Jill and the Books Talk

It was March 15, 2020, the first day of Enhanced Community Quarantine that I felt like I was being strangled. It finally dawned on me that I cannot just take the next flight to see my family whenever I miss them.  I fared no better in the coming days as I felt like I was being pulled between two opposing powerful forces. I was succumbing to a depressed state while also being very much aware that I had to pull myself together. I had to stay strong for my family (especially my mom who broke down over the phone), my staff (who were with me), our family businesses (we had to close non-essential businesses and had to maximize digital marketing efforts for essential business), my anxious patients (who somehow made me forget my troubles because I had to do counseling as early as 7am and as late as midnight), and the donors who needed my assistance in coordinating aid. Not to mention the responsibilities I had with corporate clients and writing articles for Manila Bulletin. I was read...

Exactly one month today since I last wrote anything here... Sipping tea and savoring mouth-watering dimsum in an authentic Cantonese restaurant is not something I get to enjoy that often. The traditional Cantonese morning or afternoon tea called Yum Cha was truly a delightful experience for me during my latest visit to Hong Kong with my family and closest friends. My Yum Cha experience is very different from the light afternoon teas I am accustomed to. For one, the table setting uses Chinese utensils like chopsticks and tiny bowls instead of the usual tiny cake forks and dainty doilies/napkins. Secondly, bite-sized dishes were served in small steamer baskets instead of the elegant cake tiers and sandwich plates. A trolley full of steamer baskets goes around and it's tempting to try every appetizing dim sum there is! Contrary to the intimate Western-style tea settings, the ambiance of Yum Cha is rather more vibrant since large groups of...

Tea time knows no bounds.  It is no longer just an afternoon delight for us.  Oh how far we've come  from drinking cocktails in sparkling glasses  to sipping tea in fine china. From enjoying girly talks  to having interesting conversations between ladies. Indeed, we have come a long way  my dearest best friend. Happy happy birthday! Midnight tea at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel to welcome my best friend's birthday.  My best friend Genevieve's birthday.

Repost September 17, 2012 My dear friend Vannah and I are tea lovers….  It was a rainy saturday afternoon and off we went to the first tea lounge in the country,  da.u.de  (da-you-deh) at the Bonifacio  Global City to relax, catch up and do our bible study. THE TEA LOUNGE The place was so chic! The interiors were mostly done in shades of white, gray and neutral colors which  made the  place look  spotless and sophisticated. Whoever designed it was into details. There were different types of  artsy metal chairs, cake stands of all sizes on shelves, tea sets and children’s books!  Yes you heard me right! Those books  were used as folders for your bill and receipt. HIGH TEA Their menu was extensive and they even have special menus exclusively served for each day of the week. We were like two  overwhelmed little girls lost in a candy store who couldn’t decide which candy they want! And then we o...

I turned my most favorite tea into cookies! Lady Grey is a variation of my first favorite tea since I was a child, Earl Grey.  Flavor: Black tea, bergamot, lemon and orange.  Mild, citrusy, fit for a lady!

One of life's simple pleasures  is to sit back,  relax and enjoy  an afternoon tea with dear friends. The elegance of bone china, silverware,  decadent sweets,  canapes, savory dishes  and the  aroma of fine teas  make my senses come alive.  I am truly tealighted! One of the best scones I've had. Lightly sweetened, slightly crumbly, moist and soft.       Sugar cubes or sugar lumps Canapes French Pate Mini croissants, eclairs and sweets Opera Scones and cheese, fruit and nut platter More pastries Madeleines and Chocolate Eiffel Tower   The Lobby, The Peninsula Manila

Strawberries, Chocolates and Caviar. All I need to take me to a place called gastronomic paradise is found in this 3-tier cake stand of mine. 

A cup of Lady Grey for me. “If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you.”   ―   William Ewart Gladstone

My best friend and I designed this set for my only brother's pre-nup shoot. Located in a beautiful secluded garden with the cool mountain breeze.

One of the many afternoon teas I've had at home. I am grateful to live in this modern world but I sometimes want to get a glimpse of how it was to be a woman attending tea parties in the 1800's. Red Velvet fairy cakes on Royal Albert

I used to read historical novels when I was in my teens. Lately I  sometimes find myself reading some stories all over again. I have always been fascinated by nobility in the 1800's and their obsession with etiquette, balls and tea parties. My very own delicate fairy cakes.