Kwon's Kitchen @ Matalino Street, Quezon City

ive been frequenting a nearby korean restaurant near my office. i prefer to go here during lunch time because aside from the really good food, im the only customer. i dont have to worry about long lines in fast food restaurants and the lack of seats. but ive noticed that every time (seriously, every single time) that i go here, i am the only customer (although during my first couple of visits, there were other customers). of course, i go here only during lunch time or late in the afternoon, around 4pm. its possible that other customers go here much later. but if im the only customer most of the time, the future of this place will definitely be uncertain.

the food isnt bad. its actually good and affordable. their P99 combo consists of marinated meat, kimchi, spicy anchovies, slices of omelette, iced tea and a fruit for dessert (no fastfood restaurant in the area can offer this variety in a single meal for such price. whenever im craving for kimchi or im in a hurry, i just order this meal combo). maybe their other dishes arent really affordable for most people (since the Quezon City hall area is mindful of its government employees so a lot of meals are P50 below. ive been told that there's a california maki in one of the QC City hall food stalls that's being sold below P50) but compared to other korean restaurants, its really affordable. a single serving of jjajangmyun in a nearby restaurant located in Kalayaan Avenue costs P200 plus. most of the meals in Kwon's Kitchen doesnt even go beyond P200. 

maybe not a lot of people like korean dishes. or maybe they just arent familiar. or maybe because the location of Kwon's Kitchen itself is a bit hidden (its beside Kyusinero behind some other establishment). its just weird that there arent much customers despite the good food (or maybe, like i said, the other customers come here during dinner time or late at night when the night life begins at Kyusinero). i really like their dishes. well, except the kimbap. my sister likes it but i prefer the kimbap in Mashitta in UP diliman (is it Mashitta? not sure). i like their bibimbap and kalbi chim. their samgyupsal isnt bad. i also like to eat their ramyun during the rare times it rains in the afternoon (or when im craving for it). in case Kwon's Kitchen is still alive and open during the rainy season, their ramyun will surely be my alternative to Maguro's ramen.

warm april night and a nice meal

went home a little late yesterday because i came from a mini get together with college friends. after going to my brother's graduation last week and seeing him with his college friends (with all their outings and plans), it reminded me of my college friends and how we were after graduation. all of a sudden, im in the mood for a get together. so aside from just texting my college friend about how to get the lawyers ID, i also asked her when we could drop by at one of our friend's place.

fast forward a few days later, we were at our friend's place having a mini-reunion of sorts. after talking for a few hours, we all headed home. it was already midnight. maybe past midnight even. the thing that struck me during that time was how warm the night was. and it wanst only me. my friends were also complaining about how warm it was. i was really sweaty and sticky because of how warm the night was (and i really really hate the sticky feeling). this was the second time this week that i felt the night's warmth despite being outside. crappy crazy climate. fortunately, the taxi i rode had some good airconditioning.

instead of heading straight home, i decided to drop by mcdonalds first. i was hungry since i usually have a snack an hour or couple of hours after dinner. not sure if i was just really sleepy but this meal was called "Big N Tasty". i asked the cashier what it was and she said its basically just a quarter pounder meal with some veggies and dressing. i ordered it because its new on the menu and it looks good. i really liked it. this is truly the tastiest burger ive eaten at mcdonalds so far. im not a fan of the Big Mac, im more of a Quater Pounder/Double Cheeseburger kind of guy but the Big N Tasty is definitely better. i like Burger King burgers and the Big N Tasty is the closest burger of Mcdonalds to the burgers of BK.

what it lacks in utility, it makes up for what it represents

so i got my lawyers ID today. finally. after being officially a lawyer for one year and seven days, i finally got the ID to prove it.

i dont know. i wasnt really interested in getting it. thats why it took me more than a year to get it. i remember during the bar exams, a friend showed me his lawyer's ID and said its something i could look forward to when i pass the bar exams. that didnt really motivate me. i mean, what's its purpose? my college alumni ID could get me discounts in some commercial establishments like Fully Booked. my other alumni ID allows me to use any library inside the university for free (and there are lots of libraries in its large campus which i used to study for the bar exams). my driver's license allows me to drive cars. how about a lawyer's ID? what does it do? maybe its got some use other than proving that im a lawyer. its got some bar code so i guess it can be scanned for something. but the fact that im not aware of its use other than mere identification made me uninterested in getting it.

yesterday, out of the blue, i just felt like getting it. i was in my office room and i thought, maybe its time to get my lawyers ID. so i texted a friend who recently passed the bar exams and asked her if she got her ID already. most likely she already did and when she said yes, i asked her how to get it, confirmed where to get it and how much do i have to pay for it. after getting the details i decided to get it today, or this morning, while i still have time to do so.

when i got my ID, my initial reaction was, "this is it?". my driver's license looks much better. kinda feels cheap. but the more i looked at it, thats when the ID started to look more than what i initially thought about it. for some reason, i started to like it. the more i looked at it, the more i liked it. i started to like the fact that i own such ID. that i have an ID that says im a lawyer. wow. its only after ive held it and looked at it for a few minutes that it started to sink in how nice this ID was. i had to go to the restroom of the IBP building to look at it some more. then i looked at it again when had an early lunch before i went back to my office. i looked at it again when i was in my office room. and again when i got home.

there really isnt much to look at. it has my picture, name, roll number and chapter. thats it. thats why my initial reaction was "thats it?" it has the IBP logo too. but its only when it started to sink in what this ID conveys that i started to recognize its worth. 

i need to get back the urge to run. or at least an itch

so i bought myself a new pair of running shoes. i was supposed to buy it after completing three full months of jogging/walking at least thrice a week. surprisingly, i did manage to fulfill the challenge i imposed upon myself. but i didnt really strictly comply with the condition. i bought the new pair of running shoes one week before i completed the three month period. its just that my old pair really has reached its limit and i saw a really cheap pair of running shoes (for such brand) that i like. if i waited another week, i might not be able to get it since it was the last pair (and after i bought it, i confirmed it was truly the last pair since its really an old model and no longer available). i was already advised by a friend that i avoid such kind of shoes (shoes that are on sale for ridiculously low prices). he said those are really old models and arent as durable or sturdy as newly released shoe models. well, as usual, i didnt listen. the pair of shoes i bought was initially released two years ago. since ive been warned already, i know what im getting.

i really had to buy new ones because my old pair of running shoes are already worn out that its making my shins hurt. i sort of confirmed it was the shoes because with the new pair, my shins dont hurt at all after jogging. on why i settled for a cheap pair of shoes thats on sale is because im thinking of buying another pair after a few months anyway. although i have a budget to get a decent and reasonably expensive pair of shoes, i think i need to save some more money for a really good pair of running shoes. its not like im a pro runner anyway. besides, i stopped jogging recently thus prolonging the lifespan of my new pair of shoes that im expecting wont be as durable as my old pair.

after i completed the three month period, i became really busy with work. then a week after the initial busy week, i caught a cold so i decided to rest since i was still busy with work. so after two weeks of jogging only twice, i thought its about time to resume my exercise routine on the third week. well, the weather just became so horribly hot that i wasnt in the mood to jog (even the nights are warm). its more difficult to fight dehydration under such weather conditions. so its been three weeks of physical inactivity. im starting to become a sloth again. hopefully the weather improves and my work sched clears up a little so i can resume doing what i established during the first quarter of the year.

mysterymobile had another near death experience

a few weeks ago, my beloved automobile known as the mystery machine/batmobile/A--- died in the middle of EDSA. well, died temporarily.

my brother participated in some kind of exhibit in shangrila mall as part of a school requirement. it ended around 9pm. when my family was heading home, with me behind the wheel, the mystery machine suddenly broke down in the middle of EDSA right in front of SM megamall, on a rainy saturday night. we were really in the middle of the road with buses speeding by on both sides. we were less than half a kilometer away from the traffic light behind us, far enough to allow buses to accelerate and reach dangerous speeds. crap.

i asked my father to take the wheel while i push the van to the side of the road. i had to wait for the traffic light to turn red so the stupid buses wont accidentally hit us. its raining so the roads are wet and the driver's visibility is likewise affected. seriously batmobile, you just had to die under such conditions, dont you?

i managed to push the van to the side and an MMDA traffic enforcer arrived. he said he saw us on their CCTV camera and asked whats the problem (its nice to hear that they really monitor the traffic situation). after some discussion, A--- was towed and brought to our residence. the following morning, the automobile was back to its old self. its insides just got wet when i ran over a small puddle at the foot of a flyover. what the? i just lost P1700 to have it towed to our house and it was because of that? it should have been cheaper by P200 but since it was raining (i caught a cold a few days after, which was expected after pushing a van under the rain and discussing towing services with only a baseball cap on), we havent eaten our dinner (the exhibit started late so it ended late too) and were exhausted (i helped my brother finish some last minute exhibit concerns earlier that day (like looking for a welder of a steel cage to serve as a gate for the exhibit pieces) and i helped him bring his exhibit pieces the night before so we also lacked some sleep), arguing could make matters worse.

it was seriously a bad night. but even if that was the case, i was also seriously wondering if the mystery machine has reached its last breath. recently, its been showing signs of aging. it keeps having problems, from its brakes to its car door gears. i even thought of the people i will text to inform them of the death of the mystery machine/batmobile (the two people who gave it a nickname). thankfully, its not dead. not dead yet. we acknowledge that its already risky to use it for long distance travels. before, going to baguio or bicol wasnt a problem for the mystery machine. now, its doubtful if it can still go outside Quezon city. of course, there's still hope for it but i need to spend a lot to restore A--- to what it was half a decade ago.  

the mystery machine out of the batcave. now that i think about it, i should have chronicled its "adventures" before it got too old. now, the only thing that makes it a mystery machine is the fact only one person knows its true identity/name.

i dont know what im blabbing about

the State. i like to refer to my government and country as the State. i have never referred to it as such but thinking about it, i like it. or would like to call it with such designation when its proper. it makes the government and the country look dignified. it gives me an impression that the state of affairs is well and orderly. its militaristic. it makes me want to protect the country. it makes me feel i have a duty to serve the government. it makes me proud to be loyal to both the government and the country. maybe im just too addicted to Full Metal Alchemist.

anyway, i wish that my government and country is something worth serving and dying for. right now, i would hesitate or have second thoughts. right now, its difficult to serve a government thats being run by monkeys. wait, im being unfair to monkeys. a government thats being run by incompetent idiots and greedy reptiles. again, im being unfair to reptiles. a government thats being run by incompetent idiots and greedy politicians. now, i voted for the current president because i do believe that he is the change the we need. to be more accurate, things will begin with him. it also doesnt mean i think he is competent for the job. far from it. it also doesnt mean that the change we need will be accomplished within his administration. i also do not think he will manage to get rid of graft and corruption which has now become inherent in our political system but like i said, things will start with him. installing him, a person with such positive ratings and mass support, is what i think this country needs. now what this country needs is an entirely different question. right now, one of the things this country needs is to have a government it can believe in. belief is something relative. one may choose to believe in something good enough. another may choose to believe in something that doesnt exist. but this belief, whether proper or not, whether ridiculous or logical, can make mountains out of mole hills. it can make a difference. belief, or faith, can radically change people's lives. it can summon unsung heroes out of the faceless masses (but to recognize these unsung heroes is another matter). it can create hope in a nation. now i just hope someone will be able to realize this, capitalize on the opportunity created by the current administration and steer this nation in the proper direction. it is possible for this country and government to become the State every citizen will hold dear in their hearts and will swear to protect with their life.

my nose is psychotic

a few years ago, after i took my insurance law exam, i asked my blockmate if he can smell gasoline. he said no. i asked another blockmate the same thing, he also replied in the negative. i told them that during the exam, i was distracted by the smell of gasoline. it was then that i first had my notable olfactory hallucination. i usually unintentionally imagine noxious odors whenever im stressed. the scent lingers until im fully rested.

i think its weird that i get such kind of hallucinations. i have a poor sense of smell. my officemate once asked me why i wasnt affected by the salty, sour and fishy smell of the food brought by another officemate. i said i dont smell anything. he said the room is practically filled with the smell of the food. thats how poor my sense of smell is.

my olfactory hallucination seems to be getting worse. lately, ive been smelling something like smoke whenever im physically exhausted. so i usually smell it after i jog or when ive been doing a lot of sweating and walking. but more recently, i start to smell it after i sneeze or blow my nose but it doesnt linger like it usually does before. i also feel a distinct sensation on my upper left nostril and another distinct feeling radiating somewhat around my left eye. it might not be a simple olfactory hallucination like before. there might be something wrong with my paranasal sinuses or something. could be an infection or nerve problem. i doubt its brain damage. i hate having health problems. i havent even dealt with my skin problem nor have i concluded my intestine concern.

we really should have a sense of duty to serve, whether we like it or not

i went to my brother's college graduation a few days ago and their guest speaker, an alumni of their college who was recently appointed to a high government position, stated that in a decade or two, they, the graduates, will be asked to give back and serve the country. being an "iskolar ng bayan" meant that they have a moral obligation to serve the people since their education was subsidized and funded by state taxes paid by citizens of the country. but until that time comes, they will be busy toiling for themselves.

what struck me was the fact he said that a decade or two will pass before they start giving back. but then again, what the guest speaker probably meant was that its something the graduates shouldnt try to escape from. they may try not to give back but there will come a time when their services will be needed, when they will be specifically requested to serve for the simple reason that their education and skills make them the only qualified person for the job. everyone will be asked to serve the country and its a matter of time for some.

in my case, i started giving back what i "owe" the moment i finished the bar exams. i do it in the form of free legal service. unfortunately, it isnt intentional on my part. it just so happens our law office allows free legal service to those who really cant afford the services of a lawyer. there are times i really prefer handling cases of clients who doesnt have the means to pay because they really deserve to protected by the law (unlike some clients who have the capacity to pay but their character and attitude makes them look undeserving of being represented in court).

the speech by the guest speaker made me realize that im actually practicing the things i swore i will do. what im doing now is in accordance with my lawyer's oath, my oath as a graduate of UP and as an alumni of UP. am i happy about it? honestly, not really. but i dont feel bad about it either. im proud, thats for sure. i just dont have strong feelings about it. its an obligation and it gives me a good feeling that im able to fulfill such obligation. but like most obligations, it is burdensome. its a chore so its not something im really happy about. but that doesnt mean i dont feel good since it still gives me some sense of satisfaction. its a notable accomplishment for me. to say it makes me happy would be too much. it just makes me feel good. i dont think its a question of whether it makes me happy or not but whether im fulfilling my duty or doing what is required or expected of me.

was this an experiment of sorts?

its nice their company is now releasing singles that don't just rely on them singing catchy tunes and doing addictive dance moves. they are growing up (or growing old) and some might be feeling frustrated of not doing stuff that would make them look like real artists or singers (although being all-around performers/entertainers is already an impressive feat in itself). but this could have been much better if the video had a story to give life to the song.

do what you want @ UP diliman

My brother's film project; UP diliman, March 2012; shot with lumix lx5, created with power director. no copyright infringement intended. video made for personal/educational use. song: Do What You Want by Ok Go. pictures and video owned by RJLT

Jung Jessica