Frannywanny

Thirty-Two.  Five years ago, I blogged about turning twenty-seven . I talked about the three things that I've learned and what I was most thankful of. I was still back in Manila then and was preoccupied about building my career and the fact that I'm a few months away from marrying the man of my dreams.  Then there was my 28th birthday , my last birthday as a single lady. A month after that, I became Mrs. Paul Ang . A couple more years and birthdays flew by after that, more learnings and more things to be thankful for. Fast forward to last Sunday. I celebrated another milestone -- my 32nd birthday .

CHANGE.  Such a big word and it basically encapsulates how 2013 was for both Paul and I. We all recalled how the year began with an arrray of farewell dinners thrown by good friends and family as we prepared for our big move to the Lion City . Such a great leap it was that we were faced with new responsibilities, a new career, moving into a new home and the opportunity to build new relationships and friendships too. Months passed and we slowly made ourselves feel at home.  For us, Singapore has slowly became our second home. I guess we got these three people whom we consider our family in the Lion City to thank for. Meet I , O and C . Our three flatmates who have made our transition such a breeze. They're always ready to answer all our questions, to lend a helping hand and best of all, they're always game to join us on impromptu food trips too.  Unlike the past years, we were not able to travel anywhere beyond the frequent Singapore-Manila-Singapore tri...

A mother holds her children’s hands for a while, but their hearts forever  - Unknown While doing my research for work a couple of days ago, I chanced upon this quote and I liked it. For one, I think it's so true by just looking at how my own mommy cares for us. I've mentioned before that despite being an adult myself, I still do get my Mommy's weekly reminders -- eat well, exercise often, get enough sleep, don't stress yourself out so much, take vitamins, don't eat too many fatty/oily food, cook more veggies...and the list goes on and on. I live thousands of miles away from home and this doesn't stop my mom in sending me her daily sms to check whether I've had dinner, if I'm home and what am I doing up so late. Surprisingly, I do appreciate all these messages and nothing brightens my day than hearing from my family. Theater lovers -- Me and Mommy During one of my long walks home, I was able to think. Not about what I have to do at work, not abou...

A few months ago, I was asked to be part of a photo shoot for a popular ice cream brand. I immediately said yes and was really psyched about it as this was to be shot by a really famous photographer. I've seen his works and I have to say, he is pretty awesome! So the day came when it was finally my turn to be in front of his camera. I went early to the studio, got myself made up, dressed as required and there I was, happily posing as he quickly snap away. I was out of the country when it was time to unveil the photos so I was really excited to see the final work the moment I got back from my trip. Luckily, my friend Richard got my photo for me so I was able to receive the hard copy a few days after that. As I opened the envelope, my jaw dropped. The photo was excellent but the subject (me) wasn't. Far from perfection, in fact. Back when I can still wear a tube gown and look vavavoom. Note the visible collar bone. Circa 2003. Let's just say it felt like I was given...

It's almost noon yet the entire house is still fast asleep..this is except for myself, my cute little dog Scottie and our busy househelps. Spent a marvelous time with the girls last night. I'm truly blessed to have three amazing girl friends whom I truly get along with and who are real, not pretentious and are super fun to be with. :) No issues over non-issues, no bloated egos, just plain old fun over stories and laughter shared all around. It's just like going back to basic. This is what friendship is all about. It's funny that I woke up to this SMS sent by Mr Ube (of Eng Bee Tin Hopia). "Don't stress yourself with useless people who don't even deserve to be an issue in your life." I then realized I tend to be a worrier and with all the blessings that I've been getting in my life, I guess I should learn to just shrug off those that are really unimportant to me, Paul and our families. I have to focus on the heart of the matter , continue...

I had a very relaxing weekend with my family :) Spending it with four of the most important people of my life. We indulge in our favorite dishes, enjoyed the cool weather and just relaxed and bonded all throughout the long weekend. While the weather wasn't so pleasant all throughout, we saw something that made all of us smile... ...a Rainbow! I'm thanking God for giving me the best parents, a wonderful sister and a loving husband. I must have done something right to deserve all these in my life. Watch out for my Tagaytay blog series coming up SOON!

For years being a blogger, nothing brightens my day more than receiving comments from you, dear readers. Be it a simple message on how much you've enjoyed the dishes mentioned in a particular entry or a heart-warming note telling me to continue blogging -- all these really gives me the encouragement to blog, blog and blog some more. As a blogger, I am also a reader. I love reading other food and travel blogs and I also look forward to Thursdays as two of my favorite broadsheets have Food as the feature in their Lifestyle Section. I have my own list of favorite writers too. I look forward to reading about their latest food and cooking adventures and yet I have remained to be a silent reader, never letting them know that I have been following their section for years. This habit changed yesterday when I was reading the online version of the Philippine Star's Food section and I began reading a section called Food for Thought . This is a relatively new section written by m...

Today, Paul and I went to watch the movie entitled Valentine's Day . The story evolves around the lives of different couples and singles as they celebrate this red-letter day . It was a star-studded movie starring a couple of my favorite Hollywood celebrities -- Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway and Queen Latifah to name a few. While my first impression was that the story is the Valentine's version of another favorite film -- Love Actually, this one is more cheezy, more sentimental but yet again it is because everything happens in that special day where couples get more romantic than ever. As the ending credits begin to roll and I started to wipe a couple of tears away, I began to think about LOVE . That four letter word that never fails to put a smile on someone's face. Everyone wants to be loved by someone, that's a fact. Walking out of the cinema, I saw my newly-married cousin who looks totally blooming than ever. While I was just thinking how happy I am...

My 2010 horoscope promised to bring in a lot of positive changes in life. Who would have thought that the first one would come right on the 1st day of work? It has been a crazy week but for some reason I'm happily taking it one step at a time. Still, after coming home tired from running around all day, nothing beats the happiness upon seeing a box filled with pretty golden balls given by Paul 's family. I love Ferrero Rocher and it has always been a treat indulging on a piece or two a day. Enjoying the nutty chocolate coating down to the thin wafer and finally allowing the thick chocolate melt in my mouth until I can slowly chew on the delicious hazelnut tucked inside spells heaven. What a rewarding treat! :)

How I wish I can live like a kid... I think it's time to take a BREAK. This break will do me good :) Repeat after me. Till next week dear readers. Love, Frannywanny

To be very honest, I am currently having a love-hate relationship with Eat-All-You-Can buffets. Being a food lover, dining in buffets is the perfect way to be able to try different menu items without over-ordering and spending a whole lot. However, after trying various eat-all-you-can buffets here and there, I've come to realized that it is also important to choose quality over quantity. Just yesterday, I accepted a long-standing invite from a friendly PR representative who once invited me to try an afternoon dimsum buffet. The said buffet is being hosted by Gloria Maris Podium . Unfortunately, I had to decline her first few invites as my work schedule was pretty hectic then. Finally, I told her that I'm free on the 21st if the schedule is still ok with her. She agreed and so my dimsum date was set. With two fellow bloggers in tow, I arrived at the mall a little past 230PM. We proceeded towards the restaurant and I immediately called my contact to inform her that we were alread...

Two years ago, Anton Diaz of OAP launched a micro-site and a mini contest where he invited readers to send in their most creative THANK YOU message. I wasted no time and got down to work. With a box full of colorful paper clips and a sturdy illustration board, I carefully formed the word one letter at a time. After taking a decent photo of my paper clip art work, I did a little magic on Photoshop and tadah! I proudly submitted my simple labor of love dedicated to the man of my dreams . Paul is one of the four pillars of my life (the three others being my dad, mom and Pan, my younger sister) . He has been there constantly rooting for me to go beyond what I can do and at the same time he keeps me grounded too. He has been there not only for me but for the rest of our family during our highs and our lows. It's amazing to see how much my entire family has warmly welcomed him and now treat him like their own son/grandson/big brother/nephew. I guess it's pretty obvious that God ha...

First Female President of the Philippines Corazon C. Aquino January 25, 1933 - August 1, 2009 photo source: http://pinoywired.com/2008/03/27/prayers-for-tita-cory/

TODAY :) 07.11.10.

It's finally here. Just nine years ago, I blew eighteen bright sparkling candles from my three layered debut cake. Dressed in a ruffled, princess-like gown, I celebrated my coming of age with my closest friends and relatives. That year also marked the beginning of college life and a whole new world of discoveries for me. This year, the celebrations were more intimate but mind you, there were just as meaningful. Looking back, my 26th year has been eventful. It really brought me all the HIGHs and a bit of LOWs. I'd like to take a look back at the THREE greatest things that made a huge impact on my 26th year of existence: 1) FRIENDS. Where will I be without them? I'm truly thankful to have the greatest friends on earth (make that both online and offline) . 2) PASSION. I am thankful to have a blog that allows me to unleash my passion for writing. Through this blog , I am lucky to have the opportunity to meet wonderful online friends who regularly drops by. 3) LOVE. In 13 more m...

I can't believe that it has been close to two weeks since my last entry. Sadly, my poor computer was hit by a mean virus that corrupted ALL of our valuable files and in the process ruined our hard disk as well. So, with a heavy heart, we had to bid all the photos, mp3s and documents, that were carefully stored in our computer for more than five years, good bye. Our computer is finally up and running and here we are starting anew. Gone are the photos taken from my latest food trips that I've been meaning to share with all of you. *sigh* On the brighter note though, I finally got my spanking new passport and visa (thanks to my hardworking travel agency) ! Soon, I will be out for a trip to immerse myself in a country that will teach me a lot about my roots. Of course, food will definitely play a major part of the trip so watch out for my upcoming entries come May! Till then, Fran :)

I can't believe we're nearing the end of another year! I can still remember the time when I was composing my Year-Ender entry for 2007 . Unlike last year when I focused mainly on the travel destinations that I've been to; this time, I'd like to think deeper and talk about the 8 greatest lessons that 2008 has taught me. #1. Make new friends... If there's one thing I love about being a blogger is the group of friends that I have gained. Attending blog events and product launches has been so much fun thanks to these talented individuals. I would also like to thank my dear friend Sophie for her wonderful tips and encouragement for me to keep on blogging. #2. ....and do not forget to keep the old ones Just like wine, friendship gets better through time. I'm lucky that no matter how crazy life can be, I know I can count on these girls at any time. They have seen me through my ups and downs, they were with me as we grew up together and SOON, they will be part of...

The past four days would have probably been the worst nightmare that my family had experienced in our entire existence. It was also a perfect eye opener how important life is. It's just as if everything was going our way then someone just pulled the rug under the feet and everything just went dark. I'm so thankful of some many things...so much that I don't even know who or what to be thankful for first. One thing is for sure though, I'm thankful that we were given another chance to take good care of each other and to shower one another with love and support. I'm thankful that Papa's back and though it will be a long winding road towards full recovery, I know we'll get there someday. After all, amidst all the hardships and trials that gets thrown your way... Life will always go on ...

The number of blogs are growing at a very fast-paced speed. I guess it's because of the convenience of being online most of the time (thanks to DSL and WIFI connections). Through this, the Internet has turned out to be a most accessible venue where even the most bashful individual could open themselves up to the world while remaining anonymous . With the growth and popularity of blogs as an alternate resource material for people who would like to update themselves with the latest trends, newest restaurants or the best weekend getaway, it then follows that more and more brands are starting to give more attention to build a better online presence and by inviting bloggers to their media launch and events. If your really think about it, its a perfect marketing tactic to get the word out there with just a very minimal cost. Sadly, some agencies and brands have gone tad overboard. In order to make sure that they get a positive write-up, they would go to the extent of paying a fee at th...

Dear Friends and Readers, Today, I opened this blog and noticed the tiny pink count meter at the bottom right-hand portion of the page...after close to a year finally it read 20,156 ! My blog is turning a year old and yes, it has been visited 20,156 times!! woohooo!! To everyone reading this, I just want to say.... ...from the bottom of my heart Ü Love, Fran