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When the longing for authentic Pinoy dishes strikes in the U.S., Isla Grand stands ready to transport your taste buds back to the Philippines.

Carmina is traveling to the United States to spend time with her family. My dad planned a family gathering for Mother's Day at their favorite Pinoy restaurant . Since reservations aren’t possible, we arrived an hour early to ensure we could get a table for twelve before everyone else showed up. As my dad approached Isla Grand , the branch we visited in Pleasant Hills, California , the host at the door said they could prepare a table for twelve at five o'clock. Later, the server called my dad's name and guided us to our table. The place was bustling with people enjoying meals and celebrating Mother's Day. On our first visit to Isla Grand, I was captivated by the décor, noticing many native items that gave the place a fancy yet authentic Filipino feel. They usually have a live band, but unfortunately, there was no entertainment the night we went. My family had spoken highly of Isla Grand and encouraged us to try the Filipino dishes we’ve been missing from back home. Lech...

Friendships Begins to Change


As we are staying home we come across friends who you haven’t chat or communicated for a long time and when they start chatting with you they come across giving you not your name but a name they are suppose to give their boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse not really meant for a friend.

I have come across this recently and I have seen people get really lonely when they stay home and they are bored to death but they have spouses in their home but when you come across a friend calling you baby. I start to question them who are you referring to baby you know for sure that is not your name.

As I am talking to my friends I will stop them question them hey I am not your baby and I don’t like being called a baby in the first place. I have a name and I’d rather stick to it.

Sometimes you need to put a stop on your friendship it might lead to something else that you don’t see yourself in that direction.

I’ve notice these past weeks how my friends are reacting how they start to cling to you and wait when you are online.

Sometimes you have friends who act like they are your father or mother asking you why you are still online when in your time you should be sleeping. I know my friends care for me but when you stay home for a month and a half there is really nothing to do but find other things to do in your home there really is no curfew what time you need to sleep.

Sometimes you have friends who tell you did you eat already but I don’t need to be reminded I eat when I feel like it and when you wake up late your meals doesn’t come to you when you’re hungry. I have come to the point I miss my breakfast and lunch go directly to dinner. 

Now I can understand when my friends tell me they only eat one meal a day. Those people who eat one meal a day are on a diet.

To me I am not on a diet it is that I have lost appetite in my meals because I don’t have a cook in the house and now I have been dreaming of my cook being at home due I miss home cooked meals not bought from the outside.

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