We found it.

The apartment. It's in Krus na Ligas. The locale is not my choice, but I think it will do.

It's a two-floor apartment. Newly built. With one bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

Kitchen. The sink is a bit low for my height, and I'm barely 5", so that's saying something :P



Cabinets are essential for extra storage, especially if the apartment you're renting is not that big.



Stairs leading to the upstairs bedroom. Personally, I like winding staircases. They're space efficient and a bit classy. But I don't get to use one until now, so we'll see.



The upstairs bedroom. Good thing there's a landing there. Perfect spot to put shoes.


Upstairs window 1...


...and upstairs window number 2.



Watch your step.



The bathrooms a bit small, to be honest. Not really much room to move if you take a shower. Speaking of showers, it doesn't have one. We asked the landlady if they can install one, and she said she'll try.



So, that same night, my sister packed her stuff. Turns out got a lot of stuff crammed under her bed.






We hauled them up in a tricycle, since the new apartment is not that far away. We only made one trip.





Sorry for the picture quality. My cellphone camera can only take so much, and is a bi useless at night.

I was supposed to take pictures when we finally got back again to the apartment, but I was sleepy and was not thinking straight, haha~

Pipe Shelving Unit

I've been eyeing PVC pipes as an alternative cost-effective and design-worthy material. Design-worthy may be a wrong choice of word, but various projects using this material may start to prove otherwise (for samples, check out Instructables).

For instructions (and other variations of this project), read it here. To know more about PVC, I found this helpful page: PVC 101.

Blog Find: Whittled down

I think that's what they're doing. The blog includes construction of their little gypsy home and their road trips. It was sad to read that they have to let go some of the things they love (like their chickens and their garden), but it may have been worth the friends and experiences they gained.

They also offer some good advice on DIY projects like straw beds and their little wagon itself.

Together with Lionshead (their cat), read on the adventures of Libby and Tristan albeit whittled down.

Whittled Down

A new apartment building in Balara.

So my officemate took me in Balara to show me her newly discovered apartment in the area when she went looking for an apartment for her family. She knew I was also looking for one, so she led me there yesterday.

All studio-type units, one month deposit, one month advance, have own water and electric meter. They're all newly painted. The stairs in the building are too high though (or I'm just too short).

They're a bit cramped for my taste, but here are some pictures. I apologize for the picture quality.

1. Second floor unit: P2,800

That's the front door, the door to the bathroom, and the kitchen sink.

The wall at the end of the room. That's a window, and some ventilation thing (I think) below it. The owner said I can use the electric cables outside the window to hang clothes to dry. I was `shocked` when he said that.

The space between the wall and the sink.

Inside the bathroom.



2. Second floor. A little bigger than the first one. P3,500.









Bathroom.

3. P3.5k, found on the third floor, near the balcony.





I think the roof has some thermal heating going on.







Bathroom

4. First floor, P3.5k. Ideal if not for the super small sink and no windows.









That little hole up there is for the exhaust fan--which gives me a bad feeling, especially when summer comes around.

Synthesis:

Despite the peaceful neighborhood (it's just outside UP Diliman, that gate behind Vinzon's Hall), and the fact that you can bring how many guests, I think it's a bit too small. I'm still grieving over the stairs and the windows.

But if you don't care about the stairs because you're taller than me, or windows because maybe you're a vampire in hiding, call Mang Teddy at 468-3599.

Apartment hunting update: Aww~ We didn't get the 7k unit.

But I heard from an officemate (who made her rounds on the same weekend as we did) that she found a small studio type unit for P2,800 somewhere in Balara area in UP Diliman. That piqued my interest. I can prolly get it for myself.

But I see problems. One, my sister may be furious (but I have to point out that we've been looking for one for more than a year now. Two, my mother (for reasons that will be explained next time). And three, my bank account is not agreeing with me at the moment. Well, I can prolly afford it until the end of the month, but I am kinda worried about next month, no matter how inexpensive the place seems to be.

So for now, I'm going to look at it, then assess the situation. It may be a big downside if the place is not pet friendly.

Apartment hunting update

I'm just going to make this short. We went to Krus na Ligas to find a decent place to stay. After two hours, we only found one good enough to be a candidate (because all of them are either dormitories or room for rent chuva). It's P7k and still under negotiation with another one who got there before us.

So if by Monday the first takers didn't go through, we'll probably get it.

How to Avoid Getting Screwed When Renting an Apartment: Advice from a Landlord

This is an article I saw posted at a friend's plurk, and although the article is in an American setting, I think they can also apply here in the Philippines.

How to Avoid Getting Screwed When Renting an Apartment: Advice from a Landlord


If You Want to Pay Less, Ask.

Rent isn't necessarily negotiable, but many landlords are willing to compromise on price. While lowering the official rent price can be the most difficult, sometimes you can negotiate other means of decreasing what you have to pay. For example, if you have a pet you can ask for additional pet rent costs to be waived. If you need an extra parking spot, that's something else you can ask for as a way you can save a little money. If you want a discount specifically on the rent, however, you may be more successful if you agree to extend the length of the lease. Most leases last 12 months, but by agreeing to a 13th month you're giving the landlord assurance that s/he'll be receiving rent for an extra month. Just like you can with cellphone contracts, you can sometimes get a better price by agreeing to a longer term.

Talk to Existing Tenants.

While this may seem a little intimidating, if you want to get a good idea of what it's like to live in a particular apartment building you need to speak to people that already live there. Gathering a few experiences can be really helpful in getting a clear picture of what living there will be like for you. While you'll undoubtedly have a few questions of your own, the most important general questions you can ask are the following:

Do you enjoy living here? Is it a good place to live?
How does the landlord respond to maintenance requests?
How does the landlord respond when there's a problem?
Are there noise issues?
Is there anything unusual I should be aware of?

If you're concerned about interrupting people by going door to door or are just feeling a little shy, one alternative is to leave a note under a few doors or in a few mailboxes. Leave your name, number and/or email address, and let them know that you're thinking about renting in their building and want to ask them a few questions. Not everyone will respond, but if you leave a few notes you should be able to get at least one person to contact you.

Get Everything in Writing.

If anything is ever unclear, make sure it's clarified in writing and becomes part of your lease. If something in the lease seems wrong, ask for it to be amended. If there are circumstances that you feel should allow you to break your lease, make sure that becomes part of your lease before you sign it. If at any point you consider that something should be in writing, put it in writing.

After you sign your lease, it's best to keep your correspondance in writing as much as possible. When you don't have correspondance in writing, keep a log of any other communication so you can refer back to it if there's a problem. Remember, renting an apartment is a contractual, business relationship and so you need to treat it like one.

Document Your Move-in with Photos.

Often times your landlord will take photos before you move in and after you move out in order to document anything in the apartment. You should do the same thing. Before you move in and sign the lease, it's also best if you can get a tour and take photos as well. Concentrate on any issues in the apartment, such as damage or other problems. Ask to have these issues fixed before you sign the lease and do not sign until these issues are dealt with. If a landlord doesn't get around to fixing any move-in issues before the lease signing, it's a good sign that s/he'll be slow to fix any issues after you move in as well.

Know Your Rights.

Nearly every state in the USA publishes a tenants rights handbook and it's almost always available online. If you're looking for use, do a search for "tenant rights handbook" plus the name of your city (if it's a big one) or state. It's generally not too long and written for the average person so you can get through it pretty quickly. It's the best way to know your rights when renting so you don't make any avoidable mistakes during the process. Additionally, do a little research on your legal aid options. Should a renting situation turn to the worst, your county may provide legal aid services to help you get legal advice or even defend yourself should the issue take you to court. Knowing your options ahead of time and who to call in the event of a problem can make a very stressful situation much easier.

Be Honest.

Renting an apartment is a business relationship between the tenant and the landlord, so it stands the reason that the tenant can the problem as well. If you want to be a good tenant, you need to do more than pay your rent on time. In fact, in many cases, honesty and care can go much farther than timeliness. If you're going to have trouble paying your rent one month or have some sort of problem, you will almost always be better served by being honest with your landlord. If you lie you'll most likely get caught, but what's worse is you'll lose your landlord's trust. If you want your landlord's help when you have a problem you're more likely to get it if there's trust, and trust comes from being honest. Additionally, take care of the unit you're renting. If you accidentally damage anything, own up to it. When you move out, restore the unit to the way it looked (or better) than when you moved in. (This is where taking pictures helps, too.) In general, if you're good, honest, and treat the rental property with respect, you'll be in a much better position to get help or be on higher ground if there's a problem.

Source

~~~~~~

Whenever I go apartment-hunting, I always document my trips by taking pictures and taking down notes (terms of payment, contact numbers, apartment details) because I can share this information with an officemate (or anyone who needs it) who is also looking for a place to stay as I am (I think I mentioned about her in my last post).

And since I have no experience (yet) in living in an apartment, I can't say anything about having actual papers. But, there were times that I have to bail out my sister who is living in a girls' dormitory (twice now, actually), and I found out that there were no papers involved. The administration were mistreating tenants. I realized that having these papers not only lays out the terms and conditions of what both parties should be getting, but it also serves as a security blanket for both of them.

As for asking around, well, I think it's much better if you know someone in that area in the first place. It's also awkward to negotiate the price of the rent xD

Apartment hunting finally

The details are a bit sketchy between me and my sister, but we've agreed on looking for an apartment this Sunday (with my officemates who needs a new place to stay as well).

Hope it goes well~

Studio type apartment, but by myself, or a two-bedroom apartment, but with my sister?

Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. But there are just some things you don't share with her anymore. And we do get on each other's nerves (probably because of mostly sharing the same bedroom since we're still kids).

I prefer to have a small studio type apartment by myself, but shouldering all the costs. Here's an estimate (in pesos):

a. Rent: Hopefully around P4k
b. Water and Electricity: Hm? Around P1k - P1.5k pero month.
c. Food: This is a tough one. I love eating, see. So let's say P2k/month.

This is living expenses. I still haven't considered how much would I need to spend initially, like appliances, furniture, rent deposit... *hurls at the cost*

So the total living expenses is around P7.5k per month. *hurls some more*

The only practical option for me is to share a pad with my sister, and hopefully there are two separate bedrooms, because:

1. I refuse to be on the top bunk, again. Being the younger sister, she always bully persuades me to get the ones with the lesser value. And I'll always hate her for it.

2. Boyfriend. 'Nuff said.

3. Private space for stuff, like decorating, having my own rules in my bedroom, and I can have my friends sleep there if need be.

Monthly estimates:
1. Rent: P5-6k (two bedrooms, one bathroom, sister prefers kitchen area)
2. Utilities: P2k
3. Food: P2k (sister knows how to cook. I don't. So this is a plus on living together).
4. Possible Internet: P1k

Total: Around P11k or P5.5 per month. That's P2k less than living alone.

My sister and me plans on scouring Krus na Ligas area (near UP) because it's the most accessible place we have from our workplaces (at least I only have to walk, sister needs to do short commutes). This will be our second attempt. I hope we are successful this time.

A Harry Potter Room

Thanksgiving!

Well, here in the Philippines we don't celebrate Thanksgiving (but we should! For the food, at least.)

To celebrate with our Caucasian counterparts, here are some links and recipes festive enough (hopefully) to try out. And healthy too.

Thanksgiving Healthy Recipe Guide

Devilled Eggs. I'm separating this one, in lieu of that other Devilled Eggs recipe.

Oh yeah, Teaparty Potluck update: I may not be able to make it after all because of sudden OT this Saturday (the person who was supposed to go there is going to be absent, so I'm filling in).

More devilled eggs for me then!

And here are some No-Bake Sweet Goodies:

1. Cheesecake


This picture doesn't suggest the actual food when done


Ingredients
a. 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
b. 1/4 cup white sugar
c. 1/2 cup butter, melted
d. 2 (1.3 ounces) envelopes whipped topping mix
e. 2 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
f. 2 fluid ounces cherry brandy

Directions
a. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Mix well and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

b. In a large bowl, mix the whipped topping powder as directed on the package and beat until thick. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and drop them into the whipped topping, one at a time, while beating. Pour into the cherry brandy and beat another 5 minutes at high speed.

c. Spoon the filling into the graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, or until set.

I think you need a machine mixer or something for this. You can always scour the net for machine-less-friendly people (like me).

2. Panna Cotta


This picture doesn't suggest the actual food when done

Ingredients
a. 1/3 cup skim milk
b. 1 (.25 ounce) envelop unflavored gelatin
c. 2 1/2 cups heavy cream (can't we just use 1 cup?)
d. 1/2 cup white sugar
e. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
a. Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.
b. In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will qickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual ramekin dishes (what's a ramekin dish?)
c. Cook the ramekins uncovered at room temparature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.

Once done, you can also put scrapes of fruits of your liking (mine's mango).

The Dressed-Up Furniture Series by Kamkam

This is just too cute. Though the cabinets are a bit of a hassle when opening or closing it.









Source

Don't mind me, I'm just reposting a LOT of recipes from the same website.

Much better than bookmarking, me thinks.

1. No-Knead Sweet Potato Rolls
2. Hearty Tomato Sauce
3. How to make Lasagna
4. Udon Noodle Soup
5. How to Make a Souffle
6. Cooking by Feel: Baked Pastas
7. 8 rich yet lighter Pasta sauces
8. Meat, Pasta, and Main Dishes

Did I mention I love Italian food?

9. Homemade Yogurt
10. Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich
11. Cuban Sandwich. I'm not into this, but my sister may like it.
12. Ribollita (The Ultimate Left-Overs soup)
13. French Onion Soup
14. Mango Panna Cotta

Wow. That's a lot of recipes to try out. I hope I'll be able to pull them off.

Butterbeer

My excitement over the recent installment of the Harry Potter movies (Deathly Hallows Part 1) has not been satiated, here's something to add with the hype.

Homemade Butterbeer

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients


FOR THE BUTTERBEER
6 12-ounce bottles cream soda [I prefer IBC (which is vegan) or Polar Classics Vanilla, but any will work perfectly]
3 teaspoons butter extract (imitation butter), or clarified butter (instructions linked above)

FOR THE FOAM (Vegan/Dairy-free recipe linked above)
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons butter extract

To make the butterbeer: Set out 6 16-ounce glasses. Place 1/2 teaspoon of butter extract in each glass. Pour 12 ounces of butterbeer into each glass. Lightly stir, if necessary.

To make the foam: In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and continue whipping until very soft peaks begin to form, another 3-4 minutes (if you need to whip more or less, then be sure to do so, the times can vary quite a bit based on environment). Stir in the vanilla and butter extracts, then whip for another 30 seconds or so, until soft peaks form.

Spoon a generous portion of foam on top of each glass of butterbeer. Serve immediately.

Source

And since the recipe calls for clarifying butter, here's how.

There's a bunch of recipes over at Mugglenet, but this is by far the simplest.

[Edit] Oh wait! There IS a recipe over at Mugglenet that is even simpler. Just go and decide which one you want to use. Thanks!

My cellphone wishlist

To prepare myself for battle called Living by (and for) Myself, I have been thinking of getting some multipurpose tools such as a cellphone. Here are the things I'm looking for:

1. The standard calling/texting features
2. Wi-Fi capable - I'll probably be leaving the desktop behind, and I won't be bringing my laptop everyday. But just for checking, let's say, FB or plurk statuses, this is economical and faster than turning on the computer.
3. High megapixel spec for cameras - I'd rather have a DSLR but but it's bulky. Besides, it's much better to have stolen pictures :D
4. Gig space - For pictures, games, phone numbers, messages, and everything that would take up file space.
5. Stylish - because it has to be pretty~

So here are my mobile phone candidates:




1. Blackberry models Torch 9800 - 5mp camera, Unlimited phone book entries, WiFi capable, Micro-usb slot (up to 32gb, though I won't be needing that much space), it has a documents viewer, organizer, and social feeds feature.



2. Blackberry Curve 8900 - The same as it's more advanced model except that it has a 3.15 mp camera, and has email and IM supports (which I prefer more).


3. Samsung i800 Omnia - 5mp camera, unlimited phone book entries, 16gb internal storage, micro usb capable (up to 32gb), wi-fi capable, email and IM supported, and hey, I can watch movies in this thing! But I'm not into touch screens, that's why this unit is at the last of my list.

Now, all I need is to win the lottery.

Tea party potluck contribution.

I got invited to a tea party to celebrate the first year anniversary of Waku Waku. I'm thinking of what to bring, so maybe this would do:

Devilled Eggs

INGREDIENTS:
12 large eggs Ice water 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons mustard 1 pinch cayenne pepper Salt and black pepper. Paprika, for dusting DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, arrange the eggs in a single layer and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, then cover the eggs with ice water. Let stand until cool to the touch.

PROCEDURE:
Peel the eggs, halve lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, reserving the egg whites. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne; season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves and dust with paprika.

I found this online, and it looks easy and economical enough. I hope this goes well (yummy well)

Countdown

I'd probably say in about three to four months' time I'll be moving out of my parents house. About time to, actually. I have delayed this for so long, and I'm running out of excuses. But making this step is both exciting and scary at the same time, so I want to do this right.

1. What do I need: A dormitory or a place where I'll share it with someone, or do I get my own place? This question has been running in my head most of the time. Economically speaking, having a dormitory is ideal, because I don't need to spend that much on water expenses, electric bills, and lodging. I'm a sociable person, I think, though I am worried about my moods. That's where the apartment option comes in. I get to shoulder everything, but at least I do get to decorate my place and have friends over.

2. Do I have a valid reason to be independent? Being your own man is not a bad idea, but doing it just to, let's say, get away from your parents' nagging and do whatever you want to do is personally not a good reason. You have to be financially and emotionally stable.

And besides, I'm already 27. If I delay this any further, it will be just sad.

3. What are you leaving behind? I guess this question scares me the most, and the biggest excuse I have for not leaving. I have pets, see. And I feel sad just thinking of leaving them. But my mom already promised to take care of them, and since I'll be coming back every week, it will be all right.

I also must take into consideration that I'll be leaving behind the comforts of home. I will be cooking for myself, cleaning after myself, and doing my own laundry. I don't cook, and I don't know how, so this is where number four comes in.

4. Learn how to cook. Seriously. Even if I end up living in a dormitory, I still need to learn how to make a few basic meals, like hotdogs, eggs, or making rice. I have been keeping tabs of some recipes online that I want to try, and recently bought a notebook to keep it in.

5. Be wise financially. Which means budgeting. I'm starting to keep away some money in the bank for starting out and/or for emergencies. Also, if money permits, try to get some basic things you may need when moving in (in this case, I'm getting the things I would need if ever I get a dorm). I have my own little bag for toiletries, a case for medicines and a first aid kid, I bought a backpack...you know, little things like that. I'm not sure if shopping for these things is the right step to do, so if you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

So there you go, they may be incomplete, and I'm still grasping straws, but I hope I'm doing this right. I may be posting some links, and articles that would help me (and hopefully you as well) in getting to that goal.

Good luck to me!