JIJF Lutong Bahay ni Inay - Home of Yummiliciuos Crispy Pata in Candelaria

Flashback to October 2014... In the nook of a subdivision in Candelaria province of Quezon a home is built and turned into a restaurant serving the best tasting crispy pata. It was the best and yummiest crispy pata I've ever had. I forgot to post about it, thank you facebook for reminding me. Here's our photo at Lutong Bahay ni Inay.

 

 Crispy Pata seemed like boneless and very crispy. If my memory serves me right, it costs around Php400. But the price is worth it. So try it! 

 

JD at 2

Going Back

Am I that too busy to forget Mind Speaks? :( I didn't even post something on here since when? Oh so sorry. So many things had happened and it's hard to go back. I have a main blog which I make sure I update regularly, so might as well check on it and see if you can find something interesting. This is the I Just Opine. And this is already 6 years old ;) Imagine that! I get to keep it for long, my online diary.

Perhaps I would need to change my niche, what about making this blog as the trending blog, I mean posting topics that are trending, or videos right? Hmmm.... But I need time, a lot of time to maintain this, as well as the I Just Opine and Bloma I Am the Mama.

Meantime, let this post be the first 2014 post. :D

Till then,

 

Wow Lubao Int'l Hot Air Balloon Festival 2014

***Flashback to April 2014*** Six months had past already, and it's only now that I remember to post about my first experience to see giant balloons on air last March 29, 2015. It was JD's first too, and I think it's Jay's either. SO our first! Thank you to my in-laws for allowing us to use the 5 tickets they bought :D Tickets were good for all day pass. The ticket's price is Php250.00 per head. Pricey right? Before the event started, we roamed and prowled around the area first. There were various booths selling various products. There was the Zoocobia too, the zoo where we went last year, they were selling birds and other animals. There were giant slide, JD took her chance to play for Php100.00. While the giant balloons were in the air, there was a show narrating and entertaining the public.... I think there was a fireworks too, but we didn't wait for it na as it was getting late na for us and will be hard to move out from the parking area due to the volume of cars. It's really hard to tell a story, so let the pictures below do it for you ;)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Before the event started, JD took a chance to play in this giant slide[/caption]

Allen Premium Outlet - Where You Can Find Branded Items at Lowest Prices

Nowhere to go, didn't know what are the nice place to spend weekends with. Fortunately, we were with a lady who knows about outlet mall, where branded items are sold at the cheapest prices. We researched what is the nearest outlet mall here in Dallas. And we found Allen Outlet Mall. Below is the map from Holiday Inn where we stay.

From Mockingbird station, we bought our all day DART pass for $5.00. It took us 1 1/2 hours traveling by train. Why that long? Because it was our first and we didn't exactly know how to get there except with the help of that map above.

 

From Mockingbird to Parker Road (Red Line) and we were looking for a Blue Line train but there wasn't at Parker Road, so we went back to Plano and found no blue line again, rode back again heading Parker Road again :D 

Here we are by the way.

   

We were lost! We were actually looking for a train that will bring us to North Hub. We're confused, so we decided to ask from one of the passengers (looks like Mexican). Then he told us to go to Parker Road (where we first went down) and from there ride a bus, no need to ride a train again. Thank you for your help. We finally reached Parker Road which is the finish line, headed towards the information and asked about how to reach the Allen Outlet Mall, from which according to them, we need to ride a blue bus which will depart at 12nn. We're only a minute to chase the bus on time! Fortunately, we're on time. We hopped in the blue bus, paid $1.00. And again, went down and rode another blue bus again that brought us to Allen Outlet Mall.

We roughly had almost 2 hours of travel.

First stop was Coach, wow! Coach. My first time ;) And here's what welcomed us. I didn't buy, although the price are great, from $380 to $160 (+ 8.25% tax), and etc. It was fun looking at the items albeit I didn't buy. No penny :(

Then afterwards, headed to Gap Kids, Lacoste, and Nike.

Shoes ranged from$49 the cheapest. I bought my friend a Nike Shox amounting to $89.99, not bad? If only I have lots of money, then I would come back home full of items from the outlet mall hehe.

The weather was bad, we can't endure the cold weather. We left the place at 4.49 pm by the bus, and by the bus and by the DART.

Till then,

Once Upon a Time in the Pub

Today after work, we went to TJ Maxx for some shopping. But before that, we first went to a pub, yes pub, at Sherlock's Pub and Grill to have our dinner. We were welcomed by a tall guy, but then asked for our ID. We went to a pub, a place for guests 21 years old (or 18) and above. To make sure we are really above 21 (or 18), we showed our IDs and passports. 

Here we are choosing our bets for dinner.

This place has guest band, and we were so early to watch it, no band's playing yet. Perhaps, should we feel boredom and want some noise, we could probably go back there and listen to the band, maybe they're good enough with button accordion from musicians friend.

There were already music instruments up in the stage, getting prepared for the night's fun.

Meanwhile, here's what I had for dinner, chicken buffalo wings.

The burger was for Brent - feeling Americanized ;)

Till then,

Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse

Your travel to Texas wouldn't be complete without tasting Texas' steaks, they say :) And to completely feel that we really did travel here for a purpose, our last lunch was spent at Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse, roughly 15-20 minutes of walk from the office. Thank you internet for suggesting the place to us, forgot Crimson Asian Cuisine for the last time, tried something else.

This place I would say is one of the best steakhouses to be (although we only had once in our entire stay :D ) The only problem was, you have to wait too long, about 30 minutes before your orders are served. Fortunately, the foods were great, enough to forget the waiting time.

And I had these food, Texas BBQ top sirloin and crunchy french fries for only $12.44, not bad  ;)

And our last day (March 14, 2014) was definitely the TGIF, as we are really excited to go home. Missing our families back there, especially our kids!

Till then,

Lucky 2014

Am I lucky or just blessed? I prefer the latter. I am blessed with what I asked for. I have been praying for this to happen and was so overwhelmed that finally, I am so near to officially becoming what I have been praying for.

I admit that I'd been to long pain, I was expecting that I will be the lead of our team but in the contrary, I did not become one. That is why it is right to say, expect the unexpected. On the other hand, that pain and false hope turned into a more "unexpected countless blessings", blessings that I am truly and wholeheartedly thankful for. Time here is the key, right time, there is really a right time for all what we are asking for.

Double happiness.... I am just waiting for the official announcement and I'm ready to tell the whole world what blessings I am talking about - that is one. The other one is, I again had been given a chance to fly to US to do shadow training. It was indeed a nice experience for me.

I am now in Holiday Inn Park Cities - Dallas Texas - will be resting after some hour. Another day was over, and excited to go home and be with our Jhaydii. It is hard being apart from her, I'm feeling homesick :(

 

Will be staying here for more than a week - March16, I am looking forward to you, bear with me, no extension please. I miss my baby badly.

Till then,