Sick Leave Blues

Away on sick leave...

I'm flipping through the channels and cannot seem to find anything interesting to watch. I came across the Disney Channel just in time for the start of the Phineas and Ferb cartoon. I haven't heard their opening song yet, so I got quite a chuckle over the catchy tune and the fun lyrics. I got so entertained by the song that I actually googled it and even went as far as blog about it :D

There's 104 days of summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it

Like maybe...
Building a rocket
Or fighting a mummy
Or climbing up the Eiffel Tower

Discovering something that doesn't exist
Or giving a monkey a shower
Surfing tidal waves
Creating nanobots
Or locating Frankenstein's brain

Finding a dodo bird
Painting a continent
Or driving your sister insane

As you can see
There's a whole lot of stuff to do
Before school starts this fall

So stick with us 'cause Phineas and Ferb
Are gonna do it all
So stick with us 'cause Phineas and Ferb are
Gonna do it all!

Hahahaha =D

Back of the House

In the Hospitality industry, and as I believe exists in all other fields, we have those personnel known as the following people:

A. Front of the House - meaning those whose job involves concentrating on providing for the needs of external customers
B. Back of the House - those people you don't necessarily see, but are there and are involved in supporting the activities of the front people.

In one of our latest trainings in the Hotel, we were given the chance to recognize our hidden heroes, who in one way or another, have helped us in any way.

Stickers from training


Hidden Hero nomination sheet.

Just made me think... Everyday, we meet a lot of people who unexpectedly go out of their way to help us. These people may think what they did was menial, but it might have meant a lot for us.

So let me ask - How about you? Who's your hidden hero? :)

Hola!

One of the perks of working in a five-star hotel - apart from the training and the experience you gain - are the following:

1. food
2. fooood
3. FOOOOOD!!!! :)

Here are a few excerpts from my latest trainings-slash-eating activities...

CHEF'S TABLE

We have one GREAT Executive Chef! And he came up with this great program to expose all his trainees - especially those at lower positions - to challenge their artistry and culinary mastery. He came up with the Chef's Table program, where a theme of the week is given, and a neophyte cook is given a chance to showcase his cooking prowess. He/she will then, serve to us who have no talent whatsoever in cooking - but end up making a lot of comments over their masterpieces. See a few dishes our "junior" masterchefs came up with during my Chef's Table duty.

Theme of the week: SPANISH!

Appetizer: Grilled vegetables and manchego cheese ^^
Main Course: Salmon fillet and paella negra
Of course, the Spanish meal would not have been complete without the specialty beverage: SANGRIA in the middle of the day! LOL
To top it all off...Dessert was: Pecan tart, cinnamon churros with honey, and Crema Catalan - which my officemate Cass has dubbed "is what creme brulee wants to be when it grows up"!
CHHEEEESSSSEEE!!!

I am a self-confessed cheese lover!!! So imagine my JOY when last week's chef training was all about - CHEESE!


Gouda, blue, feta, gruyere, brie, camembert, parmesan and the rest of the lot. But somehow, I still prefer my good old supermarket-bought Cheesemelt in a box! :)

FOODTASTING

A few yumyum treats from my most current foodtastings

COCKTAIL TASTING
Encouraged by my boss to learn a bit about the cocktails we serve.
Chambord and molecular drinks with Yvonne! :)


'Till the next few trips to the Chef's table!!!! :)

Hit and Run Victim! :(

Mean car with a mean driver - with no mercy on a poor, beginner, lady driver with a small car! Yes, I was the victim of a hit & run...

It was a terrible feeling, and I actually emerged a better and more cautious driver. Going to work early and going home with few other cars just gets you tempted to cruise faster^^

Anyway, here's my car after a week-long overhaul at Toyota :)


Yeyyy, good as new! With a promise to start driving more carefully :)

Saturday

I'm thinking...

Two is better than one ;)

DECISIONS

I'm at this point in my life when I look back and realize that every decision I've ever made all played a part in where and what I am right now. I may not have made the best decisions in ALL things that I needed to decide on, but can confidently say that I've made a fair share of good decisions in my life.

I just realized that though a number of those were quite impulsive...and that an even greater number turned out to be instances which makes you think of 'what could have been', I am honestly happy with how everything turned out.

Everything written above all have deeper hidden meanings which probably only I (or a few select people) may be able to understand, so let me stop this post right here and get down to the biggest decision I have to make at the moment:

... Shall I buy an iPhone4 or a Blackberry Torch? :D

Happy Valentines Day!

I saw this really funny post in facebook:

To those who have dates on Feb 14, Happy Valentines Day! To those who don't...
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! hahahaha :D

- made me laugh! :))

The Apple to my Pie!

My sister got me hooked to this really cute song!!!

"Perfect Two"

You can be the peanut butter to my jelly
You can be the butterflies I feel in my belly
You can be the captain and I can be your first mate
You can be the chills that I feel on our first date

You can be the hero and I can be your side kick
You can be the tear that I cry if we ever split
You can be the rain from the cloud when it's stormin'
Or you can be the sun when it shines in the mornin'

Don't know if I could ever be
Without you cause boy you complete me
And in time I know that we'll both see
That we're all we need

Cause you're the apple to my pie
You're the straw to my berry
You're the smoke to my high
And you're the one I wanna marry

Cause your the one for me
And I'm the one for you
You take the both of us
And we're the perfect two

We're the perfect two
We're the perfect two
Baby me and you
We're the perfect two

You can be the prince and I can be your princess
You can be the sweet tooth and I can be the dentist
You can be the shoes and I can be the laces
You can be the heart that I spill on the pages

You can be the vodka and I can be the chaser
You can be the pencil and I can be the paper
You can be as cold as the winter weather
But I don't care as long as we're together

So fuuunn :))

My horoscope says...

There have not been quite a lot of events lately. MICE seems a little low lately, as well as local catering groups. What's keeping me preoccupied are the two Indian weddings coming (which will need an entire post dedicated to it when it will finally be over and done with), as well as other administrative tasks... but other than that, I feel like I currently have the time to take a step back and review what's been going on.

At this point, allow me to share that for my last six months of working in the hotel, I've been able to attend twice more weddings than I have been able to witness in my almost 23 years of existence.
It's quite funny actually how after a while, a lot of the concerns/processes/themes soon become quite routine. The planning stage is always hectic, but the day itself proves to be even more hectic. The entire process just drains you unlike for when you plan meetings where you can afford to forget a marker or two. Imagine if you forget one of the items promised to a client on the wedding day (heaven forbid!)

The start of January seemed to be quite busy for the Local Corporate Socials. We had back to back weddings on January 7,8,9,10,11 until the 15th! Thank God this month had a break before the next one on the 30th. As mentioned above, though it is seeming to be already quite routinary on our end, weddings still never fail to make you go "awwww"... Especially if I like my couple :)

What brought this up?

For one, I realized I haven't been blogging lately.
Second, I'm attending (not organizing) a wedding of a friend today.
And finally, my sister and I were laughing over the paper the other day when she came across my horoscope that read:
"You will attend a wedding today"
HAHAHAHA!
That made my day :))

Listen to the beat of my H-E-A-R-T

I've been listening to Sarah Bareilles' "King of Anything" for the third time now tonight. It's fast becoming a newer favorite. Step aside 519! :))

That aside,
while listening to old songs on my laptop, I'm skimming through old multiply and facebook photos. Ever get that feeling when you hear a song and remember a certain time, a certain place, and certain people?

"Pictures of you" just suddenly made me feel nostalgic, and made me realize how much I miss school and old carefree days with my college friends :(