy, we followed them and we both thought that Accountancy was a very versatile course… but in my case, since Foreign Language is very expensive and I couldn’t decide what I wanted to study after high school graduation, I chose the same Major of my cousin who’s now a CPA.

We studied so hard. There were a lot of sleepless nights, serious group study, occasional cheating (like copying homework. Since we couldn’t finish everything! We sometimes divide the tasks.), mild arguments about the answers, debate etc… but we survived.

The question is: Did we dream of becoming a CPA? In my case, of course! I want my license because it will serve as the proof of my eligibility. However, CPA Board Examination is considered the most difficult board exam in my country.

We both took review sessions for almost a year before taking the Exam. In her case, she didn’t try for it but I did try. However, I failed. I am not embarrass to talk about my FAILURE because even though it gave me a lot of emotional pain… My Failure gave me hope, taught me lessons and brought me where I am now. I am where I can actually and honestly say that I am happy and enjoying my simple life.

Both of us are teachers. I teach English, my friend teach Accounting Subject. We’re both enrolled in MBA course and we are proud of ourselves even if we don’t have the three letters at the end of our name; “C.P.A.”.

She asked me “Do you want to try again?”. I couldn’t answer her at that time. Do you know why? Because deep in my heart I am contented and happy with what I have now. However, financially speaking my current job will not be able to support myself in the long run and I should consider my future too. Of course, I want to use my knowledge in Accounting and other subjects. I still want to do things which are related to my Major. However, I don’t want to let go of my current job. Why? Because even if it will not make me financially rich… it always makes me emotionally rich.

For us success is HAPPINESS. If you are happy with what you do no matter what the circumstances are… you are successful. There are only few people who are happy with what they do. I always encounter people who complains about their current job… that they feel so stress! that they are not happy, that they only trying to convince themselves that their current job will make them a better person.

Success is connected with ENJOYMENT. If you are enjoying … you are already considered as someone who is successful. Always remember to mix enjoyment with your tasks and activities, because if you don’t enjoy… how can you be happy? How can you feel that somehow you are successful?

Success is being YOU. By being true to yourself… you are already in the process of becoming a successful person. Bear in mind that money is not the only way to measure how rich you are, how successful you are… there are always intangible things and/or ways to measure it.

Advice: don’t compare. Don’t ever COMPARE yourself to other people. If others are successful in their career, don’t ENVY them. Why? Because before they became successful they also experience a lot of things; maybe painful things before they arrive in where they are now… before they became who they are now. Their lives are different from yours. You are different from them. They are different from you. You can never be like them and they can never be you. Everybody is distinct from one another. That’s why we should not compare ourselves. You should not compare. I should not compare.

Life is complicated. I have experienced a lot and I want to experience more. Through experiences we can learn more about ourselves, life and emotions in this world. We can develop sense of EMPATHY that would lead us to understand other people. If you want to be understood… try to understand others too. It’s give and take. What you give is what you will definitely receive.

So now, I am all about doing what makes me happy. I enjoy everything that I do. Even if there are times I feel tired, hopeless, depress and stress I always tell to myself that these emotions and feelings will help me to become a better person. Because right now my priority is MY happiness. My Happiness is all about helping other people, inspiring them, giving smile and happiness and sense of security. 

That is SUCCESS for us. Even if I am not a C.P.A., even if I don’t have high salary like my friends and relatives… I always feel rich deep in my heart whenever I can give joy and happiness in the life of other people. Of course, my priority will change in the future... it will change for the sake of my future family. Family will be my priority because family will be the definition of my HAPPINESS.

Have a good day everyone!

Sincerely,

Erica/Erix

Things that made me happy:

1. Teaching Japanese children. I love children because they are very simple, the exact definition of purity and innocence and they make me feel alive and happy. Aside from that, I ALWAYS attract children.
2. Sweet Potato. For some reason, I'm into eating sweet potato. This root crop has a lot of benefits. it has potassium, fiber, beta-carotene... etc. in other words... it is packed with a lot of vitamins and minerals.
3. Receiving simple and cute letters from children. I am always amaze with how children could easily and honestly express themselves.
4. Messages from my friends. My friends in Japan sent me pictures of Sakura. It's spring time now and they knew how much I wanted to see Sakura. If I can finish everything that I have to finish next year before April... maybe I'll see the scene for the first time. :)
5. Meeting my friend in an unexpected way. I really love her!!!!!!!



Japan Trip Diary 4

Dear Diary,

Today is January 30, 2014, Thursdays. THURSDAY. The coldness of the morning woke me up. It’s a little foggy and I think it will rain… Oh please no. I want to enjoy my day and I will not be able to do so if it will rain.

My breakfast? Melon Pan! The taste is addicting. I couldn't stop myself from eating this bread. This is somehow memorable to me, why? Because of Shana from the Anime Shakugan No Shana. :)

My Aunt suggested that we should take the day slowly because she’s a little tired. Frankly speaking, me too, but I only have a limited time and I wanted to make my day worth it.

I missed the phone call of my friend Rie so I decided to call her back. She asked about my plans for today and I told her that I didn’t have any plan. She suggested Harajuku and Shibuya. However, I’m worried about her condition because she just came back from the hospital. I didn’t want to be a burden to her. However, she insisted on meeting me so I said yes and she told me the meeting place.

It really rained today. Everything was so wet. We didn’t have an umbrella so we bought somewhere. I usually love rainy days but not today. I’m disappointed with something and I couldn’t focus on today’s agenda.

Fortunately, Rie is such a good communicator. She’s very sociable and my Aunt loves her. We enjoyed talking with her, eating with her, shopping with her… just being with her.

Here's a short video with Rie-chan from my Aunt's camera. :)



Rie made me eat “Natto”, before I tried it, she warned me that a lot of foreigners don’t like the taste of this food. When I ate it… I was SPEECHLESS. I didn’t know how I am going to explain what I tasted. The smell is okay but the slimy and sticky feeling were a little too much for my taste buds. I was on the verge of crying and vomiting (this is a little embarrassing, sorry) when Rie told me to drink my green tea. Nevertheless, it was a GREAT experience. Will I try again? Sure… I like adventure. LOL.

My Aunt is a SUSHI-HOLIC. Back in Canada, she always told me that she enjoys eating sushi in a Japanese Restaurant there. I finally understand her, I was not a fan of RAW fish but my opinion was changed today. I like eel.

It was around 4:00 pm when we said our goodbye to Rie. She needed to go back home early. We are very thankful to her for accompanying us today. We enjoyed our lunch date with her. My Aunt is very thankful too… She gained another friend.

Back at hotel… I checked the foods given to me by Rie. Strawberry cake and Dorayaki. I suddenly remember Doraemon… haha! LOL. SO HAPPY! I’ll eat them in Manila on Saturday. I want to preserve them since it came from my friend Rie.

(As I am uploading this.... I feel HUNGRY!!!!!)

I felt very hot all of sudden and I insisted on taking off my coat tonight. We will have dinner with my former student Mr. Tatsuya and his two friends who were former students in our Academy.

(I miss this view. As I am typing this... I'm imagining the smell of clean air outside, the cold wind... and the few people walking.)

We waited for him in front of the hotel’s entrance. I was so happy to see him! We took the train to Shinagawa. It was a little crowded. Tatsuya was not very familiar with the place… he told us, so it was a little fun to get lost. Haha!

To be honest, I'm very worried tonight. I’m supposed to meet other people after dinner but it’s already 7:00 pm and I know that our dinner with Tatsuya will take a long time. Internet connection is very rare so I didn’t know how I am going to contact them. Tatsuya offered his phone but I didn’t know their numbers… so I gave up on meeting them. I decided to enjoy the company of Tatsuya, Tom and Jun.

(Alex looks so happy in this picture!)

Our three Ninjas. Tom, Alex (Tatsuya) and Jun. All of them are professionals but they are very funny! We enjoyed eating and casually talking with them. We talked about almost everything. They also have presents for us. I terribly like my Kumamon’s fan. Kumamon is very memorable since I drew that character before Alex left the Philippines and I really thought that he was from Kumamoto because he was wearing his Kumamon’s sweat shirt during his first class with me.

They taught my Aunt how to properly hold the chopsticks and finally!!!! She can now use them with ease.

We were supposed to ride the train together but it was so crowded around 10:30 pm so they accompanied us until we can get a taxi.

I had a GREAT time with them. I’m very very very HAPPY! EXTREMELY HAPPY today… BUT, something’s missing. I don’t know what… I’m bothered.

At the hotel, I checked my phone and there was a message from my friend. He said to meet him at Shimbashi station’s platform… the message was almost 3 hours ago. I don’t know how to go there! I don’t even know how to ride the train. They always say that it’s easy, but it’s difficult for me. Aside from that, my Aunt will KILL ME if I go there alone. She warned me that If I go there tonight she will definitely freak out and tell my mother about this… and she will leave me in Japan. I was very scared because she was so SERIOUS.

I talked to my friend, the friend of my friend. He told me that he could meet me after his job but in Shimbashi but it’s IMPOSSIBLE for me and it would be inconvenient for him to go to my place. He asked me if I am free tomorrow at lunch but it would be IMPOSSIBLE again since we need to change out hotel for the Airport Limousine. So see, he’s not available and he’s an extremely busy person. I don’t want to disturb him that’s why I decided to asked the home address of our friend to send the thing that he asked me to buy for him… I concluded that our situation is hopeless.

It’s sad. However, I still don’t know what might happen tomorrow… so I will not lose hope.

Good night. Bath time and I'm craving for some oranges now. See you tomorrow.

 

Sincerely,

Erica/Erix

___________________________________________________________

 

It's Sunday! March 30, 2014. Rest day for me. I will read and try to finish the book that I'm currently reading. My current addiction is History. I'll share my thoughts next time.

Things that made me happy this week:

1. Laughing with my students. You know, every time they laugh at my jokes and call me a "Funny" person... it makes me happy because it means... I have a sense of humor. Because, it is so difficult to make a foreigner laugh. It's an achievement for me. haha.
2. Being appreciated by my straight A junior high school student. He said that we are better than his teachers. He appreciated our efforts to make him understand the lessons and he likes our friendly approach to him.
3. Melon Pan! After a long time looking for this bread... I found it in a nearby bakeshop. LUCKY!
4. Reading history books. I like feeding my mind.
5. Receiving messages from a friend whom I thought already forgotten about me. It made me happy.

Have a nice day Everyone! Tomorrow is... Monday again. Let's work hard!

 

 

Japan Trip Diary 3

(Photo by: Erica/Erix)

 

Dear Diary,

 

Today is January 29, 2014 Wednesday and the 3^rd day of our “Tokyo Exploration”. My aunt and I ate the same breakfast as yesterday. Typical Rose Tea and Bread with red beans. We took our time in the morning because we were still tired. Today’s a little cold but it’s tolerable but my aunt told me to wear my coat because she didn’t want me to get sick. Honestly I felt very hot wearing that and I wanted to remove all my clothes because I couldn’t breathe easily with all the layers of clothing I was wearing.

As usual, we went at the hotel’s lobby to check emails and messages in facebook, Line and Skype. I received another email from Mr. Sometimes. He indicated in his mail the instruction on how to get to Ginza but we still decided to take a taxi instead.

 

Today, I suggested to my aunt that we should go to Asakusa… Senso-ji Temple because a lot of my students suggested that too and they all think that I would definitely enjoy the place since I like temples and Japanese culture.

 

We looked for a taxi while randomly walking around Osaki. I really like how the cold wind blew my hair, how it touched my face and yeah… it’s not that polluted. We waited for 10 minutes until we finally found a taxi.

 

Oh my goodness! We fell in love with the taxi driver. He’s such a funny, entertaining, sweet man. At first he talked to me in Nihongo and he thought that I was Japanese but I said no and told him that we’re from Philippines and that’s when he started talking in English. He likes American old songs/bands and he started singing some songs. Surprisingly we knew some of the songs. We talked, laughed and had a good time during our trip to Asakusa. We were so much entertained. Here’s the video of the singing taxi driver.

 

He even gave us coins and told us that we should keep this as a lucky charm. I asked one of my friends about the meaning behind them and she told me that we are now bonded with Japan. This country will always be close to us.

Here’s a video clip I made while we were in Senso-ji temple.

 

Honestly speaking, this is our favorite place. I was like transported into another dimension and I could imagine the old Japan.

 

Here are some pictures taken by my Aunt and I.

 

 

We enjoyed shopping for souvenirs and I bought this for my newly wed cousin. She asked me to buy this and I got lucky because it’s really “Made in Japan”. She warned me that if I bring a “Made in China” she will definitely kill me. Haha! I really love my cousin.

After that, I got a little lonely because I remembered all my problems. I felt so down and I wanted to cry. The good thing is my aunt brought me to Starbucks and bought me a Green Tea Latte. We talked about my problems, emotional issues, the things that’s making me sad and she gave advice about them. Somehow, I felt a little better but I could still feel the intense pain in my heart…

After that, we walked randomly and decided that it’s already time to go to Ginza to meet Mr. Sometimes. After arriving there, we couldn’t find the Pola Ginza Building… AGAIN. I checked the map and my aunt… yes, took a picture of me.

Since it was still early we decided to check some shops… AGAIN and walked around and around. It’s a little chilly that night but I love the coldness brought by the wind.

I wasn’t able to notice that the man standing in front of the building was already Mr. Sometimes. He changed!!!! His hair and his clothes… I’m not used to seeing him in suit and tie. Haha! We went straight to “Higashiya Restaurant”. We chatted for a while waiting for Mr. Sometimes' colleague. His name is Cris and he also studied in the Philippines but in a different school.

 

We had a great time eating and talking about everything. Mr. sometimes gave us presents and my aunt was very surprised to received them. She told me that I am very lucky because I have very nice student and she could see that they do really respect me even if I am younger than them. I really appreciate the book written by Mr. Sometimes' favorite author. I will read this on Summer vacation.

 

 

This is Mr. Sometimes, Cris and I. I really had a good time with them. They were so accommodating and welcoming and they made us feel comfortable the whole night. It's really nice because they treat us as a friend and not as a foreigner. I hope they could visit my country again... and during that time it will be my treat. For sure. :)

 

 

Going back to our hotel was a big problem for us. Mr. Cris offered to take us back to Osaki and luckily Mr. Sometimes went with us too. It was our first time to ride in a train. It was not very crowded so it was okay for all of us.

 

We said our "Goodbyes" to each other. I watched Mr. Sometimes and Cris walked away. My aunt saw me cry... I cried not because I'm sad but because I was really happy. It was very overwhelming for me. I am not accustomed with nice people. I suddenly realized how lucky I am with the choice I made to enter this teaching Industry. My job is not all about teaching... but I aim to inspire, support and help other people... not just English but the way of life. It's nice to know that these people who are professionals, older than me, more experienced than me... tells me that whenever they talked to me, they usually learn a lot of things from my view about everything. I am glad to meet all of them.

 

Tomorrow is Thursday. I will meet four former students of mine. It's time for my bubble bath. See you!

 

Love lots,

Erica/Erix

________________________________________________________

 

It's kind of late to post this 3rd entry from my diary. But, it's better late than never. Since I posted the first two entries... I decided to continue...

 

 

Things that made me happy:

1. Rice Juice and Boseong Green Tea. Another Korean Store shopping with my friends.
2. Shuriken Origami from my student. I'm very lucky to have him as my student for 1 month. I want to meet him again. In the future for sure.
3. Playing "Suteki Da Ne" in guitar. I need more practice but it's very nice to play this song in guitar.
4. Drinking Oolong Tea. They said this tea is a good fat burner.
5. Vegetables for lunch with my friend Shirley. We love eating vegetables so much!



What's Up: Road Trip and Healthy Food Trip // Start Of Three Weeks Vacation // Drama

YES!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for this day. March 15, 2014... is officially the start of our SUMMER VACATION. Meaning? I can finally have fun every Friday night without thinking of my Saturday Class. However, it would be for three weeks only because my plan is to enroll for the summer class. That's my plan but I'm still deciding...

My group mates and friends in Entrepreneurial Management; we passed our business proposal to our professor and this is us with her.

 (Coftea.org; Business Proposal, we spent a lot of time, effort and MONEY for this proposal. There's a trade-offs between benefit and cost. The Cost is the money we spent and the Benefit is the friendship we made during the course.)

 

(My Entrepreneurial Management Professor and I. She worked in Japan (Corporation) for almost 7 Years so we can relate to each other.)

 

After class, we decided to eat out. Luckily, one of my friends brought her car. Road TRIP!!!!

 

(In the car, where we sang, laughed out loud and talked about the future.)

 

We went to Teacher's Village (Near UP Diliman), my friend suggested the place. Some of the restaurants inside the Village were already featured in Television. My girlfriends and I wanted to eat something healthy and fortunately we saw this place.

 Fresh Selections. We parked just in front of Ministop. I got so HAPPY here because we're going to eat healthy food.

 

 I like the interior of the place. Very simple, cozy, relaxing and the foods are so GOOD! and yes... AFFORDABLE.

 

 I ordered Lumpiang Sariwa and Stir Fried Tatsoi.

So GOOD! We're planning to come back here... in the near future. I wanna come here with my cousins next time. :)

 

And since most of us are Accounting Graduates, we are very strict when it comes to money. This is us while discussing the division of our expenses. To be honest, I don't spend too much on eating out but today's an exception.

 

After turning the place upside down we decided to have some Tea and Coffee. My stomach ached so much and I didn't know why. Suddenly I felt so much pain. One of friends suggested this place. A Sweet Spot. I think the owner is a Japanese Enthusiast because I saw a lot of Haruki Murakami's books, Anime posters and Doraemon. For my friends, Japan =  Erica... nowadays.

 

I love this place. Definitely, I will come back here. Their Green Tea Latte was very mild and I think it didn't contain too much milk which is good because I am currently reducing my intake of dairy products. Aside from free Wi-Fi connection, the songs played inside the café were very relaxing. The lighting got me in the mood to write on my notebook.

I still feel the terrible pain in my stomach in this picture but my friends made me laughed. Really, I'm so lucky to meet them. I hope to be friends with them forever...

 



 (Mark Twain quote on the wall.)

 

After that, we decided to go to Araneta Center Cubao because I want to buy some teas. I want to buy Authentic Japanese Tea but the shop is located in Makati City, so maybe next time.

 

We ate our Dinner at Araneta Center Bancheto. There was a Dance concert during that time but we didn't know the group who danced on the stage. There were a lot of girls who were screaming and my ears hurt a lot. haha!

 



The ambience was so nice. It was windy and the music  was good too. There were a lot people and I surprisingly enjoyed the night.

 

I had FUN today. I want to thank all of my friends who treated me well. :)

 

_____________________________

 

Drama Part

 





Last week title was "A Week Of Disappointment". I waited for a call and message but I haven't received anything. ZERO!!!! As in NOTHING. How could that be? I was so depressed and I asked myself "Why are they so CRUEL to me? What did I do to deserve this?"

My students noticed my "DARK AURA" and they tried to cheered me up which they really did because the only time I felt happy last week was during class discussion. I got tired from pretending that I am okay, fine and happy... the muscle on face felt so stiff every time I go home.

In my room, I always find myself staring at the mirror.

"Clearly, you are trying so hard again. Why don't you take a rest and do something new? Why don't you try to set aside your feelings for someone and think about the beauty of your surroundings? Don't waste too much time thinking about someone who clearly don't think about you... you are being so pathetic. You have a lot of things to do, to organize, to study, to learn... you have a lot friends... you have a lot chocolates to eat... you have a lot books to read. Spend your time on things that will help you grow and not on things that will pull you on sadness... please... have mercy on yourself."

That's what my other half told me... Since I am sad. I tried to make everyone happy. I love surprising  people with simple notes. I left messages on my colleagues table. They told me that I am such a sweet person. I was so happy because they became happy too. Seeing the smile on their faces, I couldn't help but to feel good. Somehow, the sadness disappeared.

So today is Sunday... I will play guitar, drink tea, write on my notebook, clean my room, dance Zumba, cook, watch Tudors series and movies... etc... maybe by doing them, I can SET ASIDE.

Things that made me happy:

1. Road trip. I miss going out with friends. I miss thinking about nothing but good things.
2. Healthy food trip. Every time I eat healthy food, I always feel that my body is clean.
3. Eating out.
4. Green Tea Latte.
5. Tea shopping. I bought Organic White Tea, Oolong Tea and Peppermint Tea.
6. Strawberry Facial Mask. Since I want to pamper myself this Sunday, my girlfriends and I bought some facial mask and other feminine stuffs to relax ourselves.
7. Laughing with friends.
8. My students. I received a lot of gifts and letters. I feel so overwhelmed and I thought that I always received gifts... no matter how simple the gifts are... they MEAN SO MUCH TO ME. Every candy wrappers and containers of their gifts... I keep them in my treasure box because Every student is IMPORTANT for me.
9. MBA Good news. So, we went to MBA Office yesterday. We were told that after getting our MBA Degree we are allowed to teach. So, which means I can finally become a REAL teacher in the future. If this is true, I don't have to study again to get 18 teaching units after graduation. It would be nice... I want to teach Literature in College...but let's see.. because my plan is to work outside Philippines...  For now, I will have fun. :)

Have a great day everyone!