Epic Night Outs: Six Steps to Prepare for a Night Out

“You might call it girls night, I call it therapy.”-Author Unknown 

Ever wondered what might happen during your nocturnal exploits with your friends? Wonder if you had prepared enough and dressed accordingly? Well, considering that Metro Manila is aptly named as the city that never sleeps, you would not be hard-pressed in finding a club, bar or hangout that sits perfectly well with your preferences. After all, with almost every nook and cranny having a unique hangout of its own, it would be rather east to find a place to rendezvous with colleague and friends in order to settle down for the night. But, just how prepared are you? Well, if you have been planning a night out with your friends, nightlife in Manila presents you with a myriad of opportunities and here is how you can adequately prepare for them:

1.)    Dress the part 

Depending on which club or hangout you go, patrons are generally free to dress as casually or formally as they wish. However, do take note that some clubs impose a strict dress code—particularly for the men who would be required to wear closed shoes and collared shirts. In this regard, it would be important to dress the part and don clothes that would not only make you feel confident but the sexiest as well. Remember, your outfit is the first thing people would see, so make sure what they see is worth their while.

2.)    Wear your favorite underwear 

Although these items are generally not exposed, but wearing your favorite lingerie can give you an extra boost of confidence. After all, whatever makes you feel sexy would also make you exude sex appeal as a result. Furthermore, you will be granted the peace of mind that you are wearing at least something sexy should you ever get lucky on that particular night.

3.)    Leave your issues at home for the night 

More often than not when we are afflicted with problems either at work or in school, we tend to see night outs as an avenue for releasing some stress. In some cases, we may drown our problems with alcohol, but if you had intended the night to be a fun one, leave your issues at home and enjoy. Do not rain on everyone’s parade by acting all surly or rehashing your problems to anyone who would care to listen. Let the night liberate you from your problems, insecurities and any difficult challenges you might be facing.

4.)    Be positive 

Do not stress out and worry too much of what might happen and just let the good times flow. Put on your megawatt smile, and just have a positive attitude and you would notice how people would naturally gravitate towards you and your kind nature.

5.)    Relax 

Again, do not stress too much and just let loose. If you think that the worst thing is going to happen, then chances are you are going to look like hell as well. You might be wary of having your advances rebuffed or rejected, but this is not the end of the world. Should you fail at your attempts in trying to talk to someone, chalk it up to experience and start all over again. You are bound to find someone who is receptive to talking eventually.

6.)    Believe in yourself 

It might sound like a cheesy greeting from a Hallmark card, but it bears stressing that you need to believe in yourself. Know that you are a great person inside and out. If your plans on talking to a girl or guy do not go according to plan, do not let that bring you down. After all, you cannot please everyone all the time. Just be yourself, and you will effectively be the sexiest version of yourself that you can be. Disregard what anyone else is thinking about you and just go and have fun.

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Dining Decorum 101: Five Proper Manners for Eating at All-You-Can-Eat Buffets

“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”-Ann Wigmore

Locals in the Philippines love to eat; there is no doubt about that. For this reason, restaurants that offer all-you-can-eat banquets would always have marketability for avid Filipino patrons. Back then, this dining option used to be reserved for special occasions such as birthdays, reunions and get-togethers. However today, with a wide array of all-you-can-eat restaurants offering competitive prices to diners, eating buffet style has never been easier or more affordable. But just because these restaurants offer an avenue for eating more for less, it does not mean that basic conduct and decorum should not be afforded as well.

These buffets may be known to be cathedrals of overindulgence and excess, but a semblance of propriety is required of its diners and patrons—regardless of whether you are eating at an affordable eat-all-you-can joint or at the best buffet in Manila. After all, eating at a buffet might be considered a free-for-all but your manners should be intact in that regard. Here are some of the basic manners one can reasonably expect from others and themselves when dining at all-you-can-eat banquets:

   Do not cut in line

You might be thinking that since the queue in getting your share for that roasted pork is about a mile long, you would never be able to have your share. Well, first things first, relax and remember patience is a virtue. Take note, you are eating at an eat-all-you-can buffet so there is a likely chance that anything that is consumed would be soon refilled. Furthermore, you would not want to encounter a scuffle in the queue—just because you could not wait your turn.

Do not hog food items

 Do remember that people are waiting for their turn to take food as well. So, unless the food item is literally the last piece on the serving tray, be courteous and leave some for those behind you in line. Do not monopolize the food and take a reasonable amount of serving. Although the buffet is likely to refill the tray once it is consumed, you would look not only rude but greedy if you took every last piece on the tray.

 Do not stack everything on one plate

 Buffet restaurants have an arsenal of different plates for a good reason: So that you do not play food Jenga. You do not need to see how high you can stack food on your plate when there is a collection of various plates at your disposal. Furthermore, a food tower does not make the possessor look any good—fact is you would look like a glutton. While it can be easily overwhelming to be surrounded with so much food, remember that this is not a race and you can always go back for more.

 Do not use your hands when serving yourself a dish

 Specifically provided utensils are there for a reason: So that you would use them in serving yourself a dish. In no case should you ever use your hands—even if the dish you are putting into your plate is known as a finger food. Using specific utensils prevents food items from mixing together and prevents you from contaminating the food with your hands. Be considerate of others and use the serving utensils.

      Do not eat in line

 The food may look delectable sitting on your plate and you might get hungry, but this is no excuse for you to just eat while you are waiting in line. Eating while you are waiting in line is not only unseemly to look at, but is rather uncouth and it is in bad taste. In fact, there is no reasonable purpose for you to eat while you are in line, so avoid it at all costs. Even in a buffet, it is never considered as acceptable behavior—wait until you are seated to eat your food lest you want to appear like an unrefined individual.

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Buffet Hacks 101: Four Foods You Should Never Eat at a Buffet

“It is easier to stay out of restaurants that offer all-you-can-eat-buffets than to get out of one.”-Felicity Luckey 

Without a doubt, Filipinos love their food--and what do Filipinos love more than food? Well, more food and various kinds of it for one. The Filipino’s love affair is very much evident and apparent from the array of diverse all-you-can-eat offers restaurants that have cropped up in almost every nook and cranny in the Philippines’ metropolis, Metro Manila. Indeed, Filipinos have a unique flair and penchant for piling liberal amounts of food onto their plates in many of these cathedrals of excess.

However, while indulging, your appetite may seem like a luxurious and feasible way to enjoy your weekend, there might be some food staples offered in the buffet that you want to steer clear of.  True enough, buffets were made with guilty pleasures in mind, but this does not necessarily mean you should mindlessly gorge on food—particularly if the food in question is listed as one of the worst foods you can ever eat at a buffet. Regardless of whether you are eating in the best buffet in Manila or not, here are some foods you would much rather skip than eat:

1.)    Fettuccine Alfredo 

Let us be real, when you are standing in line waiting for your turn to pile food on your plate at a buffet, healthy food would be the last thing on your mind. After all, it seems to be counterintuitive to be thinking about your health while you are in an all-you-can-eat buffet. However, you should not neglect to eat healthy entirely and at least choose food that is not bad for your well-being and waistline as well. Fettuccine Alfredo is largely cream-based considering it is made with a combination of ingredients such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise and cream cheese—all of which are incredibly fatty. If you wish to eat pasta, choose the red sauce instead.

2.)    Fried rice 

It is no question that anything fried would be incredibly unhealthy—especially when they are eaten in large quantities. In this regard, it would be wise for you to avoid piling anything that is fried on your plate. However, this may not be so realistic as you would almost always find a fried staple that is almost too tempting to resist. To compromise, at least steer clear from the food that is already loaded with carbs and happens to be fried as well such as fried rice and noodles.

3.)    Salad dressing 

You might think that just because you are choosing salad over pasta, you are already making a healthy food choice. While that may be true, your deliberate effort in making a healthy food decision will all be for naught if you lather your salad with copious amounts of dressing and sauces. Salad dressing may look innocent enough, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Dressing and sauces are high in fat content and pouring a generous amount of that onto your salad can actually sneak up on you. Instead, take it easy on the dressing and ensure that the ratio of your salad and sauces remains balanced.

4.)    Tuna 

Tuna might be considered healthy and nutritious even making it a good choice in the buffet. Unfortunately, for all it is worth, tuna is also the top buffet contaminant—most especially if it is served raw. Fish should always be kept in cold temperatures the moment it comes out of the water to the moment it hits the pan. Of all the kinds of fish out there, tuna is the most susceptible to scombrotoxin, a component that can potentially cause cramps and headaches. Apart from that, tuna is that one likely food to spoil in buffet table if it is not stored and kept at appropriate temperatures.

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