All posts for the month October, 2012

Hot Dinner Date in Chihuahua

…with JAN! 😛

Jan who happens to be my newest favorite person! Our friendship is on fire and well, I was craving for something spicy. So there. HOT DATE. :))

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{Ay, Chihuahua!}

I used to frequent the Makati Ave branch and it was my first time to eat at the Gb store. Also, I was supposed to blog about Chihuahua a long time ago, but I accidentally deleted the draft. :p Anyway… I wanted something meaty yet light so I had the Carnitas Burrito (slow-cooked pulled pork, 295php). Ang idea ko kasi ng heavy eh ‘yung Steak Burrito. Hahaha! Chicken Tacos (295php) and Quesadillas (can’t remember how much). The price is okay for the servings and the taste. I liked the burrito, but I still prefer the one with steak. 🙂 We loved the quesadillas! The taco was so-so for Jan (gusto niya may cheese pala kasi); I liked it slathered with lots of sour cream.

Pero grabe!!! 80php for a bottle of Coke! Oh well, Makati price. I wouldn’t have my meal with any other drink though. That or margarita!!! Too bad I had an early call time the following day and my alcohol tolerance has been really embarrassing lately. Here’s an old picture of me (well my hand) with Joko (her hand, lol) and Jeeves holding Margaritas and Michelada (195php each). What is a Michelada, you ask. It’s a beer-based cocktail with tabasco, worcestershire sauce, lime juice AND Maggi seasoning. Uhhhh… it’s an acquired taste. I have not acquired it yet. Mwehehehe. I’m sticking to Margarita.
 

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{1: the hotsauce wall, 2: my fire liquids of choice, 3: compulsary vanity shot, 4: Jan talking to a cute baby she doesn’t know}

Noticed that they didn’t have the Charlie Sheen Crazy Sauce and Crazy Mother Pucker’s Hot Sauce. Settled for the Ass Kickin’ Original Hot Sauce, Caramba Chili Verde, and the Red Devil. The spiciest was sauce #1 but I loved the red Devil the best. Ang sarap with the burrito! Truly made my dinner with Jan a hot date! :))

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{Kudos to the owners of Chihuahua Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar!}

We were lucky for ariving there before 7. By 8pm, the place was already packed with families and yuppies. I hope that Chihuahua will add more items like potatoes with cheese and sour cream. Or rice with shredded barbecue. I have a feeling that they will soon. 🙂

—–

Chihuahua Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar
G/F Greenbelt 2
(02) 625-0106

—–

listening to: Those Dancing Days – I’ll Be Yours

1 Comment
by Iya Santos on October 31, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 31, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/hot-dinner-date-in-chihuahua/

My GS BFF’s Wedding

It was only July this year when I reconnected with my classmates from Mountain View Village School*. Jonalyn was one of my dearest friends back in gradeschool and Jero was  our classmate/my childhood enemy. Ang galing talaga ng social media. If it weren’t for Facebook, I wouldn’t have talked to them again and I wouldn’t be able to see Jhona get married last Friday. 🙂 

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{with SpiderKid}

It was the first Iglesia Ni Cristo wedding that I witnessed. It was a good thing I decided to bring a shawl. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be let in because the dress I wore was sleeveless. I removed the shawl as soon as I was seated though. Hehe. It was a small and intimate wedding attended by the couple’s closest family and friends. Feeling special tuloy ako na andun ako. Jero (my +1 by default) wasn’t able to wake up in time for the wedding because salbahe siya he was so exhausted from work. Okay lang. I befriended one of the guests– a five year old kid named Miguel who told me he’s Peter Parker.

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{with Andy the groom and Jhona the bride}

As expected, I cried when I saw my friend (who looked so radiant!!!) walk down the aisle with her dad. I think, when it’s my time to get married masisira ng bongga ang eye makeup ko. Nyahahahah! The service was short. As in parang kalahati ng sa Katoliko. The minister (?) talked about Adam and Eve and what  husband should be to a wife and vice versa. Medyo nagtaka lang ako na parang emotional si Brother. I forgot to ask if he’s a close friend of the couple or kung mabilis lang talagang siyang ma-move ng story ng first parents natin. 🙂

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{elementary batchmates}

The reception was held at the function room of One Rockwell. Seatmates ko si SpiderKid and his mom Ava. Miguel calls her Mary Jane. :p I had to meet Jero outside because maarte siya he’s shy to enter the venue alone. On my way outside, I felt a spray of identified goo, Waaaahhh! Yung isa sa mga kalapati na pinalipad ng couples shit on some of us! Hahahaha! mabilis pala tumigas ang poo ng dove. Anyway, hindi naman ako maarte. I just wiped it off using my bare hands. And I wanted to strangle Jero kasi malas siya.

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{childhood nemesis}

I liked that the celebration was short and sweet. Hindi ko kasi makita ang logic ng mahaba at madaming palabok na kasal. Seeing Andy gaze adoringly to my friend made me smile ‘coz I’m baduy like that. 🙂 And cheesy ako. I like seeing evidences of love. Natuwa rin ako to see their relatives get along. I felt that suportado talaga nila ang union ni Jhona and Andy. I pray that God will bless their marriage with a happy home, cute and kind kids, and great adventures!

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{I was in Makati but my heart was out of town. Nyahaha.}

Oh, and guess what… I caught the bouquet.

Ano nga uli ang sabi nila ‘pag ganon? :p

—–

* I transferred to Benedictine Abbey School (now San Beda Alabang) after 4th grade in MVVS.

—–

listening to: Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight

1 Comment
by Iya Santos on October 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Events, Friends
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 30, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/my-gs-bffs-wedding/

BonChon. HoHum.

I decided to give BonChon Chicken another try. I had it way back when it was still new in Ayala Triangle Gardens. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t ewww but it sure wasn’t wooow either. It was a disappointment since a lot of people were raving about it back then. I had high expectations when I first ate it.

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{Drumsticks/ Thigh Ricebox 2pcs for 145php, small soda for 28php}

I had the mix and match ricebox, with one soy garlic and one spicy glaze for dinner a couple.of nights ago. I enjoyed the crispy skin and I liked that it wasn’t greasy. Honestly, I didn’t quite taste the difference. They both tasted mildly hot.

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{What is tuyo?}

I didn’t like the meat. It’s not moist and it’s not flavorful. I still don’t get why people like it. Well, I don’t like Korean food in general. So there. I guess I better stick to KFC. Or Kenny Rogers. Or Andok’s. Or yung fried chicken sa may kanto sa amin.

If I had to eat at BonChon’s again, I will probably just order their Fish Taco or Ginger Tofu Salad— just because they look pretty in pictures.

—–

listening to: David Guetta feat Sia – Titanium

8 Comments
by Iya Santos on October 25, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 25, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/bonchon-hohum/

Real Coffee Calamansi Muffins

Last year, my buddy Jeeves brought some Real Coffee Calamansi Muffins for me and Joko to taste.

It was love at first bite. Calamansi has always (and probably will forever be) my favorite citrus fruit and I like desserts but I’ve never really been a fan of anything too sweet!

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So when my friend Argel said he’s going to Boracay, my auto-reply was, “Calamansi Muffins!!!”. Being the good person that he is (or being the nakakaawang patay gutom that I am), he came back to Manila with these quickbreads that I craved for almost a year!

Real Coffee & Tea Café has been around since 1996. It’s in White Beach, Station 1 and it’s open from 7am to 7pm. That is, according to the blogs I checked. :p

I have not been to Boracay yet so I don’t know exactly how to get there. I just googled and unfortunately, the directions I gave Argel are if he’s coming from the beachfront. Eh hindi. Gaaaaah. Kawawa naman. Nagkaligaw-ligaw tuloy. (Sorry! Mwaaah! Fistbump!)

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I called the store and they told me that coming from the main road, at the Milflores gate (in front of Metrobank) is a small walkway that will lead to the café.

Another thing that one ought to know is, boxed muffins should be reserved a day in advance. If not, you can have the muffins put in a paperbag. A calamansi muffin costs 45php. The paperbag says it’s made with love…

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Well… Nalasahan ko naman!!! :p

I had it with a Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino. The soft, zesty muffin and the creamy sweetness of the drink… Panalo!

Aprubado rin sa mga pinatikim ko sa office. Kahit doon sa mga hindi mahilig sa maasim. All agreed that it goes very well with sweet and creamy coffee.

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So to friends who will be going to Boracay, kindly take note of what pasalubong I want. I promise to also get some of these little pieces of dessert heaven for you when I finally have my Boracay vacay. :o)

—–

listening to: Snoop Dogg & David Guetta – Sweat

10 Comments
by Iya Santos on October 24, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 24, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/calamansi-muffins/

Ang Sabaw. Bow.

I love soup. I’d have soup even in the middle of summer. I’d choose soup over dessert any most of the time. I don’t like it chilled. I like it hot. Very hot. Ika nga ng daddy ko, ‘yung “makapaso ngala-ngala”.

I also thought of blogging about soup so I can finally delete these images from my phone. :p

Ang sabaw. *bow*

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{warms the tummy, makes me happy}

1 Squash Soup
Pizza Hut Bistro, Glorietta 4, Makati
100php something/bowl
Errr… well… it tasted like squash alright. It’s not as thick and flavorful as I hoped it would be. 😦 Made me miss the yummy goodness that is Murphy’s Pumpkin Soup. Too bad I don’t have a picture of it.

2 Crabmeat and Corn Soup
Floating Island Restaurant, Makati Medical Center
180php, good for 2
Slightly better than Knorr’s instant crab and corn soup. I liked that they drizzled some sesame oil. It gave it a delicious aroma and nutty flavor.

3 Tom Kha Gai
Soms Noodle House, Alger St., Poblacion, Makati
220php, good for 2
This is Thai chicken soup in coconut milk. You can taste the lemon grass and ginger. But I guess it’s this rhizome native to Thailand called galangal which tastes like ginger. This soup is best paired with Fried Tonto Fish. Haha. Tonto.

4 Pho Tai Gau
Vina Pho, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati
158php/bowl
This beef tenderloin with fat brisket noodle ftw! Firm noodles, excellent broth, and almost-melts-in-your-mouth meat! It’s comfort in a bowl! Writing about it makes me want a bowl right now. It’s good with the Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce.

5 Bulalo Espesyal
Bulalohan sa N.Ramirez, Galas, Quezon City
120php/bowl
This is the kind of bulalo that would make me travel to QC instead of Tagaytay. Well-seasoned broth and easy-to-get marrow. To those planning on going to Bulalohan sa N.Ramirez, there are two faces of the resto. One looks like a carinderia. One sorta looks like a resto. Don’t worry, the bulalo is the same.

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{wow, sabaw!}

6 Wild Mushroom Cappuccino Soup
Momo Cafe, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati
175php/bowl
Earthy and frothy, satisfying and enjoyable. This is a must to get in Momo for mushroom soup lovers like me. And between this and their Herb Pumpkin Soup, this is the better choice.

7 Monggo Soup with Kangkong
Katvanria Eatery, St Paul Rd, San Antonio Village, Makati
35php/order
Ay grabe. Ka-sarap nito. May chicharon pa ‘yan. I love bringing this to the office to share with my colleagues. Hands down, this is my favorite ulam every Friday. I love this with paksiw na bangus belly. Ayayayayayay. Tapos may ice cold Coke. *tulo laway*

8 Hot and Sour Soup
Hao Hong Kong Diner, Jupiter St., Makati
98php/cup
True to its name, it’s indeed sour (duh) and spicy. It’s also thick and hearty. Best to have this after drinking Hao’s Spiked Margarita Tea with Shitake Mushrooms with Fried Cheese for pulutan. Click here for my entry about Hao Hong Kong Diner.

9 Hototay
Panciteria Lido, Marvin Plaza, Pasong Tamo, Makati
120php/good for 2
I had this last Mother’s Day because I couldn’t be with my mom. Eto kasi favorite soup ni Mama. I’m sure she’d also like this because ang daming sahog! 😛 I had this with the Drunken Lechon Macau, but I think it would have been better if I paired it with the 3 Cups Chicken–  which btw, for me, is the best dish of Lido.

10 Nido Soup
Gerry’s Grill, Glorietta 5, Makati
65php/cup
This no nonsense hot delight is my favorite pangpa-sober when I drink at Gerry’s. I also like to have this with their Adobong Beef Ribs and Kilawing Tanigue.

My top 3 are

Pho Tai Gau
Bulalo Espesyal
and
Hot and Sour Soup

Cheers to more bowls of soup! 😉

—–

listening to: David Gates – Goodbye Girl

7 Comments
by Iya Santos on October 10, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 10, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/ang-sabaw-bow/

Faith, Hope, Love (Part 2)

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Here are more of my favorite quotes about the three most important things in the world! 🙂

FAITH

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.”
~ Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

“Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe.”
~ Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request

“Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.”
~ Paul Tillich

“Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark.”
~ Elizabeth Gilbert

“There is nothing anti-intellectual in the leap of faith, for faith is not believing without proof but trusting without reservation.”
~ William Sloane Coffin Jr., Credo

HOPE

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
~ Epicurus

“When hope is fleeting, stop for a moment and visualize, in a sky of silver, the crescent of a lavender moon. Imagine it — delicate, slim, precise, like a paper-thin slice from a cabochon jewel. t may not be very useful, but it is beautiful. nd sometimes it is enough.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

“You can’t eat hope,’ the woman said.
You can’t eat it, but it sustains you,’ the colonel replied.”
~ Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez, El coronel no tiene quien le escriba

“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”
~ Václav Havel

“In an age of hope men looked up at the night sky and saw “the heavens.” In an age of hopelessness they call it simply “space.”
~ Peter Kreeft

“To believe and yet to have no hope is to thirst beside a fountain.”
~ Ann-Marie MacDonald, Fall on Your Knees

LOVE

“Some people don’t understand the promises they’re making when they make them,” I said.

“Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That’s what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway.”
~ John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
~ G.K. Chesterton

“I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it — to be fed so much love I couldn’t take any more. Just once. ”
~ Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

“There is no intensity of love or feeling that does not involve the risk of crippling hurt. It is a duty to take this risk, to love and feel without defense or reserve.”
~ William S. Burroughs

“Love me sweet
With all thou art
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the Lightest part,
Love me in full Being.”
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

—–

To view PART 1, visit https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/faith-hope-love/

—–

listening to: Steve Aoki feat Lovefoxxx – Heartbreaker

1 Comment
by Iya Santos on October 8, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 8, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/faith-hope-love-part-2/

Five Things About Circles

NO… NOT REALLY. THIS ENTRY HAS 5 THINGS ABOUT MY CIRCLES EXPERIENCE.

Circles Event Cafe in Shangri La Makatihas been around for years and (1) it was just my first time to go eat at  last month.

We didn’t know that we had to get a reservation. Good thing we arrived early (very early, actually), so they were able to find a way to get a table for us. (2) They asked if it was okay for us to be seated right in front of the singer. Wala namang kaso sa amin ni Enzo ‘yon as long as hindi judgmental ‘yung singer!  Masaya naman ‘yung thought na may sume-serenade sa amin habang nagpapaka-bundat kami. Nyahahaha! :))

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{some of the buffet sections}

We first checked all sections so that we can think of our individual strategies on how we can get our money’s worth. (Well, his money’s. Thanks for the treat, Mr. Trajano!) We went there for Saturday dinner, so the buffet rate is around 2k each.

Once we knew the dishes we wanted to get, we attacked. Shempre, deadma na sa mga dishes na madali lang mabili at maluto sa bahay.

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{more buffet sections}

I was too hungry to take pictures of all the buffet sections. Basta, if my memory serves me right, there sections are: Japanese (sushi, sashimi, maki), Seafood (crabs, oysters, mussels, scallops…), Grill (lamb, prime rib, pork, chicken), Mediteranean (make your own shawarma), Indian (sorry, I heavily dislike this cuisine so I didn’t bother to look), Pasta (they will cook it for you), Salads (super fresh veggies, fruits, dried fruits, nuts, cheeses), Dessert (cakes, chocolate fountain, pastries, cookies, fruits, ice cream, sorbet), Bread (didn’t bother to check this because I didn’t want to get full on carbs) and Drinks (iced tea, wine).

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{Enzo said I should have at least 5 plates, excluding dessert.}

(3) The 5 things that I liked the most were: lechon— with meat so succulent and tender and skin so crunchy/ salmon sashimi— buttery texture, very fresh/ the salad I made – romaine lettuce, arugula, pecans, dried apricots, smoked salmon, vinaigrette, and blue cheese/ angelhair pasta with fresh tomatoes and mushrooms and olives— very simple, but the sauce was simply superb/ raspberry sorbet— perfect mix of sweet and tart, refreshingly flavorful!

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{Circles rocked except for…}

I can’t think of anything negative to say. We were pretty full and satisfied from it. Si Enzo nga nauna pang nag-tapout kaysa sa akin. Mwahahaha! But wait! (4) Yeah… there’s one thing we didn’t like! Something that Circles should consider changing– the salt and pepper shakers! The colors are so close to the color of the tables that we didn’t notice them until we were already having dessert! HAHAHAHA. May masabi lang! :p Seriously, I couldn’t think of anything negative about my Circles buffet experience.

And what is (5) ?

My maxi dress.

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{one of the very rare moments that I wore a long dress}

It’s my first time to wear a maxi dress. Thanks to all those who liked that picture on Facebook, I am sure to wear more long dresses in the near future. Also, I am sure to go back to Circles. I wanna bring my parents there. Probably on their 33rd wedding anniversary this January 2013. 😉

—–

listening to: Casting Crowns – Lifesong

1 Comment
by Iya Santos on October 5, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 5, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/five-things-about-circles/

Cybercrime Schmibercrime

“I accept that people are going to call me awful things everyday, and I will always defend their right to do so.” – Barack Obama

Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Law is now official. Not sure if it has already INDEED taken effect. I have a lot of things to say but because I don’t wanna go behind bars, this is the only statement I will make about it, and yes, you can even quote me on this—

My comment is “No comment”.

Hay, buti pa si Barack. Eh ‘yung presidente natin– na excuse me hindi ko binoto– errr… okay, Imma shut up now.

Good luck to all of us netizens! =\

—–

listening to: Bob Marley- Get Up, Stand Up

Leave a comment
by Iya Santos on October 3, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Quotes, Social Media
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Posted by Iya Santos on October 3, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/cybercrime-schmibercrime/

From Smoking to Vaping

When one of my friends told me that his cig-consumption decreased from 3 packs a day to 5 sticks a week before of vaping, I thought, “Kung kaya ni Enzo ito, malamang, MAS kaya ko!” I’ve wanted to cut down on smoking and it was hard because of stress. Age old excuse! Fine. I was addicted to nicotine. But there. I was really looking for a way to help me with my addiction. Seriously.

I’ve been smoking since I was 14. I’m 25 30 now. I’ve tried to pause… stop… quit several times and I failed in all attempts.I have a positive feeling about this attempt to minimize (and eventually, quit) though because this time, I REALLY want to kick it to the curb. I bought my e-cig from The Vape Company (Basement Parking, Robinsons Pioneer) two weeks ago.

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{No to smoking. Yes to vaping. An e-cig has an atomizer that turns the liquid into vapor — thus it is called vaping instead of smoking.}

The salesguy asked me several questions about my smoking habits so that he can help me customize the right e-cig for me or what The Vape Company calls Pimp Your Pipe. Apparently, there’s an atomizer for those who are more concerned with the “smoke” than the flavor a.k.a. the hagod sa lalamunan as he perfectly put it hahaha. There are also several kinds of batteries to choose from- the kind that can last for 8hours of continuous usage, or the kind that can last up to 1 1/2 days if you wanna vape like a kapre. There are also a lot of colorful mouthpieces that you can pick– made of acrylic, ceramic, et cetera.

And of course, there are a lot of drips/fluids/juices that you can combine (if you want to, of course) and make the little alchemist in you giddy!

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{little alchemist = me = giddy}

I payed almost 3,000php for my e-cig. I wanted a hotpink e-cig but they only have baby pink, so I chose the silver one instead. The atomizer I chose is for flavor over smoke. The battery, the long lasting one, but not because I wanna vape like a kapre. I just don’t like the thought of having to charge it often. Got a lavender mouthpiece for a delicate (nyahahaha) pop of color. I was undecided on what fluid to use. I wanted something sweet but not fruity. I went with the salesguy’s suggestion- vanilla caramel. Got the one with 11mg of nicotine. FYI: a regular cig has about 1.5 mg of nicotine, so a bottle of drip with 11mg is only equivalent to (maybe) 7 sticks. Plus, it’s dilluted, artificial nicotine. So, chill. 

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{the substance does not have the potential to cause damage to human health unless it is consumed in extremely large quantities or in industrial-strength doses}

After a week, I bought a menthol drip that’s supposed to taste like Marlboro Menthol. When I was still using vanilla caramel, I’d still smoke a stick or two after eating and then vape. But when I started using menthol, I have not smoked nor craved for a cigarette yet. I’ve been yosi-free for 8 days now. So far, so good. At ang kumontra, papatakan ko ng menthol sa eyeball.

If you are one of those e-cig haters…

Do not tell me you’re absolutely sure that this isn’t going to work. And that the ONLY advantage of this is that it allows me to “smoke” in non-smoking places. Let me remind you that you’re not the one living my life. I do not recommend that you use an e-cig if you do not have the necessary will and commitment to say minimize or quit. malamang hindi magwo-work ang kahit ano kung ayaw mo naman talaga tumigil. DUH.  Lastly, e-cig haters, kindly remember the modern-day golden rule– walang basagan ng trip.

—–

Twitter: @thevapecompany

—–

listening to: Nat “King” Cole – L.O.V.E.

8 Comments
by Iya Santos on October 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in All About Me, Good Finds

Posted by Iya Santos on October 1, 2012

https://psychosomaticaddictinsane.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/from-smoking-to-vaping/

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