September 29, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays For Sep 29

by , in
Dear Me,

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:



    * Grab your current read.

    * Open to a random page.

    * Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

    * BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
    (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

    * Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I am reading books in-between and I am choosing this book by Alexander McCall Smith.



Here's my chosen teasers:
"She was about to become a criminal, a perpetrator of fraud. She could not possibly take a prize for a cattle picture when she simply did not deserve that."

~ page 43, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
September 27, 2009

Bayanihan Spirit Sparks Again Because Of Typhoon Ondoy

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Dear Me,

Despite the gripping and terrifying circumstances brought by
Typhoon Ondoy in the metro, I couldn't help but smile and be proud of being a Filipino.

The tropical storm's wrath has bonded us Filipinos once again against helplessness and adversity. The bayanihan spirit lives on!

Yesterday, I was all glued in front of my laptop and getting updated online.
Facebook served as my primary news reporter. Just by reading and viewing updates from everyone, I was kept in the loop and majority of the time, I felt tensed and frightened. Goosebumps all over.

Before, people would just post reports of their experiences as they waded through the flood. Then, they would plea for help for someone. It was just a matter of hours and the next thing I was reading, people from the online community were gathering and organizing data of victims needing assistance and rescues as well as contacting various government/non-government/private organizations for mobilizations.

Such indomitable spirit!

Meantime, I would love to volunteer to help but with no reliable person to look out for my little boy while I'm away, I simply couldn't. There are ways I can help and donating is one of them. I think I have lots of old clothes to give away. Time to rummage my closets!
September 27, 2009

The Many Faces Of Typhoon Ondoy's Wrath

by , in
Dear Me,

Intensely hitting Metro Manila yesterday, scary
Typhoon Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) has just left the islands of the Philippines amidst deep waters, great damage to properties and a number of deaths. Residents of the metro were caught unaware and unprepared.

Here are some frightening scenes from the metro (seen online):



along Taft Avenue (@ La Salle)


overflowing underpass in Ayala Avenue in Makati City


@ Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City


submerged car in Araneta



the once elegant fountain display of Makati Peninsula Hotel


Buendia - Cash 'N Carry area


that was how bad the flood was!


people climbing top floors of their houses &
clinging to window grills in Cainta, Rizal


aerial view of Marikina City


holding on to plastic containers to keep himself afloat


people swimming for their lives
while vehicles stuck in Cainta, Rizal


Also, here are some amateur videos found online:

terrifying video @ UERM

video of a submerged SM North Lower Ground Floor

video of chaos as Makati went underwater
September 26, 2009

Typhoon Ondoy Wreaks Havoc

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Dear Me,

I was aware there was a typhoon coming but never expected it to be this strong and scary. I have experienced difficult days but
typhoon Ondoy was the worst of all. Imagine having strong winds and heavy rains all day!

It would have been a normal typhoon scare but hearing and learning news of its wrath all over the metro gave me goosebumps.

It was almost late morning when the family woke up. It has been raining since yesterday afternoon and truly, the heavy raindrops lulled us more to sleep.

Early afternoon, the influx of updates and messages of people needing help started to surge. Some friends of mine found their homes flooded and had to evacuate in the second floors of their houses. Cars were submerged in the garages. Major roads were impassable due to flooding. People who were outside of their homes were stranded elsewhere. Houses in certain cities were flashed with floods as dams and rivers overflowed. Telephone lines and electrical posts were toppled down. Floods everywhere were simply from knee-high but continuous downpour cause the water level to reach six feet.

When I heard people especially kids and elderly climbing the roofs of their houses just to escape the rampaging waters flooding the place they call homes, I felt scared for them. I uttered a simple prayer to the Almighty that He deliver them from harm.

The online community has responded not only by spreading out cries for help for someone or anyone but also mobilizing each and everyone.

Government and non-government organizations have also reached out to the typhoon victims.

My family reside in the CAMANAVA area. Despite being notorious as one of the flood cities, we were lucky to be spared of the typhoon's wrath. We didn't experience having the waters seeped through our house (except for some leaks) nor evacuate some stuff for fear of being washed away. We were lucky not to go through the scary experience of climbing the roof with my little boy and parents in tow.


I am thankful for being home safe and dry with the entire family. I thank God for sparing us from the calamity that has befallen the entire metropolis.

Dear God, thank you very much. I pray that You guide the families out there. Bring them to safety and to the arms of their beloved.

Amen.
September 22, 2009

Relationship Tag

by , in
Dear Me,

Mommy
Mauie of The 24-Hour Mommy has just tagged me about relationships.



What are your middle names?
For the sake of being paranoid, I'm just giving away the first letter, which is M. :)


How long have you been together?
9 years.


How long did you know each other before you started dating?
just mere days! Hahaha!


Who asked whom out?
He did. I even tried to discourage him.


How old are each of you?
Simply put, we are in our early 30s. *winks*


Whose siblings do you see the most?
My younger sister. My youngest brother is based overseas.


Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Both of us feel depressed when someone in the family is unwell.


Did you go to the same school?
No, we didn't. I studied in UP Manila while he lived in Cebu and finished college in University of Cebu.


Are you from the same home town?
Nope.


Who is smarter?
Nyahahaha. I am....hahaha!


Who is the most sensitive?
Like onion-skinned? I am!


Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Pancake House, World Chicken, Tsoko.Nut


Who has the craziest exes?
Mine weren't. I don't know about his.


Who has the worst temper?
Mine explodes like a bomb. Hehehe.


Who does the cooking?
I do. He does the eating, though. Hahaha.


Who is the neat-freak?
We both have our weird ways devoid of exaggeration.


Who is more stubborn?
I believe we both are hard-headed.


Who hogs the bed?
He does.


Who wakes up earlier?
He does because he needs to go to the office.


Who is more jealous?
Oh, it's me. I never felt he ever felt jealous. Chuva! Hmp. Sometimes, a woman needs to feel she's wanted more than ever no? Hmp.


How long did it take to get serious?
Serious about what? Too vague to answer that.


Who eats more?
We both love to eat and...eat! *winks*


Who does the laundry?
I do. Sometimes I wonder if he's allergic to house chores!


Who's better with the computer?
Technical stuff about computers, it would be him. I am quite the surfing type of gal. :)


Who drives when you are together?
Neither of us do.

I feel like tagging other moms: Ayah, Willa, Lynn, Wena, Pinay Mommy. Enjoy! :)
September 21, 2009

It's Banned Books Week

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Dear Me,

This coming September 26th till October 3rd, bibliophiles from the US will be celebrating their freedom to read. This
American Library Association (ALA) event has been observed since 1982.

Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.

Considering I am not an American but a bibliophile at heart, I enjoin them in celebrating the liberty to read anything as well as rally to make such books available without being challenged or restricted.

From 1990–1999, here are the top 100 most frequently challenged books:


    1. Scary Stories (Series), by Alvin Schwartz

    2. Daddy's Roommate, by Michael Willhoite

    3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

    4. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

    5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

    6. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

    7. Forever, by Judy Blume

    8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

    9. Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman

    10. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

    11. The Giver, by Lois Lowry

    12. My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

    13. It's Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

    14. Alice (Series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

    15. Goosebumps (Series), by R.L. Stine

    16. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck

    17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

    18. Sex, by Madonna

    19. Earth's Children (Series), by Jean M. Auel

    20. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson

    21. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak

    22. The Witches, by Roald Dahl

    23. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

    24. The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein

    25. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

    26. The Goats, by Brock Cole

    27. The Stupids (Series), by Harry Allard

    28. Anastasia Krupnik (Series), by Lois Lowry

    29. Final Exit, by Derek Humphry

    30. Blubber, by Judy Blume

    31. Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam

    32. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George

    33. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane

    34. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

    35. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras

    36. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers

    37. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

    38. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

    39. The Pigman, by Paul Zindel

    40. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    41. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier

    42. Deenie, by Judy Blume

    43. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

    44. Annie on my Mind, by Nancy Garden

    45. Beloved, by Toni Morrison

    46. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar

    47. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz

    48. Harry Potter (Series), by J.K. Rowling

    49. Cujo, by Stephen King

    50. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

    51. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein

    52. Ordinary People, by Judith Guest

    53. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

    54. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

    55. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

    56. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard

    57. Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole

    58. What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras

    59. The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell

    60. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume

    61. Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

    62. Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly

    63. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher

    64. Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan

    65. Fade, by Robert Cormier

    66. Guess What?, by Mem Fox

    67. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

    68. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

    69. Native Son by Richard Wright

    70. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies, by Nancy Friday

    71. Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen

    72. On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer

    73. The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende

    74. Jack, by A.M. Homes

    75. Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge

    76. Family Secrets, by Norma Klein

    77. Mommy Laid An Egg, by Babette Cole

    78. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya

    79. Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle

    80. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney

    81. Carrie, by Stephen King

    82. The Dead Zone, by Stephen King

    83. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain

    84. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

    85. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez

    86. Private Parts, by Howard Stern

    87. Where's Waldo?, by Martin Hanford

    88. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene

    89. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume

    90. Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman

    91. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

    92. Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher

    93. Sex Education, by Jenny Davis

    94. Jumper, by Steven Gould

    95. Christine, by Stephen King

    96. The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene

    97. That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton

    98. Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy

    99. The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain

    100. Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Since I am in-between reading challenges (found in my sidebar), I am reading one book off from the list above.

Lemme think which one. Hmm. I have highlighted in
bold the ones I have already read. I have the HP series lined-up for another challenge so I am choosing The Color Purple by Alice Walker.



Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.

I picked this book because it was just there lying amongst the pile of unread books in my table. Despite being awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Awards, this book always has a spot in the top 100 of most frequently challenged books. According to ALA, this book was challenged due to explicit content, particularly in terms of violence.

Here are more links about
Banned and Challenged Books:
September 17, 2009

Thursday Thirteen #31

by , in
Dear Me,

I'm hopping back in the groove. It has been a long time. :)

I have been spending my days having watching marathons of my favorite sporty reality tv series. Hopefully by the end of the month, I can look forward to watching films.




Here's my list:

  1. Whiteout

    A U.S. marshal (Kate Beckinsale), the only one assigned to Antarctica, must investigate a murder there within three days before the Antarctic winter begins. She crosses paths with a U.N. operative (Gabriel Macht), also investigating the murder.She must chase down suspects and find more murders. Early in the story, Steko is attacked by the killer and left for dead in a storm. She saves herself but loses two fingers due to severe cold-related injuries.

    For U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko, things are about to get even more dangerous. The only law enforcement in this unforgiving territory, she has just been sent to investigate a body on the ice. Antarctica's first homicide. A shocking discovery in itself, it will plunge her into an even more bizarre mystery and the revelation of secrets long-buried under the endless ice--secrets that someone believes are still worth killing for. As Stetko races to find the killer before he finds her, winter is already closing in. In the deadly Antarctic whiteout, she won't see him till he's a breath away.


  2. Management

    A romantic comedy that chronicles a chance meeting between Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Jennifer Aniston). When Sue checks into the roadside motel owned by Mike's parents in Arizona, what starts with a bottle of wine "compliments of management" soon evolves into a multi-layered, cross-country journey of two people looking for a sense of purpose. Mike, an aimless dreamer, bets it all on a trip to Sue's workplace in Maryland - only to find that she has no place for him in her carefully ordered life. Buttoned down and obsessed with making a difference in the world, Sue goes back to her yogurt mogul ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), who promises her a chance to head his charity operations. But having found something worth fighting for, Mike pits his hopes against Sue's practicality, and the two embark on a twisted, bumpy, freeing journey to discover that their place in the world just might be together.


  3. The Grudge 3



    A young Japanese woman who holds the key to stopping the evil spirit of Kayako, travels to the haunted Chicago apartment from the sequel, to stop the curse of Kayako once and for all and save a family who are currently being haunted by her malicious spirit.





  4. Sorority Row




    A group of sorority sisters decide to play a prank on one of their house-sisters, only to have go horribly wrong, leaving the victim dead. They cover it up and try to move on as if nothing happened, but a mysterious killer suddenly appears, brutally murdering anyone privy to the secret.





  5. In My Life



    An aging librarian (portrayed by Vilma Santos), feeling abandoned by her children who've all moved abroad, travels to New York to spend time with her gay son. There, she tries to start a new life while reconnecting with her son and his new lover. But just as things turn around, she finds out that her son has been keeping a secret from her.





  6. Kimmy Dora

    Life is hard when you're a multi-millionaire. Luisito Cacanindin-Go Dong Hae, of the famed Go Dong Hae business empire, loves his two daughters Kimmy and Dora. Though the two women are twins, they're also polar opposites. Smart, sexy and ambitious, Kimmy has a silken glove that covers an iron fist, with which she uses to run the Go Dong Hae empire. On the other hand, Dora is a sweet woman-child who's simple in her thoughts and tastes but whose affection flows freely to everyone she meets.

    Rivalry rages between the two. Kimmy loathes and dominates her younger twin, while Dora doesn't understand why the "ateh" she idolizes also hates her guts. What's worse is that Kimmy's been eyeing a handsome young company go-getter named Johnson, who's smitten by the refreshing innocence and candor of Dora.

    When Kimmy finally snaps and arranges for Dora to be kidnapped, pandemonium ensues. Lives are changed, and identities blurred. What happens when the twins must take each other's place? Who will win the love of Johnson? Who will Luisito finally choose as his heir? Will the sisters ever be able to just get along?


  7. Mangatyanan

    Himalaya "Laya" Marquez has never had a complete dream since she was 12. Something always wakes her up at night. That something used to be her father, the famous photographer DANILO MARQUEZ, whose constant sexual abuse of Laya tore her family apart. Now, at 27, Laya possesses a cold exterior that hides torrents of pain. Working as a travel photographer, Laya is sent to Isabela to capture a rare harvest ritual called Mangatyanan by the Labwanan tribe. What Laya finds there, however, is a severely dwindled group held together by their desperate leader MANG RENATO. Soon Laya senses a strong connection between the tribe's predicament and her own troubled life. Events spiral out of control as the Mangatyanan crumbles under Mang Renato's desperate grip and Laya is forced to flee. But something happens that brings her face-to-face with her own demons. Will she finally confront her past or will she keep running?


  8. The Ugly Truth


    The battle of the sexes heats up in Columbia Pictures comedy The Ugly Truth. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a romantically challenged morning show producer whose search for Mr. Perfect has left her hopelessly single. She's in for a rude awakening when her bosses team her with Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), a hardcore TV personality who promises to spill the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick.



  9. Julie & Julia

    Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell's Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.

    Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.


  10. Crossing Over

    Max Brogan (Harrison Ford) is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent (ICE) with a dangerous flaw - he has a heart and sympathy for the very people he must track down and deport. His partner, Iranian-American Hamid (Cliff Curtis) awaits his father's naturalization ceremony and appears dedicated to his job only to prove to his family how important it is to be American. As the duo runs routine busts on illegal immigrants, several other stories are revealed a defense lawyer (Ashley Judd) negotiates for a new family for an orphaned child and must also orchestrate the deportation method of a family whose 15-year old daughter is accused of having ties to terrorism; a young Jewish man (Jim Sturgess) tries to use his unpracticed religion to secure a job; and Cole Frankel (Ray Liotta) uses his position as a green card approval supervisor to force a beautiful Australian model (Alice Eve) into some compromising positions.


  11. Bruno

    Brüno is a gay Austrian fashion guru. He has his own fashion based television show, Funkyzeit, the most popular German-language show of its kind outside of Germany. After he disgraces himself in front of his Funkyzeit fan base, he is ruined in German speaking Europe. He decides that in his quest for worldwide fame, he will move to Los Angeles and reinvent himself. Accompanying him to the US is Lutz, his former assistant's assistant. Lutz is the only person left in his circle that still believes in Brüno's greatness. Brüno goes through one reinvention of himself after another, ultimately straying to areas far removed from his own self. Perhaps when Brüno finds an activity that he truly does love, he will also find that über-fame he so desperately desires.


  12. Clive Barker's Book of Blood

    The story centers on a paranormal expert who, while investigating a gruesome slaying, finds a house that is at the intersection of "highways" transporting souls to the afterlife.

    Based on the wraparound story penned by Clive Barker in the author's "Books of Blood" collection, a psychic researcher, Mary Florescu, employs medium Simon McNeal to investigate a haunted house. McNeal, at first, begins to fake his visions, but then real ghosts present themselves. They attack him and carve words in his flesh, and these words, claims the narrator, form the rest of the stories, stories written on a literal, living Book of Blood.


  13. The Echo


    An ex-con moves into an old apartment building, where he encounters a domestic problem involving a police officer, his wife, and their daughter. When he tries to intervene, however, a mysterious curse entraps him.

    It's a remake of the acclaimed Filipino thriller "Sigaw" - a horror movie of the same name, directed by Filipino Yam Laranas who also did the original.




There goes my movie line-up. All thirteen movies! :)
September 11, 2009

Mommy Moments - Hat Day

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Dear Me,

Months back, I was too tempted to join this mommy-related meme. I have been looking forward in participating but I was so swamped with family stuff and other concerns.




Hosted by Mommy Chris from The Mommy Journey, this weekly themed meme entitled "Mommy Moments" showcases every mom's pride: her kids! Through photos, mommies in the blogging community share with each other their unforgettable moments with their kids. This happens every Friday.

Weekly theme: HAT DAY

When I saw the theme this week, I was driven to participate. I have taken lots of photos of my little boy one time. I was organizing my cluttered closet and found several hats of mine.















I used my mobile phone as distraction so he wouldn't notice that I was putting the hats on his head. Later on, he got bored and turned his attention to the hangers. Well, it didn't sustain his interest for long and the last photo above proved it. Hehehe.
September 09, 2009

My Krispy Kreme Chronicle

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Dear Me,

When the craze for
Krispy Kreme hit the country by storm, I just gave a shrug. I guessed I was not bitten by the bug then.

Well, who was I to let that sweet thing passed me by? Maybe at first but not for long. Hehehe.

I had my first sweet bite when I joined the
Greatest Chocolate Show on Earth early this year.



After being glazed with friends, there came a new offering for the sweetest mom ever.


apple cheesecake doughnuts

Between the glazed ones and the apple cheesecake, I love the latter! :)

Midyear, purple reigns while Krispy Kreme glazed
Pinoy Yahoo! users. Called the Yahoo! Purple Hunt, users hunt for the hottest gadgets.


purple doughnut

Glazed with purple icing and candy sprinkles, these doughnuts presented a catchy sense of rich confections of moist chocolate cake. I bought a box when I joined the hunt because I love purple. Unfortunately, I am not fond of candy crinkles. Hehehe.

Last July 13, the world's best loved doughnuts celebrated its six (6) dozen years by making the day special through holding a one-day fan appreciation event.




To continually celebrate their 72nd birthday, Krispy Kreme is searching for their #1 fan!



Whoever that #1 fan is, he/she will surely get a chance to win a trip for two to the USA, a year's supply of doughnuts and a chance to design a special Krispy Kreme doughnut and have it named after himself/herself. Sounds awesome to me!

Teaming up with the country's favorite chocolate cookie,
Oreo, here comes the newest confectionary craze: the Oreo-made Chocolate Kreme Cakes. Covered with a rich chocolate glaze, this moist choco cake is topped with either a choice of vanilla or chocolate kreme, which is generously sprinkled with OREO cookies.



It sounds so sinful but I tell you, I'm sure you are going to love it as much as I had my first bite! Yumyum. *winks*

Early this month, Krispy Kreme launched their latest sweet offering: the
Snickers Doughnut. They topped their original signature doughnuts and chocolate cakes with nuts and not just any nuts but loads of Snickers chocolate!



Snickers is a chocolate bar that consists of peanut butter nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel and covered with milk chocolate. It is one of my favorite chocolate and I know it will give me another sweet fix!

I am looking forward to another sugary high!

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