#That table made me think of Leche Flan and now I want Leche Flan.

[screwpinecaprice]

Friday: Game Night

Victory over an overconfident opponent!

Personal connverse week for an anonymous Ko-fi tipper! Prompts, details, and polaroid border effect also by anon.

[birdsofhands]

03/16/2024

it's a sunday morning. i know that there's a really huge gap from my last entry and for that i hope it's okay. i hope you understand.

today, at around 12pm, i am sitting at my desktop computer writing about what seemed like an epiphany: i am alive in a perfect day, as if it's already a memory. no. the day was so beautiful and perfect that i knew i would wish to go back to it many years after. i'm quite ashamed to write right now but i figured i had to. [i was reading murakami and his writing was so beautiful it puts me to shame, he's a weirdo, too]

i was rereading one of my favorite books: kafka on the shore. i am on page 308. i'm sitting on this monoblock chair under the now, still small, but provides ample shade tree, a round table beside me with my perfectly made iced coffee. a pen and some tabs to annotate my book. it was a perfect slow morning. there's a faint sound of a lyre being played from the neighbors, the air through which it travels in is laced with the sweet smell of sugar being melted, a reminder that my mother is at the kitchen, making leche flans, her favorite dessert to make. and suddenly i had this strange thought [ it's not really strange to me now since ever since i was a kid, i've always become stupidly miserable over the subject of time and how it passes so quickly and how we're all victims of it no matter who and where we are. no body escapes the claws of time. perhaps the book i was reading also influenced and heightened this feeling. anyways. im straying away again. what i wanted to say is that, at one instant, like flashing lights blinded me, i thought about this moment, this wonderful fleeting and impactful moment of my life, and an image occurred to me: it was me, old and aging, wise through time and hardships, hopefully happy and content and lived a full life in spite of myself, remembering this moment. and how much i would want to go back to this certain place. this certain time, which in that moment doesn't exist anymore.

and so, i used this as leverage, as a gift to my future self, the old wrinkled me. i went back in time. i pictured myself going back in time, i am an old woman, this moment has gone and faded in the core memories of my life but it's there glowing like daylight of the dawn of my life. and i look at the yellow glazed surroundings. i remember thinking, and here is our old house, this small tree, this round table, this steel matting gate of the neighbors, this kubo, and my mother is still alive. she's cooking in the kitchen, the sweet smell of sugar melting engulfs the air. it's a simple sunday morning, sounds of digs and birds and chickens all around. and beyond that the faint rustle of the leaves swaying with a sound of a lyre playing. under the kubo is loki, gray eyed grumpy lovely fat cat that i adored so much. AND I'M HERE AGAIN. i am back. i made myself go back in time. i let my self experience it again. i went inside the house and helped my mother a little. inside the house was our house. in 2024. the sweet smell heightened as i go back. i stepped inside the newly cleaned white tiled floors and remembered i was still wearing my crocs. i took a step back. my sister was standing at the steps looking at me as if judging my stupid ministrations, as if trying to figure out what im on about again. she's fixing her face. her boyfriend will come. i walked inside with my feet kissing the smooth cold tiles. my grandmother was there too. it's been a while. the kitchen was a mess. it reminds me of when i was much younger and there's something to celebrate. the air was warm. i am at peace. i am back at the house. i am 23 again. life is well.

as i was writing this on my desktop i was searching for a song to accompany me because somehow i couldn't get myself to write. it has been my greatest issue as of late. i wanted to write. i wanted to document every little thing that has happened in the pas few weeks and months. i wanted to tell you that i saw a video of a white blood cell nirpicking the cells to protect the body and how that simple video changed something inside me. it made me kinder to myself. i wish i could srite about it. i want to write about itm about everything. but whenever i try, it doesn't come out the way i wanted it to. but i guess that's just how writing is supposed to bem not everything can and should be translated into words. BUT HOW ELSE AM I TO KEEP THIS? i wanted to preserve this memory. this time frame. i want to keep a remnant of myself during this era. i want to meet me again once im older.bi know i will never be like this again. i want to preserve this. me. this moment. this time of my life. of confusion and answers and calm and storm and slowly learning. i am pretty too. i think i am in my most beautiful era. lol. my hair is long, i have a bangs, my hair has a good volume, it's wavy at the ends.

okay i strayed so far from what i was gonna say but here it is. i found this video on youtube. i think it's a gem. it's perfect for the mood i was in, look at the sunlight. that was what this day felt like. i love this life in spite of everything that has happened. i love this life.

[swatheford]

melody

(swatheford short #4) it’s only 10:56 PM where i am so it’s technically still mercado’s birthday! i got really carried away writing this one because i’m filipino so a lot of this came from personal experience and just hit really close to home! there’s a version for both eli and ella, hope y’all enjoy! (wc: 1k)

translations: anak - child / tita - aunt / lolo - grandfather / lola - grandmother

Eli

A bright yellow dress shirt and black dress pants laid on the edge of a small bed. There was chatter downstairs but the little boy paid no attention. His raven locks were gelled into a formal hairstyle, framing his round face. He puffed his cheeks, brows drawn into petulance. He sat in the green beanbag, swinging his legs while staring at the outfit with disdain.

“Eli? Are you ready?” Jennifer called out, the door clicked open and appeared a very disappointed woman. After a glance at her son who was still clad in pajamas, she clicked her tongue and lifted the fabric. “Elijah, put it on. They’re going to arrive any second now.”

“I don’t want to,” he huffed as his mom took a seat next to him.

“Why not? Tita Michelle made this for you!”

“It’s itchy,” he pushes away the shirt with a stubborn frown.

“Only for a few hours, anak. It’s your birthday, you have to dress up.” She pleaded with her child, desperation in her eyes. 

“If it’s my birthday, why can’t I wear what I want?” Eli quipped back with a toothless smile.

“You’ve been spending too much time with your Lolo,” Jennifer sighs and gets back on her feet. The shirt is intentionally left behind and she gives one more warning.

“Come to the living room in five minutes unless you want Dad on your case too, hm?” The door shuts and the child knew he had no choice. 

-

Eli reluctantly made his way to the living room and saw guests piled upon couches and trailing into the small kitchen. The dining table was packed with plates stacked with food from noodles, fried rice, to beef. His lips pulled into a grin and he turned to the table against the wall where purple cake sat upon a stand. Ube, his favorite flavor. He looked around at the crowd, friends and family alike, and debated his options. The frosting looked rather tempting…surely no one would notice.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Maybe next time. Eli looked up to see his brother, David, in a simple shirt and jeans but a proud look on his face.

“Go away.”

“I’m telling mom,” he boasted as if it were a prize but he clutched his arm. David swatted away his hand.

“I didn’t touch it!” “I saw you touch it!” Eli frowned and began to tear up to which David groaned.

“Fine, but you can’t do that every time!” Immediately, he wipes his eyes with a triumphant giggle. Youngest sibling privilege. David walks away, refilling his cup with soda. “By the way, your outfit is ugly.” “Your face is ugly!” He stuck out his tongue, catching his father’s stern glance. 

“The celebration just started and you’re already fighting with David?” A man chuckled. His Lolo welcomed him with a warm hug and brushed the hair out of his face. He held a warm glint in his eyes as he watched him with admiration.

“He started it!” 

“Sure he did,” Lolo takes his small hand into his and leads him towards the dishes. He grabs a plate and begins to get him food. “You’re getting so big now! Nine years old, next thing you know you’ll be helping mom and dad at work.”

He laughs, tip toeing to get a peek at the meal. Lolo stops by the leche flan before his son in law calls out, “Not too much, you’ll get hyper.” 

The moment he’s out of earshot, Lolo adds a little bit more and passes the plate to his grandson.

-

The crowd claps politely as Eli jumps off the piano bench, returning to sit by his dad. David pushes in the bench and places a foot on the pedal before playing. His younger brother winces as his fingers run away from the melody and notes that shouldn’t belong together clash. 

But the crowd fails to hear it. After three excruciatingly long minutes, the piano goes silent and everyone cheers as if he were Mozart. They begin to shower him with compliments which he takes too eagerly and Eli rolls his eyes. “You messed up.” “Whatever, you couldn’t play it if you tried.” David taunted and his mind had been made up. Even at the age of nine, he would never pass up a competition; especially if he knew he’d win. Eli swings off the sofa and returns to the bench, lowering its height. 

“You don’t even have the music!” David sneers, but he knew he didn’t need it. Despite being five years younger than him, Eli had a knack for music and was seemingly an expert. 

He quietly hummed the melody, swaying his head to the rhythm before reciting the piece from memory and with additional stylistic flair to the notes. 

The crowd claps again, not nearly as loud as they were for David, but the shellshocked expression on his face was all the validation he needed.

-

The party winds down well into the night and his eyes felt heavy from the sugar crash. Eli stood by the doorway with his parents, wishing farewell to the guests. Lolo and Lola were the last ones to leave, lingering by the door and slipping on their shoes. Lola presses a lipstick stained kiss to both of her grandchild’s cheeks and Lolo kneels down to his height, “I hope you like the gift.”

The minute their car drives away, he rushes towards the pile of presents and hurriedly tears away the gift wrap. He gasped at the sight of the new music book, packed to the brim with sheet music for the piano. There’s a sticky note on one of the pages, undoubtedly his Lolo’s writing- ‘Play this one for me next time I visit.’

Eli runs to the piano, songbook in hand before getting swept up by his dad for bedtime.

-

-

Ella

-

-

A bright yellow dress laid on the edge of a small bed. There was chatter downstairs but the little girl paid no attention. Her thin, raven locks were pulled into two braids on both sides of her round face. She puffed her cheeks, brows drawn into petulance. She sat in the green beanbag, swinging her legs while staring at the dress with disdain.

“Ella? Are you ready?” Jennifer called out, the door clicked open and appeared a very disappointed woman. After a glance at her daughter who was still clad in pajamas, she clicked her tongue and lifted the shiny fabric. “Eleanor, put on the dress. They’re going to arrive any second now.”

“I don’t want to,” she huffed as her mom took a seat next to her.

“Why not? Tita Michelle made this for you!”

“It’s itchy,” she pushes away the skirt with a stubborn frown.

“Only for a few hours, anak. It’s your birthday, you have to dress up.” She pleaded with her child, desperation in her eyes. 

“If it’s my birthday, why can’t I wear what I want?” Ella quipped back with a toothless smile.

“You’ve been spending too much time with your Lolo,” Jennifer sighs and gets back on her feet. The dress is intentionally left behind and she gives one more warning.

“Come to the living room in five minutes unless you want Dad on your case too, hm?” The door shuts and the child knew she had no choice. 

-

Ella reluctantly made her way to the living room and saw guests piled upon couches and trailing into the small kitchen. The dining table was packed with plates stacked with food from noodles, fried rice, to beef. Her lips pulled into a grin and she turned to the table against the wall where purple cake sat upon a stand. Ube, her favorite flavor. She looked around at the crowd, friends and family alike, and debated her options. The frosting looked rather tempting…surely no one would notice.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Maybe next time. Ella looked up to see her brother, David, in a simple shirt and jeans but a proud look on his face.

“Go away.”

“I’m telling mom,” he boasted as if it were a prize but she clutched his arm. David swatted away her hand.

“I didn’t touch it!” “I saw you touch it!” Ella frowned and began to tear up to which David groaned.

“Fine, but you can’t do that every time!” Immediately, she wipes her eyes with a triumphant giggle. Youngest sibling privilege. David walks away, refilling his cup with soda. “By the way, your dress is ugly.” “Your face is ugly!” She stuck out her tongue, catching her father’s stern glance. 

“The celebration just started and you’re already fighting with David?” A man chuckled. Her Lolo welcomed her with a warm hug and brushed the bangs out of her face. He held a warm glint in his eyes as she watched him with admiration.

“He started it!” 

“Sure he did,” Lolo takes her small hand into his and leads her towards the dishes. He grabs a plate and begins to get her food. “You’re getting so big now! Nine years old, next thing you know you’ll be helping mom and dad at work.”

She laughs, tip toeing to get a peek at the meal. Lolo stops by the leche flan before his son in law calls out, “Not too much, you’ll get hyper.” 

The moment he’s out of earshot, Lolo adds a little bit more and passes the plate to his granddaughter.

-

The crowd claps politely as Ella jumps off the piano bench, returning to sit by her dad. David pushes in the bench and places a foot on the pedal before playing. His younger sister winces as his fingers run away from the melody and notes that shouldn’t belong together clash. 

But the crowd fails to hear it. After three excruciatingly long minutes, the piano goes silent and everyone cheers as if he were Mozart. They begin to shower him with compliments which he takes too eagerly and Ella rolls her eyes. “You messed up.” “Whatever, you couldn’t play it if you tried.” David taunted and her mind had been made up. Even at the age of nine, she would never pass up a competition; especially if she knew she’d win. Ella swings off the sofa and returns to the bench, lowering its height. 

“You don’t even have the music!” David sneers, but he knew she didn’t need it. Despite being five years younger than him, Ella had a knack for music and was seemingly an expert. 

She quietly hummed the melody, swaying her head to the rhythm before reciting the piece from memory and with additional stylistic flair to the notes. 

The crowd claps again, not nearly as loud as they were for David, but the shellshocked expression on his face was all the validation she needed.

-

The party winds down well into the night and her eyes felt heavy from the sugar crash. Ella stood by the doorway with her parents, wishing farewell to the guests. Lolo and Lola were the last ones to leave, lingering by the door and slipping on their shoes. Lola presses a lipstick stained kiss to both of her grandchild’s cheeks and Lolo kneels down to her height, “I hope you like the gift.”

The minute their car drives away, she rushes towards the pile of presents and hurriedly tears away the gift wrap. She gasped at the sight of the new music book, packed to the brim with sheet music for the piano. There’s a sticky note on one of the pages, undoubtedly her Lolo’s writing- ‘Play this one for me next time I visit.’

Ella runs to the piano, songbook in hand before getting swept up by her dad for bedtime.

-

i adore little mercado so much, this was such a fun one for me to write! hopefully it was a fun read and y’all enjoyed it! thanks for reading! :)

[12b-nondo-blog]

Set Free

William Sendo

I’m never allowed to go to ‘foreign’ places without my driver.

Growing up, I have always been accustomed to being fetched either by my parents or my driver. It was only when I entered De La Salle University last grade 11 when I was taught how to commute. There’s a catch though. My mom said that she I am only allowed to commute only when it is an emergency. Believe it or not, I do not even have Grab downloaded on my phone. Never have I ridden a Public Utility Vehicle alone. I always had to be accompanied by someone that I know.

One odd thing is that, mom does not let my driver accompany me to a place that we seldomly go to. Basically, the only places that my driver is allowed to accompany me is to anywhere in Makati City, Bonifacio Global City, Pasay and/or Taft. I have to admit; my driver really is bad when it comes to navigating unknown places. You might ask, why won’t my driver just use GPS applications like Waze or Google Maps? Simple answer. The ability to connect to the internet is very expensive. This made my trip going to Binondo delayed, and sketchy. If I tell my parents that I have to go to Binondo, they would probably suggest that they would come with me. But, where’s the fun in that?

I had to create a plan. To a relief, it wasn’t that hard. I just had to find a friend to come with me and accompany me in commuting. And so luckily, I had found Jericho and Joseph. Jericho had a restaurant near Binondo. I saw this as an opportunity I cannot pass. Joseph however, gave me a counter-offer to come with me to Binondo. Being very passionate about cinema and photography, Joseph, together with his PracRes groupmates, asked me if I could help them create a film for their thesis. The good thing is that, the location of the film was only in Arroceros forest park. The said place was only a few steps away from LRT Central Station; which was also just a station away from Carriedo Station – the closest station to Binondo and Jericho’s restaurant. What a perfect combination. We set March 9, 2019 as the day we execute this plan.

Aside from the Binondo trip, I was supposed to go to my friends’ party in BGC. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would be able to go since I did expect that this day would be filled with everything academics related. I expected that I would be really tired by the end of the day and I also prepared myself to not feel sad just in case I wouldn’t be able to go. Besides, academics first right?

I told my parents that I had classes on a Saturday; thus, classes will start at 7:30am – 5pm. I didn’t tell them that I had a birthday party later on the night, since neither was I sure if I would even have the chance to attend it.

I was off to school at 6:30 in the morning with my driver. He dropped me off and I told him to fetch me at 5 in the afternoon. I arrived at school 7:00. I waited for Joseph until 7:30am. We rode a jeepney going to Arroceros Park as we cannot take the LRT since Joseph had a toy gun that would soon be important for the film. Admittedly, I was pretty nervous. As far as I can remember, the last time I rode a jeepney was about 5 years ago with my mother. Filming started at 8 AM and ended at around 12:30 PM. The plan was to go back to La Salle to drop off our stuff. We booked a Grab going back to school.

We arrived back at school at 1AM. I texted Jericho that we were already in school. He promised us the day before that we would go together to Binondo. He wasn’t replying to any of my texts and messages in Messenger.

1:00 PM – 1:14 (Me)

Jericho, san ka na?

(sent this multiple times)

1:15 PM – (Jericho)

***o, kagigising ko lang. Sabi ko sa inyo gisingin niyo ako.

No one told me that texting already had a built-in alarm that you could send to anybody. This conversation basically just repeated until 2AM. He was very late. I started thinking about my friend’s debut. The party is 5 hours away. Binondo to BGC? Will I make it on time?

We took the LRT going to Carriedo station. I trusted Jericho so much. He told us that he lives near the place and that he is very familiar with it. Contrary to this, he was very confused on where to go when we arrived there. We walked around this market full of unusual (well, at least for me) objects. This included: airsoft guns, sex toys, knives and stalls selling/offering fake ID/documents services. We came to a point that he admitted he did not know where he was going anymore. Joseph, being the braver guy in our company, asked some of the locals where Sta. Cruz Street was.

We arrived at Kim Hiong: Food Garden at around 3 pm. His grandfather sat on the cashier half asleep. Jericho gave a kiss to his grandfather while we proceeded to our table. The walls were painted and green and were filled with old pictures of their menu. In my opinion, the restaurant may have looked a bit cheap because of the plastic tables and chairs. The servers welcomed us warmly. One of the managers then approached us to give us the menu.

Ah ito pala mga kasama ni sir! Said the manager.

The menu was crumbling. It looked like they didn’t even bother reprinting the menu since the store opened decades ago. I happen to ask Jericho when they started this restaurant. There I found out that they weren’t really the first owners of the restaurant. Jericho told me that they purchased and renovated the restaurant about 10 years ago. I’m still hopeful that the food will be good. We weren’t able to choose our own food. We actually let Jericho pick his favorite from the menu. Besides, he was going to be the one to pay for the food anyways.

They first serve us Beef Stew soup. I get to be the first one to have a taste. Jericho waited anxiously for my review whether or not I liked it. Was it good? YES. The soup was warm and was mixed properly. I just wish that they should have at least put some beef bits in it. They soon serve us Beef Shrimp Fried noodles. The noodles were good. Maybe I give it a 8/10 for a score. It was fine but I got satiated really fast. The serving itself looked like they just poured the noodles in. Lastly, they served us Fried Wonton. In my opinion, the fried wanton did not taste good. One of the reasons that I hated it was because for me, it did not taste like Wanton. For me it tasted more like Chicharon – and I hate the taste of Chicharon.

4:00 pm – We finished eating. Before leaving the place, we noticed that Jericho’s picture when he was young eating was posted outside the restaurant. It was literally the center piece of all of the advertisements. We found it very funny and decided to take a picture with it.

We started walking to Binondo. Even though Jericho’s place is basically Chinatown already, we still wanted to experience what it was really to be like in Binondo. Weird but, I’ve been to other countries’ Chinatowns more than the number of times I’ve been in Binondo - well, this is my first time in Binondo. I already had some ideas and expectations of what we will be able to see in Binondo.

I expected that it Binondo would have a lot of stores – especially those stores that sell herbal medicines. Indeed, we actually saw a store selling those stuff. Personally, as someone who prefers prescribed medicines over DIY herbal medicines, I find it quite weird to see Chinese herbal stores. I asked Jericho why they love selling different types of herbs, and he told me that the Chinese have a lot of beliefs when it comes to the benefits that different herbs bring.

Next, we visited this lucky charm store. The store was full of gold items, gems, lucky chrms and many more and plus, they differed in sizes. My personal favorite was a globe that was made out of (fake) gold. I really loved how it looked like. I personally don’t believe in lucky charms, but I have to admit that the amount of work put into these items are phenomenal.

The third store that we went to was this specific store that sold Chinese delicacies. Jericho brought us there because he wanted us to taste his favorite snack/dessert there. He brought us to the side of the mini-grocery wherein the Almond Jelly were to be found. The Almond Jelly looked like a white Leche Flan. I personally did not like the taste since it reminded me of the scent that my dad loves to put in our car. It was that specific smell that you would smell from an item that stayed in the car for a long amount of time.

Lastly, we went to Binondo Church. Outside, I was really amazed of the old architecture. When we went inside, I was astonished of the painting on the ceiling of the church. It’s really uncommon to see painting on the ceilings in churches here in the Philippines. That’s something I only see in churches abroad. Of course, I offered a prayer before leaving. I prayed that I would be able to catch up to my friend’s birthday.

It was already 5:15pm when we arrived back in La Salle. My driver was already there since I did tell him to fetch me at 5pm. Now, I had the choice. I was really tired, smelled bad and wasn’t even wearing party clothes at least. Will I still go to her party?

I hope she understands why I wasn’t able to go. I technically did it for academics. The Binondo trip was really something special. Not because of we are required to go there for CNF, but what I have experienced with my friends. Casing point, having to make your own decisions felt so amazing. The spontaneous decisions that I have made me feel that I was set free. From going somewhere I’m really not supposed to go to (alone), to riding PUVs even though I’m not allowed to, to eating food that I’ve never really tasted before, to going inside stores I normally never bother to even look at or to simply just going to a Church with my friends. And that is what I traveling should be, go where your feet could take you and try to keep it as spontaneous as it can be.

[thehungrykat1]

Novotel Manila Welcomes Summer With Opening of Ice N Cream (Part 2)

Summers in the Philippines are excruciatingly hot. They say that you can even fry an egg outside just by placing it on a hot concrete floor, and I totally believe that. So what’s the best way to cool and refresh ourselves during these sizzling summer months? Let’s have ice cream! Novotel Manila Araneta Center has the perfect solution to our problems as they open the newest and hippest ice cream parlor in the city, Ice N Cream by Novotel. The Hungry Kat was invited to the media launch of Ice N Cream last April 11, just two days after I had checked out from my summer staycation at Novotel Manila. It was great to be back at my new secret hideaway in Cubao and try all these fantastic ice cream flavors. 

But before that, let’s get back to my overnight staycation at Novotel Manila (read part 1 here) where I found another way to beat the summer heat. Their Swimming Pool is located on the sixth floor and is open from 6:00am to 7:00pm. I did not imagine this hidden tropical oasis sitting right here inside the busy Araneta Center, so it was so refreshing to get my feet wet and take a dip inside their lovely pool.

Families will definitely enjoy bringing their kids to the swimming pool for a morning or afternoon of fun and bonding. They can also learn essential swimming skills this summer through the Bert Lozada Swim School from March 29 to June 19, 2017. Kids and even adults can have sessions of learning and fun before the school season starts again.

I wanted to avoid the crowds so I decided to hit the swimming pool early in the morning after I woke up from my relaxing slumber. My massage service at In Balance Spa last night was really effective and it was so tempting to just lie in bed all morning, but I also wanted to take a quick swim.

Just beside the pool is the 6th Pool Bar and Lounge. This is a casual pool bar by day but it transforms into the trendiest outdoor club at night. Guests can groove to the beats of the resident DJ and experience a pool party during weekends and special events.

I just love having the pool all to myself which is why I usually wake up very early to catch this serenity. After a few laps around the pool, my tummy was already telling me that it was time to head down to Food Exchange for a yummy breakfast buffet. 

Food Exchange Manila offers its breakfast buffet from 6:30am to 10:30am. Guests at the Club floors can actually have their breakfast either here or at the more private Premier Lounge, but I always like the wider selection at the hotel cafe so this is where I usually have breakfast first. I did have an indulgent dinner last night so I really needed their Juice of the Day to keep my appetite healthy.

A wide selection of breads and pastries are available like the Ube Ensaymada which is a highly recommended item. Early risers can also get as much Puto Bumbong as they want as well as crepes, salads, fruits and more.

They also offer a good range of hot dishes like the Homemade Corned Beef which is a thicker and meatier version of those canned items. The Canadian Bacon was also a popular dish with its low fat bacon. I had some fried eggs prepared which I placed on top of my garlic rice and that was all I needed. Noodles and even pizza are also on hand with several juices and beverages to choose from.

After my breakfast at Food Exchange, I went up to the Premier Lounge to check out the breakfast setup there. The lounge is a better venue for those who want a quiet and more private breakfast experience. While the selection may be smaller, you get a much better view of the city. As expected, I could not help myself from having a second breakfast so I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and helped myself with a plate from the buffet table. That is how The Hungry Kat enjoys breakfast.

The best thing about staying at the Executive Room is that you can request for late check out as long as it is available. My check out was scheduled at 4:00pm so that gave me even more time to explore the hotel facilities. The one area that really impressed me at the hotel is their expansive bridal garden and tent called the Versailles Garden. This 2,500-square meter outdoor events venue can be found at the back of the swimming pool area and offers a spectacular place for weddings and celebrations. Many special occasions have been held at this venue which gives its guests an exclusive and enchanting area.

Would you believe that this picturesque garden paradise can be found right inside Cubao? I would have never thought that a place like this even existed here at the Araneta Center but Novotel Manila has definitely transformed the way we see this busy commercial district.

Novotel Manila is even taking it one step further this summer with outdoor movie screenings and garden picnics at the Versailles Garden all weekends of April starting April 15. Take a break and bond with family and friends while watching exciting movies at this outdoor oasis.

Another reason to visit Novotel Manila Araneta Center is the newly opened Ice N Cream by Novotel located at the lobby floor just beside Food Exchange Manila. The newest ice cream destination started scooping to the public yesterday, April 16, 2017 and gives everyone the coolest and sweetest reasons to beat the smoldering summer heat.

This hip ice cream parlor is not just for hotel guests but for anyone who wants to get out from the heat and enjoy their fun and creative ice cream flavors. There are around 30 different and unique ice cream flavors to choose from which you can enjoy on a cup or cone starting at only P100 per scoop. I think that’s much better than going to those crowded coffee shop for a cup of coffee that is twice as expensive.

Novotel’s ice cream are made from premium local and imported ingredients from Germany and France. These are all homemade and gluten-free, with less sugar and absolutely no stabilizers, resulting in a very creamy texture with high quality and consistency. Some of these flavors, like the Purple Dream with ube and langka, are found at the dessert section of Food Exchange Manila but diners loved these so much that Novotel decided to set up their own ice cream store.

Ice N Cream by Novotel showcases many creative and yummy flavors like Cocoyeah, creamy coconut milk mixed with slivers of young coconut meat; Breezy Berry, a mélange of berries married with the cool breeze of mint; or Sugar-Free options like Oh Honey Honey, local lime zing blended with Tagaytay honey. 

Other Philippine flavors are also highlighted like the Leche De Almond with its velvety leche flan crowned with crunchy Almond Florentine. The Passionista, on the other hand, has a pleasantly sweet and tart silky passionfruit goodness.

Ice N Cream by Novotel also offers classic flavors with catchy names such as Oui Vanilla, Choco Goes Nuts, It Match-a Been Love, and Wake Me Up Before You Go Go which has rich notes of coffee with real coffee bean crunch. They even have alcoholic ice cream flavors like Kirsche Me, a black forest ice cream with high quality couverture chocolate and sponge infused with fruity Kirsch brandy. Or try the Papa Don Preach with plump, juicy raisins enhanced with a kick of warmth from rum. All these exciting flavors are sure to keep ice cream fanatics coming back for more.

During the media launch last week, I was privileged to be one of the first to sample their myriad of delicious flavors. I ordered two scoops of ice cream on a cone with Choco Goes Nuts and Oui Vanilla flavors. I was really surprised with the creaminess of the ice cream which are almost similar to other imported ice cream brands. Novotel Manila takes pride in their homemade ice cream flavors and I can attest to the quality of their creations.

Guests can also choose to have their ice cream inside a cup for the same affordable price. You can also add toppings to your ice cream to personalize your treat.

Aside from the yummy ice cream offerings, Ice N Cream by Novotel also features freshly made pastries and baked favorites like Buko Pandan Layer Cake, Coconut Cheesecake, Chocolate Praline Cake, Croissant, Danish breads, Double Chocolate Chip cookies and much more. They also offer milkshakes and Carmen’s Best ice cream flavors for even more variety.

One ice cream monstrosity that is available at the Gourmet Bar by Novotel is the 15-scoop Le Mont Gourmand which is now also available at Ice N Cream. Media guests were invited to participate in a fun ice cream challenge to design and create their own bowl of Le Mont Gourmand. 

We had all these toppings, syrups and sauces at our disposal to create the best and most creative bowl of Le Mont Gourmand ice cream. It was not as easy as I thought because this bowl is huge! We also had to act quickly because the ice cream was melting fast.

Here it is! Presenting our own Le Mont Gourmand. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to win the top prize but we did have fun sharing and devouring this colorful bowl of ice cream.

Here’s another great treat from Novotel Manila. From April 16 to 29, 2017, Ice N Cream by Novotel will be having a Buy 1 Take 1 offer for the purchase of one scoop of any ice cream flavor (diner pays for the higher priced ice cream flavor). What’s more, if you are social media savvy and aspiring “IT” girls and guys, you can join the search for the Novotel iScreamers: The Ice N Cream Dream Team. Simply follow Novotel Manila’s Facebook page and look for their Ice N Cream contest video (here’s the link). Share on the comments why you should be part of Novotel iScreamers and take your shot to be part of the lucky five to win exciting prizes such as a year’s supply of ice cream at Ice N Cream by Novotel, one overnight stay in an Executive Suite with breakfast and Premier Lounge access similar to my summer staycation, exclusive passes to product tasting, events and new flavor launches, plus a meet and greet with the Bb. Pilipinas Candidates on April 28, 2017 during the Ice N Cream grand launching! Check out the full contest details here.

I never thought that I would enjoy having a staycation at Cubao, but everything during my stay at Novotel Manila Araneta Center has been magical. It has been a while since I last stayed in the Cubao district, but Novotel Manila has truly transformed the way I see Araneta Center and I’m sure this is the case for other travelers as well. Other higher priced luxury hotels may be more popular in Makati or at Roxas Boulevard, but Novotel Manila is now my favorite secret hideaway this side of the city.

Novotel Manila Araneta Center

Gen. Aguinaldo Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City

990-7888

www.novotel.com/Manila

www.facebook.com/NovotelManilaAranetaCenter