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Whenever people ask me about the must-visit places in Pampanga, I would always tell them, "Hindi ko alam. Di pa naman ako namasyal masyado dun, kumain lang."

Yep, I haven't explored the tourists attractions in Pampanga but I'm quite aware of their culinary offerings since I've took part in a Culinary Tour there a few years back. In that tour, we went to some churches and a woodcrafting store but the majority of the activities we did was eat. Afterall, Pampanga is known as the "Culinary Capital of the Philippines." 

So will this Kapampangan Restaurant in UP Town Center be good enough for you to feel that you've travelled all the way to Pampanga? Let's see. 


I immediately thought that the interior of Pinac Restaurant from the woods in ceiling, the chandelier, the wooden chairs and tables and the wall decorations felt Kapampangan.

It was then later mentioned to us that those blocks of food in the ceiling were actually from an old church in Pampanga. 


Yes. We are the best people. <3

Life Peg. Haha! 


There's a place in Pampanga called Candaba Swamp. I went there before but I wasn't able to blog it. From what I remember, that place is a rice field during the dry season and fish pond during the wet season. 


We were served this very refreshing drink made of dalandan, mint, and cucumber. 


Bakit kaya sobrang dali magpataba? Haha! 


This one is a good appetizer especially since Pampanga is known for sisig. I just wish the slices were smaller because chunks keep falling off the thin crust of this pizza. As per the taste, it doesn't disappoint. 


Deep Fried Chicken Skin with Potato Chips

I wasn't trying this one out since it's just fried chicken skin. Pinag-awayan 'yan ni Popoy at Basha e, kakain pa ko? haha! But seriously, I didn't think that their version would be different but it actually was. Aside from the skin being crispy, it wasn't oily at all. Too late for me, medyo busog na ko nung na-realize kong ang sarap niya.


I am not a fan of oysters but I gave this a chance because the cheese topping made it look so good. The cheese made the taste of oyster more bearable for me. 

This is something my mom would like. Can't wait to bring her there.  


Hito balls with mustasa and buro

My brother have always mentioned buro to me but I never tried it because I don't find its smell appealing. Well, like the Kimchi of Korean Cuisine, buro is also an acquired taste. Tbh, it was good especially when paired with the hito ball. 


As per the instruction, eat it like samgyeopsal.

I got one hito ball, sliced it and put buro and vinegar inside then wrapped it with mustard leaf. I loved this healthier Filipino version of Samgyeopsal. 

Don't get me started with how delicious their vinaigrette is. I can have it with any dish.  


Beef Kare-Kare

This one's good, The sauce was just right, it wasn't overly thick and the beef was tender.


This is one of the food that I really missed eating - pata!!!!!!

The skin was crunchy but the meat remained tender.

Notice the Kapampangan version of atchara - theirs has ampalaya and eggplant which is kind of unusual but works.


Overly Loaded Pinoy Paella

This is good in it's own. Tipong, ikaw lang sapat na. :))

I mean, with all those toppings such as shrimp, egg, bagnet , squid. What can go wrong? 


Salted Egg Paro

 Salted egg flavored anything has been rising in popularity these days but I never tasted it when paired with shrimp until Pinac.

Eaten on its own, it may taste overpowering so make sure to squeeze the lemon slice first before taking a bite. The sourness of the lemon as it first hits your tongue before the sauce makes it a more interesting and more delicious flavor combination. Trust me on this one. Masarap on its own but the lemon makes it even better talaga. 

Time for dessert!


Their version of suman.

It wasn't overly sweet which I liked but this didn't become my favorite dessert for that night though. 


Alin kaya among the three ang pinakamagugustuhan ko? 

....


Obviously, hit na hit ang version nila ng s'mores! 


In UPTC for lunch?

Pinac is serving lunch buffet from 11 AM to 2 PM for only P 259.00.


Like them on Facebook: Pinac, UP Town Center
Follow us on Instagram: Pinac, xtintina

Pinác, UP Town Center
2/F UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights,
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines


Thanks, Aldous! And of course, here's a picture of Team Aldous.
Ang mga lagi na lang PINACain ng madami pero the sexiest blogger group on the planet forever. :)))
 
Knock knock! Who's there? Pinac Pinac who? Pinacain ng madami ang #teamaldousquezoncity
A photo posted by Aldous Calubad (@team_aldous) on Sep 21, 2016 at 5:09am PDT
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If you ask me where is it that I regret not going to or I regret not trying, I'll tell you two things:

1. Choosing not to tag along when my friend went to the Grand Canyon National Park thinking that I'll have another chance. 

2. Choosing not to go all the way up the Stratosphere hotel. 

But you know, at least I left myself things to do during my Vegas version 2.0. Haha!

Anyhow...
We were there eh!!!!!!!!!!

One of the regrets that I didn't do while in Vegas was to go to the topmost part of the Stratosphere! They have three rides there and a viewing area where you can see all of Vegas. :( The highest sana in all of Strip and Downtown Vegas. Sayang talaga!!!!!!! 
So we wanted to try a buffet and then we found out that if you sign up for Stratosphere's Membership Card, you'll get 25% off the buffet price. hahaha!! The funny thing is we did sign up because we wanted to avail of the discount but there's this Mobile Match thing which we did as a welcome event for the new members. Guess what? I won a free buffet!! hahaha. I was so happy 'cause that was around $20. :))

These are some of the buffet choices. While they were okay, hotel buffets here in the Philippines have more options than they have. Although yea, I don't think that Stratosphere is a five-star hotel unlike Shangri-la and Marriott.  (By the way, the best buffet for me was that of Barona's in California)








It wasn't bad but I'm glad I got to eat there for free. haha!







While the buffet is something you can miss out, make sure not to miss out the rides in Stratosphere!!!!! Make sure to go all the way up and take a picture with the sign "Highest point to view Las Vegas" . Okay??? It's just the tallest observation deck there (106 floors), don't worry. You can totally do it. 

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Harbour City in Hong Kong celebrates 50 years by styling up with fashion and art icon BE@RBRICK




Over the past 50 years, Harbour City has evolved to become a global destination for fashion. It’s the largest and most diverse shopping mall in Hong Kong, which offers a wide range of services from shopping, dining, entertainment and sightseeing. 


This shopping paradise is one of Hong Kong’s major attractions and to mark this most significant milestone, Harbour City is collaborating with renowned cultural icon BE@RBRICK. Their first collaboration happened in 2007. This time around, Harbour City has invited 37 international fashion brands to contribute to Hong Kong’s largest BE@RBRICK fashion-art group exhibition called, “Style Up BE@RBRICK at Harbour City” happening from September 19 to October 16, 2016. 




Style Up BE@RBRICK at Harbour City Charity Sale of 2000% original BE@RBRICKS for the first time. 

BE@RBRICKs are block-style toy figurines that resemble the shape of a bear and are described to be the convergence of toys and art. For the Harbour City exhibition this year, 37 versions of 1.4-meter tall BE@RBRICK figures will be “styled up” by each participating brand following the theme of fashion and contemporary art. And for the very first time, these 2000% original BE@RBRICK figures, priced at HK$68,000, will be going on global charity sale in October. Net proceeds will be going towards the Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation. Fashion brands who will be styling the figures include Coach, Emporio Armani, J.Crew, Kate Spade, Roberto Cavalli, Tory Burch, Vivienne Westwood and more. 



Limited Edition Collectibles. Fans will also get to style up as Harbour City proudly presents a special series of exhibition collectibles like an exhibition booklet, poster, postcard and iPhone cases. There’s even a special surprise waiting for you when you find one of the 37 BE@RBRICK images hidden underneath the BE@RBRICK stickers on each postcard. In addition, Emporio Armani and Max Mara are offering their limited-edition BE@RBRICK tote bags which will be available for redemption for every HK$6,000 minimum spend. Proceeds will also be donated to the Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation. 



BE@RBRICK 15th Anniversary Collectible Exhibition. Observe fashion, art and culture through the eyes of BE@RBRICK as they celebrate their 15th year anniversary. Gallery by The Harbour is also holding a “BE@RBRICK 15th Anniversary Exhibition” showcasing a series of special edition BE@RBRICK figures from the past 15 years, including some figures exhibited in Japan last June. 



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The only time that I looked at Vegas before going there was when I watched the movie, "What Happens in Vegas" haha! I know it's crazy that you can easily get married even if you're drunk or even it's a decision you just thought of because you're drunk but it may actually be real in some cases.

The notable establishments we saw especially here in Downtown Vegas were all the wedding chapels, motels, wedding boutiques, divorce and bail bonds. :)) Wedding in Vegas is very convenient that I thought of doing it too. CHAROTTTTTTTT!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Are you aware of that man who got married to his phone? Yep, that's in Vegas. 


There's a bus that we ride and we alight just blocks before Fremont so we don't get lost but that one night when we weren't from our apartment but from elsewhere 'cause I sent money to the Philippines (Yes, OFW duties. hehe. Kailangan ko talaga i-mention 'yan!), we got lost. Can't tell you what my friend and I were talking about but we reached an area where it was all churches. Our first time reaching that place - we didn't know that the Sin City has a lot of churches! Kailangan mag save ng souls? :)) Kailangan na i-save souls namin? :))
This is Fremont Street.

There's a Zipline called the Slotzilla Experience. It's just not my thing to zipline across the street being seen by all those tourists. Gusto ko mga bangin! 
Binions Casino has a Million dollar cash display where you can take pictures with if you're over 21 years old. I look young (WAHAHA! Totoo 'to) that I had to always bring my passport with me whenever I go to places like this. They just wouldn't believe that I'm a bit past my 21st year on Earth. 


Anyway, have you seen the music video of Bruno Mars' latest song? That was shot in Vegas, most are in Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip.






The experience and the atmosphere in Las Vegas Strip is a lot different from Fremont Street. Fremont somehow feels more laid back and friendlier compared to the Strip. You can also explore all the hotels here in one day compared to Vegas Strip where you'd have to spend 2-3 days to explore all the hotels in the area.

Not to mention that it's usually cheaper here compared to strip - food, souvenirs, and hotel wise.
This is the East Side of the Fremont Street where you can find the clubs. For those under 21 years old, there are clubs that they can go to at Henderson area - clubs that don't serve any alcoholic beverages. Isipin niyo na lang, nakakalasing ang milkshake. HAHA
Will it sound weird that not even once did I enter a club while in Vegas when it's a famous place for that? :)) Haha! Usually if not sightseeing, gambling in the casino while asking for free cocktails was what I did during my free times. 

When we tell people about that one night when we decided to walk along Las Vegas Boulevard, they would usually ask us, "Are you crazy?" No we're not. We just fell deeply inlove with Vegas that time that we were courageous enough to do something as "dangerous" like that. I am well aware that it's not 100% safe but we felt so safe while we were there sooooo...
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After eating at the Food Park, we braced ourselves for the ride back to Las Vegas and for the heartache that will come days after.
We passed through Daly City in San Mateo, California first before driving back to Las Vegas, Nevada.


I had to stay awake for 8 hours! hahahaha. I felt a bit sorry for our driver/friend because I fell asleep most of the time while in the car so in order to make up for those sleep, I made sure that I remain awake that entire drive.
It must be because I was feeling sad already that I didn't even fell asleep that whole time which is very rare for me during a long drive - no, that was actually the first time that I stayed awake for a drive. Hehe!
Though I didn't see a lot of wind turbines just like those in Palm Springs, California this mountainous area have their own wind farm too. The rest of the roads were dark after sunset (reflectors only) so I wasn't able to take pictures anymore. We passed through a mountain range and used the interstate for most part of the drive so there wasn't a lot to see anyway. I'm pretty sure the view's very beautiful in the morning though. 
We arrived in Las Vegas at around 4 AM.
Ito na 'yun. Ito na 'yung gamit ko. Ito na 'yung buhay ko. Haha! Mace lang. I bought a Bath and Body Works mist in Reno and two mugs at Starbucks in San Francisco. 

I moved out of my apartment before the Lake Tahoe - Reno - San Francisco trip so I had a friend keep my luggages for me. It's a bit embarrassing to wake her up at that hour so we decided to just head to the laundry room to wash our used clothes while waiting for the sunrise. The laundry takes an hour, and the drier takes another hour so I was kind of able to sleep for several minutes. 

Of all the days they were to go walwal (drinking until you pass out and wake up very late and lost the next day), they chose that day. I was expecting that I can bathe or something but I couldn't wake them up even if I tried to knock and call their phones for several times so I spent that entire morning walking at the mall, at the casino, and the apartment complex. 

I was awake for more than 36 hours though I had 10-30 minutes naps in between. Partida lang na sa lakwatsa kaya kering-keri. Lampake. 
Took this picture sometime before sunrise. 

This was my home for three months and this was my last morning there. </3 Sakit! Sobrang bilis lang. Pero 'yun nga, kagaya ng lahat ng sakit e pino-proseso lang 'yan. Naka-move on na ko ngayon. hehe!



Truth be told, I only felt homesick once. That night when I first slept alone in my room, I posted something like, "At the end of the day, we still miss home." but that was about it. 


Sobrang feel at home eventually that some days, I was even able to sleep for 8 straight hours. <3 It was definitely a good decision coming here in this place despite all the drama that we experienced. At first, I was thinking of finding a place in San Diego just so I'd be closer to a relative but I chose to stay in Vegas mainly to challenge myself. It all feels like a dream to me now. Knowing that I was able to go to those places but kind of thinking that they were too good to be true even if they really did happen. hahaha! 


So before I post about my last three days in Vegas, I'll first post about the random pictures I took on our "regular days".
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