let's see how this goes

because i am wanting a blog with diversity,

i now present to you (you, yes you, the imaginary readers in my head)

my first ever "official" restaurant review.

 

Squid Row Gastro Bar

According to their website, the vibe of the restaurant is somewhat surfing-culture centred.

since i am not familiar with that culture (yet) i found everything.... refreshing. :)

i am no interior design grad, but i am very appreciative of interiors - and this one i like so much.

i love how well-lit the place is. it felt really relaxing, yet it wasn't that dark that i am snoozeland-bound.

i love the variation of the furniture - there are long tables, high tables and the normal square ones.

to balance things out, i liked how "uniform" the photos are - similar-sized frames, photos all in B&W.

the bar is one of my favorite areas because it looks so classy "it" actually makes me wanna order

their most expensive drink (the selling power of design right there).

although, i must say, their location was kind of a buzz-kill. finding a parking space was not the easiest thing.

p.s. can you tell how much i loved their light fixture(s)..... so much that a special photo was in order. haha.

 

moving on to the best part - THE FOOD. *nom*

here's a part of their menu (see rest here) and after a quick scan

(is that redundant?! quick, then scan?! anhyhooooooos)

my order was a no-brainer. TWO WORDS: MUSHROOM. RISOTTO.

my friends know this, if risotto is part of the menu, i always always ALWAYS order it.

if i didn't, it's either something else looks x-times yummier or there's some other quirky reason. 

(EXHIBIT A. I once ordered Steak Diane over a risotto because duhrs! it's steak and my name side by side)

 anyways, the risotto was top-notch. with the exception of the "greenery" that is present in my plate,

i'd say i'd grade this with four stars. final grade, fauna included = three and a half stars! :)

as for the fish & chips meal, that was my brothers. so typical.

i mean, if japanese have sushi, and chinese have deep-fried whatever

kiwis have fish & chips (beef & lamb are just runners up. haha)

but in all fairness, the fish was tasty and their serving was HUGE.

my dad had some pasta, which was really good too.

one of the reasons why i wanna go back is to try out their pasta.

and my mom had a burger, but i personally thought it was nothing but ordinary,

so i am clearly not recommending that one.

so, to sum this all up....

SQUID ROW

ambiance / place: ✔✔✔

food: ★★★✩ (yup, that's three and a half) 

over-all experience: ☺☺☺

to many more food trips (and reviews to follow).... happy eaters for the win!

way better than a pot of gold

Mr. Big: We’re getting married. Should we get you a diamond?

Carrie Bradshaw: No. No. Just get me a really big closet.

(source)

yes, i long for a huge closet that can house my shoes and clothes that

does not fit in my room anymore....

but this. *gasp*

i would take a library over a closet in a heart beat. and surprisingly, i’m not kidding.

part of the goal for this year is to read one book a month. but if i were to aim high,

i would rather say "BUY and READ one new book a month". unfortunately, my salary

ain’t enough for all the "bills" that come my way already, so my dream to have a library

as huge as this will have to start some other time. in the mean time, i shall enjoy

the mini-libraries my friends have and borrow from them like a true blue book-junkie.

on the other hand, since dreaming is *magical word incoming* FREE,

here are the top four books at the top of my head that i want to buy

if and when i had the moolah. :)



1. traveling light - max lucado

or any max lucado book for that matter. i read devotionals written by him via this online subscription

and i am currently reading one of his books and i am floored at this man’s gift.

more of his works in my life please.

2. have a little faith - mitch albom

i saw this the first time last dec 2oo9 / jan 2o1o, but it was way too expensive for me

but after more than a year after, i still want this book. to pieces.

3. safe haven - nicholas sparks

his last few books were not as amazing as the books he’d written early on in his career

but he’s still one of those FEW authors that tug my heartstrings hard. i have all of his books except this one,

so i sort of waaaaaaaaaant this badly so that my collection is up to date.

4. just five ingredients - ainsley harriott

talk about sticking out like a sore thumb.... well, i found out about this book all thanks to bianca.

i have been wanting for the longest time now to learn how to cook and not to brag,

i have not had "much" trouble following instructions from cookbooks, but the many ingredients

a dish requires kind of kills my enthusiasm. so, when i came across this book,

well, let’s just say this gave me hope. hahaha.

i am pleased to say that the book worm mode has officially been switched on. ^_^

aotearoa

sunny new zealand days are missed.

 

(Auckland City's Skyscrapers, Port and Rangitoto Island from Gladstone Lookout, Parnell)

it's summer and the sun's m.i.a. for a couple of days now (not to mention the few showers here and there).

so this is me, posting something, my way of reminiscing one of my favorite sun shiny days of the year. 

fourteenth of january.

aella's second. lubby & bubby's fifth. semi sun bathing sesh. girl talk with mama.

car trouble and helpful strangers. perfect timing, of God, no less.

bittersweet fambum get together and angry birds.

happy happy joy joy.

when two worlds collide

illustration and photography make pretty babies. :)

 Missing Garden

A brilliant collaboration between photographer Dominik Smialowski and artist Monika Prus

(source)

The combination of people with chalkboard drawings evokes a nostalgic look back at childhood.

"It’s a modest rebellion against the life of adults and the glorification of childhood," says Smialowski

Her Beautiful Reality

Ana Santl's beautifully lit, whimsical photos have a carefree nature about them
that could only come from a free spirit. and can i just say i am going bananas
about the fact that she's only 17! O_o
(source)

She was asked, "What is it about photography that you love?"
and i can't stress enough how much i agree with her answer, which is
"The safety. It makes so many moments last and saves so many words."

more photos of her via her flickr

Monsters Invade Manhattan

What a clever and beautiful way to make your fashion line stand out from the crowd!
Illustrator Eli Neugeboren and photographer Dustin Cohen teamed up to create this fantastic project.
(source)

the contrast between the monsters' grungy-ness and sloppy-ness
and of the line's glamor and sophistication is just brilliant!!!! :)

my 11 for 2o11

photo source: http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/

i am all for even numbers, but for the sake of the numbers game, i present to you

my {second (19-days late)} list of must-do’s for this year.

posting the ultimate 2o11 list is up for discussion (between me, myself and i).

1. i will be more of a traveler than a tourist.

"The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience.

The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing."

- Daniel J. Boorstin

2. i will say yes to trims and no to major hair cuts.

go for the gold! and by gold, i mean waist-long hair!!!!

3. i will use every pair of footwear i own at least four times this year.

it’s a shame to own heaps and not wear them.

4. i will put chores first before the internet.

i gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasp at the thought. but it is the right thing to do.

so at the top of my head, take over laundry duty, folding duty and vacuuming duty.

5. i will educate myself more on the technical aspect of photography.

wanting less chamba-shots this year. more people-shots too.

6. i will stop letting my travel scrapbook gather cobwebs and dust.

must work on the sydney trip and the usa trip. and before the year ends,

i must have done the upcoming philippines trip too.

7. i will not be such a grumpygoose come winter.

i know it’s my least favorite season and whatnot, but i will try my hardest to view it as

a season closer to summer... optimism! and, i will also try to dress more appropriately....

i mean, seriously, who wears flip-flops during winter?! unfortunately, i do.

8. i will read more BOOKS.

the aim is to read one book a month. i am not a fast reader, so good luck with that.

9. i will be a better driver this year.

and by better, i simply mean that i will follow more of the road rules from here on out. hahaha,

ok, i just made myself seem like a psycho-driver. but i am not. i’ve never been in a road-rage of any kind.

i will just try my hardest to stick to the speed limits and look at the rear view and side mirrors more often. goodness, this is why i am still on my restricted license.

10. i will relive my CFAD days.

and i do not mean sleeping less and cutting classes (because, unfortunately there are no classes to cut

and depriving myself some valuable zzzzzzzz-time has become a norm). i want to basically be

on an artsy-fartsy-er mode this year. i miss painting and colouring (hahaha, not really drawing)

and reading advertising-related material. i shall drown myself with creative juices this year.

11. i will eat less crap this year.

since the first of january, i have not eaten fast food, chips and drank fizzy drink.

and i plan on doing so until the thirty-first of december. more veggies and fruits for my tummy.

this will be hard.

i just wish my determination to keep up with these won’t die down as the days roll by.

kid, prove yourself wrong and accomplish every bit of this, will you? :)

i did not ask for it

so facebook has officially changed everyone's profiles to the "new" one and can i just say

i am not the biggest fan of this. i just find the new one complicated (or am i too old to welcome such changes?)

and that 'see friendship' feature, what is the point of that?! </rant>

 

(my aella-swamped profile page.... not complaining about that bit)

when every rant is said and done, why do i keep my facebook active?

one, because some people keep theirs (and by some people, i mean those near and dear to me)
and facebook is the only "affordable" way we get to communicate.

two, because i generally find the content of my friends' posts entertaining

(and on good days, even informative and educational).

three, because in comparison to email and texting, i find messaging someone in fb elicit a quicker response.

and fourth, because every now and then i come across stuff that are just so beautiful

i can't help but be extra grateful that my sense of sight is in tip-top condition.

EXHIBIT A: University of Santo Tomas - "Tokyo Branch"

photo source: Sir Torres' (College Professor - Photography) wall post.

i now regret the times that i put his voice in the background while i chatted with my seatmates.

i never thought of him to be this great of a photographer. i could have learned so much from him. :(

and on a different note, a surprise that is a wonderful ending to any day.

 so this is a photo of me (taken by my cousin) with jess (my canon 40D bad boy of a cam).

i bought him last december from my friend who upgraded to a 5d.

anyways, an hour ago, he rang me up saying that he might have overpriced the camera he sold me

and that he'll give me a refund worth $100. who am i to complain?! :)

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

the "curse" of the first



first day of school. writing on the first page of a new notebook. first time to speak in front of an audience. first date. first out of the country trip. first tooth extraction. first tattoo. *insert all imaginable firsts here* - all of these bring pressure... and writing this blog’s first ever entry is no exception.

(well actually, the pressure kicked in the moment i was asked for my username.... haha)

i have absolutely zero ideas as to what topics would make for an epic first entry,

so let me just share why i signed up for a new account.

1. CURIOSITY.

i’ve been a serial blog-hopper for a while now and i can’t help but admire most of the photos people put on their blogs. some are, without a doubt, mindblowingly beautiful but others are just, errrr, ordinary.... but they have this certain appeal or pizazz once mixed with words. so it got me thinking... will my mundane shots look prettier if i put it as part of a post? curiouser and curiouser.

2. BOREDOM.

i’m just gonna be honest here. work has been pretty slack lately and since i can’t read a book

or watch videos online, the next best thing to do is blog.

3. SHARING.

i just thought i’d share my thoughts (even though i might be the only audience of this blog)....

because if i didn’t, i’d gone bonkers by now.

4. LOVE.

i love to write.... and even though i, more often than not, mean that literally, i still enjoy writing my heart and mind out. i’m not the best writer but i try to hone whatever God-given talent i have at the moment. i’ve said it before, i want to get published someday, so consider this me taking super baby steps.

and before i end this post, being the forgetful person that i am.... let me write down
why i named my blog ‘thoughtsonbluesandreds’....

me and my fondness for writing started the moment i wrote ‘Aa’ on those blue and red lined papers in school.

that was circa ‘9o. after more than two decades, a huge callous on my right hand’s ring finer, thousands of sheets of papers and hundreds of pencils and ballpens, the feeling remains the same - i am happy when i write. and even though i’ve gone cyber in terms of my writing, i still want to "pay tribute" to those blue and red lines that helped me out during the formative years of my life, hence this blog’s name. :)

to many more posts from here on out. <3