I Heart My Off

In our company it is seasonal that we get to experience two consecutive days off. Back when I was working for call centers I used to complain about how short two days of rest is not until I was out of the call center world & is now working for a company with normally, only has one day off. Suddenly I learned to appreciate the importance of taking a break from work & how one should spend days off to full satisfaction.

Let me share with you a few things I did since last week after getting the privilege to have two days off. These are activities that really relieves my stress.

Sunday of last week after my shift I discovered how leisurely Bonifacio High Street is. It was my first time in this upscale mall & I love the Fully Booked branch there. The bookworm in me fell in love once again for the nth time to books & book shops. I am so loving their stacks of cd's as well. I shall go back to add some few titles to my collection.



I shall go back this Saturday for a rare scheduled special screening of "Paglipad Ng Anghel" an indie film starring gifted thespian Sid Lucero. I am excited for a first time experience to watch a movie in U-View, Fully Booked's 69-seater basement theater.



Just across Bonifacio High Street is Serendra then across Serendra is Market Market. I've been to Market Market several times & everytime I'm there I never fail to eat at Ineng's. A cozy barbecue fast food that serves sumptous chicken & pork barbecue.



Market Market is such a happy place for happy people. It is also a one stop shop to those fond of bringing home native delicacies & pasalubongs from different parts of the country as it features stalls selling each province's specialties.

A personal favorite section in Market Market is its home & furniture store. The pieces are amazing & truly Filipino. There was a sale when we visited the shops. Too bad furniture shopping was not yet in my budget. Otherwise I would have bought several fascinating pieces.

The following day was spent on dvd hunting. I used to go to Quiapo for such hard-to-find dvd titles however since there is already a ban I have no choice but to reroute. Makati Cinema Square is my second choice. Although just a second choice I still get to relieve stress browsing from a wide array of movie titles. It is quite cozy in this shop which was a former Makati movie house but now almost left abandon but still operational with the remaining shops on it.

Going to Makati Cinema Square is one of my well-kept secret escapades. But now that it is being featured on this blog I think my secret's finally over.

Here are a few of the titles I bought:

MOVIES: Friends With Benefits, Trust, Jane Eyre, Midnight In Paris
CD's: All Souled Out (Jaya), Gail Blanco (Gail Blanco), Unbreakable (Rachelle Ann Go), Merry Christmas II You (Mariah Carey), OST - Tangled, Forevermore (Juris)

There were two Tagalog movies I watched during my last day off. Out of curiosity I screened Tikoy Aguiluz's "Tatsulok" which was not bad for a soft porn flick. The story provides substance to the film. The cast led by Elizabeth Oropesa & Albert Martinez also delivered good performances.



Celso Ad Castillo's "Isla" was the other movie I watched during last week's rest day. Too bad the copy I got was busted in the middle of the film. It's a promising film though. A true reflection of Filipino society in rural settings.



For this week's off there's so many things are on my to do & to watch list.

After our work schedule last Sunday a friend & I went to hear Mass at Baclaran Church. It was my first time to hear Mass in Baclaran. I didn't expect that the church is fully ventilated which really reduced heat that afternoon & is intricately designed. I shall go back to this church soon. I might even become a devotee.



The travel to Baclaran was exhausting as we had to walk from Pasay Taft to Baclaran Church. My source of entertainment while walking were peddlers on the street selling every item you can think of. Most of the items are RTW's & are really affordable. It's just not that comfortable to shop.

We arrived at Baclaran Church too exhausted & good thing Chowking was nearby. An order of their special halo-halo & yummy siopao quenched our exhaustion. Chowking halo-halo with extra milk is now a favorite of mine.

After Baclaran our next go to place is Mall of Asia. Although I live just near the place it is still very rare for me to drop by. Unless I want to buy something. MOA has improved a lot. We took a preview if the Science Discovery Center & will be going back soon to explore more of its features.

MOA by the bay is thrilling. There are a lot of activities to engage in. From strolling to zip lining MOA has changed how Pinoys shop.



I had to rush home & make sure that I make it to the premiere of GMA 7's "Philippine Treasures". I've been anticipating this tv special ever since the network started airing teasers.

After watching the show it made me more proud to be a Filipino. I came to realize that Filipinos are an existing civilization even before Christ's birth. We already had our national identity long before conquerors set foot in our land.

"Philippine Treasures" reawakened my interest in history that I am now seriously considering taking crash courses in maybe history, anthropology or archaeology.



Tomorrow it's Miss Universe 2011 & all eyes are set on the Philippines' bet Shamcey Supsup. I know she will do her best & I am excited how my other bets will fare in the world's most iconic pageant.