punch and salsa recipe

Last night I celebrated my birthday with my closest friends. Mum made marinara pasta and we had roasted garlic and shrimp pizza delivered by yellow cab. I made my ultimate salsa and punch.

Salsa it's actually simple to make and there are so many varieties of salsa. For my salsa, i use stewed tomatoes instead of the whole tomatoes.

Salsa:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes (if you choose to stew it yourself then use 7 big toms)
1 whole white onion(finely chopped)
parsley
sweet basil(fresh, optional.. most don't use this but i've recently discovered that it makes a great addition to the recipe)
jalapeno pepper or tabasco or chili flakes

just mix everything.

UK 2007

Last June I went to the UK to visit my gf for a month. This was my first trip to Europe and of course without my parents lol. Anyway, It took me more than hour to get out of the heathrow airport. Thanks to the (not sounding like a racist) the middle east people!They Don't even know how to line up! Although I heard from a close friend of mine that the germans too don't know how to line up. I guess it's a pretty general thing. anyway, after more than an hour of the people who doesn't know how to line up and taking the piss, i finally met up with imogen at the airport. It was really great seeing her there waiting for me. I gushed when she kissed me in public lol. First thing i said to her was that i need to smoke lol. The plane ride was horrible.

Travel Tip: If you're traveling alone, don't get the window seat, or else you'll be bothering the person beside you when you want to go to the bathroom or stretch

anyway, after the smoke, we went to her place and i met the dogs for the first time. Charlie and maggie are soo adorable. Seeing them made me miss my dogs in manila. So I went to take a shower while imogen, got some fish and chips take aways. We stayed in for the night coz i was so tired from the plane ride. So we hung out, watched tv and tried catching up on the things we missed. Oh of course, due to jetlag, i prodded her to wakey at 3am lol. This lasted for a couple of days only.


Next day, Imogen drove me to the church called St. james catholic church for my obligatory sunday masses. The service i attended made me wonder if it was really catholic. It was the first time seeing the priest use white wine instead of red. Also, first time seeing first communion and confirmation done during the offertory. And no Apostle's Creed after homily. I thought that the people in the church were very noisy. Quite a lot of the ladies were ogling at how cute the babies are. I wonder why the parish priest didn't do anything about it. After the mass, Imogen picked me up and went back to her place. She had to go to work while i stay at the house and dog sit. So I stayed at the place, ate, watched tv, cleaned up the house, the dishes, oh and laundry. I was that bored lol. So I waited till imogen came back.

Imogen took me to Epsom Downe, drove me around the area. Went shopping at the TK MAxx which i enjoyed so much. We had great lunch at the Wetherspoons. We went to the river thames in surrey and had lunch at the cabbage and slug restaurant. Took piccies and walked around the place. It was freezing cold but for them, it was warm.

We went to chessington park to get the annual pass. Imogen, being such an adorable kid, tried every ride in the theme park.

Few days later, we went to Brighton, Sussex. I loved brighton so much that i asked imogen if we can go back there. I tried cockles and loved it. In fact, when we went to sainsbury, we got pickled cockles in a small bottle. It was lovely. Then we had fish and chips at the brighton pier. By the way, i loved the fish and chips that i had three in my first few days there.

On my 2nd week, We went to London by train via Waterloo Station and walked to London Eye. First few minutes of London eye was fun and it was great seeing the whole london. However, when we were on the top, it was effing scary. I couldn't move. I had to sit down while imogen, left me alone in my misery and took pictures of places. Thank god for my London Eye booklet guide lol. I was able to take pictures despite the legs getting in the way.

After the eye, we walked around the jubilee garden and then we crossed the jubilee bridge and had lunch at one of the cafe's there. We walked around some more then had to go back for the dogs.

It was also on my 2nd week that I met Imogen's parents for the first time. I was so nervous. I've never met the parents of my partner and i was being introduced as a gf not as a friend so it was different. They were very nice and warm.

We went to thorpe park, another theme park. It was the adult version of chessington park. The rides were intense, faster and scarier.

It was also when the UK was celebrating the birthday of the Queen. We weren't able to go to the trooping of the colours because of the rain but i was able to catch a glimpse of the planes flying over london and "smoking" out colors representing the flag of UK.

In my 3rd week of stay, Imogen and I drove all the way to staffordshire and went to Alton. It was really nice there. lush greeneries, wonderful gardens, the castle/tower oh and not to forget the theme park, alton towers. the theme park was awesome. full of scary, more intense and faster rides. It was so scary that most rides have this don't-look-down-or-don't-open-your-eyes-or-you'll-die-feeling.

Anyway back in surrey, imogen and i went to london to meet up with her friends. we had lunch and i just sat and listened to them talk. They talk a lot and knowing that they don't see each other often, i just let them catch up with each other. AFter lunch we went to the covent garden and shopped around.

Imogen took me to soho and it was my first time to see a place packed with gay men. It was fun lol. then we went to chinatown and i don't remember what happened after lol.

anyway, for the rest of my stay, we went to leicester square, picadilly circus, regent's park and had a huge lunch with mum's friend mrs. egan, st. james park.. erm pardon me i'm struggling hard to remember lol. anyway i will edit this later on when imogen comes online so she can help me refresh my memory lol.

Anyway, my last week was depressing. I knew the time i had to leave her sometime and it was painful. At the airport, we couldn't stop crying. I hope that my next trip to visit her would be final. no more separating.

Love and Pain.. in the same sense at the same time.. yes it's possible

Being in a relationship is wonderful. Having someone to share your life with apart from your family and friends is one of the most wonderful feeling anyone could have. Currently, I'm in a same sex long distance relationship. I have had relationships before my current one however, this one is my first longest relationship and the most serious of all. It's been more than a year now. I wondered how we were able to manage our relationship despite the stress of being so physically distant from each other.

Someone has said that "abscence makes the heart grow fonder." It is true especially when two people fight. The best thing for the both of them is to not see each other to clear things up and then everything will be fine. Also, spending every minute with each other can be so unhealthy. In relation to long distance relationship, sometimes, a very long absence can lead to pain and confusion. As what my partner has said, "We're so close and great together but painful when we come to realize that we're not really together." I am just fortunate that my partner has not suggested it to be an open relationship because that would mean it's not only the physical part that is lacking but something else like sex or boredom.

I have had friends who would say that they can never be in a long distance relationship. Part of me understands them because of the pain that comes with it. Other part does not understand them at all because just like one of the most memorable quotes, "love conquers all".

The longest i've physically been with my partner is just one month. Sometimes I wonder if what would happen when the time comes that we will actually be together. I am sure it will be different. Not only we're sharing our space and all but we're actually going to be experiencing each others life versus, sharing our life via online or phone calls or short visits.

There's no secret really in managing a long distance relationship. I guess the general rule of thumb is that when you love, you WILL to love that person. When you fall in love, it can't be controlled but you're given a choice to give yourself or not. In my current relationship, i choose to give my wholeself to my partner because i love her.