Va Bene Pasta Deli using Quick Delivery

There’s a good pasta place in Dasmarinas, Makati, and it’s called Va Bene Pasta Deli. It’s a new addition to the growing number of restaurants offering take out through Quick Delivery 2121212 service. I decided to try the place out, and fortunately for me it didn’t disappoint.

Since it was in Makati and my office is in Manila, it took them 90 minutes to deliver my order, which for me, was not a big deal that day because I was not hurrying with my food. I ordered 2 kinds of pasta, and a watermelon shake.

The pastas were great! The watermelon shake, as expected became a juice, but it was yummy nonetheless.



One of their bestsellers, the Chicken Cannelloni – Filled with chicken, tomato, béchamel sauce and mozzarella cheese.



Tagliolini All Uovo Boscaiola – Portobello mushrooms and cream sauce with a touch of truffle oil. This is if my favorite. The mix of the mushrooms, the cream sauce and a hint of the truffle oil was heavenly.



Watermelon Shake - The watermelon shake was fresh, though it arrived as juice already. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the drink.



I asked my coworkers to try the pasta to get their feel on the taste of the food. They both liked it, though each one had their preferred pasta. I would love to try out and dine in Va Bene Pasta Deli one of these days.

Original Pinoy, Somedaydream's Hey Daydreamer

Introducing Somedaydream, or Rez Toledo to his Atenean friends, a homegrown Pinoy talent who is starting to dominate mainstream music industry with his electro-pop music, and his latest single, Hey Daydreamer, which is making waves in the local radio stations. At first he may sound foreign to you, but nope, he is not a foreigner. He is Original Pinoy. They are branding Somedaydream's Hey Daydreamer as the "new breed of OPM music," which is refreshingly different, and considered to be a new indie.

"Hey Daydreamer” has struck radio airplay gold with every DJ excited to play a song of international quality that they can proudly say is Filipino produced. Not to mention the giddiness of the lady DJs who cant help but giggle and smile when they finally saw the artist in the flesh during his recent radio tour.
Rez Toledo, Somedaydream's Hey Daydreamer :)


With the help of mentor and producer Champ Lui Pio, Somedaydream is conquering the airwaves faster than any independent artist, or even signed artist for that matter. The catchy hook and memorable lyrics of electro pop “Hey Daydreamer” can easily get stuck in your head that you’d start Googling the song and searching for where to download it.

Well, the good news is, you will be able to, along with the rest of Somedaydream’s tracks pretty soon under the format of what is to be known as Digital Music, or music sold online. What seems to be the most important thing to this 20-year-old Atenean is that his music is heard. And what better way to spread music than through the internet? So all the music fans can hold their breaths and watch the landscape of the local music scene change as Somedaydream continues to create a new shift in the tides.

16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Pampanga

Pampanga once again hosted an international festival after the successfully concluded Giant Lantern Festival in San Fernando Pampanga last December. After work last Friday, we braved the traffic and headed north (through NLEX) to Clark, Pampanga to attend the 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival. We arrived at Marlim Mansion Hotel in Clark, Pampanga around a little past 11pm. We settled in our room, freshened-up, set our alarms at 3am, and decided to catch some sleep before the main event.



Even with 4 alarms set, we all failed to wake up! A little before 5am, we rushed to the event to catch Secretary Bertie Lim riding the Hot Air Balloon scheduled at 6am. The traffic going to the field was congested, thankfully, parking was not as bad as I expected.

Jahzeel Cruz, Pauline Volpe, Yuri Lao, Mon Maningding and Barbie Perez

Unfortunately though, we missed Secretary Lim. His balloon was the first to fly, according to Department of Tourism Region 3 Director Ronaldo Tiotuico. He said that after 1-2 hours, the Secretary will be landing and be brought back to the base to visit the DOT booth. He landed in Porac, so we waited.




We decided to roam around the area first, and look for anything that would catch our interest. We really wanted to ride a balloon, but it was too late to do so. We weren't as lucky as Secretary Bertie Lim and Anna Oposa, who were able to ride the balloon :( So maybe next time? Besides the main attraction (which was the hot air balloon set-up and flight), there were exhibits of the air force, and the armed forces, booths where you can buy souvenirs, eat, and play games.



"The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air balloon created by the Montgolfier Brothers." This anecdote is inscribed on the Hot Air Balloon Festival shirt produced by the Department of Tourism Region 3. According to our French intern/trainee Pauline, in France, the hot air balloon is called montgolfière, named after the Montgolfier brothers who built the first practical versions. :)



I saw these really nice chocolate bar covers. The chocolate bars are on sale for 35 pesos each. They were made by the deaf people of Pampanga.



After some time, Secretary Lim arrived at the Department of Tourism booth inside the grounds. He met with regional director Ronaldo Tiotuico, who escorted him to the hot air balloons on site available for the public to ride and experience flying. Secretary Bertie Lim was asked to try it as well :) Finally, I was able to take shots of him in a balloon!



After riding the balloon and inspecting the grounds, Secretary Lim went ahead to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport and Nayong Pilipino in Clark to inspect the facilities. As for us, we left the hot air balloon festival headed to a new adventure.



All photos were taken using a Sony NEX-5 camera. I would like to thank DOT Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico and his team, Miss Jops of Clark Development for the accommodation and assistance they have extended to us. Also, last but not the least, thank you to Caltex Philippines, Laz, and my wonderful friends :)

Beyond the Philippines, first time in China

I was on the last Cebu Pacific flight bound for Shanghai last 18th of January. It was my first out of the Philippines trip, and honestly, I was very excited to be traveling, and starting to explore the world. It's about time that I do. With a luggage, a hand carry bag, stories from friends and family, and no expectations (well, maybe a little), I was all set and ready and see true the "Beyond" part of my blog, The Philippines and Beyond.

We were greeted with light snow the night/morning we arrived in Shanghai. Unfortunately, I was just adjusting and settling in, thus, I was not able to take shots of the surroundings. The morning after was different. This was the sight that greeted us the morning after our first day in China. Thick snow. After that, I vowed never to wish for snow again. Hahaha. Experiencing it once is enough :)



We checked in Motel 168 (which should merit a single post of its own); we walked around and ate at the convenient store, before settling in our room for the night. I was praying for snow. I was confident that it will snow for me, at least once during our entire stay in China, so that I would be able to experience it for the first time. It was fortunate that my wish was granted.

The photos below were taken along Nangjing Road (East Nangjing), the main shopping street of Shanghai, China, and is one of the world's busiest shopping streets; and eventually, Zhongshan Road, Huangpu River (a branch of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) and the Bund in Huangpu District, a former Shanghai International settlement, now one of the most famous tourist attractions in Shanghai.

Photos from East Nanjing Road

The view of the Bund at the end of Zhongshan Road




The Bund at night across the Huangpu River, a view from Lujiazui in the Pudong district, where the famous Orient Pearl Tower is located.
I guess this starts my blog posts about my first out of the Philippines trip, first China trip, and a lot more firsts. I will try to let you see the beauty I saw in China.

China was awesome! Besides it being the land of my ancestors, I think we, Filipinos, have a lot to learn from the Chinese. My China trip left a big mark, and it actually made me yearn for MORE. Honestly, I want to go back. I don't know when, but I am anxious to be back and see more of what the country has to offer. The Philippines is a great nation, but we must go beyond our own borders, and share our experiences, that's how we learn and grow as people.

All photos were taken with the Sony Nex-5, except for the photo with me in it. Photo credits go to Yuri of Lost Tsinelas. Check out "Having quick lunch at Mojo Cafe (East Nanjing road)". :)