2024 Reflections: From Shadows to Strength

2024. What a year. A whirlwind of closed doors, stinging failures, and moments of disappointment so heavy they felt like lead. It was the kind of year that tests your mettle, strips you down to your rawest form, and makes you question if the fight is even worth it.

But then—little by little—things began to shift. Not in a fireworks-and-parades kind of way, but in the quiet, almost imperceptible moments. A kind smile from an unexpected friend. The rekindling of an old bond that felt like sunlight after a seemingly endless winter. The small joys, the tiny victories—piling up like grains of sand, you can already see the building of something solid, something worth holding on to.

A Festive Night to Remember at LaVie: Lights, Food, and the Spirit of the Season

Let me tell you something about LaVie Resort & Casino—they don’t do things halfway. When they decide to kick off the holiday season, they go all in. Case in point: the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony last December 3, at the Edge Sports Bar at the New Coast Hotel in Malate. I went expecting another cookie-cutter holiday event. What I got was an evening that smacked me square in the face with classy decadence, charm, and a touch of soul.

Guests were treated to a marvelous experience filled with festive decor and live performances of DJ Justiz and Hype Man JBarz.

First, there was the tree. Massive. Glorious. A monument to holiday excess in all the best ways. Golden accents, glittering ornaments, and lights that made the entire venue glow like something out of a fever dream. It wasn’t just a tree—it was a beacon, radiating warmth and the faint, distant hope that maybe the season still means something.

Tony's Truly-Good Tonic

This potent tonic I developed features a blend of some of nature’s most powerful bio-active ingredients: garlic, onions, lemon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, honey, and virgin coconut oil, and clove-cardamom tea. It aims to boost the immune system, serve as a natural antibiotic, improve gut and respiratory health, promote circulation, reduce inflammation, and combat pathogens.

In my own personal experience, having had 3 covid bouts that left me weak and sickly, this tonic has been instrumental in helping me ward off respiratory sickness and has helped me have more energy.

A caveat - the taste may be a bit too strong for some, and may cause digestive stress, if so you can take the tonic with meals.

Also, I DO NOT CLAIM ANY THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS for this tonic. I'm practically just giving this away to humanity, especially for those who are sick, and wants to try a natural alternative or support for expensive antibiotic treatment. 

Here's the good stuff:

INGREDIENTS:

A Love Letter To My Bea - 1983 Honda CX400 Custom

There’s a certain kind of satisfaction that comes from straddling a machine like my Bea, not a person, sorry, but my daily ride motorcycle, a 1983 Honda CX400 Custom. Named it after Bea Alonzo, the actress, who I find very beautiful and classy looking. It's not the type of satisfaction that you get from the latest hyper-engineered crotch rockets with their aggressively designed plastics, with more electronics than a NASA space shuttle. No, this is a different kind of satisfaction—one that’s earned, a satisfaction that emerges and rumbles from deep within the soul, like the low, guttural growl of that transverse, carbureted, Moto-Guzzi style - 400cc V-twin engine.

Breakfast at Grills and Sizzles: A Morning Ritual of Mine I'd Begrudgingly Share

In a city that never seems to sleep, breakfast is often an afterthought. A quick cup of coffee, a hurried piece of pandesal, maybe a protein mix chugged in one long drink. But there’s a small corner of the world where breakfast is a distinctly pinoy art form, where the first meal of the day is revered, not rushed. That place is Grills and Sizzles, a family-owned gem tucked away at the corner of Examiner and Times streets in Quezon City -  a go-to haven for those who understand that mornings are meant to be savored.

Walking into Grills and Sizzles feels like stepping into someone’s home, and in a way, it is. The cozy, homey ambiance is more than just decor; it’s an invitation to relax, to slow down, to take a moment. The warmth of the wooden furniture, the smell of freshly brewed coffee hanging in the air, the soft hum of conversations—this is where you start your day right.

A Taste of Canton: A Journey Through Lili @TheNewcoastHotelMalate

 A Taste of Canton: A Journey Through Lili

EXPTV - Road Trip - Tony Agudo 08.23.2024

There’s a certain magic that happens when you step into a place like Lili Cantonese Restaurant. It’s not just the grand décor, or the buzzing chatter of a packed dining room. No, it’s something deeper, something almost intangible. A vibe that tells you this is where you’re going to have a damn good meal.

My Bone Broth Recipe - Most Affordable and Great Quality Collagen!

This is the most affordable way I know to get good quality collagen - Chicken feet + beef bones Bone Broth!

This will be good for your skin, bones and hair. For me, its for my psoriasis and for anti-aging and health benefits. This will also help with your musculo-skeletal system: improve flexibility, joint health, body recovery, cartilege health, many benefits...

Recipe:

1 Pressure cooker full of water
1 kilo Chicken Feet
1/2 kilo beef bones