Number 5: 8tracks App
I was able to load the 8Tracks app on my iPhone. But I think you can also get it from the Android Market as well as the Windows 8 App store. In a nutshell, this app allows you to listen other people's playlists. Think of it as a network of mixed tapes. You choose your music not through the artist or album. But rather, you choose your music based on your mood! You can also choose based on genre. Under the "Explore" button in the app, you can choose between 360 different categories. Some of these random categories include "indie folk," "The Beatles," "badass," "break up," "2000s," and even "Bollywood!" You will be brought to another page that has another set of categories (around 12) to narrow it down. And from there, you are finally brought to the playlists that you can choose from! It's the best app for people who love music on the go but are maybe not too updated with what's new and what's hot. It's an excellent app to help you discover new music -- particularly those great but not-so-known indie artists. It's how I discovered my artists of the month: Ingrid Michaelson! 8Tracks is definitely an app that I cannot live without!
Number 4: Gavino's Japanese Mochi Doughnuts
Yes, cronuts may be the huge food craze right now in Manila. I like them too. But I am currently distracted after I discovered Gavino's Japanese mochi doughnuts. My husband and I were quite curious when we found their stall at Robinsons Manila. What ARE Japanese doughnuts anyway?!?? I was even more intrigued when I saw their price range. Mini mocha balls for only 15 pesos? Doughnuts for only 30 pesos? That's crazy cheap! We didn't have high expectations so just so we can say that we tried them, we got their Red Velvet doughnut and a small mochi ball with the hazelnut topping. My eyes widened after my first bite of the doughnut. Wow! It was pleasantly chewy, moist, not overly sweet and their topping was just delightful! Their topping tasted like the kind that would go on top of a cupcake! It was creamy and I could tell that they were quality ingredients. The mini mochi balls were just as great. Mochi and doughnut fusion? It does work! I loved them so much that we bought a half dozen of the mini mochi balls just for my husband and I. They were all great but the biggest stand out for me was the Almond Cream one. Delicious! I regretted not getting their doughnuts to take home as well. Living in Taguig, the closest Gavino branch to us is in Greenhills or Rustans, Katipunan. :-(
Number 3: Metropolitan Museum of Manila
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Going to museums is an activity that my husband and I both enjoy. Whenever we travel, we make it a point to include visiting a museum as part of our itinerary. So it's such a shame when we came into the realization that here in Manila, we've really only been to two of the museums! I've been to the Ayala Museum twice and the National Museum just once. That's about it!
When the floods receded, we immediately made a plan of going to a museum that I've just read about in one of the local travel magazines. It's the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. This museum mostly showcases contemporary Filipino art -- may it be paintings, sculptures, artifacts or installations. With the Bangko Sentral, they also have a permanent exhibit of pre-Hispanic gold and pottery collections. When we were there, they also had a temporary exhibit titled "50 Years of Korean Contemporary Printmaking."
In comparison to the other museums in Southeast Asia that we have visited, the Metropolitan Museum is not bad at all! Definitely way better than Vietnam or Kota Kinabalu's museums. It was very clean and well-maintained! It has that distinct old smell though. I can't quite describe it. But the likes of CCP, the National Museum, and other old buildings here have that same scent. It's not completely bothersome. Just quite distinctive. As for the actual exhibit, I'm not exaggerating when I say that the museum completely restored my faith in the Filipino. I can't help but feel disappointed and frustrated after the whole Napoles, Pork Barrel scam discussion all over the news. After seeing the display of art and paintings by young artists (on the main floor), I was just blown away. Not only was their ability and execution impressive, but I was blown away by the depth and sophistication of their message communicated through their work! Very nice. I have to admit though, I wasn't a huge fan of the installations on the second floor. Some of them just went for the shock factor rather than wanting to educate. Otherwise, it was a nice hour and a half spent at the museum for the both of us. I hope that we, Filipinos, can support these cultural establishments more. Apart from my husband and I, there were only 3 other foreigners that were there on a Saturday. Quite sad.
The entrance is only 100 pesos per person. Cameras are not allowed inside. Their museum hours are: Monday-Saturday from 9 am-6 pm and closed on Sundays, holidays and every first Monday of the month.
Number 2: "Lie to Me" TV Series
Source: http://chiasuanchong.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/lie-to-me.jpg
First off, let me preface that this series is now a goner. It ran from 2009 to 2011, leaving us with only 48 episodes in total. I just recently discovered this series, thanks to the recommendation tab on my Netflix app on the iPad.
The whole series revolves around the Lightman Group -- inspired by the real Paul Ekman who study people's faces and their micro expressions to determine whether they're telling the truth or not. Apparently, there's a science to it. So in the series, the Lightman group, led by the cheeky and arrogant Cal Lightman, investigates various cases from terrorist attacks to murder, fraud, etc. in order to discover the truth in each one of them. It's really like The Mentalist but somehow different. They're entertaining, just the same. And I can't get enough of series like these. Meanwhile, let me try what I learned from this series to check whether my husband is, indeed, telling the truth when he responds and says I'm not fat. LOL :-)
Number 1: Royal Touch's Red Velvet Cupcake
My search for the best Red Velvet cupcake is over. This is it. I declare Royal Touch's Red Velvet Cupcake as THE best in Manila or the best that I have ever tasted in my life. Period. Or maybe an exclamation mark would be more suitable? :-) I couldn't ask for more. The cake is super moist and the icing is creamy. It's not very sweet. It tastes indulgent, alright. But not so heavy that I had that "ick," "I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that-cupcake-now-look-at-my-thighs" guilt factor mixed in there. Purrrfect! It's only 75 pesos. Go to SM Aura (basement) now and try it for yourself! I've had some "recruits" who got to try it and agree with me as well. It's not hype. It's not exaggeration. Believe me. :-)
