I've been craving Pad Thai for weeks now, going around the metro trying whatever Pad Thai I can get my hands on, all of them being failures (The high-end, mid-end, and low-end versions I’ve tried turned out to be all crappy).

I usually head to Soms or Chariya when I want a Thai fix but they're both out of my way, which is why my friends have had to put up with my Pad Thai yearnings on all my social message updates.

To stop me from talking about Pad Thai already, folks have been suggesting places where I can satisfy my craving. The one most mentioned that fits my criteria of conveniently located and affordable was Jatujak.

So when I found myself in Megamall one day, I seized the opportunity to see if I could fulfill my Pad Thai craving.

I don't know why I've never eaten here. Probably because Thai food is something that has to be shared to be enjoyed, and I'm either usually alone or with folks who aren't too keen on the cuisine.

The trip was unplanned, so I don't have photos.

Since I was alone, I only got to order two things: Pad Thai (Php185 for shrimp, Php175 for chicken)and Thai Iced Tea (Php78).

The Thai Iced Tea came in a glass so tall its straw was forever threatening to Fall in. A good problem to have, I think.

The drink was served cold (dapat lang!) and was refreshing, though the milk seemed already blended in instead of poured separately.

The mix might be a bit too milky for some (I could taste a hint of evaporated milk) but since I'm quite fond of milk, I didn't mind it too much.

Then came the Pad Thai. First of all, it was served hot. As in I could still see some steam rising. A good sign.

Also, I could smell it as the waiter put it on my table. A wonderful aroma.

Of all the conveniently located Pad Thai I have tried, this one came the closest to satisfying my craving. Sweet, with a sour undertone, a mix of textures; crunchy, meaty and full.

It wasn't as flavorful as I would have wanted but that was easily solved by the addition of more Pad Thai sauce (I'm probably being a barbarian about it. Oh well.).

The staff, by the way, was extremely helpful and courteous.

I was there during off hours and everyone was on their toes, smiling, attending to the needs of the customers who dropped by, whether they were ordering one dish or five.

I plan to go back, by the way.

I still have the rest of the menu to explore, and the Thai Iced Coffee to try.

This is a continuation of the stuff I learned at Dr. John Maxwell's "Leadership in Challenging Times" seminar last year.

According to Dr. Maxwell, you only need to do five things to reach your goal.

What those five things are will be up to you, and will depend on your goal.

This is what he calls "The Rule of Five."

For example, Dr. Maxwell wanted to become an in-demand writer and motivational speaker.

His five things to do were:

1. read

2. file

3. think

4. ask questions

5. write

Now here's the hard part: you have to do those five things EVERY DAY. No excuses.

You want to write a novel? Write every day. You want to be a pop star? Sing every day.

Make sure that every day moves you towards your goal, be it winning a Nobel Prize or world domination (okay, maybe not the last one).

As Dr. Maxwell says that "your success is determined by your daily agenda."

And as you can see, he achieved his dream by doing his five things every day.

Now he has written many books and is a highly sought-after motivational speaker.

He wasn't born rich. He didn't attend a prestigious school or grow up with children of people in power. He got to where he is by doing.

He worked intelligently (everything must lead you to your goal).

Still, Dr. Maxwell cautions that it shouldn't be all about achieving your dream. That would just make you a mercenary, and an unlikable one at that.

He says, "If you pursue your dream, keep your feet on the ground. Be grateful, be humble and understand that this could be taken away at any moment."

Don't neglect the human factor. Don't forget the people around you, don't forget that they have their own sets of dreams.

If you help them achieve theirs, chances are, they'll only be too happy to help you achieve yours.

So. Five things a day, everyday. That's all it takes to fulfill your dream.

Pia y Damaso in Greenbelt 5 may look slightly intimidating, but once inside, you'll find a few dishes that will take you back to the era of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

This is because a lot of the dishes are taken directly from the books – remember the tinola scene? And the Tsokolate Eh? – or inspired by Noli and Fili characters. The dishes are a delicious mix of Filipino with accents from overseas.

The house drink is the Tubig ni Maria Clara (Php300), a pitcher of water flavored with cucumber, ginger, and citrus fruits. The drink is sweet, with a hint of cucumber coolness and the kick of ginger. It's refreshing and slightly peppery.

The Kua Pao Pan de Sal (Php225) is a marriage of the Chinese Kua Pao and the Filipino Pan de Sal.

Two big pieces of roasted pan de sal filled with braised pork belly in sweet sauce, roasted peanuts, sweet mustard confit, and fresh cilantro leaves.

The Pan de Sal is soft, the pork a nice mix of fat and meat.

The sandwich is savory and strangely lumpia-like (the fresh kind, probably because of the wansoy, which keeps flavor from getting redundant), with the peanuts adding punch.

The Black Olive, Cerveza Negra and Tuyo Pasta (Php275) is an oil-based pasta with a subtle but deep flavor that's slightly salty, slightly smokey. The tuyo bits give the dish extra flavor.

The Nga Nga Beef Salad (Php250) was named after the betel nut that was extremely popular with the old timers.

The salad is divided into sections: salty-sweet beef flakes, green mango pickle, red onions, Haw flakes, cilantro and arugula that are to be piled on lettuce leaves rolled like betel nut chew and eaten with one's hands.

The result is a sweet, crunchy starter that for some reason tastes very 80s.

An iconic dish in Noli is the tinolang manok.

Pia y Damaso's version, Tinola Chicken (Php300) has a dark, flavorful broth and a sharp aftertaste, which is a nice surprise for a usually mild soup.

Now for my favorite part of a meal: dessert.

The Diablo (Php150) is a bittersweet chocolate souffle flavored with spices and red chili peppers. I am a big fan of the chocolate and chili pepper combination and this dish did not let me down.

The chocolate tempers the chili's heat while the spices round everything out.

I love, love, love Sisa's Dementia (Php160), which I have been searching for two years, having tasted it when it was still "Dementia."

It is a "truffle cake with white chocolate almond pastille, dark chocolate mousse and ganache," layer upon layer of differently textured chocolate to create a dense, addictive cake.

Notice how I've refrained from making any references to Sisa's mental state. That's restraint, that is.

The De Espadana Quezo de Bola Cheesecake (Php220) is a feat of culinary engineering.

Named after Kapitan Tiago's social climbing wife, what looks like your everyday blueberry cheesecake is actually an edam-based cheesecake with santol, prune and fig compote.

The cake retains the quezo de bola's sharpness, the topping tasting like marmalade. Probably the only time I voluntarily ate prunes.

A ligher dessert would be Salvi's Canonigo (Php100), a meringue-based dessert named after the novels' thinnest priest. The vanilla creme and fresh mangoes it comes with add texture to what would otherwise be continuous clouds of sweetness.

If you're like me, you probably sweated through Rizal class. Pia y Damaso makes Rizal fun to revisit.

Like the books its food is named after, it turns Filipino food inside out, but in a good way.

Hotels have a reputation for being more expensive than necessary.

But sometimes, places like the Mandarin Deli, the Mandarin Oriental's deli and coffee shop, surprise us with tasty treats at reasonable prices.

The Quiche Lorraine (Php80) is eggy, like Chawan Mushi (Japanese steamed egg soup) in tart form. It's got a nice semi-flaky crust and cheese and meaty bits in every bite. One serving is also twice the size of a quiche you'd get at a coffee shop.

The Spinach and Ricotta Tart (Php85) is bursting with cheese and spinach. It tastes like a naked ravioli and served warm, is really good, especially if, like me, you love spinach. One of these, plus coffee or dessert, would make a fairly filling light lunch.

The Crispy Praline and Chocolate Cake (Php119) is dense and moist, each spoonful packed with rice-crispy crunch. It may be a small cake, but it packs a powerful punch.

The Tea Flavored Chocolate Mousse (Php119) is a densely-textured cake with a surprisingly light taste. The cake is infused with Earl Grey tea, which explains its fragrant flavor and bergamot undertone. This was a favorite.

A light way to end a meal would be with the Fresh Fruit Tart, fresh fruits piled on top of creamy custard separated from firm crust by a thin layer of chocolate. The fruits come in big pieces and practically overflow from the crust.

As I write this, I plan to go back and have more Spinach and Cheese Tart and Tea Flavored Chocolate Mousse. Pair it with a cup of tea and you have a great way to while away an afternoon.

Ordering from the menu might give you a heart attack, but if you stick to the dishes on display, you won't go over budget.

Last year, I was fortunate to attend a talk given by leadership guru Dr. John Maxwell.

He was very engaging and charismatic, basically putting forth ideas found in his many books.

Though the forum topic was called "Leadership in Challenging Times," some of the advice he gave can be applied to anyone trying to achieve a goal, in good times or in bad.

For example, when trying to reach a goal, Dr. Maxwell puts forth the Cost Question, the question that everyone must ask him or herself, and that is:

Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

All dreams have a cost. The costs aren't always monetary. For example, pursuing a lifelong passion may be free, but it could eat up time you could be spending with your family. Find out how much you dream will cost you is part and figure out if that's what you really want/ can afford.

In the beginning, all dreams are free. In Dr. Maxwell's words, "It doesn't cost anything to have an idea." The payment comes later.

The dream is free but the journey isn't.

A lot of people get discouraged from pursuing their dream because of all the hard work it entails.

All dreams have a price, and "you're going to pay it sooner than you think," and it will be more expensive than what you initially thought it would cost.

Again, the "price" isn't necessarily monetary.

You could be raking in the dough at the cost of something else in your life, and it's really up to you which to value more.

Dr. Maxwell says that "you have to pay the price more than once" and that "you have to pay the price throughout your entire dream journey."

You can't rest until you've fulfilled your goal.

Off the top of my head, an example would be writing a novel.

It doesn't cost anything to write - at least in money. It does cost a lot of time and thinking, a lot of shuffling of schedules and making time in between work, family, and friends.

Then there's the writing. You have to write until the actual novel is finished. You have to write it, no one else will write it for you, in the same way that no one else will walk the dog if you don't schedule your writing time properly. You don't stop until the last word has been typed in.

That's paying the price throughout the entire dream journey.

Lastly, Dr. Maxwell says that “there are no shortcuts for dreams.”

You have to pay the full price for your dream (unless you are very rich, whereupon you can just hire people, but it wouldn't be as fulfilling), and you always have to pay in advance.

How much of your dream you achieve will be based on how much you are willing to pay.

Sounds scary, doesn't it?

There is always a lot of fear in the beginning.

But if you strategize correctly, the end will, more often than not, be worth it.