Here's Where You Can Get Potato Corner Fries During Quarantine in BF Homes, Paranaque

I have been missing a TON of different types of food since this quarantine started, but one snack that both Syrena and I have been missing like CRAZY is Potato Corner fries. Let's face it: no matter how delicious your homemade fries might be, nothing beats Potato Corner and its flavored powder.

Well, I've got good news for all of my fellow BF Homes-living people! You can now get frozen fries and Potato Corner's favorite flavoring in bulk from Black Scoop Cafe!

For Php699, you'll get 2.5 kilos of frozen fries along with 220g of your flavor of choice. We got Sour Cream and Onion (Syrena's favorite); but when I talked to them over the phone, they mentioned that they also had Cheese and Barbecue available.

If you're interested in ordering a fries kit, just text or call them at 09175073885 (Globe) or 09088205754 (Smart). They can deliver inside BF Homes or you can pick up your orders at Black Scoop Cafe yourself.

Check out our finished product here:

It's so gooooood! It tastes exactly like the Potato Corner fries we've been missing and you can make as much of it as you'd like - definitely the perfect snack to have during this quarantine!

Check out more restaurants in BF Homes that deliver during the quarantine here.

Have you been missing Potato Corner as much as we have? :D

Stop What You're Doing and Watch 'Too Hot to Handle' on Netflix Now!!!

I haven't watched a mindless reality show in the longest ass time - clips of Rosemarie and Ed not included, anyway. And I didn't really expect to like 'Too Hot to Handle' as much as I did when I first saw the preview on Netflix. But when Sean told me to check it out (and I do believe this is the first time he recommended something that wasn't an anime lol), I knew there must be something to it.

So now here I am... sleepless and hyped up on coffee because I binge-watched the entire thing in one sitting. 'Too Hot to Handle' is REALITY TV GOLD. I decided this while watching the first episode. I was literally laughing out loud every few minutes because of how incredibly vain and incredibly dumb the participants all seemed. It was exactly the kind of laughter I needed on an extra lonely night.

The premise of 'Too Hot to Handle' is pretty simple. They basically searched for fuckboys and fuckgirls, brought them all together into one resort (where they all assumed they'd be getting it on 'Temptation Island'-style), and then revealed the plot twist: no kissing, no sex of any kind, and no masturbation throughout their stay there. No joke: I. Would. Have. Died.

Seeing sex-addicted people being told they can't have sex and then seeing how they respond to it is the best thing ever. Mostly because it's hilarious, but also because it's relatable... especially in our current state of quarantine.

But it's not just mindless TV. Maybe it's because I consider myself someone who sees sex as a major priority in life, but there are many lessons to be learned from this show. Be warned! If sex is important to you, you might find yourself re-evaluating your priorities after watching it. ...Or not. Lana, their Alexa-like guide, wasn't able to get through to everyone in the show, either. :p

It helps that they're all really hot, of course. Hot in the conventional sense, anyway. None of them were really my type, to be honest, though I thought David was kinda cute coz he was like an older version of Tom Holland. :p They all had AMAZING bodies, though, serving us fitspiration to men and women alike.

The major fitspiration aside, I also love how you see some of the fuckboys change throughout the show... though this might cause some women to think that the fuckboys they know in real life will change for them in the same way. LADIES: THEY MOST LIKELY WON'T. ...Just kidding. Never give up hope. ;p

If you're looking for something entertaining to watch, I HIGHLY recommend this. I PROMISE you won't regret it.

Start watching 'Too Hot to Handle' on Netflix here.

Captain Ri is the King of Long Distance Relationships

If you're currently stuck in a long distance relationship (whether because of COVID-19 or just in general), you might wanna take some tips from Captain Ri Jeong-hyuk, who has perfected the role of Long Distance King in 'Crash Landing on You'.

Surprise them often.

Just because you are far away from each other at the moment doesn't mean that you should stop putting in effort in surprising the person you love. Captain Ri does this in various ways. For starters, he records himself playing the song that saved Se-ri's life on the piano and then tells her to listen to it at night when she has trouble falling asleep instead of taking a bunch of meds like she tends to do. (Huhu. Relate much?)

He also surprises her in the form of the books above and by sending Se-ri a gift: a potted plant that she needs to nurture and take care of.

The plant ends up growing into Edelweiss... and my heart could hardly contain itself. This is a flower that can be found in Europe (where I grew up) and also happens to be extra close to my heart because 'The Sound of Music' was my favorite movie as a child.

Send them messages frequently.

Captain Ri had to go the extra mile by scheduling all of his messages in advance for a year. Thanks to technology, though, and the fact that you probably don't have the same limitations as Captain Ri and Se-ri; you shouldn't have any trouble sending your loved one messages on a regular basis.

Your messages don't even have to be super long or too intricately thought out. A simple 'I miss you' or 'I'm thinking of you' or 'Smile, babe' can do wonders at uplifting their mood - trust me.

Plan long distance dates.

Since you can't spend time together physically, set long distance dates in the form of things that you can do together even from afar. Captain Ri tells Yoon Se-ri to take a walk for 30 minutes at 12:30PM everyday, for example, and does the same everyday so that they somehow still feel like they are doing an activity together.

He also reminds her to eat an apple every morning and does the same at home.

Remind them to take care of themselves.

Captain Ri always sends Se-ri cute little reminders to look after herself - physically, socially, and emotionally - and take care of herself since he can't be by her side to look after her.

Be careful of how you phrase your reminders, though, as they could easily come off as annoying or controlling if done wrong.

Continue to teach them life skills.

I always say that relationships are useless without growth. I believe that you should always help each other grow in various areas of your lives. And that is exactly what Captain Ri does without being by Se-ri's side, leaving her steps on how to cook (because she can't cook for shit lol) and even steps on how to grow plants.

Don't stop sharing things with them.

You might feel like you'll run out of things to say if you converse with your loved one all the time... but this isn't true. If they love you, they won't get sick of hearing from you. And you don't even have to talk about anything too deep. Just share little facts that you might know, no matter how boring you might think they are. They're sure to appreciate learning something new everyday.

Talk about the things that you love often, as well. Not only will they immerse themselves in the things that you are passionate about and form a stronger bond with you because of it; they'll always end up thinking about you when that topic comes up, as well.

Give them something to look forward to. 

Lastly, make sure to give your significant other something to look forward to. As distant as the occasion may be or as impossible as things might feel at the moment, talking about your dreams and plans for the future together will give your loved one a glimmer of hope - something to look forward to and hold onto as they go about their day-to-day life.

How are you keeping the love alive during the current quarantine? :)

Here's Why I Love K-Dramas

Let me be the first to admit that I used to hate the mere thought of Korean dramas. I have been heavily into Netflix for the longest time, but I never, EVER thought of giving Korean dramas a try. This is mostly because I associated it with my late grandmother, who spent all day talking about her favorite K-dramas; but also because the entire Korean 'look' never appealed to me. I was one of those people who would roll her eyes when she'd see a K-drama meme or snicker internally whenever a friend would swoon over an 'oppa'.

Today, I live in a room filled with K-drama paraphernalia. From my lamps to my stuffed toys to my skincare, my life has turned completely around... AND I HAVE NO REGRETS.

I got thrown into the world of K-drama completely by force. I was at my ex boyfriend's house when he asked me what I wanted to watch. I'm pretty sure I wanted to catch up on something cool, like 'Altered Carbon'; but he brought up Korean dramas, after which I rolled my eyes the Anj way and - as 'politely' as my resting bitch face could - I replied "Pass." He turned one on anyway, completely dismissing how I felt, and we proceeded to watch 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo'. This is probably the only good thing that guy has done for me. :p

Despite not having a crush on any of the characters or even relating to anyone in the show, I found myself hooked. So hooked, in fact, that I requested to go to a Korean grocery store the following day to look for the sausages that Kim Bok-joo was always munching on in the show. I finished the show in two days.

After that, and without admitting it to my then-boyfriend, I watched 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?' in secret at home. That's when I discovered Park Seo-joon, and my world has never been the same since. Caramel candies and sausage snacks suddenly became a part of my arsenal. I have the 'Hardworking Cow' and 'Good Job' stuffed toys on my bed. And the obsession has escalated even more since then. I was a closet K-drama fanatic for the longest time because I felt bad for how I reacted to my K-drama fan friends back in the day; but now I wave that Hallyu flag loud and proud.

There are various reasons why I love K-dramas, in general. Let me list them down here:

Here's Why I Love K-Dramas

The men are attractive for some reason.

Korean men were NEVER my cup of tea. In fact, whenever I start watching a K-drama, I NEVER find any of the men in it attractive right off the bat. However, the more I watch a show, the more I find myself drawn to someone in it - and then I start crushing on them like crazy. I guess this just goes to show that I've never been the type to fall for someone because of how hot they are. Most of the time, I find myself drawn to a character because he kicks major ass, plays a certain instrument, or acts a certain way.

And despite oppas not being "manly" men, them being a gentleman in these shows (despite being tampururot or arrogant sometimes) always wins them bonus points. I think this might also be because they remind me so much of the Disney princes of my childhood (which I only realized after seeing Lee Min-ho sitting atop a white horse in 'The King: Eternal Monarch' yesterday). 

They make me kilig.

If you know me at all, you'll know I am NOT a fan of cheesy shit. I hate rom-coms. I hate anything cheesy. And it takes a lot to make me kilig. I find myself warming up to K-drama characters the more I watch them, though, and then I find myself grinning like an idiot at the screen, giggling like a school girl, screaming in annoyance of how kilig I am getting, and even slapping whoever is near me.

They build up their characters incredibly well.

From the lead characters to the supporting characters, you can count on Korean dramas to deliver characters with full personalities and intricate back stories that will make you connect with them on a deeper level. Even supporting characters get a good enough backstory for you to care when something happens to them. In fact, I find myself caring about the supporting characters more than the leads sometimes (cases in point: 'Crash Landing on You' and 'Descendants of the Sun').

They are relatable.

Regardless of which K-drama you decide to watch, you will come to find that there are characters in it that are relatable on some level. From the masungit leading man who is actually a softie deep inside to the leading lady who feels ugly or invisible because she doesn't know her worth, there is always someone you will be able to relate to on some level. And they always pepper in quotable quotes that will make you feel understood, too.

There are deeper underlying themes.

As mababaw as K-dramas might seem in the eyes of those who have never watched them, there are many K-dramas with deeper underlying themes. 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?' and 'I am Not a Robot' deal with trauma and its effects, for example, while 'The Third Charm' deals with loss and reminds us not to judge others because we never know what they're going through behind the scenes.

They have introduced me to a new culture.

Although I have lived all over the world all of my life, Asia remains one of the continents that I have yet to explore fully. Thanks to K-dramas, I have been introduced to another new culture - one that I have completely and madly fallen in love with. I love everything about Korea: the food, the scenery, the language, the people, the music, the alcohol... I find myself wanting to keep going back and exploring the country more, and I have even taken it upon myself to try and learn hangul.

There is always something new.

It doesn't matter what kind of genre you are in the mood for, Koreans will have something for you to watch. Love zombies? Watch 'Kingdom'. Looking for something more action packed? Check out 'Healer' or 'Vagabond'. They also have period pieces, fantasy shows, and sci-fi shows. Just take your pick. The best part is that they constantly release new shows, so you'll always have something new to look forward to watching as time goes by.

They make me want to fall in love again.

AWEWWWWW. Hahaha. But it's true. I don't remember the last time I was in love... like REALLY in love. But watching K-dramas kinda makes me want to believe in love again. I won't expound na coz I'm shy. :p

They make my mind and heart happy.

The most important reason of all is that K-dramas have done wonders for my mental health. When I'm having a bad day, watching an episode instantly perks up my mood. Losing myself in a good K-drama for hours on end without thinking of anything else somehow makes everything else better and while I cannot promise the same results for everyone else, I do encourage you to at least give it a try.

Are you a K-drama fanatic, as well, or are you like past-Anj who hates the thought of it? :p

The Phantom of the Opera's 25th Anniversary Special Will Stream on YouTube FOR FREE

I have loved musicals ever since I was a kid. I wasn't your typical Disney lover. When I was 3, my favorite movie was 'Sound of Music' - a movie so long, it came in the form of two VHS tapes - and when my aunt made it to West End, I became absolutely obsessed with the musicals she was in. My Discman was always playing some sort of musical soundtrack. And so, on my 10th birthday, my dad took me to London to experience real live musicals. 'The Phantom of the Opera' was one of them.

To this day, 'The Phantom of the Opera' remains to be one of my favorite musicals. I love the costumes, the powerful songs, and the grandeur of the production overall. I especially love that my loyalty for the characters always changes each time I watch it, depending on who is cast as The Phantom and who is cast as Raoul. :p

If you haven't seen 'The Phantom of the Opera' on stage yet, you are definitely missing out. Fortunately, as part of 'The Shows Must Go On' series, the 25th anniversary production of 'The Phantom of the Opera' filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 will be streamed on YouTube during the quarantine COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE.

Featuring Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, and Hadley Fraser as Raoul; 'The Phantom of the Opera' will be available for 48 hours starting on Saturday at 3AM. Unless you're an insomniac like me, you'll probably want to watch it at a later time on Saturday, though. :p

Other productions that have been streamed as part of the series include 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.

Tag someone who needs to watch this!

WATCH: The Trailer of Lee Min-ho's Upcoming KDrama 'The King: Eternal Monarch' is Finally Here!

After three whole years of not seeing one of our OG oppas, Lee Min-ho is finally making a comeback on Netflix with 'The King: Eternal Monarch'.

The last time I saw Min-ho was in the epic 'The Legend of the Blue Sea' alongside Jun Ji-hyun, and I absolutely can't wait to see him as King Lee Gon, who flits between one universe to the next. Watch the trailer here:

As short as the trailer may be, I gotta admit that the sight of Min-ho alone was enough to make me kilig to no end. I HAVE MISSED HIM (and his kissable lips) SO MUCH!!!

Anyway, 'The King: Eternal Monarch' is a romantic fantasy drama that seeks to take the genre to a whole new level. The series revolves around the relationships of people from two parallel universes - definitely something up my alley. I absolutely love fantasy dramas, don't you?

In the series, Min-ho as King Lee Gon seeks to seal the gateway between dimensions, while Jung Tae-eul, a police inspector, simply wants to protect other’s lives and their loves.

And oh, did you know that you can get a cheaper Netflix plan if you only watch your shows on mobile and don't share your account with anyone? It only costs Php149 a month! Download the Netflix app or visit their website here for more details. :)

I dream of better days.

I miss my life. I miss randomly biking to wherever my day takes me. I miss coffee shops and milk tea and errands and samgyup. I miss beer pong and alcohol and all of my friends. I miss roadtrips and plane rides and heading to the beach and feeling the sun burn my skin. And I miss you. Damn, do I miss you.

The past three weeks (has it only been three weeks?) have been a seemingly endless routine of sleepless nights, two-hour naps, binge-eating, forced workouts, mindless work, and intense anxiety.

I can't tell which days are which anymore and my body clock has never been this messed up. I sometimes stay up for 48 hours or more simply because sleep refuses to visit me, no matter how much I focus my thoughts onto the task or how long I keep my eyes closed.

I used to drink to fall asleep, but I haven't been drinking lately. I haven't been drinking because drinking on my own makes me feel miserable. Also, it's unhealthy, and I'm trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. A healthier lifestyle without sleep. Right.

Don't get me wrong. I have bouts of happiness throughout the day - when I get to mindlessly gossip with my best friend, when I get an unexpected sweet text message, and when I'm on the phone laughing with you. You have the knack of keeping bad thoughts away.

But eventually, I am left alone with my thoughts again, and things are different. I wish I could explain it better. I wish I could explain it, period. But I can't.

All I know is that I constantly find my mind in conflict: desperately wanting to sleep but not wanting to resort to alcohol to find peace. I find myself staring at my little pink pills from the corner of my eye while I mindlessly read a book, part of me longing to take one and the other not wanting to depend on it.

I am proud to say that I am able to resist the urge to pop a pill more often than not; but this week alone, I have taken one twice. I have groggily awoken to the familiar slower yet stronger heartbeat in my chest - which I savored with every staggered breath - only to fall back into a dreamless stupor. And each time, I was knocked out for at least half a day, only to awaken to yet another meaningless cycle of quarantine life.

I feel like the further into this quarantine I get, the further I am falling into old bad habits. I find no joy in working out anymore. I find myself mindlessly grabbing a piece of bread or a slice of cake pretty often. And then another. And another.

Though I know this quarantine is for the betterment of this country and for the safety of its citizens; I, for one, am not okay. Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe this is what an episode looks like in quarantine. But I dream and I hope for better days. I dream and I hope to be okay again.

How are you guys coping? What have you been doing to stay sane?

8 Korean Shows Coming to Netflix Soon

‘Crash Landing on You’ recently made waves on Netflix with everybody falling in love with the romance between Captain Ri and Yoon Se-ri. This year, more K-stories have made it onto the streaming app, including the zombie series ‘Kingdom'. (Read my review on 'Kingdom' here.)

From reality to crime and sci-fi to romance and dramas, here are more Korean shows you can look forward to watching on Netflix this year.

Rugal (March 28, 2020)

Starring: Choi Jin-hyuk and Park Sung-woong

Kang Gi-beom, once a promising police detective in the violent crimes unit, is suspected of murdering his own wife. His eyes are slashed with a razor after he witnesses her murder at the hands of the terrorist group ARGOS. Just when he thinks he has lost everything, he is approached by Choi Geun-cheol, the chief executive director of Rugal, a special organization dedicated to the sole purpose of eradicating ARGOS.

Choi requests that Gi-beom receives an artificial eye transplant and joins Rugal. After miraculously surviving the risky transplant operation, Gi-beom is born again as a human weapon. He begins to take revenge on ARGOS for everything they have done to him.

Time to Hunt (April 10, 2020)

Starring: Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong, Choi Woo-shik, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-soo

In a hopeless dystopian city, Jun-seok is released from prison and plans his next step in life in order to start anew with his friends Jang-ho, Ki-hoon and Sang-soo. However, their excitement for the plan is short-lived as an unknown man chases after them. Can these best friends get away from the hunt?

Extracurricular (April 29, 2020)

Starring: Kim Dong-hee, Jung Da-bin, Park Joo-hyun

Extracurricular is a story of high school students who have chosen a life of crime and extreme risk to earn money. Oh Jisoo ends up committing a serious crime because of his desire to pay for his college tuition on his own, whatever the means. Seo Minhee gets caught up in Jisoo’s crime, while Jisoo’s schoolmate Bae Gyuri also becomes involved in the same crime. Their bad choices come with irreversible consequences. There is no turning back. A life of crime and violence awaits them.

The King: Eternal Monarch (April 17, 2020)

Starring: Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun, Woo Do-hwan, Kim Kyung-nam, Jung Eun-chae

The King: Eternal Monarch is a romantic fantasy drama that takes the genre to a whole new level. The series revolves around the relationships of people from two parallel universes. King Lee Gon seeks to seal the gateway between dimensions, while Jung Tae-eul, a police inspector, simply wants to protect other’s lives and their loves.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (June 2020)

Starring: Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji

It's Okay to Not Be Okay is about an unusual romance between two people who end up healing each other’s emotional and psychological wounds. Moon Gang-tae is a caretaker working at a psychiatric ward who does not even bother to believe in love. He seems to be carrying all the weight and pain in life, and devotes himself only to looking after his disabled older brother. Go Moon-young is a children’s book writer who is clueless about love. She is popular among all age groups, yet very antisocial and indifferent to others.

Twogether (TBA)

Starring: Lee Seung-ggi, Jasper Liu

Two top celebrities from Seoul and Taipei go on a trip to several cities in Asia to meet their fans and become friends.

The School Nurse Files (TBA)

Starring: Jung Yu-mi, Nam Joo-hyuk

A newly appointed high school nurse discovers secrets and mysteries with her supernatural abilities for chasing ghosts.

Sweet Home (TBA)

Starring: Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young

Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student, moves into an old apartment complex called Green Home after the tragic death of his entire family. Feeling unable to make a living on his own, he realizes the residents at Green Home residents, including himself, are trapped and surrounded by monsters in various forms of distorted human desires, which are about to sweep away mankind.

Which one of these K-stories are you excited to watch? :)

I miss all of the things I took for granted.

The enhanced community quarantine has been extended for another two weeks and I don't know how to feel. I am aware of how lucky I am to have a roof over my head and to be with people that I love, but I'm also missing a lot of things in my life that I never thought I'd miss. Things I used to complain about have become things I am suddenly promising never to take for granted again.

I miss waking up all groggy and annoyed because I have to go out and get chores done in the morning. I miss walking and sweating in the heat to drop off the laundry and then walking to Starbucks to get some morning cardio in just to replace all of the calories I had just burned with some sugary sweetness from my favorite coffee shop.

I miss buying lunch for my dad or snacks for my kid, and waiting in line for a tricycle because the sun has become unbearable. There are no tricycles now. I can't even go out for cardio now without being told off by the guards.

I miss picking up my daughter from school and asking her about her day. I miss hearing her tell me about her boyfriend and how he slipped her love letters during break time, which is the only time they see each other since he's a grade higher than her. I am homeschooling her now.

And while she was initially unbothered by all of this because she says she can talk to her boyfriend on Messenger without being awkward, she is now showing a complete lack of interest in the boy. This is no doubt due to the fact that they don't see each other anymore (and definitely a trait that she got from her mother).

I miss going to work events and meetings, and meeting new people in the field. Although I used to complain about the time I had to get up and about the hours I had to spend on the road to get to places, I wouldn't mind a roadtrip alone with my thoughts in the back of a Grab car right now. We've been having video conference calls every week since the ECQ started, but it isn't the same.

I miss the kulitan in the "office" and seeing how much people changed in appearance every other week. I miss getting hungry, guzzling down caffeine like my life depended on it, and planning out our night after each meeting. I miss falling asleep in the back of the car out of exhaustion and a lack of sleep, and waking up to food and beer pong afterwards.

I miss drinking. Boy, do I miss drinking! I miss holding an über cold bottle of beer in my hands. I miss receiving random free shots when we least expect it. I miss holding a bottle of tequila an inch above my mouth and feeling it trickle down my throat until I feel a wave of heat in the pit of my belly.

I even miss drinking while the sun is still up and crying and whining with a friend about the pettiest things. I also miss getting last minute invites to go out by my demonyo friends. And I miss beer pong. Man, do I miss beer pong!

I miss traveling, too. I had to cancel two international flights and a local flight because of this epidemic, and I've been wondering how different things would've been if it hadn't happened. Would I be complaining about something in our AirBNB in Bangkok? Would I be complaining about the crowds as I checked out cherry blossoms in Osaka? Would I be complaining about my weight again while in Boracay for the third time this year?

Above all things, I miss my friends. I miss being able to go to Gizelle's house or go to a coffee shop to work and whine and work and whine. I used to complain about the dumbest and the littlest things. My "problems" seem so stupid now compared to the problems of our country and of the world.

I wasn't always a complainer, though. But then again, I wasn't always this privileged. There were days when I had no idea how to put food on the table for my daughter and me. I used to boil water from the sink and put the bottles in the fridge because I couldn't afford bottled water. I used to live off of other people's leftovers. And I used to be skinny as fuck coz of it.

Looking back at all of the things I just said I miss, I realize how privileged I am now to even be missing things like that. Other people aren't that lucky. But while a lot of people out there have it much worse than I do, that doesn't seem to change the way that I feel at the moment. As pointless as this post may seem to some, I also know that there are many people out there who feel the same way.

And the saddest thing is: while this quarantine may be lifted soon (hopefully), I somehow feel like things will never be the same again the way - at least not in the way that we've been used to. We will all have to adjust to a whole new kind of normal, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it. Are you?