When will my life begin

This really hits hard.

Coffee is life

Who doesn't like coffee?

Perhaps there are a minute number of people who doesn't but I belong to the other side of the spectrum who has a penchant for coffee.

My sister and I plan to have a midnight snack (or dinner) since we're famished and ordered at Burger King through the Grab app. We wanted to have coffee too so we also got their Iced Mocha Coffee and I'm in love with it. I already love their coffee float but I was delighted to discover an addition to my favorites.

Rice in the cooker spoils fast. What should I do?

In a typical Filipino household (and culture), rice is a staple food that is why there is an ongoing meme that says rice is life. Have you ever experienced forgetting to put the cooked rice in the fridge and then you found it spoiled because laid there in the cooker? I think that every one had probably already experienced it once or two. And then the next time you cook the rice in that same cooker (though it's already thoroughly washed and cleaned), it seems the next cooked rice tends to spoil faster?

Some tip that I got before was to put salt in the rice. But the ultimate hack that I discovered was to clean it thoroughly and then put the cleaned cookware (pot) in the gas stove without anything and open the fire into high heat. If you can already sense heat in your hand when you place it an inch or two from the surface of the pot, turn off the heat and let it cool. Do it every time there is spoilage. I got this idea because I thought since bacteria causes the spoilage, we should eliminate the bacteria first. Mind you, I've also tried putting sodium hypochlorite (Zonrox) and letting it sit in the pot for a while but in my opinion I think I'm not satisfied with its effectivity aside from the fact that we are using chemicals that deals directly with our food.

Anyway, bacteria thrives in moisture and heat. The bad thing about in our rented apartment, there is a very high humidity and bad ventilation. So food tends to spoil fast.  I thought that the little gaps that might be a breeding spot for the bacteria in the pot so exposing it to high heat would probably kill it.

And that's it! Hope it helps!

Sanegeal Farmhear

There are a lot of things that I'm grateful for

 There are a lot of things that I'm grateful for

I've been mulling over for a moment (while listening to Christian songs) and realized that there are a lot of things that I'm grateful for (and should be).

Funny how I can clearly see how the adults become frail and vulnerable, and we, the once children, are now the adults. It is scary of what lies ahead but it feels exhilarating.

We now need to step up and be accountable for us and for those loved ones who surrounds us.

Oh how I wished!

 Oh how I wished I'd hadn't been parentified.

How nice would it be, once for all to decide for oneself without feeling guilty.

Funny how it felt that I was grieving for a lost my childhood. To feel being a child without worries. To seek adventure without hindrances.

Sometimes, I wonder why I exist.

Maybe that's why at some point in time, I stopped dreaming.

My Pending Medical Exam at SM Lazo Medical Clinic experience 2023

My Pending Medical Exam at SM Lazo Medical Clinic experience 2023

If you are going to take your pre-employment medical examination at SM Lazo Medical Clinic, it is better not to divulge any medical histories which you think would not affect your work. Well, it is a different story if this is related to the heart, lungs, blood, kidney and other vital organs. Do not believe it when the referral form from your agency says that it is imperative to declare conditions to minimize expenses (in fact, it did the opposite for me!)

As a believer of being honest in everything that I say and do, I definitely made a costly mistake of declaring all the medical histories which I have and was really appalled when the examining physician required me to have 2 medical clearances. I was contesting why they would still need this as one is a hereditary skin condition and the other is diagnosed during childhood and does not affected me at all which never needed any medical intervention or consultations in my previous employments. The doctor said that the agency is the one who is strict (which I think is a load of B.S. as they are the ones who decides fit to work) Now I get it why there are a lot of negative feedbacks in the Google reviews and in the support forum groups.

I was willing to pay for the medical clearance from their consultants available but I was disappointed and angry that I had to go to their respective clinics on different locations. I went to the nearby clinic of the referred doctor and the consultant had many patients so the medical secretary advised for me to go have my appointment for another time. I decided to get the medical clearance near me. It didn't helped that there is an ongoing transport strike of the public jeepneys.

I was also nervous at this time as I previously worked in a clinic, I know that before doctors can give you a clearance, you should have a previous history (series of consultations) with them. They should have a basis for that. So I was anticipating that the doctor could give me a diagnostic/laboratory request if it is their prerogative that these were essential.

Fortunately, I saw a familiar name and it turned out that the consultant was one of the doctors that I've worked with during her training period. I don't really like revealing myself to anyone as I don't want to put pressure on people. She said that I looked familiar and then that's the time I did say when. Thank God I was able to get a medical clearance without a fuss.

Overall, it costed me a whooping 11,450 pesos just for the medical - 3750 pesos for the medical exam, 2500 total for the dental cleaning (1500 pesos) and pasta (1000 pesos). For the medical clearances, 1500 for the childhood medical condition and the derma was 3700 pesos. 

One tip that I could give you is to get your dental cleaning or any procedure done with your trusted dentist outside and ask for a dental certificate as this would cost you less.

If ever you need to really declare your medical condition, it is necessary to get a medical clearance from your attending doctor regardless if it is benign or a small matter or not so that you won't experience the same hassle that I did. Bring your IOM TB Certificate and a photocopy if you have one. I didn't bring mine but luckily I had a scanned copy in my e-mail so I forwarded it in the clinics email address instead.

If you had the go signal from your agency to do your pre-employment with this clinic, do it early. It took me 2 weeks before I was cleared and deemed fit to work.

Mei Ying Fresh Lumpia and Fresh Sugarcane Juice

Mei Ying Fresh Lumpia near Lucky Chinatown

I can't help myself but to chomp it down right after I went home

I went to my alma mater for some requested documents that I needed and since I was in Manila, I decided to go to Divisoria. Along the way I bought some fruits (pears and 2 packs of kiat which are sweet). I also planned to go to the street where the vegetables are cheap after taking my lunch at 168 mall but my plan changed because I saw that the street was getting too crowded with people and I was a bit exhausted now. I was not through with my Binondo food trip cravings and saw the Mei Ying Fresh Lumpia and Fresh Sugarcane Juice near Lucky China town Mall which can be found adjacent to J.CO coffee shop. I wanted to try their Fresh Lumpia (being a fan of fresh lumpia myself) which is around 95 pesos, ordered one along with their version of kuchay dumplings which is around 160 pesos for ten pieces. I'd also like to try out their sugarcane juice and machang but I guess this babies will be tried for next time.

I ate the kuchay dumplings in the available stand outside and they serve it with sauce and chili oil. I prefer this kuchay dumplings over the much popular Dong Bei Dumplings. I took home the fresh lumpia as I was already full with the dumplings and I was rearing to get home as soon as possible.

Frankly speaking, I was elated to have tried this because this is the taste that I have been looking for. The fresh lumpia is packed with vegetables, contrary to the usual fresh lumpia which is made up of bamboo shoots. Globe's Lumpia House has this kind of taste before but I don't know what happened and it changed during the pandemic. I think that their quality isn't what it used to be.