A Yuletide feast fit for a king at Guevarra’s

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 15, 2016 | Food & Beverage, Yummy Reviews

‘Tis the season to be eating and Guevarra’s serves up a Yuletide feast fit for a king starting today! You read it right, TODAY, October 15!

A feast fit for a king! #guevarrasyuletidemenu thank you @chefjaclaudico and @cheflau

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 1:25am PDT

Christmas comes early at Guevarra’s. For those who have sampled Chef Lau’s popular buffet you already know that a regular 3-hour reservation for lunch, merienda, or dinner is not enough to taste all 80 dishes they regularly serve. For the Yuletide season, they’ve added 11 new dishes.

This means we can enjoy 99. OMG, NINETY-NINE DISHES! How can we taste/eat them all?

When bloggers were asked what their favorite dish was most mentioned the Angus beef. Having tried it myself, I would have to agree but, personally, I found it difficult to single out one dish specifically. 😀

Appetizer, salad, rice, fish, fowl, red meat, vegetable, dessert, beverages — so much to choose from, how can I pick just one, right? My answer, don’t limit yourself. With so much to choose from (and all of them delicious) each one deserves a trip on your tongue and down to your belly. 😀

The Yuletide offerings at Guevarra’s

Chef Lau and Chef Jac sat down one day and thought about what dishes are traditionally served at Filipino get togethers like Christmas gatherings and reunions. In a previous post I featured the eleven Yuletide dishes they added to the menu.

For Starters

Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait

I’m not a big fan of liver but I did try this pate and it was good. Smooth and creamy. The name, though, was a tad confusing. It’s a pate but it’s called a parfait? Like the ice cream?

Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is so simple to make that we usually ask the kids to make it. 🙂 All we need are cooked macaroni, cream or mayonnaise, cheese, raisins, and gelatin. The kids like to cut the gelatin into different shapes but cubes will suffice. The red and green gelatin cubes makes this favorite holiday salad colorfully beautiful.

The Main Course

Guevarra’s Christmas Embotido Lasagna Roll

Two dishes in one! Lasagna noodles are just perfect for this dish as it acts as both the wrapper and the pasta dish. 😀 During the blogger event Chef Lau shows us how they made this dish. Lucky us! Watch the video as he demonstrates how to make it step by step.

And for those of us who like to cook this means I could try to make this myself for noche buena. Actually, I definitely will make this for noche buena. 🙂 I hope I can do it justice.

Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon

Beef morcon is also a staple fiesta dish at home. Our Yuletide festivities is just not complete if there is no beef morcon on the table.

I’m glad they made it because this dish takes too long to cook and oftentimes I’m too tired after to even appreciate the dish. Since they serve it at Guevarra’s I now have another reason to bring my family here for a meal. 🙂

Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa

I remember my mom making this when we were kids … but she called it fish en blanco. Not to diss my mom but I prefer this version because Guevarra’s uses fish fillet. No fishbones to deal with. Yey! It gave me an idea, though, on how to serve fish en blanco next time. 🙂

Guevarra’s Christmas Paella

It almost isn’t a good idea to eat paella at a buffet. Why? because paella is a mix of rice and viand all cooked at the same time — meaning, it is already a buffet in itself!

Having said that, you should still try it anyway. It is really, really good! I placed a spoonful or two on my plate just to taste it and ended up finishing it before the white rice. 😀

The stuffed turkey is so good! Moist and flavorful. Great with the cranberry sauce. #guevarrasyuletidemenu @chefjaclaudico @cheflau

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 1:57am PDT

Guevarra’s Christmas Roasted Stuffed Turkey

Some people say that turkey is just a big chicken but one taste will prove otherwise. Paired with gravy or cranberry sauce, my favorite part is the thigh. Cooked improperly turkey could become dry and tasteless. But never at Guevarra’s. This stuffed turkey is just delicious!

My personal favorite when it comes to sauces is the cranberry sauce. Somehow gravy just seems so ordinary but the cranberry sauce screams Christmas. 😀

Happy Endings and Great Coffee Pairings

Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding

Pudding is HEAVY. I mean physically heavy, not just heavy in the stomach. It is a very English treat. If I am not mistaken this baked goodie is infused with rum and smothered in honey. Perfect to pair with black coffee. Also great to have as a late night snack.

Christmas Suman Fruitcake

Suman is a traditional Filipino rice cake usually wrapped in a leaf and then steamed until cooked. We then eat it by dunking it in sugar. I personally like it paired with mango and topped with tablea chocolate.

Guevarra’s combined the traditional suman with the a fruitcake by topping the suman with candied fruits. The end product is a sweet confection. Diabetics beware! As with the pudding this goes well with coffee.

Guevarra’s Bibingka

Bibingka is served in so many ways now — topped with cheese, egg, cheese and egg, filled with chocolate or any syrup. Seriously, the skies the limit! I personally like eating bibingka while drinking hot chocolate or coffee.

Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong

Simbang Gabi is not complete without buying puto bumbong after hearing mass. But at Guevarra’s we don’t have to wait until December. We can have it now! Puto bumbong is served in single serve (big bite size) soup spoons.

Not only is it delicious, it is also very beautifully presented it is almost a sin to eat!

Should you go to Guevarra’s and sample their buffet?

If I haven’t convinced you yet, I don’t know what will. Lol! But maybe you have a few more questions. Let me see if I can come up with some of the answers a they were given to us during the Q&A.

Are there desserts made that are safe for diabetics?

Chef Jac says they don’t have any at the moment but they’ve been discussing it and they intend to bring out dishes safe for diabetics soon. Those dishes will, of course, be specially labelled so that customers who suffer from it know that they could safely consume it.

Is it necessary to call ahead for reservations?

Yes, absolutely! Reservations are necessary. Guevarra’s does not like turning people away and the only way to ensure that is if reservations are made ahead of time.

Do they accept walk-ins?

Like I mentioned, they don’t like turning people away. However, in the event that a party with no reservation arrives, they will be informed that they will have to wait in case someone who made a reservation (for the same number of people) fails to arrive within 30 minutes of their booking, then the walk-in party will be accommodated.

What meals do they serve?

No ala carte. It’s all buffet, buffet, buffet — lunch, “maagang salu-salo”, and dinner.

Meals are prepared by world famous Chef Lau, it must be expensive.

Au contraire, mon ami! It is anything but! Check out this price list:

	LUNCH	MAAGANG SALU-SALO	DINNER
MON	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
TUE	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
WED	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
THU	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
FRI	P399+12%VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
SAT	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
SUN	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
HOL	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT

What time should we be there?

Meals are served at the timeframes below. Make sure to come early.

Lunch is from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Maagang Salu-Salo 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Dinner is from 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.

Can we make reservations for private functions like company parties?

Since they encourage reservations it is safe to say that customers will not be surprised to arrive to find the venue closed for private functions. Guevarra’s will just inform us whether or not the day and time we stated is available or not.

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 3:19am PDT

For Inquiries and reservations you may contact: 705 1811; 705 1874; 0917 311 2222. Follow them on Facebook: Guevarra’s ; Instagram: @Guevarras_ ; Twitter: @Guevarras_ .

See you at Guevarra’s!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, A Review

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 4, 2016 | Book Reviews

This blog post about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a review, of sorts. I will try my best to avoid spoilers when I can help it so that those of you who intend to read it can still enjoy it spoiler-free (from me, at least).

When the last movie version of the Harry Potter story, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 hit the theaters there were rumors about another story in the making, presumably the Cursed Child. Some said it was going straight to film, while others said it would be a short story. There have even been rumors of a play and even animated shorts. But the one thing everyone was clear on was that JK Rowling did not intend to write another book that involved her much-loved character, Harry Potter. After all, if I recall correctly, JK Rowling herself said so. 🙂

But the epilogue of The Deathly Hollows left her fans expecting more.

Nineteen years after the Battle at Hogwarts, we see Harry married to Ginny, and Ron to Hermione. We see that all of them have children, including Harry’s school nemesis, Draco Malfoy. We discover that Neville now teaches in Hogwarts. But what brings our tiny hearts a-skipping is this scene …

We get to see Harry’s son! And he was blessed/cursed with:

having Harry for a father, and
being named after two of the biggest heroes in the history of the wizarding world: Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

And right then and there we just know that the story has not ended … but in what medium it will appear, we still didn’t know.

The Cursed Child

JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series

JK Rowling did not disappoint her fans. She later announced that, yes, there will be another Harry Potter installment … but it will be a stage play. This news was met with mixed emotions.

Those who resided in the UK and those who can afford to go to the UK had no problem (other than how much the tickets would cost). For the rest of the world, though, we mostly felt sadness and regret and resigned ourselves to the fact that it may take years before we would be able to enjoy The Cursed Child ourselves.

And then, sneaky JK, announced in Pottermore that they will be publishing the script of The Cursed Child. Oh, gladness! Yes, I realize she said SCRIPT, not book, but for bookworms like me who grew up reading Shakespearean plays it didn’t really matter. Reading a book for me is like watching a movie in my head. And reading a script actually helps me in blocking my characters in the scenes in my head.

Of course, I realize that JK didn’t write the script herself (it was actually Jack Thorne who wrote it) but JK was part of the process from the beginning. After all, this is her “child” we are talking about. Additionally, the finished product has her stamp of approval and that is good enough for me. 😀

The Cursed Child Unboxed

So on July 31, 2016 (Sunday PHT) Harry Potter fans from all over the world prepared to go to their favorite bookstore for the worldwide unboxing of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child … which opens at the same time as the play itself!

In the Philippines, Scholastic (the U.S. Publisher) partnered with National Bookstore for local distribution. And it was at the Glorietta branch of National Bookstore that Hogwarts Philippines (the official fan club of Harry Potter in the Philippines) invited Potter fans from all over the metro to join in the fun and excitement of being the first to own and read this much-awaited publication.

Fully Booked also came out with their copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but, apparently, they are the distributor of the UK Publisher, Little Brown UK.

My personal opinion …

My sister and I split the cost of the book and bought it and then tried to take turns reading it as we had free time since she worked at night and I worked during the day. My sister actually started reading the book immediately while I was buying a cool beverage. 😀

I do not recommend that you do that, by the way. It is difficult to read a play unless you read it all the way through. It’s like stepping out of the theater for a potty break and then coming back a few minutes later and missing your place.

As I said at the beginning, I will try my best not to post spoilers but I cannot always tell if what I will say is a spoiler or not so if you are unsure then you can stop reading right now. 🙂

Ebony wand pen and bookmark were giveaways at the unboxing event.

It is a script of a stage play. Transitions are fast and it lacks the setup narration of regular books but, as I said … it is a stage play. The script of a stage play usually just gives a brief description of the scene, then focuses on the dialogue of the characters plus some direction on what possible action/emotion the character is supposed to portray. This is so that the directors and the cast have leeway to infuse the story with their own special brand.

For people who are unused to reading plays, this book will be confusing. They will go, “Wait! didn’t he just get on the train as a first-year? How come he is a second-year a page later, and THEN a 3rd-year another page later? Where are all the Hogwarts years?”

Ok, my first advice to this person would be “catch a play sometime”. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that understanding it is a play and knowing the mechanics of a play would make them understand the transitions better.

My second piece of advice would be “don’t fixate. It only means the ‘action’ does not happen until later so there is no need to take the slow route.”

Friendship

Scorpius and Albus

Just as with the original Harry Potter books, the main theme of this story is friendship. And in this story, centers on the friendship between Albus Severus Potter (Harry’s second child) and Scorpius Malfoy (Draco’s son).

They create a bond from the very beginning … on the Hogwarts Express as they share a compartment on their way to school. Because of his parentage, Scorpius is shunned by his peers as most are under the impression that his real father was Voldemort. Albus, on the other hand, is burdened by his legacy … of being the son of the famous Harry Potter.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron

It also shows us how the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione has grown over the years as they assume their roles as responsible adults and parents.

Harry and Hermione work at the Ministry of Magic (only to be expected, don’t you think?) and Ron, well, I don’t want to spoil it so let me just say Ron is doing something else.

Father and Son

Harry and Albus

It also tackles the relationship between Harry and Albus. Think of Albus as the rebel — the misunderstood kid that his parents couldn’t understand. Because, in a nutshell, that is what he was. He didn’t fit in at home, he didn’t fit in at Hogwarts.

Where his dad, Harry was Mr. Popularity, Albus’ only friend was Scorpius.

Perhaps it is because they are so alike that made it difficult for them to understand each other. And just like his dad, Albus wanted to do the right thing and right a wrong that happened many years ago even before he was born.

If at first, you don’t succeed, try and try again. And THAT is how the trouble began.

As I continue reading, though, I found myself wondering who was really the cursed child. Initially, of course, I assumed it was Albus, because, the title did say Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which kind of implies it would be his son. But then knowing Scorpius’ story I couldn’t help but think that is it possible that it is actually him?

I got choked up

Call me sentimental but my heart soared at the cameos of some of my favorite, much-loved, or even drool-worthy characters. I laughed, I cried, and I had to pause to wipe my tears. My heart was squeezed in a giant fist and seeing new heroic moments in my head was just phenomenal! Even if they turned this play into a movie, it just won’t be the same without them.

In conclusion …

I loved it! I had to repeat it from the beginning and then read it straight through to the end for five hours straight. I only took short breaks in between to shift position on the bed and to go to the toilet. Would I read it again? Absolutely! But I will wait until the rest of my family has read it, too. 🙂 We are mostly theater enthusiasts so I am confident they will enjoy it as well.

I do hope the play comes to Manila, too.

How about you? How did you like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Share your thoughts below.

All photos from the play were taken from Rappler.com.

Happy hands and feet at Nail It! Rockwell

by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 26, 2016 | Product and Service Review

Mommy-daughter dates are always fun and one really fun way to spend it is by having our nails done at Nail It! Salon. I’ve visited Nail It! Salon at Fisher Mall in the past and when my daughter and I got invited to Nail It! at Rockwell Business Center last May 15 I just couldn’t say no. 🙂 So off we went on the day set to have happy hands and feet.

Where is Nail It! Rockwell Business Center?

Nail It Salon Rockwell Business Center

The email we were sent said that Nail It! was located beside Banco de Oro. Sounds simple enough, right? Our Grabcar dropped us off in front of Krispy Kreme and we looked around and could not see any Banco de Oro.

Closer inspection showed a BDO ATM in the building. We walked a bit more around the building and saw another BDO ATM and no Nail it! in sight. A few meters more and, voila! There’s Banco de Oro! Guess what? Still no Nail It.

Out of frustration we asked a building guard and he pointed us way over at the back of the building. And what do you know? There it was! Surprise, surprise … no Banco de Oro there. When we asked the staff of Nail It! about this they said that BDO USED to be beside them but has recently moved.

But once you know where it is, you can’t miss it. It is right beside their sister company, Lay Bare Waxing Salon. At the right is a map showing exactly where it is.

When we entered we were met by a welcoming staff of Nail It! and, for the blogger event, a table with finger food and a venue bedecked with streamers.

Pampering time!

They led us to some comfy chairs on the floor and we were excited to start. 🙂 When getting a mani-pedi we usually get the pedi first and this usually starts with a warm soak. Unlike other nail salons (and even some branches of Nail It!) this branch has sinks installed right at the foot of each easy chair. That’s so cool! It means the technicians do not need to lug tubs with warm water back and forth across the salon.

Soaking my feet in warm water is always a wonderful experience. The foot spa that followed involved a scrub and a massage. At the end of the treatment what we’re left with is happy feet, yey! Those are Erika’s feet, by the way.

Once the feet were done it was time for the hands. It’s actually been at least a month since we’ve had a manicure so we were quite looking forward to having sexy hands again. 🙂

A cleaning, a buffing, apply the color, quick dry, and voila! Check out Erika’s hands. Aren’t they beautiful?

As for me? I opted to have some nail art done. They showed me their samples to choose from and, as I am not a flora and fauna kind of person all their choices made me go “meh”. So I picked up my phone and searched online for interesting nail art and I found this really cool shooting star nail art on Pinterest.

I think my nail attendant, Angel, did a good job of copying it. It’s not an exact copy but it is good enough. I’m happy with it. We used black, silver, and grey Orly nail polish.

Happy hands, happy feet, happy bloggers!

These are the bloggers (including us) that were there at the blogger event. I could be wrong but we all look happy with our mani-pedis. 🙂

Next time you are in the area consider a visit to Nail It! Rockwell Business Center and have happy nails like us.

Who is your favorite Doctor Who?

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 1, 2016 | Video reviews

the photo was taken from http://drfaustusau.deviantart.com

Doctor Who is one of those pop culture phenomenons that have invaded our lives for many generations. And with regeneration as the Doctor’s method of cheating death, this allowed many actors over the years to create their own interpretation of how The Doctor will look, act, and behave.

Who is your favorite Doctor?

When people learn that I am a fan of the show and that I have been watching for a long time THAT is usually the first question I get asked … even by people who are not even really into the show.

I cannot speak for my fellow Whovians but I, actually, find that question very difficult to answer. As a matter of fact, it takes me a while to give a complete answer. Each regeneration of The Doctor brings with it not only a completely new body but also a completely new personality. Some things I like, some I don’t but, let’s be honest, it’s the full package that makes The Doctor the most interesting, intriguing character that he is.

From the first doctor to the latest, every single one of them has that special something that makes the Doctor one of the most interesting fictional characters in speculative fiction (also known as sci-fi/fantasy).

Perhaps it would be safest for me to answer in this manner … by categorizing.

Who is my favorite classic Doctor Who?

The Doctor I met first.

Tom Baker plays the 4th regeneration of Doctor Who

The Doctor, I believe, I was introduced to as a child was the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker (from 1974 to 1981). Since I was a child when I saw these on our black and white TV I did not have clear recollections of what happened on the episodes of the show but I remember the funny man with the scarf running around. 😀 Also, I liked his companions, Sarah Jane Smith and K-9!

Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith in the Sarah Jane Adventures. She was also the original Sarah Jane Smith opposite Tom Baker.

Speaking of Sarah Jane and K-9, I was really happy to find out a few years ago that they were given their own show called The Sarah Jane Adventures which ran from 2007 to 2011. I totally agree that she was a companion that deserved her own show. I was sad to see it end but accepted that even good things had to end sometime. I got a kick every time she said, “Mr. Smith, I need you!”

Peter Davison is my classic Doctor Who!

Peter Davison plays the 5th regeneration of Doctor Who

Perhaps because I was older by then, I found that I enjoyed watching the 5th Doctor, Peter Davison (from 1981 to 1984) the most. He didn’t have the ‘fro (LOL!) and scary eyebrows of Baker.

Doctor Who and his companions Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric.

In contrast, Davison was actually babyfaced! What I had difficulty understanding, though, was why 5 (Davison) had so many companions! Let me see if I remember it correctly — there were these two non-humans, a girl and a boy, then there was a female (human) flight attendant. Did I miss anyone?

I always wondered, though. Why did The Doctor use a celery stalk to accessorize his jacket? I personally like the smell but I certainly won’t use it to accessorize my clothes! I’d eat it before I’ve even left the house! Lol! I’m sure the answer is out there somewhere. Hmmm … googling it now. 😀

Who is my favorite 21st-century Doctor?

Every time a new doctor comes out I tend to change my mind (or reaffirm my earlier opinion). 😀 The better question, perhaps, would be … Who is your favorite Doctor Who RIGHT NOW? And to answer that, I would like to do a rundown first of the Doctors who appeared starting 2005.

Before 2005 the last Doctor Who to grace the screen was Paul McGann in 1996. He has the privilege of being the actor who played Doctor Who onscreen the shortest (one episode/movie) yet held the role longer than anybody else (1996 to 2005). While not onscreen Doctor Who was kept alive through radio plays and books.

Paul McGann plays the 8th Doctor Who in the TV movie. Check out how Victorian his TARDIS IS! How the Phantom of the Opera meets steampunk! 🙂

Christopher Eccleston (the 9th Doctor)

Christopher Eccleston reintroduces Doctor Who to a new generation of Whovians as the 9th Doctor Who

While The Doctor has never been the most cooperative or congenial character, I guess I expect him to not look too sinister either.

When Christopher Eccleston made an appearance as the 9th Doctor I had mixed feelings. I loved the clothes (leather from H2T, how can you go wrong?) but he just didn’t quite fit the image in my head of what The Doctor should be like … this is while knowing that each regeneration is different from the previous ones, mind you. I suppose, in my head, this was because I was still seeing him in other roles where he usually played the villain such as in The Seeker: The Dark is Rising.

That aside, though, I concede that he did a pretty good job. Otherwise, I would have lost interest in the series and stopped watching, instead of being completely hooked on it as I am. 😀

David Tennant (the 10th Doctor) stole my heart.

David Tennant is the Doctor with the catchy catchphrases … alonzi! molto bene!

When Eccleston regenerated into David Tennant in mid-2005 I wasn’t sure how I felt. While I was ok with Eccleston as The Doctor I didn’t know what to expect with Tennant. It took me, perhaps 1 or 2 episodes to settle in and then I could not help but love him. 😀 To be more precise, I really enjoyed his portrayal of The Doctor that I did not want his stint to ever end. I believe he felt the same way. Doing a flashback now on his last episode where he actually says, “I don’t want to go.” and pouts.

I remember a time when I called him a kissing bandit because, of all the Doctors, he was the one who got to kiss the most people. And then it hit me. He wasn’t the one stealing kisses. He was always the one being kissed! And when his companions would end up falling for him, I thought it was conceivable. I was just watching him on TV and I was falling for him myself! 😀

Rose Tyler, Martha, Captain Jack Harkness, Queen Elizabeth, Madame de Pompadour, the Zygon, and the list goes on …

Fun facts:

10 was the first Doctor to admit to falling in love with his companion
Even after 10 regenerated into 11, we all know there is still a version of him out there, with Rose Tyler in the other dimension. This means that at some point we can hope to see him appear, however briefly, in the show again.
Captain Jack Harkness (played by John Barrowman) was lucky enough to get his own spin-off called Torchwood.
David Tennant married the daughter of Peter Davison, Emily, which makes Davison his father-in-law.
Peter Davison appears in a special quick episode of Doctor Who (Time Crash) with David Tennant as the Doctor but as his older self. They both explain the paradox as “wobbly-wobbly-timey-wimey”. This was a fun episode. I enjoyed it immensely! 🙂

Time Crash was broadcast in November 2007. It is a mini-episode of Doctor Who starring David Tennant and Peter Davison both playing Doctor Who at the same time

Matt Smith (the 11th Doctor) is the Raggedy Man.

Matt Smith plays the 11th regeneration of Doctor Who

When Tennant became Matt Smith I was like, “What the frack? The Doctor got older and more kulit?” Imagine my surprise to discover that Matt Smith is actually the youngest person to ever play The Doctor. I guess he just has that kind of face. It’s the lines.

At the same time, there was just something so lovable above him. He was like a kid in so many ways. His sense of wonder and joy, how he just seems to always want to play. Perhaps he was a lost boy and just got out of Neverland?

What made Smith appealing to some fans is what made him annoying to me, and why he is probably called the Raggedy Man, he just flops around a lot. He’s like a kid with ADHD – he can’t seem to stop moving. And when he does stop, you know there is trouble coming. Because when he stops that means he is in serious mode.

The best part of Smith’s stint, in my opinion, was The Ponds, Amelia and Rory.

Amy (Amelia) Pond and Rory with The Doctor

Peter Capaldi (the 12th Doctor) is a rockstar!

Peter Capaldi as the latest (12th) regeneration of the Doctor with his companion, Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman)

And now we come to the latest person to play Doctor Who – Peter Capaldi. He holds the record of being the oldest person to ever play the Doctor. Even older than Hartnell who was only in his 40s at the time that he played a grandfatherly Doctor.

In contrast to Tennant and Smith, Capaldi does not like to be touched or hugged (or kissed!). He is quite stern yet still a kook! Unlike his predecessors Capaldi came out in several episodes playing on an electric guitar, wearing Wayfarers (which we later found out were his sonic glasses) and a long coat. Talk about Mr. Cool!

Is it mean of me to say I am glad that Clara Oswald (aka Oswin aka The Impossible Girl) is out of the picture now?

So who IS my favorite Doctor Who?

Of them all, I would still say I am a Tennant girl but … I’ve only met Capaldi for two seasons to date and he is a close second. Who knows? He may just make it up there and take the first place. How about you? Who is your favorite Doctor Who? I wouldn’t be surprised if you say, John Hurt, the War Doctor. 🙂

All the regenerations of Doctor Who

Apple Pie Soda and Macarons for Dessert, Yum yum!

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 13, 2015 | Yummy Reviews

There are two things I like to order every time I go to Mrs. Graham’s and those are the Apple pie soda and macarons for dessert. Yum, yum! #comfortfood (at Mrs. Graham’s)

I was dubious at first when they said Apple Pie Soda but one sip and I was convinced. Now I know what drinking an apple pie tastes like. It isn’t apple juice. You can really taste the pastry in the drink.

Mrs. Graham’s is located before F7 on Rallos Street just off Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

Lenovo A7000 Plus Unboxed

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 24, 2015 | Product and Service Review

A while back I posted about the flash sale of Lazada where they featured the Lenovo A7000 Plus. Several bloggers were invited to the unboxing of the Lenovo A7000 Plus at Lazada HQ. There were tech bloggers and lifestyle bloggers.

Everyone had different blogging techniques that I found interesting to see. One was making a video blog on the spot. Another blogger brought her own lamp. And some would use natural light (aka, bring the unit to the window and use sunlight) for their shots. I opted to trust the camera of my phone (Samsung Galaxy S5) and Photoshop.

Some would write on the spot. And there were others, like me, who opted to take our work home.

I look forward to events like these because they give me a chance to fiddle with the gadgets. And that’s exactly what we got to do today.

Opening the box revealed the following contents:

Let’s talk about specs:

Dimensions	152.6 x 76.2 x 7.99
Weight	140g
Bands	GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHzWCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz FDD LTE Band 1/3/7/20 TDD LTE Band 40
Platform HW/OS	MTK MT6752, 1.7 GHz, Octacore Android Lollipop
Data speed	LTE Cat 4 / 150Mbps (download) 50Mbps (upload)
Display	5.5” Full HD, 1920 x 1080
Memory	2Gb RAM + 16Gb ROM
Camera	13 megapixels rear AF 5 megapixels front FF
Data connectivity	802.11 b/g/n, BT4.0, GPS, AGPS
Sensors	vibration / gravitation / proximity / light
Card slot	dual sim micro-sim slot
micro SD card slot	vibration / gravitation / proximity / light
Battery (type)	2900mAh lithium ion (Li-on)
Color options	black (sadly, no other colors, good thing we can buy customized cases)
OTG	YES
Charge current	1.5A
Others	Dolby Atmos

Considering the price I was expecting a low-end phone with entry-level specs. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that quality does not have to be expensive. Its features are almost comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S6. Its response time was really fast. I also wondered about the glass since Samsung comes with Gorilla glass and was told that it uses Dragontrail, instead of Gorilla glass. Dragontrail and Gorilla are very similar in performance. The main difference … the manufacturer.

The camera took really good pictures, too. Both the front and back cameras. We tried to compare the rear camera of our phones with that of the Lenovo A7000 Plus and it stood up well.

The Lenovo A7000 Plus retails at P7,999 only at Lazada. Click here to purchase your very own Lenovo A7000 Plus today.