ECLECTIQUE.: December 2015

HAUL FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Reviews + Shopping Experience

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THE STORY OF ANCIENT ROME

Because who wouldn’t want to know about it?

Rome has always been a beauty. It's known for its amazing architecture, culture, and innovation of materials. In here, you'll find out how Rome began, and know more about how they lived their life.

Let’s put in a little geography here: Europe is the 2^nd smallest continent in the world, and it has over 51 countries! I’ll also add in a little trivia, in those 51 countries, 24 languages are being spoken (including English of course). They say that the name Europe is still unsure where the name came from. There are, however, myths and theories where the name of Europe came from. The myth came from the ancient story of Zeus and Europa. Wherein Zeus transformed into a bull and was captivated by Europa’s beauty. He then brought her to the isle of Crete and then became lovers; in which Europa bore him three sons. One theory was that Europe’s name came from a Greek word that means ‘wide gazing’.

Chariot Racing as a form of entertainment
Source: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/circus.html

In Rome, life was determined by where you stand. Meaning that even back then, there was already the division between the rich and the poor. The life of a wealthy Roman was very extravagant. They lived in beautiful houses which is often by the hills outside of Rome. They are also surrounded with luxurious furnishings, slaves, and servants who would cater to their every need. For the poor Romans, however, they live in small houses that could easily collapse. They may be poor in wealth, but they are strong in numbers. For their entertainment, they watch chariots racing and gladiators fighting among themselves. Though the rich and poor may be different in certain aspects, they are common in one thing: in every Roman family, the head of the household is always a man, making Rome a very patriarchal society. He controls the property they live in and he decides the fate of his children on who they would marry.

Before there were businessmen and entrepreneurs, the jobs of the Romans were simple. They had farmers who lived in the countryside, and their common crop was wheat to make bread. They also had soldiers in which was a way for the poor Romans to earn a regular wage. There were also merchants who kept making the Empire rich, while there were also craftsmen who made pots, jewelries, weapons, and many more. Entertainment was important in their culture and tradition. Their entertainers were gladiators and chariot racers, and just like today, Rome’s entertainers include musicians, dancers, and actors. The educated Romans on the other hand become lawyers, teachers, and engineers. In the government, there were all sorts of jobs like tax collectors, clerks and Senators. When Senators serve their position, they serve for life, and there were as many as 600 members of the Senate.

The colosseum that holds gladiator wars and other forms of entertainment

Source: http://7-themes.com/6931521-rome-colosseum.html

The famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
Source: http://artdiscovery.info/rotations/rotation-1/packet-22/

We all know that Roman art is very beautiful. There’s just something about how their buildings, basilicas, and colosseums are made. Let’s not forget their amazing paintings during the Renaissance period. The Renaissance period started in the 1400s. The Early Renaissance art works were about Humanism. It became a central motif for the artists because it was a “rebirth” of the classical style. After that, the paintings were towards humans, thus making Humanism focusing on inner beauty on humanity. The effect of Humanism during the Renaissance period was very captivating because the painters focused on human interests. They also used different colored patterns like the mosaics to show or advertise everyday life scenes. It is said that mosaics have come from the Babylon, and since the Romans discovered new found beauty, they decided to copy it by adding it to buildings. We all know that the arches started with the Romans, it is because they needed the water to get in and out of the city, thus creating the aqueducts. One of the most magnificent pieces of architecture made by the Romans was the Colosseum. It is so magnificent because it could fit 50,000 spectators who would watch brutal fights of the gladiators!

There’s so much to say about Rome. It’s still amazing that after all these years – decades, Rome never lost its touch. Their works and influences made such an impact to our culture that what they did before, is still alive today. I hope you guys found this useful and that you get to have an insight on what Rome was before. Also, if you plan on travelling there, at least you know a little history about them!

Take care now!

Denise

References:

http://www.ancient.eu/europe/

http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome_food_daily_life.php

https://prezi.com/1su42ky62k8g/how-did-greek-and-roman-art-influence-the-renaissance/

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food

TREAT YOURSELF!

YOU deserve it.
by Czarina Castro

2015 has flown by in a blink of an eye --- and we have survived another year in our lives! This time of the year is all about thanksgiving, repentance, forgiveness and celebrations! Consider yourself lucky for you have survived a year of trials and obstacles, but it will never be complete without the time of joy and vibrancy. Before the year ends, treat yourself, your family, your friends! Whether it be a trip, shopping or a food trip. My family and I decided to treat ourselves after shopping for presents the whole evening in SM Megamall. Now, this isn't actually a new restaurant in the Philippines, but it is my first time trying their food and their name has been circling around the country for a while now.

8 CUTS Burger Blends is a burger joint that lets its customers create their own burgers made with 100% U.S. meat, making it a hit in the Philippines. 8 CUTS meaning their different custom high quality meat choices. The options include the choice of bun, toppings and beef, which amounts to about Php 190. Although, the menu is extensive and the restaurant also provides cheeses, house made sauces and MORE TOPPINGS! 8 CUTS won the hearts of the Pilipinos and was considered one of the best restaurants in Manila in 2014.

THE DIFFERENT BLENDS INCLUDE:

THE HOUSE BLEND; short rib + ribeye
THE BEEF BOMB; chuck + short rib
THE OX BLEND; flank + oxtail + ribeye
THE BIG GAME; hanger + brisket

(I got these descriptions from www.ourawesomeplanet.com)

The Cheeseburger (Php 195)

The aesthetic of the restaurant in Megamall had a mix of minimalist in it, but it also had a bit of color to suit the theme and setting of the place. For me, it quite pleased my eyesight and I couldn't help but look everywhere. The walls were painted as brick walls and it gave me a western vibe, while their ads had very good graphics. I'm pretty sure the graphic designer of the restaurant deserved a round of applause. There were funny and related quotes posted on the walls and the restaurant provided a charging station, how convenient! They also provide an app in which the costumers can choose their favorite song and play it in the vicinity while eating their meal.

The Q-Daddy (Php 295)

We tried the appetizers before we dug on with the main course. We got the classic Onion rings and French fries. Needless to say, it satisfied our cravings with its crunchiness and flavorful taste. It may not be the healthiest, but one must satisfy their cravings from time to time. The french fries were quite thin, but they served a decent amount for my mom, my sister and I. Since it was our first time to try 8 CUTS, we weren't really familiar with the different house blends and sauces, so we just picked what seemed delicious for us in the menu.

I got the Q-Daddy which contained yellow cheddar, onion tanglers, crisp bacon strips, iceberg lettuce, tomato, jalapeno ranch and sweetly spiced BBQ sauce.

Just by reading it, I can definitely feel my stomach rumbling. My mom got the classic Cheeseburger, since she wasn't sure what to get, while my sister got Bleu.

Bleu has blue cheese, caramelized onions and blue cheese crumble.

It was obvious that we were excited because my mom has been raving about 8 CUTS since last year, but we didn't have a chance to eat there until last December 20th. At first, my mom and I thought that it was quite on the pricey side (I was raised by frugal parents, you see.) Once it was served, I couldn't wait to try it, so we started to slice the huge burger. One burger and you'll be full, I didn't even finish mine and had my mom and my sister finish it for me! Once I bit into the burger, the flavors are blended and mixed well, they melt in your mouth in such a way that you would forget your name. The menu is very accurate in giving you a sneak peek of what the burger tastes like and once you actually taste it, it was way more than you would expect!

Despite the expensive prices, it amounted to the cost because not only did it make us full, but the burgers were supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! If you're looking for a rewarding treat this Christmas, 8 CUTS is the place to be! I guarantee, it will be a worthy spend and you will have a satisfied stomach by the end of it!

Yours truly,

Czarina

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fashion

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food

Unlimited Pizza Heaven at Papa John's!

promotional poster

Papa John's Unli Pizza Friday Experience! (Dona Soledad, Paranaque Branch)

Last November 27, 2015, me and my family were stuck in traffic on the way home. We all had empty stomachs that time and we were seriously hungry.

"Look! Unli pizza!" My older brother exclaimed, seeing the poster outside Papa John's which was just at the side of where we stopped in the traffic.

"Oh wow! That seems delicious." My dad replied as we all decided we head there for dinner. It was a good timing since i didn't have the chance to eat proper breakfast and lunch that day.

"I've seen that a long time ago, we should head inside! My friends also said that their pizza tastes good there!" I added, rubbing my hungry tummy with excitement.

We then entered the store, welcomed by the delicious smell of pizza. The scent even made us much hungrier! We all then headed to the counter, paying for the unli pizza (which was 245 per head) and with additional payment if you will order pasta or if you want your drinks to be bottomless. It was also great timing since it was the last day of the event and it was only up to 9:00PM.

There were rules for the unli pizza event which were:

1. No sharing

2. No left-overs

3. No take out

The service was incredibly fast and the employees were such warm people! I enjoyed the service and they were really friendly.

As soon as we plopped down the table, we immediately got served bottomless iced tea and plates. After a few minutes, the pizza got served, giving us two slices right away. The pizza flavors served were pepperoni, cheesy pizza, all meat and hawaiian pizza. The pizza was really good and it was served hot and cheesy! (drool worthy). Without noticing, i was the one who called out the waitress who served us a lot. I continued asking for the pepperoni, 2 slices each time she comes back. My dad and my brother just laughed at how much i ate, ~~whoops~~. My brother also requested lots of pizza but he preferred hawaiian better. I ate so much that it came to a time where i didn't even have to call the waitress anymore! With just one look, she knows I need more. The waitress told me I reminded her of her sister who ate more that 13 slices. She said that for a small girl, I had a huge appetite (which is very true)!

The pepperoni pizza had a delicious red italian tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella cheese and freshly baked pepperonis. As a pepperoni lover, the pizza was beyond delicious. The taste wasn't "nakaka-umay" and it was worth eating all over again. The all meat pizza was topped with roast beef, green bell-peppers, onions, olives but it wasn't as cheesy as the pepperoni. The hawaiian was the classic pizza with ham and pineapple toppings, it was pretty good as well. And lastly, the all cheese was topped with different types of cheese like mozzarella, parmesan, etc. (i'm not quite sure of the different cheese types) but there's one thing i'm sure of-- it was cheesy! The pizzas were also served with a butter spread or tomato sauce depending on your choice.

pepperoni pizza

I ended up eating more than 10 slices and it came to a point where i didn't get to count how much i ate anymore!

my crust leftovers (not a fan of crusts) yikes, haha.

I was really full but the waitress kept going back at me. I then rejected her offer as she chuckled, amazed of how i got to eat that much. My brother also ate a lot, but not as much as i did. My dad grinned at me, amazed since he said that it was totally worth buying the unli pizza for the both of us. My dad regrets that he didn't get to eat much since he wasn't in the mood for pizza that day. After resting our bellies for 30 minutes, we left with our cravings satisfied. We didn't forget to thank the lady (even giving her a tip) before leaving. It was an experience i won't forget and i don't mind doing it again!

J A N E

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ECLECTIQUE.

IN BETWEEN THE LINES

HAUL FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Reviews + Shopping Experience

- C H L O E R E Y E S

THE STORY OF ANCIENT ROME

TREAT YOURSELF!

YOU deserve it.
by Czarina Castro

WHITE ON WHITE

Photo by Caroline McCredie

Unlimited Pizza Heaven at Papa John's!

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ECLECTIQUE.

IN BETWEEN THE LINES

HAUL FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Reviews + Shopping Experience

- C H L O E R E Y E S

THE STORY OF ANCIENT ROME

TREAT YOURSELF!

YOU deserve it. by Czarina Castro

WHITE ON WHITE

Photo by Caroline McCredie

Unlimited Pizza Heaven at Papa John's!

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YOU deserve it.
by Czarina Castro