I usually spend my Sundays with my mom and my dad when he's on vacation. And before or after our Sunday mass, we traditionally eat out.

Yesterday and the Sunday before that, I noticed that we had Chinese food and to say that they're satisfying is an understatement.

Chinese is my to-go food when I'm bored, or just too tired to think of what to eat or if I wanna have a little feast. It's actually one of the reasons why I decided to try using chop sticks (looks more Chinese using it).

So when craving for Chinese, where do I go? Here's a list in no particular order

Luk Yuen. Best pick: Beef Brisket Rice or Beef Brisket Noodles

I love that they are fast and their free soup is so tasty I could survive with that alone. On an average meal, one could spend around P150-200.

Wai Ying. Best pick: Hakaw

I discovered Wai Ying when I brought a balikbayan cousin to Chinatown in Binondo. When we entered the place, we know for sure it was authentic because of the smell and the ambiance of the place. We spend around P600 for two noodle dishes and a bunch of dimsums.

Le Ching. Best pick: Beef Brisket Rice

I first ate at Le Ching in Greenhills back in college with my good friend Katz Manalastas. Yesterday, I found one in Trinoma and persuaded my mom to try it. We spend about P200 for an order of hakaw and an order of chicken feet.

Super Bowl of China. Best pick: Eggplant with Minced Pork and spicy sauce

Backstory: When we were in Macau last February, we had dinner in a little formal place near the Sands. My friend Rhianne Ponciano, having lived there for quite some time, picked the dishes and she ordered this eggplant dish which my mom loved so much that when we came back, her goal was to find a restaurant that serves that dish or even something close to that. After a few failed attempts, we finally found one last night at Super Bowl. No need to take her to Macau!

While I plot my next Chinese food adventure, feel free to send your own pick!

I can't help but share my thoughts on the issue of long weekends as I read comments, most of them complaining about the President's policy to keep holidays on their actual dates. What enraged me more is that these complaints are out of "inconvenience" (ex. people who want to miss their exams, people who have long weekend plans, etc.)

Let's define the basics first. Why do we celebrate national holidays?

Origin:

Most holidays are from significant events that change the country's course of history, say the Independence day on June 12 where Emilio Aguinaldo declared our freedom. December 30 is also a holiday, the day when Jose Rizal was shot in Bagumbayan in Luneta. August 21, which is fast approaching, the day of Ninoy Aquino's assassination. Now these are just three of those days where kids are happy because they get to have a free cut, there are many many others which I will let you find on your own.

The big deal:

When Gloria Arroyo was president, she preferred that celebrations of holidays be moved to the day closest to the weekend to give everyone a long weekend. Now while this policy encouraged a lot of people to travel and spend money (which was helpful to the tourism industry and the economy) I felt that we totally forgot what the point of a NATIONAL holiday was. Noynoy Aquino is currently getting a lot of flak for not declaring August 23 a non-working holiday, the Monday closest to the August 21 holiday which unfortunately fell on a Saturday.

My humble point:

NATIONAL holidays are observed not to give us breaks but to remind us of OUR HISTORY. They serve as a simple reminder that where we are today is because some Filipinos were willing to sacrifice for our freedom and it is our rightful duty to thank them. Come to think of it, if it weren't for these people whose death our birthday we celebrate, we wouldn't be actually celebrating or observing any HOLIDAY.

Now, if you miss Gloria's policy, then by all means, go to the 2nd district of Pampanga and be one of her constituents.

In fairness to Arroyo, I understand why she implemented that policy and local businesses reaped the benefits. The problem is that some people no longer understand the importance of the word NATIONAL from national holiday.

I am not saying Noynoy is right, and I admittedly look forward to long weekends in the past, but this is a new administration and it is under the discretion of the incumbent president to decide on these matters.

Now what really is the issue here? Is it our travel plans and our much needed breaks?

Hell No.

The questions I think we should be asking ourselves is this:

Are we willing to sacrifice our sense of history and nationalism over some extra days of break?

My tweets and posts will prove that juggling my career and education is an adventure, but admittedly, it gets toxic at times. Graduate school means having to read long essays (at least eight pages each), writing thought papers that are based on studies and concrete examples and active participation in class. The last bit I find easier since most examples are based on current events which I do most of the time anyway.

I attend classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays but the former somehow is more tiresome than the latter. Allow me to give you a peek of how I spend my Wednesdays

5:30 AM - phone alarms, time to get up.
- check my emails, read most of them (at least those that seem important) PS: I usually don't reply as my judgment is impaired and I might still be half-awake
- check Twitter, and it's interesting that what I usually get are global stories. Accounts from different timezones usually update more frequently at this hour.

6:00 AM - open my laptop, do work.

7:00 AM - still at work but in between copies and headlines, sips coffee and eats breakfast
- now's also the ideal time to answer emails, I AM AWAKE.

8:00 AM - i take a bath and prep for work

9:00 AM - just before i leave, check on things at work

10:00 AM - i usually arrive in the office around this time, depending on the traffic of course.

and work is until around 3:00 PM. in between those hours is a rather complicated task of being creative and technical at the same time for one task. but for the love of movies, it is so much worth it.

3:00 PM - leave the office for school.
- while on my way, i read the required essays and try to take notes as much as possible. i barely retain anything if i read from the night before and it's best to read in the mornings but i can't since i have work.

5:00 to 8:00 PM - classes ongoing. time to think.
- also a good opportunity to evaluate the things that I've done for the day

8:00 PM - head home

9:00 PM - home!
- time to catch on television and movies.
- if i have enough energy, i turn the computer on to read until i fall asleep.

this may seem simple. but as far as i could remember, i get more tired when im doing "mind" work rather than physical activities. i feel more exhausted reading a book than running a simple 3k. oh well, were all built differently.

i am not in anyway complaining and actually enjoying the opportunity to be in a position where while i am doing my craft, theories in the academe remind of what's ideal and at times, what's noble.

in the end, surviving wednesdays is fun not because it gives a sense of relief but maybe because this is when i find myself most productive.

and if can i get past wednesdays triumphantly, then i can make it any other day.

After a long wait, I'm finally back to where I first fell home, the classroom. For some reason, whether I'm seated in the front or back row, I felt so comfortable I could sit in a class for five hours straight.

Being in the academe gives me a new perspective and luckily, both my instructors appreciate the greater role of technology in the media today. I appreciate how books and theories and concepts give meaning to what I do everyday, all day.

I was surprised most of my classmates are my age. They're either working, on freelance jobs, or taking their time off for reasons of their own. The best thing? Most of them realize that four years in college weren't enough.

I love how I learn from their perspectives, especially the people in Advertising and Public Relations. See, when you're on the other side, and the PR people feed you with press releases, an initial instinct is too look for a "weakness" or "butas." That way, you see the whole picture and the story won't be like you're endorsing the product. And journalists are hardly always happy with what they get. Even after the interviews, they dig for other leads.

And hearing from the other side is, I must say, refreshing. As they say, "trabaho lang."

I thought graduate studies meant tons of papers. But as of today, I have only written two papers, about my dream Philippines and the ascendancy of the President. A podcast is due in two weeks though.

Overall, I'm still trying to adjust (especially the traveling part) but admittedly, I feel that I'm about to have the time of my life.