Things to do this Halloween weekend
>> Friday, October 28, 2011
It's an extra long Undas weekend. Hurrah!
I like long holiday weekends. A lot of people go out of town for a vacation or to visit their families in the provinces, which leaves the metro peaceful and traffic-free. I take this opportunity to spend quality time with my beloved Manila.
For those of you who are also sticking around this upcoming 4-day weekend, here are some things you can do to while away the time, ASIDE from going to a fun Halloween party, of course. Will you be wearing a costume?
1. Have a picnic
My younger cousin wants us to have a picnic when we go to the cemetery, where our grandfather and her older brother were laid to rest. She is too young to be around when we used to stay the whole day at the cemetery during the first years of my grandfather’s passing. Back then, there was room to put up a tent, roll out a carpet and set up throw pillows. Yes, we acted as if we owned the place, but there weren't a lot of, well, tenants yet.The adults would lounge while reading their pocket books. I would read, too, draw, run around, sing, dance and explore. We’d have packed food and drinks to last us until nightfall.
We’ve stopped doing that a long time ago, but this weekend we will be gathering for a potluck picnic. My mother plans to make her staple carbonara, but I don’t know what to bring yet. Finger foods, maybe?
Having a picnic with your family is a great way of making the day at the cemetery pleasant. Since people have four days to pay respects to their dead, I expect memorial parks to not be as packed as they normally get during All Souls’ and All Saints’ days. Some have even done their rounds last week to go out of town this weekend. In fact, as early as last night, roads were almost empty already. During rush hour! The heavy traffic was going to the direction of NLEX. Yey!
Just remember to bring your trash with you, and avoid using disposable plastics.
2. Browse food blogs
I hope you’re not spending all four days cemetery-hopping! What to do when you’re back home? Peruse food blogs.
Early this year, I was interviewed for a school thesis. Asked which food blogs I read or follow, I was so embarrassed to say none, but it was the truth. In my RSS reader, I had fashion, photo and tech blogs, blogazines, DIY sites and no food blog. What's wrong with me?
Just recently, though, I started looking for interesting food blogs to subscribe to, and I found tons! There are gazillions of entertaining food blogs that are both informative and eye candy. Here are three random picks.
I love these guys because they are so unpretentious. They don't act as if they are food or interior decoration experts. They just tell each visit as it is, based on their own standards. Reading such honesty and rawness is a refreshing break from a lot of the sites you may find on the Internet.
Even when you're too tired to actually read, photos in this blog will do more than compensate. Brace yourself and your stomach for some great food photos.
"Gluten-free girl" was diagnosed to have celiac, and so she stopped eating gluten since. Her blog is mainly about food and her gluten-free diet. This is a great resource for a healthy lifestyle.
3. Learn a new recipe
For this weekend, I have yet to choose between an Indian recipe (with the help of a spice mix) and a pasta dish.
Cooking a new dish, and making it delectable, of course, always makes me feel proud of myself as if I’ve become a master chef in just a couple of hours. I rarely do so, however, and a lot of times the food doesn't come out as I intended. But that doesn’t stop me from trying, and it shouldn’t stop you as well.
Maybe you can even quickly prepare hot cocoa. I love tablea, both for drinking and eating. It's like comfort in hardened powder form. If the weather gets cozy, this will be perfect.
4. Watch a movie
After you’ve brought out the Julia Child in you, it’s time to kick back and reward yourself even more. Watch a movie at home while eating your new yummy dish.
5. Sweat
Sweating is always healthy. It helps remove some of the toxins from the body and never fails to bring out happy hormones. That's why after having a picnic, lounging at the cemetery and watching a movie while eating for two hours straight, go get some exercise. Put on your walking shoes, step out of the house and look for a restaurant to eat at.
You read me right. Eat. But don't forget the "look for a restaurant" part. That’s how you’ll sweat. If you already know where to go, walk, bike or commute (no cabs!) to it. Don't be scared. It's a holiday weekend! This way, you'll get to know the city better.
C and I have a long list of To-Eat-At restaurants that aren't easily accessible along our everyday route, but we have been too busy lately to actually do something to shorten that list. So here's #6 for those who will really be staying in.
6. Houseclean
I will probably do some housecleaning digitally and in real life. I have loads of stuff I need to organize and properly store, and lots of files to move around and organize as well. Aside from that, I will be doing major purging. Again. And that's what I'm absolutely looking forward to. I need to let go of so many things.
No to clutter!
That's it. Happy long weekend and happy Halloween, everyone!
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