bag of everything

first entry

2010-03-22T11:26:00.018+08:00

Wow first entry for 2010 and it's almost the end of March! I know, I know I've been remiss in my blogging and while I would love to write an entry a day, time has not been so kind. Been busy with work and planning and traveling! I do have lots of stories to tell and they involve the following:

View of Hong Kong skyline at The Peak

Bangkok's many temples

Beautiful Ayutthaya

and last but not the least, Thai food!

Let me start off with Thai food. At first, I was really worried that my stomach will not agree with Thai cuisine - I do not like really spicy food and I am not very fond of Thai food in general. I even thought that worse comes to worst, I would eat at Chinese restaurants throughout my stay(a friend told me that that's like being in Binondo and eating at McDonalds). Two weeks before my trip, I promised myself that I will take a crash course on Thai cuisine by trying all the restaurants I could find serving Thai food but didn't get around to doing it since I've been busy with stuff.

Luckily, Thai food agrees with me! I have a special place in my heart (or stomach?) for Singaporean food and now Thai food is competing for that spot!

We found this food court at Siam Paragon that serves a wide array of both Thai and international cuisine. It was a gourmet paradise!

Located at the ground floor of Siam Paragon (BTS stop: Siam), this Gourmet Market is just every foodie's dream.

This is one of Thailand's famous desserts - mango sticky rice! I thought it would be weird to combine stick rice, mango, and coconut milk - it is still weird, but weirdly good! I am now on the hunt for Thai restos in Manila that serve this.

This is the best chicken I've ever tasted! Sarap to the bones!

This is how it looks like on my plate. Looks simple right? I can't stop saying "This is good, really really good" after each bite. I even saw a couple who ordered the entire chicken and shared it - whole chicken for two? Now that I think about it, maybe I should have ordered the entire thing and brought it back to our hotel for midnight snack =P

I paired it with sundried meat which was also good. This is probably the best meal I had in Bangkok.

Ok I'm getting hungry now. Till my next post.

we love kai

2009-12-18T09:14:00.001+08:00

Yesterday (December 17), my boyfriend and I celebrated our 7th year anniversary. I know 7 years! I remember Cristina telling me that we had a far longer relationship compared to her and her husband, bf/gf days and married life combined!

Anyway, to celebrate our anniversary, we had dinner at KAI, a Japanese restaurant at Greenbelt 5. KAI catered for a company event before and I remember enjoying their trio of creme brulee. And while I would love to eat creme brulee again, we have to have something else other than that! And so I went on research mode again and found links on KAI, from food reviews to patrons’ comments. I went knowing what to order from appetizers to main course to desserts!

For appetizers, we had Age Dashi Tofu and Portobello Mushroom Confit Salad with Maple Ponzu Vinaigrette.

The tofu is so good – crunchy on the outside and super soft inside. It is topped with seaweed to bring out contrasting flavors. We also love their salad! I love mushrooms on just about anything, from soups, to salads to main dishes.

For the main course, we ordered Chicken Karaage, Buta Kakuni or braised pork belly cooked for 10 hours, and an extra cup of Angus Japanese Fried Brown Rice.

Jandell was a happy camper when he saw this! He wondered how he’s going to eat this with chopsticks but the meat was so soft you can just peel it right off.

We also enjoyed the Chicken Karaage. We shared one cup of the fried brown rice – yes, we the rice-eaters shared just one cup! The rice was a meal in itself.

In the middle of the dinner, we ordered California Maki.

We had to take four of those home since we were both full by this time. BUT we still have desserts! We had their Banana Nutella Harumaki and of course, the Trio of Creme Brulee.

The harumaki is their version of banana split – this is banana rolled in sesame fillo topped with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and caramel ice cream.

We enjoyed everything that was laid out in front of us and we are definitely coming back!

Happy anniversary to us!

what she is trying to say

2009-10-01T12:59:00.001+08:00

I wanted to talk about our trip in Baguio, a new restaurant I tried a week ago, fun stuff, but it seems like it is not the appropriate time. I was saddened by the tragedy that struck the Philippines and caught everyone unaware. Over 240 people have been reported as casualties, thousands lost their homes and properties, and people who used to be your friend, your officemate, your relative are turning up as mere statistics. I consider myself very, very lucky as the place where I live (and where my parents live) was not, compared to others, affected by the devastating floods. The only inconvenience that Ondoy brought me was having only Fita, Skyflakes, and Vcut for breakfast on Saturday morning (I do not stock up on groceries so those were the food items available at the small store at the ground floor of my apartment building). My boyfriend waded thru waist-deep water to buy supplies at a grocery store a few blocks away. But I am not complaining because that is NOTHING compared to what others had to endure during that ill-fated weekend.

Days following the storm, we are all hooked on television, the radio, and internet – especially the internet, where you get real-time updates. Pictures and videos are filled with heartbreaking stories but also heroic ones – everyone is putting time, energy, and resources to help those in need. And this makes me real proud to be a Filipino – the BAYANIHAN spirit is alive! And my fervent prayer is that we all unite not only in times of adversity. Kaya natin ito if we all work together. We are a very resilient people – which is good – but sometimes, tinitiis lang natin lahat so people in the government take advantage of us. We should be able to tell our government “Ok this is what we expect from you and we will be very disappointed if you do not meet our expectations. And if you do not meet our expectations, we are going to kick your ass.”

Last night, there was news of an 8.3 magnitude earthquake hitting American Samoa, followed by a tsunami. Over one hundred people were reported as casualties. Then an earthquake hit Sumatra, Indonesia with tremors felt in nearby countries such as Singapore. Mother Nature is trying to say something, and she is making the statement in a big way. Man’s actions are taking its toll on Mother Nature and if we do not learn from these calamities and insist on our wasteful ways, our actions are going to impact us in a big way, and we won’t be able to recover.

facebook and friends

2009-09-07T01:42:00.001+08:00

I came across this article from the Wall Street Journal about how Facebook (and other social networking sites) ruin friendships. I love Facebook, I made it my homepage a long time ago (before, it was New York Times) so that I only have to click to get to it everyday. Obviously, I log on everyday, not every hour of every day, as I still have to work, but yes, everyday. And while I think that Facebook has more positive points to it, I think it has become a source of daily irritation to me. Let me list who makes my Facebook experience a not-entirely-wonderful thing:

First on my list are those who disclose too much – I had a “friend” on my contact list who shouted to the entire Facebook world that she’s having marital woes and the mistress could go to who-knows-where. Goodness, why would someone in her right mind do that? Perhaps she’s desperate for advice or sympathy or the mistress is also on her list and she wants to tell her to back off. Or perhaps she just wants to protect her family. But, what the hell, how could putting your marital problems on your status update protect your family? If anything, it exposes the entire family and makes your problem fodder for gossip. Rule #1 for me: If it’s a family issue, keep it within the family.

Next are those who, perhaps for lack of anything to do, update their status too regularly - “off to this restaurant” - “ordered pizza” - “about to finish eating pizza” – “got mozzarella stuck on my tooth”. Sounds familiar? While I’m an advocate of free speech, I think everyone should still observe social etiquette while on Facebook. And as a rule, keep it interesting. Ask yourself, does anyone want to know what I’m about to write on my status update? Excluding your boyfriend/girlfriend and your dentist, if you can’t come up with a name, don’t put it out there.

At one point in my Facebook life, I found quizzes interesting and fun (I took a lot of “How well do you know “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” quizzes and almost always perfected them :D). And, thinking that some of my friends who are addicted to the show will find them fun as well, I sometimes (not always) challenge them to these quizzes and check who fared better (yes, I’m a nerd. I’ve always took quizzes seriously hahaha). BUT, here’s my rule on quizzes – not everyone has to know your score. And not everyone is interested in what you’re interested in. And so I find it a little irritating when I receive notifications like this – this person is challenging you to a quiz on Star Trek/Star Wars (oh there’s the quiz I won’t pass!) or “what sex position are you?” (why do you care?). People, you can skip this part of the quiz! You don’t have to send challenges to everyone. You don’t have to publish it either on your profile every time you take a quiz. (I know of one contact on my list who, at one point, took quizzes all day, and every single one is shown on his/her profile, and get this, s/he is at work!)

These are all minor irritations though. And I’m doing something about it. I’ve “hidden” some of my contacts so that I don’t have to receive notifications from them nor see any of their updates on my newsfeed. =P

Article: How Facebook Can Ruin Your Friendships

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204660604574370450465849142.html

intro to greek food

2009-08-07T07:42:00.003+08:00

I have heard great things about Cyma from people who frequent its Boracay branch to just about every food blog I follow. So when my friend suggested that we try Cyma at Greenbelt, I did not think twice. I am usually not adventurous when it comes to food – I will try new restaurants, yes, but they typically offer cuisines that I love (Italian, Chinese, American and Filipino) so it’s more like trying the same food at a different place (there is only so much you can do [and change] with spaghetti!). So my first time at Cyma is Greek Food 101 to me.

We ordered the following:

Flaming cheese

You dip the bread into the flaming cheese, but not before the waiter say Opa! =D

I do not eat eggplant, whether it is an actual meal (i.e. tortang talong) or concealed as an ingredient (i.e. pinakbet). I do not eat vegetables period. But Cyma’s Moussaka is awesome! Yes, this has eggplant (see that greenish layer?)!

We also ordered 2 chicken gyros and requested that each be cut into half (there are four of us, and honestly, we could not finish a gyros each).

I suggested we order the pastitsio (read great reviews about it!) and they are right. This one’s heavenly!

That yellow layer that looks (and tastes) like flan reminds me of childhood where everything’s sweet and yummy!

Will I go back to Cyma? Definitely! =D

missing singapore

2009-07-28T16:32:00.014+08:00

There's nothing like good food to ignite your blogging groove (ok, I know that rhymes and sounds corny but groove's exactly what I'm going for so food has to be replaced with another word. But what's another word for food? Meal? Cuisine? Nah they all don't fit so I'm sticking with this first sentence. I'll try to do better with the next sentences =P). And good food from your favorite country is even better. I love Singapore! It's a walkable city, they have an efficient transportation system, the city's clean, the shops are great (they have IKEA and Kinokuniya!) and best of all, they have great food!

It's been 3 months since my last trip to Singapore and I miss it! While I can go to Fully Booked to bask in a Kinokuniya-like atmosphere, there aren't enough restaurants here in Manila that serves authentic Singaporean food. So when I read about a Food Republic-like place opening in Manila from the various blogs I follow, I knew I had to see it for myself. While the reviews were initially negative, I did not allow them to deter me.

The place is called Makansutra Asian Food Village. Located at the Manila Ocean Park complex, the place offers local cuisine from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India and the Philippines.

The prices are reasonable. Just like in hawker places in Singapore, there are small stalls selling all sorts of food from roti prata to chili crabs. In true self-service style, you pay for what you order where you ordered it. There is a separate drinks station that sells kopi, teh, bandung and a Michael Jackson drink (black gulaman in white, milky liquid).

I went to Makansutra with my mother, sister and my boyfriend, who are all for trying new restaurants. I ordered hainanese chicken rice and roti prata with curry.

This was kind of dry. And the roti prata was just ok.

Probably the only meal we had that's comparable to those served in Singapore is the kwey teow.

My sister had khao kai moo (Thai stewed pork trotter in a sweet spicy sauce with rice) and she hates it! It looks appetizing in pictures that's why my sister ordered it. And when she was presented with this, she was like "What the hell is this?!".

My bf had this. It was good!

Will I go back to Makansutra? Maybe for the ambiance, not for the food.

we've got to save ginny weasley and more wizard rock

2009-07-10T13:34:00.017+08:00

Have you heard of Wizard Rock or Wrock? Apart from the books, movies, fanfiction, clothing line and other items all Harry Potter-related, there's a music movement that revolves around the world of Harry Potter. I found this article on TIME entitled "The Boy Who Rocked" and it talks about the various bands whose songs are inspired by all things Harry Potter.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1909622-1,00.html

I did a quick search on Youtube (thank you Youtube!) and found the following groups with some sample songs.

Harry and the Potters - Save Ginny Weasley
The Parselmouths - What Kind of Name is Hermione?
The Whomping Willows - I Believe in Nargles (A Tribute to Luna)
Draco and the Malfoys - 99 Death Eaters
Ministry of Magic - Accio Love
Gred and Forge (I didn't misspell this) - Twelve Days of Wizarding Christmas
The Remus Lupins - Teenage Werewolf
Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls - We are the DA
Moaning Myrtles - Prefects are Hot

"Prefects are Hot" has the funniest lyrics! Here goes...

Prefects are freakin' hot in any season
You know they call me Moaning Myrtle for a reason
Went looking for some Prefects in the bathroom one day
But instead I found Harry
and so I said "Hey!"
I helped him solve the mystery of the egg
But I'd like to solve the mystery between his legs!

This group also has a song entitled "And Then I Died" which is hilarious!

Of the above, I think Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls has the best sound - he's one guy who has quite a nice voice and plays great guitar. And his "End of an Era" totally captures what Harry Potter fans feel about the end of the series with the release of the final book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

Oh I can't wait for the 6th movie! And the 7th and the 8th! =D

maroon 5 singing my wedding song

2009-07-10T12:33:00.003+08:00

This is a cover of Frank Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight by Maroon 5,who counts "She Will Be Loved" and "This Love" as some of their hits. I LOOOOOOVE their cover of this classic Sinatra song. Every time I hear The Way You Look Tonight, I imagine my wedding day (not that it's anywhere in the near future). Oh I would love to be serenaded with this song! =D

Apparently, iTunes got together several artists to cover this great music icon's work for an album entitled "His Way, Our Way". Looking forward to hearing the rest of the songs in this album. I hope they did "Come Fly With Me" and "Moon River". In the meantime, enjoy Maroon 5's cover! =D

kain dito, kain doon

2009-07-04T19:06:00.000+08:00

I have been going to Greenbelt and Rockwell for the past 4 weeks, either with my sister or with friends. And I have been eating a lot! I am not what you call a mall rat. Typically, I prefer to stay in during weekends, whipping something up in the kitchen (right now, my bf is cooking his special adobo so I'm just watching), reading a book or watching the endless movies that my bf has lined up for us to watch (this weekend, he wants me to watch a Michael Jackson special; I want to have a Hugh Dancy-marathon! =D)

I love these lights! Looks deadly, don't you think? This is at Greenbelt 5, the spanking new wing (well, new to me since I've not gone to Greenbelt in a long time).

One of my favorite restaurants is Cafe Breton, which serves French crepes and galettes. A few Saturdays ago, my sister and I went to Cafe Breton for an early dinner and had one of my favorite crepes - Apple & Eve crepe.

My sister had Cafe Breton's Burger. It might look like your regular hamburger but this one's real yummy!

I had a hot crepe filled with tomato, ham, egg and cheese. We both had their best seller drink - Cafe Leogois (pronounced as Lee-shwa).

A week after this, I was again at Cafe Breton, this time for breakfast with friends. I ordered the same hot crepe (I'm not really adventurous when it comes to food). We wanted to do a little shopping at Greenbelt; I wanted to go to Trucco! I love, love their designs! Check out their website: http://www.trucco.es/en/index.php

This is me trying out a cute white blouse from Trucco, which I eventually bought because it makes me look thinner! =D

We had dinner at one of the Filipino restaurants at Greenbelt, Recipes. Food's good and this is one of the few restaurants at Greenbelt where you don't have to shell out a thousand bucks for a meal. We had two of their best sellers - General's Chicken and Crispy Tilapia.

I'm off to watch Ice Age 3 in a bit. Here's a picture of my bf's special adobo and lumpiang shanghai - YUM!

transformers night

2009-06-28T17:08:00.018+08:00

For Transformers, my bf and I decided to go to Rockwell Power Plant mall. We arrived sometime before 5pm and immediately went up to get tickets. All the good seats for 5pm-7pm showing were sold out (there were few seats available but either Jandell and I have to sit apart or have to be in the first 2 rows which sucks). We got 8:30 tickets so we decided to grab an early dinner at Pepper Lunch first and then went around the mall to pass time.

At the basement, there's an exhibit of Alfredo Alcala, a Filipino Master Illustrator, who's done covers and illustrations for comics - Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes, Batman etc.

Looks familiar?

At the ground floor,you will find life-size action figure collectibles of the Joker, Michael Jordan, Superman, Spiderman and even Manny Pacquiao. These items are for sale by Maxiworks.

Is this The Hulk? I don't remember him having a head gear.

Michael Jordan

C3PO SOLD!

The many faces of the Joker

He looks like Master Showman! LOL

Spiderman

Iron Man

Wolverine / Logan

As for the movie itself, I enjoyed the special effects, because that's what I came for. I've read some movie reviews and people were complaining about the lack of plot (or the overabundance of subplots) and intellectual value. Come on people! You don't go looking for intellectual value in a Transformers movie! It was meant to entertain and exhilarate and that's what it did. Though, I must say the first one is funnier. Revenge of the Fallen had me laughing but not in a laugh-out-loud way. I remember there was this one scene and only one person in the cinema was laughing - did the rest of us not get the joke or we just thought it's not that funny? The one thing that my bf and I found funny was Megan Fox's face while running - bombs were going off in all directions and she still has that pouty, for-the-poster look! Tama na pose! HAHAHA

neuhaus chocolates

2009-06-27T07:44:00.007+08:00

Look what I got today! A friend just came back from a European tour and here's what she got me as pasalubong - Neuhaus chocolates!

Neuhaus is a chocolate store in Brussels, Belgium founded in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus. He created the first bite-sized filled chocolate and named it "praline" and the rest is history.

The beautifully wrapped box is called a ballotin and was created by Jean's wife.

They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'm a sucker for chocolates, especially for chocolates this good!

Do you see those two rounded chocolates wrapped in silver and gold? The silver one says LAPHROAIG -single islay malt scotch whisky and the gold is REMY MARTIN - fine champagne cognac. How's that for a filling? =D

Ok bye now! Have got to go back to chocolate-munching! Happy weekend! =D

Neuhaus
www.neuhaus.be
Also sold in Paris, London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong.

harry potter & the half-blood prince global release dates

2009-06-26T07:37:00.006+08:00

I am so excited to see Harry Potter!!! I reread the book about two weeks ago in preparation for this. You know what, I just might read it again, since I still have about 3 weeks before it's shown here in Manila. After Deathly Hallows and Goblet of Fire, this is my 3rd favorite book, and like any other Harry Potter fan, I cried when Dumbledore died and vowed to hate Snape forever (only to eat my words after I finished Deathly Hallows!).

See you all in the cinemas come July 16! =D

P.S. Please click the image to zoom out.

be careful what you wish for

2009-06-24T04:29:00.035+08:00

I have been raving about this movie on my Facebook account, and as if that's not enough, I am going to talk about it some more here.

I like cartoon movies and it's probably because I did a lot more studying than watching cartoons when I was kid (haha, I'm doing my own psychoanalysis!). There is something about this type of movies that makes you feel good and warm and happy all over. And typically, they're not scary nor creepy nor morbid (with a few exceptions).

Now comes Coraline which changed the way I now look at cartoons. Let's just say I had goosebumps all over while watching the movie. And here you'll see why.

Coraline, voiced by Dakota Fanning, wished that she had better parents. Upon moving at the Pink Place Apartments, Coraline was left to fend for herself while her parents devote all their time to writing a book about gardening. She was befriended by a naughty boy named Wybie, the grandson of the old lady who rents out the apartment, and who does not usually rent out the place to families with children. While out exploring (and being ignored by her parents), she discovered a small door that opens to a brick wall during the day and a parallel world at night - a world where everything SEEMS better - her mother cooks delicious meals, her father plays the piano, and both parents (who look like her real parents except for one thing) dote on her. The Other Mother and Other Father have BUTTONS for eyes. And oh, they told her she can stay forever in their world if she does one thing - and the Other Mother then presented Coraline a beautifully ribboned box with a pair of buttons inside - and then she quipped "Black is traditional."

Moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for.

I enjoin everyone (and by everyone I meant Cristina and Michelle =P) to see Coraline. It's definitely a cartoon movie for adults. I would think twice though about letting kids below 12 watch this.

P.S. The movie is based on a book of the same title by Neil Gaiman. I'm halfway through it and so far it's great! Easy reading but with some very creepy graphics!

a taste of japan

2009-06-13T23:32:00.037+08:00

It was a regular Saturday night and I had a craving for Japanese food (I don't know why!). You know those people who watch anime films and then suddenly crave for anything Japanese? I'm not one of those people. And I don't normally like Japanese food - I think Katsudon is just a glamorized porkchop, I don't like California maki and I hate hate sushi (I've never tasted one, I just don't feel like eating raw food).

So I, myself, was surprised when I suggested to my boyfriend that we try Little Tokyo, a stone's throw away from my apartment. Little Tokyo is like a small Japanese village lined with restaurants offering various Japanese specialties - there's a place for ramen, yakiniku, etc.

Here's the entrance to Little Tokyo.

We had no idea where or what we're eating, so I know we're in for a food adventure. But being my usual cautious self, I went the blog route and checked for food reviews of restaurants within Little Tokyo. And this is where we decided to go - Kagura, a restaurant famous for its Okonomi-yaki or Japanese pancake/pizza (incidentally, my boyfriend was craving for pizza and when I told him that this place is famous for it and showed him pictures of Okonomi-yaki, he told me "I want the normal pizza!" hehehe)

We were seated at the bar. The place only has three areas where you can sit Japanese-style but two were already taken and the last one was reserved.

While waiting for our orders, I took some snapshots of the place. It is filled with little details that make for such an amazing eating experience. It is like being transported to Japan!

What is with Japan and baseball? The entire time we're there, the TV is tuned to a baseball game (in Japanese of course!). Look at these cute wobbly things!

Miniature baseball bats hanging from the ceiling

Baseball-themed calendar

Finally, our orders arrived. This is Okonomi-yaki. We ordered the pork, noodle and egg combination and I added cheese and bonito flakes (the topping that looks like chocolate shavings).

This is what the filling looks like.

We wanted to add something else. The waitress suggested that we try Tanpei-yaki, or pork battered in egg, which, according to her, is one of their best sellers. I'm glad we listened because this is so good! I actually like much more than the Okonomi-yaki. The combination of pork and Japanese mayonnaise is just perfect!

Bottles line the cabinets in front of the bar. Did you notice the masking tape on each bottle? Written on them are names such as Yamamoto, Furuta etc. Our theory? These are the names of patrons who successfully downed bottles of sake (Japanese wine).

We had such a great time at Little Tokyo! We are definitely coming back to try the other restaurants within the "village". Doomo arigato gozaimasu!

tv spoils friendship

2009-06-11T15:46:00.004+08:00

My sister sent me this video and it's just too cute not to share (to the two people who read this blog!) =P

Note: This applies to both animals and humans.

norwegian recycling

2009-06-06T19:58:00.004+08:00

No, this isn't about the reuse and recycle program of Norway, this is about some kick-ass music! Today, I was looking for some new music to add to my playlist and I saw Norwegian Recycling on my bf's hard drive. Got curious and thought "Norwegian Recycling" is such a weird name for a band unless the group's music is about going green and caring for the environment. Apparently, it's not a band but one (amazing) guy named Peter Bull who does mashups of music. I have his entire So Far album...and so far, I'm loving it! My favorite is "How Six Songs Collide" - a crazy mix of I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, Collide by Howie Day, Superman by Five for Fighting and a host of other songs.

Check out his website: norwegianrecycling.multiply.com.

windows of kindness

2009-06-06T14:36:00.007+08:00

I just can't get enough of these colorful windows! These pictures were taken while I was on a 7-day vacation in Singapore last April. The MICA (Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts) building used to house a police station and military barracks. Today, the MICA building is also home to the National Arts Council, National Heritage Board, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Singapore Kindness Movement (I like this! I think every country should have an organization that encourages everyone to spread joy and kindness.)

MICA Building
140 Hill Street #02-02, MICA Building, Singapore 179369

rain or shine?

2009-06-06T14:08:00.006+08:00

It's been raining quite hard here in Manila - not the long, quiet drizzle but the typhoon-ish kind - and we don't have them yet according to PAGASA. While it can be quite a hassle to commute when it's raining cats and dogs here, I think I prefer the cold weather over the burning heat that hovered over Manila the past few months. It's perfect for staying in - give me a good book and a hot bowl of champorado and I'm all good!

This is one of my favorite photos. I took this during a quick trip to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. It looks like a postcard and I'm quite proud of it.

What about you...do you prefer rain or (sun)shine?

dating a banker anonymous

2009-01-31T04:11:00.001+08:00

(No, I'm not dating a banker.) I discovered this site while reading an article from New York Times "It's the Economy, Girlfriend". Dating A Banker Anonymous (DABA) is a support group for girlfriends and wives of bankers/former bankers whose lives have been radically changed by the recession going on in the U.S. The group keeps a blog (dabagirls.wordpress.com) and shares their experiences on having a banker or ex-banker boyfriend/husband who has either been fired from his banking job or is on the brink of being fired, and how this situation has affected their relationships. Kinda Confessions-of-a-Shopaholic-ish, the girls complain about having their shopping allowance cut into half, less out-of-the-country trips, less exciting and even non-existent sex life AFTER RECESSION (the girls only recognize two time periods Before Recession or BR and After Recession or AR) - their boyfriends/husbands now spend more time following the financial situation on CNBC or Bloomberg and less or no time on their relationship/home life situation. It's shallow but funny, shameless at times but real. Go check it out!

Links:

NY Times Article - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/nyregion/28daba.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&em

Blog - dabagirls.wordpress.com

in praise of food

2008-12-20T17:00:00.016+08:00

I've always loved eating (as evidenced by my continuously increasing waistline and pile of I-can't-wear-this-anymore clothes). I used to say that I would rather spend money on clothes, shoes and bags than on expensive food. I would balk about having to pay 1,000 pesos for a dinner (I could buy a nice pair of shoes with that!). I can cook a decent meal at home so why spend hundreds of pesos on a single meal? But truth be told, the only dishes I know are pork steak and pork sinigang, and "fried anything" i.e. daing na bangus, eggs, porkchop, etc. =P I can't make Fondue Bourguignonne (of Old Swiss Inn) or Chicken Roulade (of Conti's)!

I realized that eating, whether in uber-expensive restaurants or dirt-cheap out-of-the-way food places, is an EXPERIENCE. And EXPERIENCE is something that you will remember forever (my parents' story about dating at Cindy's in Recto comes to mind).

I am not advocating that you spend thousands on food. In fact, some of the best foods I've tasted are cheap (like Roti Prata at a Food Republic stall in Singapore or Kaya Toast with Boiled Egg in a Kopitiam, also in Singapore). All I'm saying is SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE.

Here are pictures of some of the best dishes I've tasted, both cheap and not-so-cheap.

Roasted Duck from Asian Kitchen (Singapore)

Roti Prata from a Food Republic stall (Singapore)

Herb Crusted Chicken with Rice Casserole from The Stock Market (Bonifacio High Street)

Turtle Pie from Conti's (Serendra)

Marinated & Seared Angus Beef Tenderloin from Arrecifes (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)

Kway Teow (Singapore)

a whole month of no posts and harry potter spells

2008-10-24T13:33:00.004+08:00

Wow, that's more than a month of no posts! I guess, I'm just good at making lists and never bothering to go back to them again. =P

A few days ago, I started rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, not for lack of anything to read. I just wanted to immerse myself into fantasy as real-life is not working for me right now. Things have been crazy at work and my personal life has its own share of I-can't-believe-this-is-happening-to-me moments. It would be wonderful to have even an iota of Harry Potter's magical ability so that I can "magic my way" around life. Here's a list (list again!) of spells that I find useful:

1. Alohomara - I tend to forget my keys, so it would be nice if I could just exclaim "Alohomora!" and doors would open for me.

2. Accio - I'm lazy, I'm a real couch potato and I don't like getting up to pick things so Accio would be useful - "Accio book!", "Accio glass of water", and "Accio Jandell!" =P

3. Avada Kedavra - I know it's too evil but don't you just know some people who you want to disappear from your life forever? The landlady who calls you fat, the cab driver who asks for extra fare for no apparent reason (no traffic, no rain), the annoying co-worker who makes your blood boil every time s/he opens her/his mouth, and so on and so on. I mean, surely this spell was created for situations like these.

travel chronicles

2008-09-08T08:06:00.008+08:00

Last night, I picked up my "almost unused" Starbucks planner and realized that, it's already the last quarter of the year and I'm nowhere near meeting all of my goals I set for myself at the start of the year - except "to travel to 1 Asian country and the US within the year" (went to Singapore last July and will probably go to San Francisco and Los Angeles (again) before the year ends). One of those "goals" is to chronicle my travels, either by making a scrapbook or an online travel blog. Been hit by the "travel bug" last year when I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and California for work and vacation. I used to approach traveling with a not-so-good attitude, thinking it's a waste of money and time. Then when I finally got to really travel, I was hooked! It's a nice way to meet new people, learn about other cultures and see beautiful places. And I got my "OC-ness" to work for me. My US trip itinerary is 30 pages long, for crying out loud! I like learning about the place I'm going to before I actually go there - find out what this statue or that monument means for the locals, places where locals eat, mode of transportation, best time to go, etc. I love making itineraries - for someone who hates surprises, an itinerary keeps my sanity in check. =P An itinerary keeps me in control, and in cases where I wouldn't have someone to go with, an itinerary lets me go back in one piece. =P

So for the next several posts, I'll be chronicling (and reliving) the fun I had while traveling. First stop is Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, then Los Angeles and Orange County in California and finally Singapore. Just to give you an idea of how OC I am, I'll post my travel plans for each trip. =P

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The Grove in Los Angeles, California

Along Stamford Street in Singapore

billboards for everyone

2008-09-07T13:59:00.013+08:00

Who has never dreamt of becoming a supermodel or even just a model? Well, with photofunia, you can be one! No, I'm not saying you will get endorsements, or walk the runway or something. You can post your best pictures on billboards, posters, and what-nots. Check out what happens when I have a lot of time in my hands =P

That's me holding Asian Kitchen's longan red date iced tea (Asian Kitchen is a restaurant in Singapore, took this picture last July). A friend told me that the big billboard is somewhere in New York, between 7th Ave. and 41st Street. When you squint hard enough, you can see the 7th Ave. sign. I don't know where that mall is, though.

Here's some more.

I really like the one with the painting, it's like I stopped by, while strolling on the streets of Milan, to have this taken. =) Although, it can be kind of tricky placing that picture in the middle. I had to do a lot of editing.

Go out and check photofunia (photofunia.com)! Who says only models can get billboards? =P

the requisite first entry

2008-09-07T07:04:00.001+08:00

I've always wanted to start my own blog, not for public consumption, but more of a personal repository of memories - where I could post travel pictures and anecdotes, my thoughts on stuff, whether they're trivial or life-changing, events that are happening around me (again, whether they're trivial or life-changing) - basically have a personal diary without having to write long, long sentences.

I don't really know what to write here, except that my background music as I'm typing is Kate Nash's Merry Happy song, which is really a merry and happy song. Check out her Skeleton Song too! Fun to listen to, especially on lazy Sunday afternoons.

Here's a link to Merry Happy's video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dy2bBsPGqY&feature=related

So there you go, here's the requisite first entry.