Gallery of Finds

Like Visiting Grandma's House

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

When you ask people for a list of restaurants that exemplify Filipino cuisine, the places that are repeatedly mentioned include Fely J's, Abe, Sentro, and Cafe Juanita. I've eaten at Fely J's and Abe and enjoyed my meals there each time. I have yet to try Sentro. But as for Cafe Juanita, I finally had a chance to dine there over the weekend. Cafe Juanita also has a branch in Pasig, but we opted to go to the Burgos Circle branch in Taguig. So much has been written about Cafe Juanita in blogs, magazines, and newspapers. It was even recommended in the book, "Manila By Day." They were all rave reviews. Needless to say, we had really high expectations of the place. So in the end, were we disappointed? Read on and find out...;-)

My husband and I were very hungry so we ordered quite a feast. Here's what we had:

Juanita's Caesar Salad (we asked them to hold the croutons) PhP 275

Gambas Ala Jillo PhP 237

Two-Way Pork Adobo Ribs PhP 495

Yang Chow Fried Rice PhP 187

Sticky Toffee Pudding PhP127

And here are my general impressions:

1.) Ambience -- "Kitschy" is the most appropriate adjective to describe the decor and feel of the place. We've got feathers, antiques, embroidered linen, floral everything, and even some Christmas decor (in July!) It seems as if you're just visiting your Grandma's place. There's a ton of knick knacks in such a small place. But you know what? I really liked it. The place has character and the fact that it's like anyone's Grandma's house make it truly endearing. ;-)

2.) The place is a bit small. If you're one who gets claustrophobic, request for a table on the second floor instead. Or a table by the window with a view. We went on a Sunday and there were a number of people there. We sat on the first floor -- the table that's next to the bar and cashier. It wasn't a very good spot because first off, it was a little dark in the area. The place could really use better lighting, altogether. The spaces between other tables and chairs were quite small too. It seemed as if anyone could easily eavesdrop on your conversation.

3.) Service -- The waiters were very attentive. They fill up your glass with water without even requesting it. We didn't have to wait too long for our food too. In fact, I don't think we waited more than five minutes before the first dish arrived. I also appreciated how the food arrived in the type of meal course. For instance, the salad arrived before the main dish and the rice arrived together with our viands. Perfect! The waiters were trained very well! ;-)

4.) Caesar Salad -- Nothing spectacular, really. I think they scrimped on the dressing. The lettuce was nice and crispy though. At PhP 275, I think it was too expensive. The pricing is a bit strange, actually. How can their Caesar Salad be priced higher than their Gambas? If you're dining here, you can definitely skip this one.

5.) Gambas ala Jillo -- This one was served with mushrooms and about 8-10 pcs of shrimps. It was very scrumptious, alright. Definitely something that I would order again. You can tell that the shrimps were fresh and although it burst with flavor, the sauce wasn't overpowering. Two thumbs up! ;-)

6.) Yang Chow Fried Rice -- Ooooh, they were quite generous with the shrimps! And I loved how the fried rice isn't greasy at all. Their Yang Chow is tasty enough that you can eat it on its own and mild enough in flavor that you can eat with a viand too. The only down side is that for all the dishes that we ordered, portions are quite small. Realistically, they're enough to satisfy two people or one person with a hearty appetite!

7.) Two-Way Pork Adobo -- The main thing that this dish has going for it is the fact that the meat is very very tender. It melts in your mouth and you can cut it in smaller portions without the use of a knife! All you'll need to do is just poke it with your fork and there goes the smaller portions! ;-) It's the most tender Adobo that I've ever had in my life. But sad to say, it wasn't the best-tasting adobo I've ever had in my life though. I think my mother-in-law's Adobo is better. And in terms of flavor, I think even my Adobo could compete?!?? ;-) I think what the Adobo needs is more garlic. We need more of that zing. The flavor is too mild.

8.) Sticky Toffee Pudding -- I'm only going to say this once and you better listen well. Do not, I repeat do NOT leave Cafe Juanita without ordering this dessert! ;-) Oh my. I think I'm in love! ;-) It's a simple equation: Moist pudding + warm and sticky toffee + cold Vanilla ice cream = pure heaven! I loved the mixture between hot and cold. The pudding wasn't too sweet but when you bring them all together in your mouth -- all the flavors and textures -- WOW! Just a suggestion. If you're dining at Cafe Juanita with somebody else, don't bother offering to share it. No matter how full you get, you WILL be able to finish a whole serving on your own. Tell your friend to order his own! ;-) Hahaha!

In a word, I would describe Cafe Juanita as very homey. Their food has that homecooked "feel." Everything, it seems, is cooked with simple ingredients but done quite well. We were there on a Sunday afternoon. And it was just like we were visiting Grandma's house and feasting on Grandma's cooking. The true definition of "Comfort Food." Definitely an experience that we will revisit in the very very near future! ;-)

Note: I only used a camera phone to take the pictures. Sorry they're dark and blurry. Check out these other links for pictures of the location and their menu

OUR AWESOME PLANET

FOODIE BUDGET TRAVELER

CAFE JUANITA

Unit WS-2 Burgos Circle

Forbestown Center, Fort Bonifacio

Taguig City

For Reservations: 403-1952

A Website for all Music Lovers

2011-06-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

You will absolutely love me for this great find! I mean, you won't have to download any music or purchase albums EVER for the rest of your life! You're not only freeing up your hard drive but as long as you've got WiFi or a good internet connection, you can listen to your favorite songs and albums whenever you want. If you're one like me who doesn't have a clue about current hits, this is also a best way for you to get updated. Find out what's popular and what everyone is listening to with just a click of the mouse. You can even create your own playlist and access it whenever you're online. It's like having a virtual iPod or iTunes without using up your disk space. As long as you've got access to Adobe Flash (iPads, unfortunately, can't run Adobe Flash), you may also listen to radio stations.

Alright. Did I hype it up too much already? ;-) I'm talking about grooveshark.com. You can get to the site by clicking THIS.

And I'm really not exaggerating about how handy it is for me. As a teacher, I use it to play music for when my students are doing work in the classroom. Music gets them in Zen mode and they actually end up being more focused. When we wrapped up the school year a few weeks ago, grooveshark.com came handy as well as back-up music for our classroom parties. I didn't have to bring CDs or MP3s. Best of all, I just had to click on the "Popular" icon on the left side and play away. The kids recognized all the songs and they enjoyed them too. For an "old timer" like me, it saved me some guess-work on figuring out what's 'cool' music nowadays...;-)

The only thing I wish to change about grooveshark.com are those annoying ads on the side. It has the option to remove ads but it's something that you'll have to pay for. It's something that you can get used to though. Not really something that's too bothersome since the ads really only stay on a box on the right side. They're not the pop-up type that just appear all over the screen.

It's important to note too that I think Grooveshark works on phones as well. iPads and iPhones don't and can't run Adobe Flash Player. But I'm sure other phones like Sony Ericksson, Nokia, and the likes should be fine with it.

IMAGE SOURCE:

http://quadrosneil.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/grooveshark.jpg

My Top 5 Free iPad Apps (at the moment!)

2011-06-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

As you know, there are just too many iPad apps to sift through. So I don't think this is a definitive list of my Top 5 iPad apps of all time. Rather, I'm only sharing with you my 5 favorite free apps at the moment. Most of them require internet connection. But once you have that, these 5 apps can surely keep you amused for hours! Some of them are excellent utilities or resource tools as well. Here they are:

5.) Tap TV

Make your iPad a handy TV! With 17 channels to choose from, this app will definitely eat up a lot of your time. The channels are not necessarily channels you'll find on your television at home. Rather, the 'channels' include the likes of Documentary TV, Travel, Kids' TV, Best of YouTube, Silent Movies, Tap TV, and many others. My personal favorite is the Audio Books channel. Here they've got audio books of novels and short stories like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and works by Kafka, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, O. Henry, Tolstoy and even Rudyard Kipling. So far there are only 30 audio books there. I really hope that they'll keep adding more.

To enjoy and maximize this app, you really need to have fast internet connection. Otherwise, the movies/shows will take a very long time to load and it will just end up frustrating you. Don't forget to have your earphones with you too!

4.) AllRecipes

Not sure what to make for dinner? Install this app and you'll end up with a thousand and one ideas at the very least! ;-) You can filter the thousands of recipes in this app by choosing the meal course, the main ingredient, the cooking method, and even your cooking time preference! Once you've chosen, sumptious pictures of food items that fit all of your preferences will show up side by side on the screen. Tap on the picture and from there, you can find the recipe, calorie count, and reviews of people who have tried the recipe. Some recipes are tweaked to make them better. They're all documented there too. I suggest that you do read the reviews before trying a recipe. The contributors aren't necessarily chefs or professional cooks, etc. The reviews will give you an idea of the ingredients that you can leave out, which ingredients there are too much of/not enough of in the original recipe, and so forth. Nonetheless, this is an excellent starting point. I imagine you will find lots of recipes here that you can include in your repertoire. ;-)

3.) Paper Desk LT

This is only the lite version of Paper Desk. That one's free. But if you'd like to upgrade, it'll cost you a mere $2.99. It's very cheap, but frankly, the lite version on its own will do. There's already so much that you can do on the lite version alone!

So what is Paper Desk? Do you know of Smart Pen? Well, this app will allow you to do everything that you can do on the Smart Pen. It's kind of like an interactive notebook. You can record audio on there, take pictures, type up notes, write actual notes on the screen, and/or combine any or all of these into one file. It's an app that you can definitely use during meetings or if you're a student, during lectures. You can save the file right on your iPad or email them, move them to your Google Docs, or print them! It's real handy. And for someone who's neither a student or one who goes to meetings either, I just use it to write my "To Do" lists. ;-) I'm sure anyone can find other uses for this very helpful app.

2.) Houzz

Looking for interior design inspiration? Once you've installed Houzz, you can browse through close to 150,000 photos of beautifully designed homes. Whatever your design sense may happen to be, you're bound to find lots of inspiration from these pictures. The photos are categorized by the type of space. From powder room, staircase, landscape, kids' rooms, home office, porch, closet, and of course, the usual bedroom, bathroom, living room, and dining room -- they're all there! Aside from photos, there are three other sections that you can look at as well. There's one on Ideabooks. These have articles and more pictures(!) to give you tips and suggestions on DIY projects that you can do, assistance on how you can choose the right paint colour, how to choose a theme, and so many other topics under the sun. They're categorized as well so it's really very easy to browse through.

If you live in North America (ie: Canada and the United States), there's also a section on Professionals that you can get in touch with to get the job done. From architects to general contractors to interior designers, you can find their contact info here as well as samples of their work. There's another section called "My Houzz" where you can create your own Ideabook article. I haven't explored that one yet. I think it requires you to register.

1.) Tune In Radio

Pick any city in the world, a random station from the list, let it buffer, and within seconds, there you are -- listening to live radio streaming! Aside from location, the stations are organized too by music genre and there's also a separate category for sports and talk radio (the AM ones, I assume). It's a great way to beat feeling homesick in my case. I listen to Calgary radio stations, alternating between Up 97.7, 98.5 Virgin Radio, and Kool 101.5. when I'm doing my chores or simply want to listen to music while surfing the net. If it weren't for the Manila heat, I could swear it felt like I was back in Calgary again. You can hear the advertisement on the radio -- know which places are on sale, be updated on the news, and find out about upcoming events too. Not all of the radio stations on the list do this, but there are some that even specify the song that you're listening to and show a picture of the album it came from right on your iPad screen. It's super neat! The very reason why it's number one on my list! ;-)

Have you got other neat (and free!) iPad apps to share as well? Please leave a note in the message section. In the mean time, I'll continue to keep my eyes open for more neat apps. Enjoy and install away! ;-)

Image Sources:

http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/049/Purple/79/11/d5/mzl.ztemqhwz.480x480-75.jpg

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.shelterpop.com/media/2010/07/houzz-app-ipad-iphone-590kb072710.jpg

http://st.houzz.com/simages/84087_0_8-6587--.jpg

http://cdn.ilovefreesoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/tap-tv-337x450.jpg

http://www.tabletpc-news.com/images/Best%20Cooking%20And%20Recipe%20Apps%20For%20The%20IPad_0.jpg

http://obamapacman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TuneIn-Radio-iPad-by-location.jpg

Hawker Heaven and a Beauty Find at Resorts World Manila

2011-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Resorts World Manila is beginning to be my new favorite place. Never mind the fact that finding an available parking spot can be a nightmare in itself. Last Saturday evening, we had planned to go there for a nightcap. But seeing that there's no available parking in any of the 2 outdoor parking lots and of that one connected to Newport, we had to turn back, make a change of plan, and head to BGC instead.

Tonight was no different, actually. Parking is still a nightmare. But we toughed it out this time. We lined up at the parking lot across Marriott and waited until people left and parking spaces cleared out. When we got there, we were the 6th car in line. Thank God that two of the cars ahead of us backed out. We were fourth in line now and in total, we still had to wait 20 minutes. They really have to do something about this parking issue.

Well, enough of my ranting. ;-) Once we got inside Newport, everything had been forgotten. We were starving and we decided to have dinner at the Old Penang Restaurant to satisfy my craving for hawker fare. You can find the Old Penang Restaurant on the 4th floor of Newport. It's right across McDonald's and it's on the same floor as the cinemas.

There's nothing fancy about the restaurant's decor. There's little space between the tables and the chairs really aren't that comfortable. You're sitting on stools, actually. They're wooden and there's nothing to rest your back on. Except for the framed black and white pictures of old Malaysia, there's really no other decor in the place. It just has the bare essentials.

When we entered the restaurant, a waiter promptly greeted us and led us to a table. Within one short minute, the menus were quickly handed out, utensils were laid out, and the waiter was able to help us make our choices. We asked about their bestsellers and the waiter, without skipping a beat, said that it was their Char Kway Teow and Roasted Chicken that topped the list. Looking around, it seemed that these were the same things that the other patrons ordered. And they looked sumptious! We trusted the waiter and ordered these along with an extra cup of Chicken Rice (the Roasted Chicken only came with 1 cup of rice) and Iced Teh Tarik to drink.

After five minutes, the first to arrive were our beverages. I took a sip of the Iced Teh Tarik (PhP85) and it did taste authentic. It wasn't too sweet that it completely masked the tea. It was just right. But for PhP85 per glass, I found it priced a little too steep. I wish they had made the serving much larger or they could bring the price down a bit. After all, a third of the glass is really just ice anyway.

A couple of minutes later, the Hainanese Roasted Chicken Set (PhP245) plus our extra Hainanese Rice (PhP50) were served. We were also served a tiny bowl of condiments for the chicken. Mixed in there already is the minced ginger, chili sauce, and soy sauce. So what did we think of their Hainanese Roasted Chicken Set? First off, we were quite impressed with the serving size. The chicken is good for 2-3 people! The meat is not as tender as the ones at Wee Nam Kee but I think Old Penang's version is definitely much tastier. The skin is soft and bursting with flavor! As for the Chicken Rice, I've had better but all in all, it's really not bad. That's just me being picky though. ;-) Altogether, we were impressed. A mere ten minutes away from where we live, we will definitely be back at Old Penang to satisfy a Hainanese chicken craving!

Oh, but we're not done with the meal yet! Just as we were enjoying our Hainanese Chicken, the Char Kway Teow (PhP220) arrived just a couple of minutes after. It was piping hot and had all the toppings that a Char Kway Teow should have. It had enough scrambled eggs, a couple of large shrimps, bean sprouts, onions, chorizo, and a few greens. The other Char Kway Teows that I've had here in Manila often ended up being too greasy. The one at Old Penang, thankfully, was not. The noodles are as gooey and "slimy" as they should be but I wish they had put in more bean sprouts. I like how the texture of the noodles juxtapose with the crunch of the bean sprouts. As for the taste, I'm sure it could be better but it's close enough to how I've had it in Singapore. It hits the spot just right. ;-)

The food at the Old Penang is a definite two thumbs up. But what's even more remarkable is the service. We were really impressed! Their waiters and staff are not only quick on their feet but they're quite attentive too. We had asked for the bill already and the waitress had started clearing our table. Even then, I was surprised that she came back to hand me a cold glass of water. It's like she read my mind. I had a glass of the Teh Tarik and was feeling a bit thirsty. And without needing to ask, the glass of cold water was served. Another waiter was in charge with processing our credit card payment. Jojo and I were in the middle of our conversation when the receipt and credit card were handed back to us in one of those leather booklets. After Jojo signed the bill, the waiter took the time to remove the credit card and receipt from the booklet and personally handed it back to Jojo. I guess he was thinking that we might forget to take it out of the leather booklet so he took the initiative to hand it back. It's these small gestures that really count. We were really pleased with the service at Old Penang. They really go out of their way to please their customers. This is one of the reasons why you'll definitely see us back there. To boot, the food is great and the prices -- for the most part, are reasonable too. It's the perfect place for a satisfying meal that is sure to transport you to Hawker Heaven! I can't wait to try the other items on their menu on our subsequent visits! ;-)

This is completely off topic but apart from Old Penang, I'd also like to share a shopping find that I discovered at one of the shops in Newport. On a recent visit a few weeks back, we bought a couple of the PhP65 face masks that we found at The Face Shop just for kicks When we got home, we immediately tried it after I was able to successfully convince Jojo to put on the face mask as well. ;-) After all, I didn't want to be only "silly-looking" one. Jojo had to be silly-looking WITH me. ;-) Well, you know what? We liked the results. Jojo commented that the face mask gave his face a certain glow. ;-) It made our skin a bit more firmer too. Because of that, Jojo and I excitedly went to The Face Shop at Newport to buy more and try the other masks as well. I didn't know which one to pick since all the other masks looked quite interesting. There's a Mung Bean face mask, cereal, lemon, and so many other variants. They also have a special promo which I just have to share. If you buy five of any combination from the Jasmine and Fennel variant, Geranium and Everlasting Flower, and/or Tea Tree and Bergamot, you can get a free Oil Pore Minimizer Sampler Set. Each of the mask sheets cost PhP95. Buy five of these for a total of PhP475 and you get the sample set too. The sampler set consists of 30 ml Controlling Toner with Powder, 30 ml Controlling Emulsion, and 5 ml Controlling Essence -- all aiming to minimize pores. I have yet to try it to see how effective it is. But so far, The Face Shop hasn't failed me. I've tried their nail polishes too and I like how they stay on without chipping. My skin is very sensitive and their mask sheets hasn't caused my skin to break out. That's a good sign. I have a feeling their Pore Minimizer Sample Set might just be as effective too. I couldn't pass up a great deal. Five mask sheets and a sample set for only PhP475. What a steal! There's still more on stock. Hurry on in to Newport's The Face Shop to catch the deal too! ;-)

Pizza from my Childhood

2011-01-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

As a major cheese lover, naturally, I enjoy pizzas with loads of cheese! It can be pizza with 'authentic' and imported cheeses. Or it can simply be the processed type that you find in local groceries here in Manila. For me, cheese is cheese. As to which one I prefer, it really depends on the day and my mood. ;-)

For the real deal when it comes to cheeses, we often go to hotel buffets for those. Or for pizzas with loads of mozarella, we either head to Yellow Cab or Brooklyn Pizza. But when I'm craving for processed cheese (you better believe it! ;-), we often head to our trusted Lot'sAPizza stall. Their pizzas remind me of the ones that I used to eat as snacks in our cafeteria when I studied in La Salle. I was only in that school until Grade 4 but nonetheless, I still had a lot of fond memories there. And it's these type of pizzas that bring back those many memories with my childhood friends, which, thanks to Facebook, I still keep in touch with up now! ;-) If you grew up in the Philippines, I think you know which type of pizza I'm talking about. They're the pizzas with thin and super soft crusts -- almost like bread, actually. It comes with processed ham to go with the processed cheese and sweet tomato sauce. ;-) Yes, it goes against everything that a pizza should be right? ;-) More than anything, it's catered to the Filipino palate that hates anything bland and subtle when it comes to flavors. For most of you, you might even feel a bit grossed out if you're not used to this type of cuisine. I'm not always fond of these flavors. I still opt for subtle flavors. But for my guilty pleasure, these type of pizzas are my go-to ones for comfort food. I just loooove them! ;-)

Well, for years, we've been going to Lot'sAPizza for these type of pizzas. We've been finding though that each time we order, the cheese keeps getting sparser and sparser! Even if we pay to add extra cheese, it's still not as cheesy as it used to be.

So you can imagine how excited my husband and I got when we came across this great find at Cash & Carry. Not only is the location convenient to us since it's in Makati, but the pizza is SOOOO much better than Lot'sAPizza's! Have a look at the family size Ham and Cheese Pizza that we ordered below. ;-)

It's from a stall called Patricia's Pizza on the ground floor of Cash & Carry. You'll find it outside the grocery store -- on the opposite side of National Bookstore. You'll find it on your way to the washroom.

That's how we found the stall, actually. On our way to the washroom, we got curious because there was a whole line up on this stall. And poor thing, there was only one guy acting as cashier and cook! Or should I say 'pizza heater'? ;-) The pizzas were all ready in their boxes and just had to be heated up. But don't be turned off by that. It seems that the turnover is quick. I'm sure the pizzas were freshly baked.

Anyway, would you believe that we got that whole thing for only 110 pesos??!?? And it's soooo good! The cheese oozes and when you grab a slice you can see strings of cheese resisting. ;-) The crust is a little thick yet soft and chewy. The sauce, on the other hand, just has the right hint of sweetness. Not overpowering at all. Best of all, they don't scrimp on the toppings. There's enough ham and the cheese is just all over! ;-) It was a family size pizza but believe it or not, Jojo and I finished it between the two of us. I had 3 slices and Jojo had the rest. (Sorry for 'outing' you hon!) ;-) We practically inhaled the whole thing in the car on our way to my in-laws. The whole thing was gone just right before we got to Pasay. ;-)

Why not give it a try and if you grew up in the Philippines, be transported to your childhood like I was? ;-) Who would have guessed how, many years later, the distinct smell and taste of school cafeteria food can give us comfort and a smile on our faces? ;-)

Curious yet? ;-) Check out the pizza box below to locate the nearest Patricia's Pizza outlet. ;-)

IMAGE SOURCE:

Lot'sAPizza picture = http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss332/dwindle18/IMG_0362.jpg

A 'Socially Responsible' Gift Idea For You!

2010-12-21T16:52:00.001-08:00

Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? Or are you one of those people who prefer to do things last minute? Either way, I found another excellent gift idea for you. Because if you think you're done with your Christmas shopping list, think again. Did you happen to forget to add a few 'emergency gifts' on that list? From experience, I know for a fact that every year, I have "long-lost" friends and relatives that just show up out of nowhere. ;-) It's good to have at least 5 generic emergency gifts that's already wrapped, tied in a bow, and with a gift tag hanging off of it already so you can just easily write the recipient's name and pretend that you really haven't forgotten them and they were on your list all along! ;-) Hahaha! No one will ever know...;-)

Now what would make a great emergency gift? I already talked about the "Manila by Day" book on a previous entry HERE. That would make an excellent gift, actually. But then again, not everyone is fond of reading. So here's another alternative for you. What about getting the Messy Bessy sampler pack? ;-)

I saw (and bought!) this Messy Bessy sampler pack at the Mercato Weekend Market a few days ago. If you've been to the Mercato Market over at BGC, you know that Messy Bessy has a lot of competition there. There's a whole handful of other stalls that sell organic soaps, mists, environmentally-friendly cleaners, and the like. But among all these, it's this Messy Bessy sampler pack that immediately caught my eye. It's not only because it's very cheap at 300 pesos, but also because of the very neat and cute packaging of the bottles and the whole set! To boot, I love the fact that it has everything that you'll need while you're on the go. In fact, I think this would be perfect for a jet-setter friend or relative. The sampler pack comes with the following: a lavender linen spray, insect repellent, Aloe and Green Tea handwash, Green Tea hand sanitizer, and Vanilla hand cream! I LOVE it! ;-)

I got one set for myself and so far, I only got to use the hand sanitizer and hand cream. The hand sanitizer absorbs quickly and I like how it's gentle and doesn't dry your hands. It actually moisturizes it too since one of the ingredients is green tea essential oil! The neatest thing about it is that it's really not just a hand sanitizer, it can also be used as a disinfectant or surface cleaner. It's strong enough to do the job but gentle on your hands as well! Neat! ;-)

As for the scent, the green tea is not overpowering. The smell is faint but lasting. The scent stays awhile but it's not one to overpower your perfume. You'll have to put your hand close to your nose to smell the green tea. This could be a plus or minus for you. But in my opinion, I think it's a plus. Although the green tea smells nice, I'd rather that people smell my own perfume than the scent of the hand sanitizer. ;-)

As for the Vanilla hand cream, I tell ya, it certainly does the job. It moisturizes the skin so well without being greasy on the hands. Just like the hand sanitizer, the scent is faint too. Put your hands close to your nose though and you'll smell that vanilla-bordering-on-gingerbread-cookie smell. ;-) It's very nice.

So why is this Messy Bessy sampler pack a socially responsible gift? Well, for one, it's good for the environment. The bottles that these come in are all biodegradable. The ingredients used are all natural and organic too. So that makes it good for your health as well. No parabens and all that bad stuff. Most of all, did you know that Messy Bessy (the company), is part of a project called HOUSE? That stands for Helping Ourselves through Sustainable Enterprises. They're also in partnership with the Virlanie Foundation and the International Justice Mission. They help the poor and marginalized by hiring them and giving them a means for income, I assume. I think they also fund charities and help NGOs as well.

So there you go. The Mercato Market only runs Saturdays and Sundays. So the best place to go if you want to purchase would probably be their website HERE, or head on to the Echo Store at Serendra, or any Sesou stores at Glorietta, Market, Market, and other malls.

A Gift Idea for Anyone and Everyone!

2010-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've become fond of joining online contests. I'm not usually lucky when it comes to things like that. You name it, I've never been lucky in lotteries and contests in all forms and sizes. In my life, I've never gotten more than 2 numbers right in the lottery (though I don't really play that much!), I lose all of my money in slot machines to casinos without winning a single round, and heck, I never even find more than 5 eggs during an Easter egg hunt! Jojo's little nephews and nieces have a bag full of eggs (that goes with a prize each!) and there I am with five that fit comfortably in my two hands! Like I said, I've never really been lucky with stuff like that.

But now, there seems to be a wind of change! ;-) I joined an online contest HERE and guess what -- I was the 11th person that won! There were only supposed to be 10 but yes, as luck would have it, they made it 11 and I was the 11th! ;-) It's not a huge prize but really, there's nothing better than getting free stuff! ESPECIALLY when the free gift that you're getting is as informative and useful as the one that I got.

I'm talking about a book -- a local publication called "Insider Picks: Manila by Day." I've seen it at bookstores before but even with the bright orange color, the book just wasn't as inviting. I didn't really pay much attention to it, especially when the copies I found at Fully Booked or Powerbooks were all sealed. I couldn't even take a peek! Anyway, it retails for 495 pesos. After having skimmed through it, frankly, I think the book should cost more! ;-)

My prize (the book!) was couriered to me last Saturday. I haven't read it page by page but I was able to skim through it. And let me tell you, this is one book that every household should have. It's perfect for those who:

- are spendthrifts and would like to get value for their money (isn't that everyone?)

- often have 'emergency' parties and get togethers at their places

- are sick of malls as shopping destinations

- don't have a directory of reliable shops and service providers and would like to find 'sukis'

- are in need of ideas of exciting places to go and activities to do with a significant other or the whole family

- would like to take classes (be it dance classes or photography or those centered on outdoor activities) to develop themselves but don't know where and how to start

- have a sweet tooth and would like to be introduced to great finds from unknown home bakers in the city

- enjoy online shopping and bargain/outlet store shopping and would like to be informed of hole-in-the-wall places to go for unique finds.

Well, frankly, the list just goes on and on. These are some of the things that made my heart skip a beat when I browsed through the book. Did you know that there's a Schu Factory outlet store that sells their shoes at 50-70% off right in the heart of Makati??!?? Who knew that there's a place in the netro that provides sabre fencing lessons? And for only 1,700 pesos per month at that! Ooooh, and did you know that there are four shops all over Manila that sell Ikea items? As for restaurants, are you aware that an Italian-Filipino fusion restaurant exists here in Manila? Yes, believe it, there's one over at BF Homes called Chi's Oven Baked Kitchen. And from the blurb on the restaurant, it says that they serve, prepare for this: pizzas topped with balut! For non-Filipino readers, 'balut' is a fertilized duck egg (embryo) that's a delicacy here in Southeast Asia. There's a ton more of these type of interesting places listed in the book. I think it's the only Manila guide/directory that I'll ever need. Each entry has the name of the place, a description and examples of services/items that they provide, an idea of price range, the address, phone number, email, and in most cases, the website too. Forget online research. It's all here. ;-)

Interested? Copies of "Manila By Day" are sold everywhere. But I found a whole table display and piles and piles of this book over at Fully Booked at Rockwell. That's if you're interested in buying in bulk. ;-) Otherwise, single copies should be available at any National Bookstore, Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, and of course, Fully Booked branches.

PHOTO SOURCE:

http://dessertcomesfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/Manila-By-Day.jpg

Finding the Puto Bumbong of my Dreams! ;-)

2010-12-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

As you can probably already tell from the title of this post, puto bumbong is my most favorite Filipino dessert ever! I don't think it's because of the fact that it's a dessert associated with Christmas and therefore, have to wait in anticipation all year before I can have it. It's not that. It's because it's just soooo damn good! I like how the butter/margarine, muscovado sugar, and grated fresh coconut go so well with the soft and gooey sweetness of the puto bumbong itself. It's just heavenly! ;-)

Being a big fan of puto bumbong, naturally, I've had them in so many different places. I've tasted the food court-type puto bumbong, from a stall near the churches I went to after Christmas mass, to the fancy type in restaurants, and finally, even the ones that you can find in public markets. Out of all these, the one that impressed me the most is one that Jojo's sister, Del, buys us from Sta. Clara de Montefalco after Sunday masses during the Christmas season. This church is in Pasay City -- near the intersection of Pasay Road and Burgos Street. She gets them for the outstanding price of....20 pesos!!! And that comes with two long pieces of puto bumbong and all the accompaniment that goes with it.

I didn't think the puto bumbong there could possibly be outdone since it's really already very very good! It's smooth and with just with the right amount of gooey sweetness as it is. Well, you know what? It has been outdone and I'll tell you exactly where I found THE best puto bumbong in Metro Manila!

The answer? It's at Benny's at Rustan's Makati. It's across Glorietta 5 and right in front of Rustan's grocery store. One order comes with fine muscovado sugar, freshly grated coconut, and 2 pieces of the smoothest, chewiest, and yummiest puto bumbong ever!!! Most puto bumbong sellers use margarine as a topping but the puto bumbong at Benny's is a little more sinful and 'decadent.' They use butter! Woohoo! ;-) Combine all of these perfect little details and there you have it -- a perfect Puto Bumbong by my standards! ;-)

The price is a little steep in comparison to those sold near churches or inside public markets. One order at Benny's costs 60 pesos. Yes, that's 200% more than the usual but trust me when I say it's oh-so-worth it! ;-)

If you order it for take-out, it only costs 60 pesos. But if you choose to sit down and eat the puto bumbong inside Benny's, you'll have to pay additional for service charge. It's not a lot. For one order, you'll end up having to pay 66 pesos just like I did. It's still not bad.

I'm not sure if they'll be offering puto bumbong all year or it's only available for the holiday season. Either way, hurry on in and try out my most favorite puto bumbong in the metro. And if still, you find one that can outdo this one, PLEASE leave me a note and let me know where. Frankly, I don't think the puto bumbong at Benny's can be outdone. But this is one time when I would really like to be proven wrong...;-)

Cool Bazaar Finds

2010-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

We did our bazaar rounds yesterday. I checked Clickthecity and Spot.ph and found out that there's at least 10 bazaar events going on in the city! My husband and I didn't leave the house until noon. After having lunch at Salcedo Market, we only had time to go to 4 bazaars. And at around 7 pm, we were just so tired that we called it a day and went back home. Namely, we went to the Marche Bazaar at Makati Sports Club, Esprit de Noel at A. Venue, the Brown Bag Market at The Collective, and the Karl Edwards Bazaar at the BGC (Bonifacio Global City). Esprit de Noel mostly sold clothes, branded overruns, toys, and perfumes. The Brown Bag Market sold bag organizers, books, a few dessert items, and clothes as well. These two bazaars were nice too but most of our cool finds were really from the Marche Bazaar and Karl Edwards. Here's a small list of my awesome finds from one afternoon of bazaar-hopping: ;-)

1.) Customized Jewellery Boxes

Every year, it always seems to be a challenge to find the most perfect gift for my in-laws. My mother-in-law, in particular, already has a large and varied collection of perfumes, bags, and shoes. Jojo's sisters (ie: my sister-in-laws) always give her watches and jewellery so that's out of the question too. She's got all the cooking supplies that she needs and she's not much of a techie person so gadgets might not be appreciated. What else is there to give?!?? ;-) Well, I had a big lightbulb moment when I passed through this particular stall at the Marche bazaar. The nice red texture of the jewellery boxes caught my eye. Heyyyyyy, why not give her a jewellery box?!?? ;-) I looked through the set and found them in many different sizes and uses. There's one for watches that come with small pillows inside already. There's another particularly for bracelets and bangles. And there's another where you can specifically store rings and earrings. And the best part of it all? They customize!

I spoke with the nice lady that manned the booth. I'm pretty sure she's the owner. She's so pleasant to talk to and she even gave us a discount! I told her I wanted a whole jewellery box set. One would be a really large one with a window and compartments inside -- 2/3 of the box with large compartments for bangles and bracelets and the other third, with much smaller compartments for necklaces. I wanted two smaller jewellery boxes too. Each of these will be half the size of the larger jewellery box so you can pile them all up perfectly. Anyway, one of the smaller jewellery boxes will be for watches -- 3 compartments with pillows. The other would just be for rings and earrings. To store them, you'll just have to stick them in these slots. All of the jewellery boxes will match, of course. They'll be in this bright red color --- my mother in law's favorite! Your jaw will drop after hearing how much everything is. They're all only 1,000 pesos ($40 USD roughly). She asked for a 50% deposit and she'll have them delivered for free too. That is, as long as you're in the Makati area. I got her to have them delivered at Jojo's office. The lady promised that by Friday (6 days later), Jojo should have the jewellery box sets already. Super cool! ;-) I regretted not having a whole set customized for myself too. Well, the good news is that although they don't have a physical store (except at these bazaars), you can order from them anytime. Here's her contact info if you want to order some for yourself or as gifts too! ;-)

Name: Kath Bautista

Website: santafactory.multiply.com

Email: kathbautista888@gmail.com

Phone: (632) 506-2523

Mobile: (0917) 587-5250

2.) Notepad Sets, Notebook Sets, Recipe Organizer, Calling Card Organizers, etc.

This is another stall that we found at the Marche Bazaar. It was one of the first that we saw, actually. Being a sucker for everything cute and pretty (of course!), it was the polka-dotted and damask boxes that caught my eye. They came in different colors too. The stall also sold box sets with pad paper in them. There's this cute green and pink box that had 6 small pads of paper with the heading "Things to Do." There's also another set that came in a different box with the heading "To do," "To Buy," and "To Call" right at the top. You can circle one of the three and there you have it -- a multi-purpose pad paper. I guess any pad paper can have multiple purposes. But isn't it neat to have it come with the heading already? ;-) Just one of those things...;-)

There's a bunch of other stuff there. I took a minute to browse through the stall and within that time, 2 ladies came by and bought in bulk! Between the two of them, I think they bought about 20 or 30 of these notebook sets that they had. A set came with three notebooks in a box for only 100 pesos! What a deal! I think they also bought a set of 10 handcrafted any-occasion cards that also came in a box. I didn't buy any of those so I don't have pictures. Although it was tempting to get them, frankly, I didn't have anyone to buy it for. I'm done with the girls on my Christmas list and I had to practice restraint. Boy stuff is what I needed to get. Anyway, you can order from them year round. Just give them a call, send an email, or purchase online! Interested? Check out their contact info below:

Name: Lilit Almendral

Website: boxesandprints.multiply.com

Email: lilitalmendral@yahoo.com

Phone: (632) 890-6954

Address: 3300 Zapote Street, Makati City

3.) Sugar Plum Bath Sets, Lotion, and other Toiletries

We found this stall over at Karl Edwards. Karl Edwards run their bazaars every weekend, I think. So if you want to, I'm sure you can still catch them and purchase straight from this stall. Anyway, it's really impossible to miss this stall. Not only will your nose lead you there (the stall smells very fruity and fragrant!) but the decor will catch your eye because it's really as girly as girly can be! ;-) Out of a better adjective or comparison, let me say that it was very 'Crabtree and Evelyn' but in a more girly and whimsical sort of way. I literally hyperventilated when I saw the stall and my husband can attest to that. ;-) You see, I'm also a sucker when it comes to bath sets, lotions, and anything that smells nice. And this stall had all of that. To top it all off (which is the reason why I hyperventilated a second time!), the stall was on sale too!!! Oh my! ;-) Let me just give you a rundown of the prices from memory. Their lotions were only 80 pesos each, bath sets (soap, lotion, and bath gel in a metal case or this small porcelain tub) were only 120 pesos, sprays and mists were only 150 pesos, and larger bath sets started at 200 pesos, I think. Everything was presented nicely with ribbons and all. Best of all, I found out that Sugarplum does not test on animals as it said at the back of the bottle. The scents range from Strawberry cream (my favorite among the lot!), Raspberry Vanilla, Sweet Pea, Cherry Blossom, and many others. I've had the chance to try their lotion and I like how the scent is not too overpowering. It smells very nice and it does stay, but it's not one to overpower your perfume. It absorbs fine and isn't greasy at all. I like it! ;-) By the way, they also sell scent diffusers for only 200 pesos. From our visit there, it seems that this is their most popular item. I'll just have to remember to come back and buy this next time. ;-)

4.) Inexpensive Perfumes, Lip Balms, Mists, Make up, and Gift Sets

You'll have to forgive me because I didn't get the name of the stall and we weren't able to take pictures as well. We were in a rush to go because we were trying to reach the credit card payment booth which closed at 7 pm over at the Karl Edwards bazaar. So how can you find this booth? If I remember correctly, it's near the middle part of the bazaar. You won't miss it because it's the stall that sells Burt's Bees lip balm, lotion, and other Mary Kate and Ashley make up at 3 for 120 pesos!!! They sell Victoria's Secret mist and lotion at 2 for 550 pesos! I also bought these mini-travel sets from Victoria's Secret and Jessica Mclintock (for the reason that this scent reminds me of my Mom!) for only 450 pesos each or 3 for 1,000 pesos!!! It was just crazy!!!! Sorry for all the exclamation marks, by the way. ;-) Oh, another way to find this booth? It's the one with a lot of people crowding around it. I really wanted to browse some more but I was peeved with all these girls crowding around the table like they're the only people in the world. Like, seriously! Don't they know that there's a hyperventillating shopaholic behind them??!?? ;-) Hahaha! ;-) I browsed through their stuff quickly and decided to come back to wait until everybody's gone. But when I came back, there was another group of people crowding around it! Well, as any crazy shopaholic would do, I squeezed in or at least tried to stick my arm between all these people and grabbed at all the items that I could. ;-) I ended up buying 6 things from the 3 for 120 pesos box and 3 of the travel sets. Apart from the 2 Victoria's Secret and 1 Jessica Mclintock travel sets, I mostly stocked up on the Burt's Bees products and this eye serum for eye bags. Check out the rest of my loot below. Sadly, I didn't get a business card either. I'm pretty sure this stall is a mainstay at the Karl Edwards bazaar. So check it out before the sale is over! ;-)

Happy shopping, everyone! In the spirit of the Christmas season (well, the 'commercial' gift-giving part of it, that is), my coming entries will revolve around gift ideas and themes that could help you in finally completing that list! Merry Christmas! ;-)

Time to change the songs on your iPod/MP3!

2010-11-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

Last year, close to around this same time, I wrote an entry about some of my Christmas album discoveries. You can find it HERE. This year, I want to add to that list with a few more new Christmas album favorites. As my Christmas gift to you, I've also placed a link underneath to let you know where to download them. Enjoy! Maligayang Pasko! (That's "Merry Christmas!" in Filipino for your language lesson for the day!) ;-)

1.) Take 6 (The Most Wonderful Time of the Year)

Are you peeved with the Christmas rush? There's the traffic, crowded malls, long line-ups, and in most cases, a bunch of grumpy people! ;-) It's a very good idea to have this album playing in the car or your personal iPod because its arrangement of classic Christmas favorites are sure to get anyone back in the holiday spirit. Their songs are just soooo cheerful! They're all sung acapella with all of the "instrumentation" and back up sounds done by the members of the Take 6 group. The vocals and harmony are amazing! Their voices are so cool, crisp, and smooth!

There are 10 tracks in the album. I love them all but if I were to pick my favorites, it would include "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," (this is where they really show off the group's excellent and perfect harmony!), "White Christmas," (because they've made it into a great head-bopping song -- you'll know what I mean when you hear it ;-), and "Sleigh Ride" (because it's such a happy song -- perfect background song while doing your Christmas shopping!). ;-)

Click HERE to download this album.

2.) Jadon Lavik (Christmas)

This album is not your typical Christmas one with the classic arrangements. Yes, it has the same classic Christmas favorites like "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Silent Night," and 7 others. But out of a better term, Jadon Lavik has 'Jason Castro'-fied his songs. You're probably scratching your head about now. ;-) Let me explain. Well, first off, Jadon Lavik does sound like Jason Castro. Kinda similar to John Mayer too. It's the same type. As for the songs, Jadon Lavik's album has that acoustic vibe. They're mellow and very 'chill.' ;-) It's a good album to play when you have guests over for a quiet dinner during the holiday season. ;-) It's the perfect background music during conversation and when you're just about to wind it down. As you probably noticed, I do try to match a music album to a particular activity. ;-) My favorite songs in Jadon Lavik's Christmas album are: "O Come All Ye Faithful" (The arrangement is unique. I haven't heard this song arranged to sound so hip! ;-), "Christmas Time is Here" (Jadon Lavik's voice suits this song. It was sung in such a heartfelt way and his voice just makes me gush! ;-), and "Mele Kalekimaka" (It's the first time that I've heard this song. It's a Hawaiian Christmas song and it's just fun to listen to. Really catchy. The song might get stuck in your head for days and I don't think you'll mind...). ;-)

Click HERE to download this album.

3.) Jay R (Christmas Away From Home)

If you're Filipino, you know that this album has been around for a while now. But it's only recently that I really took notice of it and in particular, took notice of the artist named Jay R. Jay R is a really talented singer! I love his sweet and suave vocals. He's got a lot of soul and I love how he sings the high notes. Very smooth. I enjoy listening to him sing because it seems so effortless.

I know Jay R has another Christmas album aside from this. But as for the reason why I picked this one in particular for my list, I chose it because of his rendition of my favorite Christmas song ever --aptly titled nothing but "The Christmas Song." ;-) His voice suits the song really well. There's a hint of nostalgia, mixed with a bit of R&B vibe, and most of all, that sexy and smooth 'he makes me really gush' voice of his. ;-)
This album is a whole assortment of stuff. Admittedly, the selection just seems a bit random. Of the 11 tracks, 4 are instrumental, there's a couple that are R & B and pop-sounding, there's one that has Jazz music undertones, there's an upbeat version of "Drummer Boy," one personal ballad, and of course, classic arrangements of some Christmas favorites. But mainly, this album stays on the list because of one song: "The Christmas Song." ;-) Oh and I also like his version of "Winter Wonderland." ;-) It's good stuff. Hear some homegrown (Filipino) talent and download the album by clicking below. ;-)

Click HERE to download this album.

4.) Katharine McPhee (Christmas is the Time...To Say I Love You)

Frankly, I didn't really take notice of her when she was on American Idol. Although she sounded good, I didn't think Katharine McPhee was a standout. But when I heard her Christmas album, I began to appreciate her more. Katharine McPhee especially sounds good when she sings more somber and heartfelt ballads. The songs are very touching. My favorites include "Who Would Imagine a King" (great restraint and excellent expression! The crescendos and fortes are done in the most perfect spots and her voice just sounds amazing!), "O Little Town of Bethlehem/Away in a Manger Medley" (it's very heartfelt and I think the song is in the perfect pitch and note range that truly showcases Katharine McPhee's voice), and "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" (she goes a bit 'jazz-y" in this song and I think it really suits her. I see her more of a jazz artist than a pop artist anyway). There's really something for everyone in this album. Katharine McPhee goes a bit gospel in "Jingle Bells," full on classic Christmas in "White Christmas," pop ballad on "It's Not Christmas Without You," and jazz as well on a couple of songs. Since she pretty much has all tastes covered, this album is perfect to lug around with you during the Christmas season as background music for whatever activity or occasion. She didn't have rock and heavy metal covered but I think that this album should please everyone. ;-)

Click HERE to download this album.

5.) Straight No Chaser (Christmas Cheers)

This would have to be the funnest Christmas album ever! Most of the 15 tracks are just plain goofy! ;-) Take "We Three Kings" with the Mission Impossible-sounding intro. Oh and there's also the "Christmas Can-Can" -- the perfect holiday chaos song! Have you also heard "The 12 Days of Christmas" to the tune of "Africa"? ;-) Hahaha! And the most amazing thing of all? It's all done acapella! They all have such excellent voices. They've got chorale-type songs here too like "Christmas Time Is Here" where they show off their excellent vocal harmony. There's also something here for everyone in this album. It can be any occasion, or for any group with different musical tastes. For instance, I imagine their song "Who Spiked the Egg Nog" would be the perfect song for an office Christmas party! They also have "I'll Be Home for Christmas" which is very boy-band sounding for friends and family who are fans of NKOTB, Backstreet, and N'Sync. ;-)

Click HERE to download this album.

IMAGE SOURCES:

http://0.tqn.com/d/christianmusic/1/0/H/x/take-6-most-wonderful-time.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_u_WHcABgwlg/TN2Ivz34W1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/-UqJ9X9WzhI/s1600/Jadon+Lavik+Christmas.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w6ia53sNrqQ/Sum20XaHDGI/AAAAAAAABtg/fUZ9BLt7Ovs/s400/25171123256l.jpg

http://images.idolbloglive.com/75596ae86fe92abf02c8cfe4567781db-300x300.jpg

http://www.vasiliska.com/uploads/posts/2010-10/1287327743_straight-no-chaser-christmas-cheers-2010.jpg

My Current Addiction

2010-11-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

If you know me or are a follower of this blog, you're probably thinking that this is another shopping entry. ;-) Yes, I AM addicted to shopping too. But no, this is not a shopping entry. It revolves around my second love, actually. And that is: eating! ;-)

In particular, I'll be talking about some of my favorite grocery store-bought snacks. When my husband and I watch a movie at home, our go-to snack is Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream. The chips are not only very crunchy but the combination of the sour cream and cheddar (lots of it!) is just perfect! We don't even need a dip to go with it. Actually, eating it with dip is not a very good idea since the chips alone seem "sinful" as it is. The dip will just be piling the calories some more.

When we have a hankering for chips with dip, we go for the cheese or sour cream-flavored Piattos. It's a local brand and it tastes very light. It goes really well with a homemade dip. Just buy some sour cream (we go for Nestle), chop some garlic, mix it together, and let it cool. Take it out of the fridge after a few minutes and there you have it! Just remember to gargle with mouthwash or at least, pop in some breath mints after eating this. Pity the people around you who will have to stand your dragon breath if you don't! ;-)

Here in Asia, seafood-flavored chips is a big deal. Give it a chance. They're really not bad. Our favorite is Okeji Tempura Chips. The chips are light and airy with a mild crunch. There are bursts of flavor everywhere and because it seems like a light snack, it would be easy to eat it mindlessly. You're watching a movie, you have a large bag in front of you and before you know it, you've actually finished more than half of it on your own! ;-) That's probably why they only sell large bags of Okeji. I haven't seen any grocery store sell them in small bags...

Although I don't get to have it very often, another favorite of mine are Ikea's Dill-flavored chips. I only get to buy these when we're out of the country since it's not available here. The flavor of the chips certainly wakes up your taste buds. It's a unique taste, actually. I imagine not everyone will like it. But if you enjoy eating salt n' vinegar-flavored chips, this should become a favorite. It's sour and salty combined really well. I love it!

Just recently, Jojo and I found two new faves. That's actually an understatement. More aptly, they should be called our current addiction! ;-) One of them is called Red Rock Deli Chips. We discovered it by chance. We were at Rustan's grocery and there was a stall that offered us a free taste of the different variants. The flavors that are available here are Honey Soy Chicken,
Sea Salt, Lime and Black Pepper, and the one that we liked the most -- Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream. We got to try the others and none of them were bad. In fact, a close second favorite would be Lime and Black Pepper. ;-) We only needed to buy one bag though so we chose to get Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream -- the flavor that the the two of us unanimously voted as our number one choice! ;-) I found out that Red Rock Deli also makes chips with the Tzatziki flavor. Wow! This might potentially bump off Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream as my number one! It's too bad that it's not available here yet. Just gotta wait! In the meantime, we'll be stocking up on our new favorite chips which brags that they have "authentic seasonings, no artificial flavors, and colours or preservatives." How great is that! ;-)

Another healthy snack that I discovered was actually introduced to me by a co-worker. My friend Yazmin, being a mother of five, always has a bag full of snacks wherever she goes. ;-) She's one who likes to try new things at the grocery too. One time, she shared with me a new find. They're rice crackers so at first, I wasn't interested. I'm not really fond of rice crackers. When she offered it again and convinced me that I would like it, I decided to give it a chance. They're called One One Hot Chilli-Flavor Rice Crackers by Monde. It says in the package that it has no cholesterol and that it's baked which translates to a healthier snack. One bag comes with 10 small packs of rice crackers with two pieces in each bag. I wondered why they had to be wrapped individually like that. I was thinking what a waste it was of plastic. But when I took the first bite, I understood why. Man, these rice crackers are VERY crunchy! Oooooh and the flavor, wow! There's a burst of flavor from the first bite to the last! I absolutely loved it! Now to be honest with you, of course it does not compare with Ruffles chips. But for a much healthier alternative, it will do. It has the flavor, it has the crunch, what else do you need? ;-) I imagine that in the future, they'll have variants of this in other flavors. Hopefully they come up with a cheese-flavored one! ;-)

Planning for a movie night at home? You might want to try one of my favorites above. You might end up liking it. In the mean time, 3 more days till the weekend! ;-)

SOURCES:

http://www.fritolay.com/assets/images/blue/RUFFLES_Cheddar_Sour_Cream.gif

http://www.philamfood.com/images/P/4800016671500.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vUpcUSCNsew/SF0uQVCJXeI/AAAAAAAAAg0/0DSC7fRUyRU/s400/21062008394.jpg

http://www.pinoygoods.net/img/p/121-167-large.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7SevaFUc2ao/SqfNzScw9GI/AAAAAAAAGSM/68uv7mo5djo/s400/IMG_0650s.jpg

http://www.mondenissin.com/images/products/large/monde/monde_products/one_one_rice_crackers.jpg

Giving the House Some Love....

2010-10-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm on the latter part of my 10-day semester break at work and I had a lot of time to organize at home. In fact, I've put up our Christmas tree and decor too. I was able to get rid of some of the things that we don't need anymore. And as for the things that I decided to keep, they've been put in their proper places together with similar items and labeled. Wow, I felt like a complete Martha Stewart! ;-) I consider it a great accomplishment and as you can probably tell, I'm very proud of myself. ;-) So let me share with you what I did and some great finds that helped me do the job!

There are four magazines that I subscribe to. That's Real Living, Good Housekeeping, Yummy, and Travel Life magazine. So over the years, you can imagine how fast they accumulate! But it's just so hard for me to let go of them. That's especially when I use them as resources for deciding what to cook, where to travel next, and a trove of ideas and inspiration on fashion and decorating. With this dilemma, what is there to do? Well, for one, I did not let go of any of my magazines. ;-) I just decided to be smarter when it comes to storage. I bought these colourful magazine file folders from National Bookstore for 19 pesos each! Not all National Bookstores have these as they quickly run out of them. I actually bought half of them from the National Bookstore at Cash & Carry. As for the other half, I got them from the Metro department store at Market!Market! Just go to the third floor near the Kids' section.

See the labels on the magazine folders? Aren't they cute? ;-) Well, I found these from the Kids' section as well. But this time -- at Landmark! I found it quite odd that they didn't have these on the main floor of Landmark. You know, where they have all the paper and gift wrapping supplies. You'll have to go on the third floor as well. As I said, it's in the Kids' section -- by the toys and near where they display pencil cases and the like. I got these for P54.75. One set has 12 pieces and they come in three different sizes. What a find, hey? ;-)

Aside from hoarding magazines, I also hoard writing utensils, pretty binder clips, greeting cards for all occasions, notebooks, gift tags, and many others. Heyyyy, you never know when you'll need these! It's good to be prepared right? ;-) Admittedly, before getting them organized, I just kept on accumulating them without having the chance to use them. It's not because I never needed them. It was because I couldn't find them! They were all over the place. It was high time for me to put them all together and organize them for easy access. My solution to this? Put them together in pretty boxes, label them, and place them in the guest's bedroom! ;-) The boxes had to be cute and pretty so that they would complement the decor. Although it's not being used in the mean time, I didn't want to turn the guest's room into a storage room. Essentially, it is that but the pretty boxes surely mask it. ;-) So where did I get my pretty boxes? The colorful striped ones were from Ikea. It's a set of 3 and they cost 80 HKD. That's about 480 pesos. As for the other one, it also came in a set of 3 but I got them at Glorietta. I can't remember the name of the store. But it looked like a Gourdo outlet store. It's beside Burger King on the second floor. You'll find it on your way to SM from Glorietta 4. The set only cost me 200 pesos.

Along with magazine folders, I placed the box sets in the guest's room too. Since the furniture and chandelier in the guest's room are all white, the boxes and the magazine folders surely added the much-needed color in the room. Everything's looking good together! ;-)

For even more color, my husband and I also bought this retro radio from Dimensione. I fell in love with it when I saw it! They were selling it for 10% off so the radio only cost 986 pesos! It has an AM/FM radio and you can also plug your MP3 or iPod in it. You can choose to plug it to an outlet although you have to buy the power adaptor because the radio doesn't come with it. Or during blackouts, you can put 4 AA batteries instead. We're really loving it! I was teasing Jojo, my husband, that the guest's room looks so nice now that I plan to sleep there instead of the master's bedroom! ;-) Hahaha! ;-)

Not only is my stuff all over the place, my husband's too. He's got all these home improvement supplies like nuts and bolts, tape (tons of them!), rope, tools, and so many other "guy" stuff that I don't know what to call. ;-) All these were just plopped inside our two ottoman chairs. We got those with storage inside. To organize Jojo's 'guy' stuff, I put them in these Ikea zip lock bags that we got in HK. These bags come in two sizes and in a box, there are about 50 bags in all. We got these for only 20 HKD. That's roughly 120 pesos, I think. What a steal huh! You might be able to find these at Mobler here in Manila.

Here in the Philippines, the Christmas season (the longest one in the world!) -- officially started last September 1st. With that standard, I feel like I'm running behind! My in-laws had their tree up more than a month ago and finished most of their shopping too! Wow. I'm nowhere near that. But I have decided on our color motif this year. The previous year was apple green and gold. This year is a bit more colorful. We, or rather, I decided on pink, apple green, and silver. ;-) My husband wasn't too sold on the pink part. But when he saw the tree, he loved it! I was so hung up on pink that I literally toured the major malls in the metro to find my pink balls. ;-) I normally buy our Christmas decor at the Metro department store. I find that they have the best selection and they're the cheapest too. In fact, that's where I got the silver decor for our motif. One set of silver balls cost under 200 pesos and the leaf decor (?), I got in SM for around 30 pesos. This year though, where's the pink? I had to scour Makati, Taguig, and Pasay to find them. Thankfully, I found them at my last stop -- over at Landmark. I bought the pink ribbons there. They cost around 300 pesos, I think for one roll. To get the six ribbons, I needed two rolls. As for the Christmas balls, the pink ones came in a large set. Around 24 pieces? I don't know the exact price but they were definitely under 300 pesos. I just recycled the apple green decor from last year and it all worked out perfectly. I LOVE our tree! ;-)

I was able to start buying a few Christmas presents too. And in true Martha Stewart fashion, of course, the gift wrapper and ribbons have to match the tree! ;-) I opted for pink and silver-striped wrappers which we got at Divisoria. As you know, you have to buy everything in bulk there. At least 25 pieces of the same type of wrapper. Not only did the wrappers have to match the tree, but I had to find ones that I could use for other occasions too. Clearly, 50 wrappers would be too many! So, the solution to that was to get these type of wrappers. I decided to make them more festive through the ribbons. The gift wrappers were only 3 pesos each, by the way.

After seeing the collection of ribbons at Morning Glory in Divisoria, I literally went crazy and bought tons! The ribbons were sooo beautiful! So many possibilities! With all these ribbons in stock, I thought, why stick with one or two types of ribbons? I can still follow our Christmas motif with an assortment of ribbons right? As long as the wrappers were the same. Anyway, I went for a bit of the polka-dotted theme too. There's the white ribbon with black dots and the pink ribbon with white dots. I also went for plaid. There's the apple green and white kind and also the black and white one. The ribbons ranged between 180 and 250 pesos. Our Christmas wrapping this year isn't too loud when it comes to the colors. But altogether like that, don't you think they look pretty? ;-) Sorry...you just gotta love your own right? I'm very happy with how everything turned out. Now if only I can finish my Christmas shopping already! ;-)

There you go. It's been a productive week by my standards! ;-) I hope you enjoyed hearing about my great finds! ;-)

My Book Finds (aka as my Christmas Wish List!)

2010-10-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

Those that know me are probably aware of the fact that I have a short attention span when it comes to reading. It's a real shame to admit it. But don't get me wrong. I LOVE to read. Just don't expect me to be reading Dostoyevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' anytime soon. ;-) When it comes to prose or fiction, I get really impatient and can't, for the life of me, resist the urge to peek at the ending. I think that the longest that I've ever resisted was when I read Murakami's 'Bird Chronicles.' I read it up to Page 196 before finally giving in to read the ending. Mind you, that's not a huge 'accomplishment' considering the fact that the novel has 607 pages!

I've just learned to accept this about myself. So when I visit Fully Booked or Powerbooks, off I go to the non-fiction area. I have my choice of purchasing Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, craft books, or those inspirational books with a short story in equally short chapters! ;-) In my recent visit to the book store, I found that there's a LOT of interesting new reads for people like me. I haven't purchased any of these books yet so I haven't read any of them from beginning to end. But I did get a chance to browse them all -- enough to be convinced that the book is indeed, a great find! Let me share my list with you. Books always make excellent gifts and maybe you have a friend or relative who will appreciate these too. Here you go, Nina's Top 5 Book Finds: ;-)

God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours / Regina Brett

Genre: Inspirational

Price: 560 pesos

My take on it: The book has 50 little chapters where each chapter details the lesson learned and accompanies it with heartwarming stories and anecdotes. The author -- Regina Brett, is a woman who has gone through so much in life. She was an alcoholic at age 16, was a single mother at 21, single and unhappy for 19 years, and finally, battled Cancer when she was 41. For so many years, she felt like God overlooked her and 'blinked' as she experienced all these hardships in her life. Gaining wisdom from all these challenges and experiences, with this book, she attests how God NEVER blinks and is always there. It's our attitude and outlook that needs to be changed. It's really serious stuff. But Regina Brett excellently shares her experiences with complete honesty, wisdom, and lots of humour. Here are some of the chapter titles that caught my eye:

- "Frame every so-called disasters with these words: 'In five years, will all these matter?' "

- "Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now"

- "Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple"

- "Don't take yourself seriously. No one else does"

- "Life isn't tied in a bow. But it's still a gift"

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts / Martha Stewart

Genre: Arts and Crafts

Price: 1,375 pesos

My take on it: Inspired. That's the best adjective there is to describe how I felt after browsing this book. The pictures were amazing and everything was just so pretty! When I did a quick stop at BGC's Fully Booked, my intention was just to take a break from Christmas shopping. But after I came across that book, so many ideas just came to me! Now, I've decided to create half of the presents that I'll be giving this year! Not only will I save a few pesos on the gifts, but making them will be so much fun too!

Sure, you might be saying how you don't have that creative streak. But Martha here (we're on a first name basis now! ;-), makes everything so easy! From learning how to write calligraphy to painting glass, creating scrapbooks, etch glass, make greeting cards -- the topics cover everything 'crafts-y!' It's the true bible of crafts. Now the question would be: If you were to only buy one copy of this book, would you really give it as a present or keep it for yourself?!?? ;-)

The Little Black Book of Style / Nina Garcia

Genre: Fashion

Price: 640 pesos

My take on it: Nina Garcia has other books on fashion. They all seem very informative and straightforward. But if I were to only get one of her books, "The Little Black Book of Style" would be the one. First off, I really like the fact that this book is not like a rule book of any sort. In fact, there's a chapter devoted to figuring out your style and style icon. The book seems to encourage you to find who you are first before refining your style choices. Nina Garcia will talk you through editing your wardrobe, simplifying, and dressing with class and confidence. I like that. The other books that she published follow a similar thread but I found them a bit 'rigid' in topic. One is about the 100 pieces that every girl should own and another called Look Book -- a guide to dressing for every occasion. I think The Little Black Book of Style is more comprehensive. Not only do I want this book, but I NEED it for when I do my annual closet editing for the new year. This book ought to guide me on figuring out which clothes to get rid of and give away...

The Eco Lifestyle Handbook: Over 2000 Tips for the Home and Garden / Sarah Callard

Genre: Health and Well Being

Price: Shouldn't be more than 800 pesos (Sorry, I forgot the exact price!)

My take on it: There are so many books on eco living that fill bookstores right now. I guess it just emphasizes the need for all of us to go green NOW. I've always wanted to get a book on eco living that shows a number of practical tips that I can apply in my life. I've browsed a lot of these books but sadly, not a lot of them give new information. The tips they have in those books are tips that I already know about and have been implementing. What else is there that I can do?

After browsing through "The Eco Lifestyle Handbook," I came across a lot of information that made me go "Ohhhhh...I didn't know that!" Like for instance, the book lists the ingredients in toiletries and cleaning supplies that you can do without. Which ones are bad for your health and which ones take longer to process and manufacture -- therefore are harmful for the environment? The tips are indeed practical and the changes they talk about there are not so major that it will make it hard to commit to them. The actions are small-scale but when done repeatedly and over a number of years, will really make a huge difference. Honestly, I think every household should have this book. If you have the budget, why not give this book to everyone you know?

The Woodrose Family Cookbook / Various

Genre: Cooking

Price: 400 pesos

My take on it: A lot of other schools have come up with their own recipe books. It's mostly the alumnis' way of commemorating their alma mater's 25th, 40th, 50th or whatever length of time their school has been around. Out of the other recipe books out there, this one really caught my eye. First off, the recipes seem very simple. They don't use fancy ingredients that will be hard to find in any random grocery store here in Manila. Apart from that, you can tell from the combination of ingredients and flavors that the recipes will truly suit the Filipino palate. The recipes seem tried and tested. In fact, most of them were recipes passed on from their mothers or grandparents or aunt, etc. There are some recipes too from the school cafeteria. Like for instance, their "mass produced" spaghetti or what-have-you. Just from browsing the book, I can sense that there's a certain value in all of the recipes. It seemed that if you went to Woodrose, making a certain recipe and eating it would conjure pleasant memories of childhood, friends, and family. Now, I didn't go to Woodrose School. But I'm intrigued and would really love to try some of the recipes. I'll let you know once I get my hands on that recipe book! ;-)

*Note: The image above is not the actual book cover for the Woodrose Family Recipe Book. I couldn't find a picture of it so I just put in the Woodrose school logo instead.

Well, I hope this list gave you a few ideas. If you plan to get the book for yourself, enjoy reading! And if you plan to buy it for someone else, happy shopping!!! ;-) Just a reminder. We have 58 more days to go before Christmas! ;-)

SOURCES:

http://cocoandlowe.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/123.jpg

http://www.kdl.org/image_attachments/0001/2852/51svtnzoqkl.jpg?1235746677

http://www.allaboutthepretty.net/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/23/the_little_black_book_of_style.jpg

https://www.bibdsl.co.uk/imagegallery2/bds/201023/9781847325198.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cf/Woodroselogo.JPG

Mark Your Calendars!

2010-08-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

The 'ber months officially start tomorrow. And of course, as we give way to Christmas, along with it comes the bazaar season! It's definitely my favorite time of the year. All four MONTHS of the year, that is! ;-)

Mark your calendars now as there's a lot to look forward to in the month of September alone! And we're not only talking about shopping here. Have a look at the list below and sing with me: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." ;-)

FOOD AND DRINKS ASIA 2010

WHAT: According to ClicktheCity, it's an "international exposition on Specialty Foods, Delicatessen, Confectionery, Beverages, Beers, Wines & Spirits in conjunction with Food Franchising 2010." It's open to all -- whether you already have a food business, or are interested in having one, or is just simply interested in food. ;-) That means it's open to everyone. Who isn't interested in food anyway? ;-)

WHEN: September 2-5, 2010

HOURS: Thurs 11 am-7 pm, Fri/Sat 10 am-7 pm, Sun 10 am-8 pm

WHERE: World Trade Center, Pasay City

FOR MORE INFO: Click the City site

ASIA FOOD EXPO 2010

WHAT: According to the Clickthecity site, it's an "international exposition on Food Processing, Packaging and Handling Machinery Equipment and Technology in conjunction with Food Serv Asia 2010 and Bakery Asia 2010." I remember going to one of these a few years back. Please note that they might require visitors to wear closed shoes because of the fact that there are baking, cooking, and assembly-line type machineries at the expo.

WHEN: September 8-11, 2010

HOURS: Open to everyone on Saturday, Sept 11 from 10 am-6 pm; Open to trade business operators on the other days -- Wed, Sept 8 from 11 am-7 pm and Thurs/Fri, Sept 9 and 10 from 10 am-7 pm

WHERE: World Trade Center, Pasay City

FOR MORE INFO: Click the City site

13TH CINE EUROPA

WHAT: The schedule and movie line-up are not posted yet. But from the poster, it says that the Shangrila Cineplex will feature movies from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, UK, Denmark, Finland, Greece, and many others. Admission is free but it's on a first-come, first-served basis.

WHEN: September 10-19, 2010

WHERE: Cinema 2, Shangrila Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

FOR MORE INFO: Shangrila Website, DELPHL Website

MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2010

WHAT: It's a trade fair that brings all publishers and book suppliers in one place. You can also find suppliers of school materials, educational supplies, and facilities here. Along with that, there are a number of launches, seminars, talks, contests, and storytelling for children, teachers, librarians and all book lovers.

WHEN: September 15-19, 2010 from 10 am-8 pm

WHERE: SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

FOR MORE INFO: MIBF site

ROSEWOOD WELLNESS FAIR AND BAZAAR

WHAT: We are having a wellness-themed bazaar at our community. There will be sugar-free goodies, healthy treats, organic fare, natural beauty products, free massages and treatments, and any other product or services related to promoting your general well-being.

WHEN: September 18, 2010 from 9 am-10 pm

WHERE: Rosewood Pointe Clubhouse, Brgy. Ususan, Taguig City

FOR MORE INFO: This is actually a shameless plug since I might be one of the bazaaristas. ;-) If you have other questions, just leave a comment on this entry.

THE 9th SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

WHAT: If I were to list the top 5 things that I look forward to each year, I would have to include the annual Spanish Film Festival as one. I think I look forward to it more than my actual birthday! ;-) Anyway, I see Spanish directors and writers as the most talented in the world. They showcase their best and most popular movies in this film festival. See the best for only 65 pesos per movie! ;-)

WHEN: September 30-October 10, 2010

WHERE: Greenbelt 3, Makati City

FOR MORE INFO: Pelicula Website, Instituto Cervantes Site

Photo Sources:

http://www.clickthecity.com

http://wellness.ucsd.edu/images/wellness2.jpg

Let's watch a movie at Resorts World??!??

2010-07-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

That was my very first reaction, actually. I signed up at THIS site to be included as one of the thirty bloggers to watch the premiere movie showing at Newport Cinema at Resorts World. My husband, Jojo, has his own blog too. You can find it HERE so I also signed him up.

Coming back from Malaysia, I immediately see the semblance between Resorts World Manila and Genting Highlands. Sure, we don't have the cable car, the huge indoor and outdoor amusement park but it definitely has the same feel. It's no wonder. Resorts World Manila is a joint venture between Genting and Megaworld! ;-) Needless to say, they also have condos put up here. It's right behind the St. Lourdes Church.

Resorts World is strategically located across NAIA 3. This place holds a lot of promise if and when (I hope!), all of the international flights at NAIA 1 is transferred to Terminal 3. Add to that a path or underground walkway from the airport to the Resorts World area and we're all set! There's still a lot of construction going on and this area is really nowhere near done. But for now, you can find the Marriott Hotel, our only 6-star hotel in Manila: Maxims, and Newport Plaza. On the other end of Marriott -- the third building, is where all the casinos, shops, restaurants, and now, cinemas, are located.

From a recent trip in Macau, I could immediately see the Newport Plaza's similarity to the Venetian Macao Hotel. I kid you not. For real! The establishment has potential. Once it's done, you'll see designer shops lining the first floor. There's only about two shops open on the first floor, I think. One is a watch shop, and the other, a jewellery store? It's really exciting though. The same owner of Rustans -- The Store Specialists, will be tasked to open a number of high-end shops here. I imagine all the other stores will be up and running in 6 months? Maybe just in time for Christmas or sooner.

There's one casino on the first floor too. Although Newport Plaza, altogether, seems empty, there were a lot of people at the casino though. The place was bustling with sounds of slot machines, people, and a live band right in the middle. We didn't go in the casino but we could see all of these from the hallway.

The second floor has about four restaurants that are open already. One is UCC, Red Crab Resto, a New Orleans restaurant that serves ribs and steaks, and another one right beside it -- Republiq. The third floor has two shops open: Bench and The Face Shop. When I asked them how late they close, the saleslady told me that Sundays to Thursdays they're open until 10 pm. Fridays and Saturdays they're open an hour later than that. Cool! ;-)

On the topmost floor -- the fourth floor, are the cinemas. I think only two are open and running right now. We watched "Salt" at Cinema 2. It being a premiere, representatives of Resorts World talked about future projects. One that got me and Jojo really excited is their plan for Cinema 1. How wonderful! It's the first time I've heard of something like this. It definitely beats the Director's Cut cinema of Mall of Asia. They were saying that for Cinema 1, they will only have 80 seats inside. And get this: each seat can be fully reclined and will have a sort of cubicle for utmost privacy. With the ticket comes bottomless drinks and unlimited popcorn too. But that's not all! (Gee, I sound like an infomercial!) ;-) Each seat has a button. Press that button and along comes a 'butler' that's personally assigned to you! Wow! ;-) Talk about spoiling yourself. ;-) Although I wonder why you'll need a butler for a 2-hour movie. I joked to Jojo that maybe the butler can be called on if maybe you need someone to scratch your back or something...;-) Hahaha! No word yet on how much this whole thing will cost per person. I'm very interested though. I'll keep you posted once I find this out.

For now, I checked on the prices and Cinema 2 showings cost 200 pesos per person. Cinema 2 shows "Salt" and Cinema 4 shows "The Last Airbender." Cinema 4 showings cost 300 pesos because they're in 3D. I believe movies are running now between noon to 11 pm.

As for our whole movie experience, we really did enjoy it! You can't recline the seats in Cinema 2 but the back of the seat adjusts a wee bit based on the weight you put in front of it. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is that they're not too sturdy so they're much more comfortable. There's a lot of leg room and it won't be too much of a bother for the people sitting beside you if in any case, you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie. There's enough room to pass through there without fear of stepping on their feet. There's enough room too so none of them will have to get up to let you through.

The screen though, I think, is taller than it is wide. As a consequence to this, you won't have that great of a view if you sit in the first five or six rows. We were sitting in the fourth row but I think our view would be much better if we had moved back. As for the sound system, everything was loud and crisp. You can really tune into the movie and drown out any rustling or any annoying side conversations.

I can't comment on the popcorn because we didn't get to try it. We were already full from the cocktails and hors d'oevres that were provided at the premiere. If the popcorn tastes like the one at Powerplant, I'll be one very happy camper though. ;-)

As I said, Resorts World is very promising. I can't wait until all the shops and restos are open. For now, I guess you should visit this place while you can still have privacy. Everytime you want to avoid the lines at Greenbelt 3 or PowerPlant, why not just hie over to Newport's cinemas? After the movie, you can have coffee and dessert at UCC or go to Velocity --Marriott Hotel's sports bar or play casino or hey, shop at Bench or The Face Shop. ;-) I imagine this place will get crowded someday. Enjoy it now while you can still walk around freely without all the crowds. ;-)

Top 10 Comfort Foods that I Miss in Calgary, Canada

2010-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Canada Day (July 1st), I'd like to share with you a list of all the food that I miss from Canada and in Calgary, in particular. As you may or may not know, I grew up in Calgary and just moved to the Philippines right after I graduated university. I've been in the Philippines for 6 years now and I've only been back in Calgary twice since then! But during my visits there or when I have relatives from Canada that come over to Manila, I never fail to ask them to bring me the items below for pasalubong. Manila is known to be pretty diverse and offers a good collection of international food items at grocery stores, delis, and restaurants. But sadly, none of the items below are available in Manila. Or if they do have them here, they just pale in comparison that I don't even bother to get them. Well, if you happen to be going on a trip to Canada or know people from there who will be coming over for a visit, you might want to jot down the list below. Trust me, you're in it for a treat! This is the best of what Canada has to offer. For all of us who are not going to Canada anytime soon, let's just pray, cross our fingers and hope that these are on their way to Manila soon! ;-)

1o.) Donairs

I just found out that this is a Canadian creation. From its Turkish roots, it's been given a twist. It's kind of like a shawarma or gyro, but not. ;-) The pita is toasted, added with cheese, beef or chicken, fresh tomatoes and onions. But instead of sprinkling it with a tzatziki dip, the donair has a much sweeter sauce. From my research, they say that the donair sauce is a mixture of condensed milk, vinegar, and sugar. It's really a very very yummy combination! Our go-to places for donairs in Calgary are My Donair and Uncle Moe's Donairs and Falafels.

9.) Safeway's Whole Roasted Chicken

Safeway is a grocery store that's not only available in Canada. It's also available in the United States although I don't think it's as famous there as it is in Canada. Also, for those that have tried Safeway's Roasted Chicken, you might say that our own S&R, Kenny Roger's, or even Baliwag Chicken is better. But there are days when I just crave for Safeway's type of chicken. It's peppery, very tender, light, and subtle in its flavor. I remember passing through Safeway with my family for an instant lunch during lazy and very wintery Sundays after mass in Calgary. We'd take the roasted chicken home and eat it with rice. Oftentimes, we'd dip the chicken in our concoction of soy sauce and melted butter for extra flavor. It reminds me of that warm, fuzzy feeling of being surrounded by family. And the chicken is great to boot! I haven't had anything as tender as Safeway's roasted chicken. ;-)

8.) Perogies and Sour Cream

Perogies are actually a Polish staple. But because Canada is so multicultural, perogies had long been introduced to the country through its large Polish population. Now, perogies are so common that you can order them in restaurants or buy them frozen at grocery stores! They come in so many delightful flavors and they're very easy to make. When you buy them frozen, they look like a cross between large Asian dumplings and Mexican empanadas. The difference is that the dough is not as soft as dumplings and they're not as thick and hard as empanadas either. Perogies come in so many different flavors and combinations of the following: cheese, potatoes, spinach, cabbage, sauerkraut, and meat. To cook them, you have a choice of boiling them to get that soft and gooey texture or by frying them in butter. How I usually cook mine is by boiling them so it's healthier. Then, after I drain them, I immediately put a bit of butter on top to let it melt. You may choose to put bacon bits on top too. I put a generous amount of sour cream on everything and there you go! But if you're health-conscious, you can eat it plain and still enjoy them.

I've been on the lookout for perogies here in Manila and I haven't found them yet. Earle's and Santi's Deli don't have them either. Although I have yet to check S & R for them. One of my students said that they're available there in bulk.

7.) Coffee and 'Timbits' at Tim Horton's

Krispy Kreme lasted only 2 odd years in Calgary before it decided to close down. Tim Horton's, on the other hand, must have been around even before I was born! And I think Tim Horton's is there to stay. Just like maple syrup, Tim Horton's is one of those things that people associate Canada to. Dunkin' Donuts can be found anywhere in the world but would you believe that we don't have that in Calgary??!?? Well, I think it's because Tim Horton's might have "monopolized" the coffee and donut industry in Canada. But you won't hear any complaints from me. ;-)

Tim Horton's has one of the best coffee I've ever tasted. It's brewed but it's not too strong. There's no weird aftertaste too. And it hits the spot perfectly, especially during harsh, cold, and "slushy" winters in Calgary. ;-) The coffee goes so well with what we call "Timbits." You know, I've gotten so used to calling those little donuts 'timbits' that I call them that when I order from Gonuts or Dunkin or Krispy Kreme. And I only realize that after I get that strange look from the cashier. ;-) They're aptly named don't you think? ;-) Anyway, Tim Horton's Timbits are soft (though not too too soft like Krispy Kreme), not too sweet, and they perfectly complement the coffee. There's no sugar rush or ick feeling after downing them both. What's more, when you order coffee at Tim Horton's, they've got this contest called "Rrrrrrroll up the rim to win!" ;-) You can get cash prizes and freebies if you're in luck. ;-)

On a side note, I love Tim Horton's coffee so much that we served them during our wedding rehearsal a year and a half ago. I got my sister to buy them for me before coming here to visit. As part of our gift set, we also gave away cans of brewed coffee to our principal sponsors during the wedding. They all loved it and were raving about the coffee too! ;-)

6.) Vietnamese Subs

I have been to Vietnam. But you know what the weird thing is? Although I've tried the authentic banh mi (Vietnamese sub), I still prefer the ones sold at Vietnamese stores in Calgary! I suppose those are authentic too because coming from a Vietnamese store, they were made by Vietnamese people too right? ;-) In Calgary, I know that we get these Vietnamese subs either in a store near Chinatown or one near this Asian grocery store in Forest Lawn. I actually prefer the latter. Ohhhh, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. First, they lather butter on a crusty baguette. Then you can choose between beef or chicken satay or vegetarian. After that, they put shredded carrots, cucumber, sliced onions, cilantro, and even cheese! The toppings are quite tasty. They seemed to have been marinated in something. Oh and when you bite into it, wow! There's that burst of flavor from the satay. Everything just goes so well together! The baguettes are crispy and crusty on the outside and as you bite in more, the actual 'meat' of the bread is soft as it's complemented by the butter, then you get to the vegetables, and finally, at the bottom, the generous serving of oh-so-flavorful meat! YUM! Hmmm. I wonder why they don't make it that good in Ho Chi Minh. The ones I had there were too bland. If you're going to Canada and in Calgary, in particular, please do yourself a favor and don't miss having a Vietnamese sub. In fact, don't miss eating at a Vietnamese restaurant altogether! Take your pick at the Vietnamese restaurants along 17th Ave in the Southeast. You can order with your eyes closed and everything will still be great! ;-)

5.) Swiss Chalet

It's been AGES since I've eaten at Swiss Chalet that I think I've honestly forgotten how everything tastes there. But I know I love it. I totally remember loving everything they serve there. I remember we'd often order their chicken dinners. They come with rotisserie chicken, bread rolls, and a choice of side dish (fries, mashed potatoes, baked potato, coleslaw, buttered corn, garden salad, Greek salad, or poutine). The side dishes are good but I remember that it's really the chicken that's to-die-for. The meat is tender and tasty and the sauce! Oh, it's something else, I tell you. It's not at all like gravy. It's not as thick and clumpy. The chalet sauce that goes with the chicken is sweet, peppery, and as a twist, might even have a bit of tomato sauce mixed in there. The sauce is a really nice and pleasant surprise. It goes so well with the chicken and it's different from the other chicken dips that we're used to. In fact, I think that Swiss Chalet's sauce has become very popular that a lot of people have been trying to replicate it. I found a number of these recipes online. I might give one of them a try these coming days. Now all I'm missing is the Swiss Chalet chicken! ;-)

4.) Taco Bell's Fries Supreme

This is also another Canadian "thing." Just like how it is only the McDonald's in the Philippines that serve spaghettis, it's only the Canadian Taco Bells that serve Fries Supreme. And it's such a shame too! In my opinion, fries are so much better than hard nachos. It goes much better with the seasoned ground beef, sour cream, chives, tomatoes, and gooey cheese than nachos ever could! It's bad enough that the two Taco Bells in the Philippines are at Gateway Mall (Pasig City) and Trinoma Mall (Quezon City)! They're both far from where I live (Taguig City) so I really only get to eat Taco Bell maybe just once a year!

Being a cheese lover, Taco Bell's Fries Supreme is a recurring craving that I haven't satisfied for the longest time. And I'll have to go back to Canada for a visit just so I can have this again. Siiiigh. Hmmm. Maybe it IS time now for another visit! ;-)

3.) Cheesecake Cafe

There's a lot of Cheesecake Cafes all over the world. I think we even have one here in Manila. But I'm talking about the franchise that's only available in Calgary, Lethbridge, and Edmonton. Cheesecake Cafe is known in Calgary for their huuuuuge servings. I guess it's kinda like the Calgarian version of TGI Friday's. They have the same offerings except at Cheesecake Cafe, the whole highlight of each visit is, obviously, the cheesecake. ;-) When eating there, I remember we would get either Mocha Kahlua or the Turtle Cheesecake. We get one slice and I'm not exaggerating when I say that one slice is good for 5 or 6 people. And we're not talking 5 or 6 Anorexics either. ;-)

Their cheesecakes are thick and creamy at the same time. It's packed and when you eat it, you really have to savor it as you "unfold" each layer in your mouth. Let it swirl around and take your time. The cheesecake is rich but it's not too sweet. I haven't had cheesecake that can rival the one at Cheesecake Cafe. And they have a huge selection of cheesecakes to suit anyone and everyone. Aside from Mocha Kahlua and Turtle, you can also choose from Callebaut Chocolate, Lemon Raspberry Swirl, Cheesequake, Key Lime, Rolo, and Oreo. You can even ask to add any of the following toppings to the classic cheesecake: Sour Cherry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Callebaut Milk Chocolate, Callebaut Milk Chocolate and Caramel, Strawberry, and/or Four Berry. Hungry yet? ;-)

2.) Tiki Ming

Tiki Ming, a Chinese fast food restaurant, has been around for the longest time too. As young as Grade 7, I remember my friends and I heading to Tiki Ming at the TD Square food court for our Friday "binge." ;-) And while I was going to University, Chinese fast food at Tiki Ming was something that I quickly associated with as a reward for hard work. ;-) Well, let's face it. I don't think there's anything healthy about eating it. Their set meals come with Chinese fried rice and a choice of two viands. I'd often go with Sweet and Sour Pork or Ginger Beef and pair it with Mixed Vegetables. Everything is a bit greasy and it might even have MSG mixed into it. But what the hey. It's soooo delicious! Sinful but soooo good! The meat is very flavourful and saucy. The fried rice can be a meal on its own too. And the vegetables are crunchy and everything is served in generous portions. All this goodness in one big plate plopped together. ;-) I often feel guilty eating it afterwards but I do get over it very quickly. Eating Chinese fast food is a guilty pleasure--especially the way Tiki Ming does it. But it's ALL worth it, trust me. ;-)

1.) Cookies By George

I'm a big dessert lover. And believe me when I say that nothing, absolutely NOTHING compares to the way Cookies By George makes their cookies. Not only do they have such interesting flavours, but the cookie itself, wow! I've died and gone heaven after each bite! The flavors range from the typical: Classic Chocolate Chunk, Milk Chocolate, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin, and Peanut Butter to the creative: Reverse Almond Chocolate Chunk, Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk, M&Ms, Macadamia Chocolate and Macaroon Chocolate! My most favorite is the Cappuccino one. I can eat this forever and never tire of it! Where do I start? Cookies By George does not lie when they say "Chocolate Chunk." They're huge! And these chunks are all over the cookie. The cookies have the perfect 'chewy-ness' too! They're not too soft that they break apart while you're holding it. It's a little crispy on the outside but when you bite into it, you'll get into gooey layers inside it. The Cappuccino Cookie has chunks of white chocolate and the coffee taste is subtle. Not overpowering but not too too subtle that you'll doubt whether it IS a coffee-flavored cookie. Their cookies are large and thick and buttery. You know that they don't scrimp on the ingredients. And they're all high quality ingredients too from the chocolates to everything else! I LOVE it! How I wish I could bring Cookies By George to Manila. Famous Amos and Mrs. Fields' would go bankrupt! ;-)

Whenever I have family coming to Manila to visit, Cookies By George is my number one request. They can forget my MAC lipstick, Gap perfume, or La Senza bra and underwear sets. Just DON'T forget Cookies By George, PLEEEEASE!!! ;-) Hahaha! My sister is coming over in September and until then, I guess I have to wait three months before I can have Cookies By George again. I'm patiently counting down the days...;-)

________________________
Photo Sources:
http://www.medicinehatmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/samirs_donair.jpg http://sammitt.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/roasted-chicken.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3176309386_da0e4f7a49.jpg http://movershakerbirthdaycakebaker.blogs.com/generation_exhausted/coffee_and_timbits.JPG http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_P0_pgy6FgRg/S3TPPEw2pbI/AAAAAAAAAC8/pB2D7qYn9S4/s640/banhmi.JPG
http://www.cheesecakecafe.ca/images/main-pics3.jpg
http://smartcanucks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/swiss-chalet-chicken.jpg http://brianpmichael.com/images/Design/Thumbs/TacoBell_FriesSupreme_v.2.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3355204524_349a078a0c.jpg http://vanfoodies.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/p1000631.jpg

Globe's Reward for Going Green

2010-06-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

Do you have a Globe account? If you do, you might want to go green and support paperless billing. By simply registering HERE, you can start viewing your bills online instead of getting bills through mail that just eventually go into the trash, anyway.

As a reward for going green, Globe will send you a PhP100 Jollibee gift certificate if you REGISTER for paperless billing before June 15, 2010. I registered for mine about a week and a half ago. And I just got my Jollibee GC in the mail! ;-) It's a nice little reward. I plan on using it to get a Chickenjoy meal, Jolly Hotdog, and Cookies and Cream Swirly Biz for my husband and I. Yum! ;-)

Yogurts in Disguise

2010-06-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

I must be one of the very few who just caught on to the yogurt craze here in Manila. It took me a while because I never was into yogurts to begin with. In fact, I hated it. I'm not fond of it's tart and sour taste. For me, it's neither dessert nor appetizer. It doesn't satisfy dessert cravings and it's a little too sour to start a meal with. I couldn't stomach it as a snack either. I feel like that sour taste needs to be accompanied with something else. In a nutshell, I was never really a fan of yogurts and I was so close to not giving it a chance at all. For me, yogurts are only good when used in Mediterranean cuisine for their sauces and dressings.

That is, until I came across a couple of yogurt places in Manila that have yogurts that well, don't taste like yogurt at all! ;-) They taste like ice cream or sorbet! They taste really good and they carry with them the list of benefits below too:
- boosts the immune system,
- reduces blood pressure,
- decreases the risks of certain cancers,
- aids in digestion,
- provides calcium, Vitamin B, etc.,
- AND most of all, yogurts have much lesser calories and sugar than ice cream!

We get the best of both worlds here. So if that's the case, I wonder, why have ice cream still? Just like what I will do from now on, I'll just visit one of these two places which have yogurts in disguise! ;-) Yogurts that taste like ice cream without the calories! Yay! ;-)

1.) Golden Spoon in Magallanes

WHAT I ORDERED: Cake Batter yogurt topped with cookie dough (Php 105 - mini cup plus one topping)
PRICES: Mini (Php 85), Small (Php 155), Large (Php 220), Quart (Php 499); Toppings (Php 20 each)
MY THOUGHTS: Their yogurts taste SO MUCH like ice cream that I just had to ask the server about it very suspiciously: "Are you sure this is yogurt??!??" ;-) Hahaha! Well, it is! And my face might have lit up so much that's why the server gave me this huge grin. ;-) The thickness, the creaminess, the texture and the taste --- it's all ice cream, I'm telling you! ;-) The only difference must be that their yogurts are not as sweet as ice cream and they're light. You don't get the same "ick" feeling after having two scoops of sinful ice cream. You still get your fill though. And it definitely satisfies the craving. The cookie dough was an excellent topping. It was chewy and really went well with the cake batter flavor! I'm willing to explore other yogurt places. But for now, I get the feeling that this is the best non-yogurt tasting yogurt place in the country! They have such interesting flavors too. For my next visit, I plan to have the Island Coconut yogurt (small instead of mini this time!) topped with English Toffee. Yum! ;-)

2.) Tutti Frutti at Glorietta 4

WHAT I ORDERED: A mix of coffee and chocolate yogurt topped with mochi balls and almonds (7 oz in total for Php 140)
PRICES: PhP 20 for every ounce (includes all yogurts and toppings)
MY THOUGHTS: The texture of their yogurt is between ice cream and sorbet. It's not completely as thick and creamy as ice cream but it's not as soft and watery as sorbet either. It's an in-betweenie. In comparison to Golden Spoon, their yogurts are a bit sweeter. I liked the fact that they have mochi balls as a choice for a topping though. Golden Spoon doesn't have that. Tutti Frutti has a lot more choices of fruit toppings too.

For me, I think that Tutti Frutti is a nice alternative if you're in the Glorietta area. You see, they only have Golden Spoon in Greenhills and Paseo de Magallanes. Tutti Frutti's yogurts are also light in "sorbet"-kind of way. Creamy enough but not as close to ice cream as Golden Spoon is. The good thing about Tutti Frutti is that it's self-serve. You can manage your portions and you're not bound by fixed cup sizes. It's like being a kid in a candy store. You can mix all the yogurt flavors if you want and put bits of all the different toppings too! It's really a whole lot of fun! ;-)

Three Well-Crafted Films You Should Watch...

2010-06-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's the summer vacation for me, so if I'm not catching up on my TV series, I'm watching a whole lot of movies. And that's emphasis on A LOT. Because of the number of movies that I've seen through the years, I think it takes a lot now to impress me. I might even be harsher than the critics that decide on who should be nominated at the Oscar's! ;-)

Lately, I've seen boring, predictable, and formulaic movies such as "Valentine's Day," "Dear John," "She's Out of my League," and many others. I've also seen unheard of, probably straight-to-DVD movies like "Chloe," "Me and Orson Welles," "Coco and Igor," "Beautiful Kate," and "Defendor." I gave all of these movies a chance and well, none of them impressed me. It made me think that maybe they just don't make movies as they did before. It's all for commercial appeal now. Movies of this generation altogether lack substance, weight, and most of them just don't have a lot to say anymore. Well, I was ready to make that conclusion. That is, until I came across these three movies: "Unthinkable," "Everybody's Fine," and "Brothers." Although of different genres, all three movies made me think, made me cry, made me angry, got me scared, and just had this huge effect on me! It's been a long time since I've had that movie experience!

There will be no spoilers here but here's a brief rundown of the films, a synopsis, and reasons why I loved them:

1.) EVERYBODY'S FINE

GENRE: Drama
MAIN CAST: Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell
SYNOPSIS: An ailing widower goes on a roadtrip to visit each of his children after all four of them unexpectedly calls to say that they can't make it to the annual Christmas reunion at his place.
MY THOUGHTS: After reading the synopsis, I know you might be thinking that there really isn't much to it. What's the big deal about this movie? Well, not only was this movie very well-acted. But this movie just covers so much in how it tackles themes of loneliness, getting old, family dynamics, relationships, meeting family expectations, fatherhood, inadequacy, and many others. There's just so much to relate to in this film. And I know I'm not the biggest "baby" out there, but this movie just had me in tears. I was just so touched! The movie reminded me of my Dad. In fact, Robert de Niro's character could be like any one of our fathers. The movie allowed me to see things from a father's perspective. It allowed me to empathize -- to see and feel the things that they often have trouble putting into words and communicating to us.

I'm not going to go any further because I don't want to ruin the movie for you. Just do me a favor and be prepared with a whole box of Kleenex. They will come in handy for sure. ;-)

2.) UNTHINKABLE

GENRE: Drama, Thriller
MAIN CAST: Samuel L. Jackson, Carrie-Ann Moss, Michael Sheen, Stephen Root
SYNOPSIS: A terrorist plants 3 nuclear bombs in unknown places in the United States. An FBI agent and a black-ops interrogator caught the perpetrator. At what lengths are they willing to go in order to get this terrorist to reveal to them the locations of the bombs that would save millions and millions of lives?
MY THOUGHTS: The story doesn't seem to completely stand out from the others that we've seen that's like it. In fact, before watching it, it might already seem formulaic to you. You're probably thinking that there's the methodic and brainy terrorist in the mix, two agents playing good cop-bad cop, and whole time factor -- the bombs will explode in a few hours and they'll have to find-it-before-it-kills-them- idea. Yes, these may be included in the story but what makes this film excellent is its shift in focus. The film discusses a very controversial and powerful morality issue. In fact, it forces you to question your own too. This is amidst the backdrop of a well-developed conflict and tension in the story. It's very gripping and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! It's just an excellent movie. Make sure you don't watch it by yourself because like me, I'm sure you'll be bursting to discuss this movie with someone else too. ;-)

3.) BROTHERS
GENRE: Drama, Thriller, War
MAIN CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepard
SYNOPSIS: A wife and her daughter try to move on after her husband goes missing in Afghanistan. They are helped and comforted by her husband's once screw-up brother.
MY THOUGHTS: Movies that depict the terrors of war often show it from what happens firsthand in Afghanistan. There are guns, bombs, explosions, fighting, and the like. But really, to convince us how awful war can be, it is more effective to do this by showing us what happens after a soldier survives all the terror. The war doesn't end in Afghanistan. What happens after is even more frightening! The movie delves into that disturbing territory. What goes on in the mind of a person who has seen the evilness of others first hand? What happens if he considers himself as a part of all the evilness too? It's heavy stuff. This movie was a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt fear, anger, concern, and guilt all at the same time! And Tobey Maguire, wow! He truly has the chops for acting. No pun intended but his role here was a huge leap from Spiderman. He's a more serious actor here and honestly, I think he should've been nominated for his portrayal.

PHOTO CREDITS:
http://www.tribute.ca/tribute_objects/images/movies/Everybodys_Fine/EverybodysFine.jpg
http://www.comingsoon.net/nextraimages/unthinkableart.jpg
http://moviecultists.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/brothers-movie-poster.jpg

My Favorite Things: Kenny Rogers' Grilled Four-Cheese Sandwich

2010-06-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

As you may already be aware, I LOVE cheese! Just as much as I love shopping, cheese is the other thing that leaves my day on a high note regardless of how awful it's been. Or if I'm not feeling particularly awful, cheese is just my go-to for comfort food. In short, cheese is my "happy" food! ;-)

Whenever that craving for cheese kicks in, automatically, it's Kenny Rogers Roasters that come to mind. Or if I can afford it, from some swanky hotel's cheese plate at their buffet. Usually though, my choices are pasta at Sbarro, pizza at Yellow Cab, Pizza Hut, or Greenwich, or the Ham and Cheese Sandwich at Pancake House. These are the restos at Market, Market which I usually pass through after work. These places all have good cheeses but I'm usually feeling guilty after eating at any of these restos. Do you know how many calories there are in a serving of pasta at Sbarro's??!?? Find out for yourself HERE. That's 700 calories for a plate of their Baked Ziti. The rest are just as sinful, I'm sure.

Anyway, I get my cheese fill at Kenny Rogers when I order their Grilled Four-Cheese Sandwich. It costs PhP 105 on its own. But I often order it with their Lite Iced Tea and crispy Fries at only PhP 135 in total. It's a perfectly light meal with that ultimate cheese goodness! I absolutely love it! In fact, to maximize that cheese "kick," I take out the top bread slice and eat it open-faced. YUM! And that's without the guilt! It is, after all, served on a whole-wheat panini with nothing but the four gooey cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Monterey Jack). The fries that accompany it are crispy and not too too greasy. Frankly, I like the fries at Kenny Rogers better than McDonald's. As for their lite iced tea, it's obviously sugar-free. Not too sweet but it has a bit of an aftertaste. From the Splenda maybe? Well, if you're not fond of sugar-free drinks, you can always opt to get one of their smoothies. I think these start at PhP 90 each.

PHOTO CREDITS
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/cheese_mites430x300.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/mongit/For%20My%20Blog/September%202007/Kenny%20Rogers/IMG_3855.jpg

Sex and the City 2 -- My Review

2010-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

By this time, I'm sure a lot of you already had your girls' night out and saw SATC 2. I actually saw it just two days after it premiered in Manila. And what are my thoughts on it, you ask?

Well, just like the first Sex and the City movie, SATC 2 was a whole lot of fun! It was a nice escape after a tiring day at work. In a way, it's like playing 'dress up.' You see Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha in these absolutely gorgeous designer clothes. The setting of the movie (well for most of it, anyway), is in Abu Dhabi. It's all like a dream -- being transported to an exotic, almost surreal world that we, frankly, don't know too much about. And to add to that, the four girls are treated to complete luxury. There's the first class plane ride with suites or cabins (I didn't know those existed!), the individual chauffer and transport, the beautiful and almost ostentatious hotel suite, and so much more! Seeing all these, me and my four girl friends (how suitable hey? ;-), agreed that we didn't at all feel the 2 1/2 hours. It went by so fast! And we sat there at the end wanting more! ;-)

Admittedly though, I think that I liked the clothes in the first SATC installment better. The clothes, accessories, and fashion presented in this sequel were very pretty, don't get me wrong. But I thought there wasn't that one outfit that made me hyperventilate as much as the black Zac Posen dress on Charlotte in the first SATC movie. ;-)

But I still want all the clothes, bags, shoes, and accessories from SATC 2 though. ;-) Yes, I want them all! All! ALL!!!!! ;-) Hahaha! If I could choose between the two, I'll just prefer to own all the clothes from the first SATC though. Just a tad more. That's all. ;-) For this movie, if I were to pick ONE favorite and coveted item, it would have to be these Loboutin shoes on Carrie! Loooove them!

Well, this is, after all, a movie. So, what about the plot/story, conflict, characters, etc? From the first SATC, this sequel followed the natural progression of the lives of the characters. I liked how "real" the conflicts are. I mean, yes, these characters may lead such glamorous lives in New York, but there's that whole universality of the issues that they encounter. Like Carrie, all married women worry about losing the "sparkle" in their marriage. Like Charlotte, all mothers worry about not being adequate and that guilt of not being the best for their chidlren. All women, like Samantha, worry about getting old. And alll powerful women -- like Miranda, have to deal with gender biases in the workplace, etc, etc. In this movie, SATC successfully continued to make the characters endearing to all of us. We see parts and bits of ourselves in at least one of the characters. For this, I can say that the movie was very well-executed. There was a lot of focus on Carrie, being the lead character and all. But I wish that enough focus could have been given to Charlotte and Miranda though. Their issues just kinda seemed to work out on their own from the start of the movie to the end. There were a lot of opportunities for more doses of humor if they followed through with this as well as incorporated the two gay characters more. We see Anthony and Stanford in the beginning and that was that. They had their own issues too that were never resolved.

In my opinion, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) would have to be the star of this movie. She was just soooo funny! Absolutely hilarious! ;-) She was just so endearing. During her 'fragile' moments, you can't help but cry with her too. I especially loved that spiel that she had about being a mother. The whole theatre was quiet and I saw a lot of them in tears. It's all very real. If you're a mother, I imagine you would find comfort in knowing that you're not the only one going through it. Even glamorous and wealthy women who look like they lead perfect lives go through them too. ;-)

I highly recommend this movie to all the women who have NOT seen it yet. The question is, do I think that men -- husbands, boyfriends, straight male friends, could sit through it? To be honest, I don't think so. First off, there are no car chases or guns to amuse them in this movie. ;-) Yes, that's a stereotype. But frankly, I just don't think men will get it. In fact, while at the theatre, there was a guy talking to the screen during one of Carrie's scenes with Mr. Big (the television discussion one). He was going: "What's HER problem??!??" Yes, yes, Carrie was overreacting in that scene. But all women have those moments of "insanity" right? ;-) I just don't think men will get it. For me, the 2 1/2 hours seemed like a breeze. It went by so fast. But for men, I have a feeling that this will feel like an eternity to them. I'd like to be proven wrong though. Just an opinion. But I'd like to test this on my husband. When the movie is out on DVD, I wonder if he can sit through the whole thing and have a 'lightbulb' moment on the differences between men and women. ;-) Hahaha! But hey, you never know...;-)

PHOTO CREDITS
http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/cine/story_large/2009/12/09/sex_and_the_city_2_movie_poster_premieres.jpg
http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/satc1.jpg
http://guidetoabudhabi.com/holidays/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Shangri-La-Hotel-Qaryat-Al-Beri-Abu-Dhabi-Facade.jpg
http://thestilettoeffect.blogspot.com/2007/09/sex-and-city-movie.html http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/2009/09/02/sex-and-the-city-2-style-sarah-jessica-parker/

Top 10 Experiences to be had in Kuala Lumpur (Part 1)

2010-06-02T02:51:00.001-07:00

Flying with Cebu Pacific, my husband and I arrived at our hotel in Kuala Lumpur at around 2 am on the 21st of April. We left for Manila at midnight going into the 25th. So really, we had, give or take, 4 full days to enjoy the city. Among our trips in Asia, I would have to say that this is the shortest trip that we've ever had. We're usually used to exploring a new city for at least five full days. But due to work and other commitments, we had to make do with the four days we had allotted at KL.

We did have an itinerary for this trip but I can't help but feel like we really haven't seen everything that there is to see in KL. There were at least five other places that I wanted to visit but didn't have the time to. I'll share this list in another blog entry.

Among all the places that we have been to though, let me share with you my Top 10 experiences in KL. I'll be dividing this into 2 entries because I'll be adding tips and suggestions too to help you maximize each experience. I imagine it will be quite lengthy so please bear with me.

Jojo and I had a grand time in Kuala Lumpur, overall. And here are the experiences I enjoyed the most: ;-)

10.) Tickle your tastebuds with Nando's Chicken.

I know for a fact that if this was my husband's list, he would actually place this experience as his #1 and most favorite! I'm telling you, eversince we got back, my husband has craved for their food non-stop! He says that our local Max's Chicken, Savory, Andok's, and Kenny Rogers has got nothing on the way the Nando's franchise does their chicken. Yes it's a bit "unpatriotic." But I don't want to be a hypocrite. I actually think I'll have to agree on this one. ;-)

As you know, on our trips, we have made it a rule not to eat more than once at the same restaurant. We broke that rule when we ate at Pho 2000 in HCMC though. And this time in KL, we broke it again. We ate at Nando's Chicken twice. If we were there longer, I think Jojo would have begged me to eat there the third, fourth and fifth time too! ;-)

Nando's makes their chicken peri-peri style. That is, roasted first, then placed in a spit-fire oven while marinated and combined with bird's eye chilli, spices, and a mixture of sauces. The chicken has a very full flavor. There is a bit of spiciness to it to give you that pleasant zing. The chicken is very tender and every bit of it is tasty. You would think that the marinade would not likely reach the inner white meat. But it does and it's just a burst of flavor for every bite! ;-)

Aside from chicken, Nando's also serves various salads, burgers, wraps, and even pasta. But when we were there on two occasions, we only went for their peri-peri chicken combos. That is, a quarter peri-peri style chicken with 2 sidelines of your choice. You can choose your chicken to be lemon and herb, mild/even hot, or going all out with VERY hot. Being a sissy, I went with the lemon and herb one, accompanied with Fresco salad and Meditteranean rice. (RM 14.95/PhP210) Jojo got mild/even hot chicken along with Mediterranean rice as well (it was the only choice for the rice) and Peri cob. We found our "sideline" orders to be okay. They weren't too bad. Kenny Roger's side dishes are a bit tastier but they're not bad at all. If anything, it just reminds us that the peri-peri chicken is the real "star" here. ;-) My lemon and herb chicken had a tiny bit of zing. Just hints of spicyness. Jojo's mild hot one was a bit stronger. But it's not too too spicy that you'll have to reach for a glass of water. It's all bearable and the less tastier sidelines complemented it well, I thought.

For our second time around, Jojo went for the 1/2 chicken with two sidelines. (RM 23.90/PhP335) He knew that it was going to be the last time for a very long time that he'll have Nando's chicken again so he decided to have a feast with this one. ;-) And man, did he ever! His sidelines consisted of TWO cups of Meditteranean rice. And nothing else. ;-) I got the mild hot one this time (quarter chicken) but changed one of my sideline to their Peri chips with creamy peri dip. I thought this was an even more perfect combination than the last time. I absolutely loved their peri chips (fries) with that creamy dip! And choosing to go with mild hot this time went better with the sauces, I thought. There are four sauces on each table that you can pile on to your chicken to give it even more flavor. I can't remember what they are but having tried them all, I liked the Garlic peri-peri best to go with the mild hot chicken. Verrrry yummy.

It's important to note that Nando's Chicken is not a franchise that's exclusive only to Malaysia. Yes, it's pretty popular there. But Nando's is scattered everywhere. They have it in Australia, Canada, the United States, and even as far as Namibia and Fiji! Maybe we'll have it soon here in the Philippines! ;-) Anyway, we had our Nando's chicken at the basement of Pavilion Mall and somewhere near Petaling Street in Chinatown. You can have a look at where else you can find Nando's Chicken HERE. The Malaysian menu can be found HERE too.

9.) Go souvenir shopping and fulfill your Chinese food craving at Petaling Street.

One word to describe Petaling Street would be "vibrant." It's not that huge of a place. Maybe six blocks altogether? But there's a lot happening given that you visit the area in the evening. Merchants start setting up their stalls at 5 pm. There's hawker fare here and restaurants that extend to the street! It's a place to just unwind and cool off with a beer or something.

And if knock-offs are your thing, there's a lot of imitation bags, clothes, shoes, watches, and what-have-you. There are a few knock-offs there that we won't be able to find at Greenhills. For instance, they had imitation Onitsuka Tiger shoes there. Petaling Street is also the best place to go for souvenirs. Kuala Lumpur shirts go for RM 3 (PhP 42.10). The miniature Petronas Towers made of pewter cost around RM 15 (PhP 210). Most of the prices of these souvenirs are fixed. You won't have to haggle since all the stalls sell them for the same price.

From the itinerary that I made, I listed two places that I wanted to go to along Petaling Street. One is Hartz Chicken Restaurant -- famous for their buffet and the other, Purple Cane Teahouse -- famous for their tea selection and tea sets, of course. We started looking for them but we were just too tired so we gave up after an hour. And after seeing another Nando's Chicken Restaurant there, my husband had decided that we were going to stop looking and eat there instead. ;-) If you go to Petaling Street, you might want to check out these two places. I've come across this website found HERE that raved about Purple Cane Tea House. The Pinoy Exchange and Female Network forums also talked and raved about Hartz Chicken Buffet. It might be worth a try to enjoy your visit in Petaling Street even more. ;-)

8.) Get a foot massage along Jalan Bukit Bintang while being part of all the action.

Jalan Bukit Bintang is a very busy street. Across from our hotel and also to the left and right of it are rows and rows of these massage places. They do it "Shenzhen-style" -- like the ones you'll find in Lowu Mall. They've got a whole line of these reclined massage chairs from the entrance (an open glass door) down to the back of the shop. Since the door is open, you can see what's going on in the sidewalk and the street in front of you while you get your massage. We sat near the front door and with the whole lot of people on the sidewalk, it felt like we had an audience! ;-) See the three men just standing there? ;-)

After a full day of walking and shopping, we totally needed a foot massage. It wasn't hard to choose which one to go with for the massage. We just looked at the one with the most number of people and off we went! ;-) On that Thursday night, we went with Bao Jian Reflexology -- conveniently located right across our hotel! Feeling a bit awkward to have a full body massage with all these people around us, we only went for the 60-minute foot reflexology (RM 50/PhP 703). Compared to the massage places here in Manila, it is very pricey. But during the time we were there, we completely needed it and the experience was just priceless. Jalan Bukit Bintang was abuzz with activity. You get a good sense of their culture by just watching them and taking in all the sights and sounds of this busy street. It was the perfect time and place to be to see all of these. Oh and I'd have to say, the massage was spectacular too! Jeff was my massage therapist and he was gentle with my feet. He applied the right amount of pressure for me. Jojo said that at first, the massage was a bit too hard. He didn't say a word. And after a few minutes, everything just started to feel wonderful! I guess he had a lot of knots and what-not that needed to be smoothened out. In the end, we were both very happy campers! ;-)

7.) Spend half the day shopping at Ikea for all your home needs!

On our trips to Singapore and Hongkong, we never fail to visit Ikea. I absolutely love this store! We have bits and pieces of Ikea products at Mobler, Dimensione, and other stores here in Manila. But nothing beats going to the real Ikea store -- and the biggest one in Asia, at that!

The Ikea store in KL is in the Petaling Jaya area. It is a bit far from the Golden Triangle but trust me, it will be worth your time. Because after you go to Ikea, you can just cross the street to go to The Curve. It's a shopping complex kind of similar to our Eastwood Mall.

Anyway, here's how to get there from the Bukit Bintang station on KL monorail:
1.) Get off at Bukit Nanas on the KL monorail (2 stops away from Bukit Bintang).
2.) Transfer to the Putra line at the Bukit Nanas station. To transfer to this train, you actually have to leave the station. Go down the stairs into the sidewalk and walk west (go straight on your left). It's about a 3-minute walk. Go up the walkway to cross to the other side. You'll find the Putra train when you go down the escalators further ahead.
3.) Get on the Putra train going to Kelana Jaya. It's about 11 stops away and roughly, a 45-minute ride.
4.) Get off at the Kelana Jaya station and go on the walkway to cross the street. There's a bus terminal there. Wait for the free shuttle going to IKANO Power Center. It arrives at set times: 9 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. The trip will be 5-10 minutes and the shuttle will drop you off right in front of Ikea.

You can take the shuttle going back to the station when you're done. You'll find the shuttle in the same area where you get off. Just make sure you're there at least 5 minutes before the scheduled time as it gets really packed. The bus leaves from Ikea at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm, and 6:30 pm.

Now that that's out of the way, I'm excited to share with you all of my purchases at Ikea. But since there's a whole lot of it, I thought I'd devote a whole entry on our shopping finds in KL alone! ;-) I'm sorry for this but I give you my word that I'll have that entry up within the week! ;-)

So what shouldn't you miss while in Ikea? Ooooh, where do I start? ;-) I absolutely LOVE the lamps and chandeliers in Ikea. Really, if only it would be easy to transport it, I would have gotten three of the lamp shades below for our dining area. My favorite among the lot is the one with the street scene of Hongkong (?) on the fabric. They have the coolest bedsheets too that are way cheaper than the ones that are sold at SM's Our Home. If you have kids or a number of children to buy presents for, you'll love the collection of toys, cool hampers, and lamps. They're all very playful, pretty, and sooo unique! We don't have a store or anything close to it that sells similar items. Everything in Ikea is beautiful and I'm sure it would be nearly impossible to NOT buy a whole cartload of stuff. If you're not one of self-control, avoid Ikea at all costs! ;-)

I have to mention that Ikea also has its own restaurant/cafeteria. We didn't have it when we were there. But I know for a fact that their Swedish Meatballs should not be missed. They also have these hazelnut and dark chocolate bars that will serve as excellent pasalubong. They're very creamy and just addictive!

In this complex, you shouldn't miss going across the street to The Curve. They have a large Padini Store (or VNC as it's known here) that sells their shoes 40% less than the ones here in Manila. I'm not sure if they have it everyday but when we were there on a Saturday, there was also a row of tiangge stalls in front of the restaurants. They mostly sold accessories, clothes, and a few other knick knacks. There are a number of neat restaurants in this shopping complex too. Such is this beautiful English-garden type restaurant seen in the picture below. They have bookstores here, more clothing stores, a grocery store, gadget stalls, and many others. With so much to see (and buy!) here, it would be wise to put aside at least 5 hours exploring this area. ;-)

6.) Brave the 272 steps leading up to the Batu Caves with a few "furry" friends.

If you're going to Genting Highlands, I think it would be wise to plan your trip to Batu Caves on the same day too. Putra Gombak is one of the terminals (also a train station) where you can catch a bus that takes you to Genting. That same terminal is also just ten minutes away from the Batu Caves. In this case, I think it would be much more convenient to take a taxi to the Batu Caves. Now it's important to note that a lot of these taxi drivers prefer not to use their meters. They usually try to arrange something with you so they can charge more. Just make sure that you're only paying RM 10-15 per way otherwise you're being ripped off.

The buses that go to Genting are on a schedule. We just made sure to allot about an hour and a half at the Batu Caves. That already includes the 20-25 minute total travel time. An hour at the Batu Caves should be enough. At least, that's enough time to get up the 272 steps, walk around the cave, take pictures, buy some souvenirs, and get down the steps to look for a taxi back. There is an Art Gallery and a small Museum Cave which we didn't have time to visit though. If you want to see these, you might want to allot an extra 40 minutes.

So why is visiting the Batu Caves a memorable experience for me? Well, first off, it's a very spiritual and sacred place. You get a sense of that when you get inside the cave. It's very interesting to see the rituals done by the Hindus while in prayer. You can tell that they're very deeply-rooted. And being near the mountains, on a limestone cave and 100 metres above ground also adds to that whole sense of mysticism.

There are lots of photo ops to be had here. Make sure you have your camera ready because you're going to get THIS close to a few furry friends while going up and down those steps. ;-) We didn't see it happen when we were there, but these monkeys are very playful and tend to sneakily "steal" things from tourists they say. ;-)

At the foot of the steps, there's a whole lot of pigeons too. They all settle on the pavement for a while and fly off together in huge flocks. Just be careful you're not pooped on, but otherwise, I think this will make an interesting photo-op. ;-)

NANDO'S CHICKEN
-Lot 1.29.04, Pavilion KL, Bukit Bintang
- No. 123, Jalan Sultan (Chinatown)

BAO JIAN REFLEXOLOGY
64 Jalan Bukit Bintang

CHINATOWN
Petaling Street, KL

IKEA
No. 2 Jalan PJU 7/2, Mutiara Damansara
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Darul Ehsan

BATU CAVES
Sri Subramaniam Temple, KL

The Bintang Warisan Hotel at KL, Malaysia

2010-06-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a little more than a month since we got back from our 5-day trip to KL. Summer vacation has officially started and I now have a bit more time to focus on updating this blog and sharing with you our travel "adventure." It's one of the perks of being a teacher. TWO months vacation, baby! ;-) So this is where my blog series on our Kuala Lumpur trip starts. From our accommodation to shopping finds, top experiences, food recommendations, and tips -- I hope that this will be helpful to you in your next visit to Malaysia. ;-)

Let's start with the accommodation.

As always, I try to prepare myself with a lot of research before going on a trip. From my research, I found that when you're in Kuala Lumpur, the best area to stay in is Bukit Bintang. It is in what they call the Golden Triangle area. It's a very convenient location because you're a stone's throw away from the train station, major malls (like 7 of them), hawker stalls, massage places, and anything else that you'll ever need. It is literally where all the action is.

Instead of Bukit Bintang, you may choose to stay in the KLCC area. It's part of the Golden Triangle but it's a bit more laid back. Hotels in this area are a bit more upsscale too. What it's got going for it is the fact that it's near the Petronas Towers and the mall attached to it called Suria KLCC. The other malls like BB Plaza, Lot 10, Plaza Low Yat, Pavilion, Starhill, and all the others are in Bukit Bintang though. It's accessible from KLCC through what should be a short taxi ride away. But traffic can get really bad so if shopping is your thing, staying in the KLCC area might not be such a good idea.

In short, if you're a budget traveler and would like to be in the middle of the action, choose a hotel in Bukit Bintang. In particular, a hotel along or intersecting Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Alor, Jalan Imbi, or Jalan Pudu.

Our hotel of choice for this trip was the Bintang Warisan Hotel. Their official website can be found HERE. I went on this trip with my husband and so we only needed a standard room with a queen-sized bed. For this, we paid RM155 per night. In Philippine pesos, that's about P2,200. Admittedly, there are hotels on that same row or around it that are cheaper by RM30 (P425). But from my research, Agora Hotel and Sungei Wang Hotel (at RM130) are both really run-down, dirty, and has bedbugs; Hotel Rae (on a promo for RM140) is nice but it's not that close to the malls -- maybe about a 10-minute walk?; and the others either don't include a free breakfast or don't accept credit card payments.

Our hotel, the Bintang Warisan, was not bad at all. Just like the format that I used for our Vietnam trip, let me enumerate the things that we liked about this hotel:

1.) The location of the hotel and the convenience that goes with it is worth the price alone!

We flew Cebu Pacific going to KL. We left at around 9 pm, add four hours' travel by plane, and another hour travel time from KL's airport (LCCT) to our hotel, and we're there around 2 am. We were just dead tired, putting into account that we went straight to the airport after a whole day of work and add to that the long travel time as well. But when we got to the hotel, we just got sooo excited! The area in front of the hotel and around it seemed like a "happenin' " place to be! And it was a Thursday! There were people still getting a massage right across the hotel, there were people milling around the restaurants, chatting along the street, the lights were bright and there were cars still passing by as if it was only 9 pm! It was tempting to drop off our bags in the room and come down again to be part of all the fun. But with a few hours left to sleep, we knew we had to postpone until the next day.

This hotel is really in the middle of everything. Jojo, my husband, was very pleased that it's only a 2-minute walk to Plaza Low Yat. You just cross the street, walk a few more steps, and there you are! Plaza Low Yat, by the way, is KL's version of our Greenhills. It's the gadget mecca of KL. You'll find everything there for all your "techie" needs. More on that on my next entry. ;-)

If you walk to the opposite direction, you'll find rows of malls in this order: Sungei Plaza, BB Plaza, Lot 10, Star Hill, and Pavilion. That is, not to mention, the row of reflexology massage places just right across the hotel too. To the left and the right of the hotel are various restaurants like Pappa Rich, McDonalds, KFC, and many many others. Jalan Alor, the famous hawker area, is just right behind us too. The location of this hotel definitely cannot be beat.

2.) The free breakfast at their cozy cafe is definitely a perk!

Going in to the hotel, you'll see the Heritage Coffeehouse to your left. This is where you have your free breakfast everyday. You can also order other things like Malaysian fare or Western dishes for lunch or dinner. Most nights though, I see a lot of locals and tourists sitting in this cafe with a beer on hand, just people-watching. After all, there's a lot to see from this vantage point. The restaurant juts out to the sidewalk and it's in the middle of everything!

We only stayed at the Heritage Coffeehouse really, to have our free breakfast everyday. I was hoping we could spend more time there like for cocktails or so, but it's very easy to get distracted -- especially when you have so many other choices or places to be in this area. ;-) Anyway, for the free breakfast, you are given a choice between the American breakfast or the traditional Malaysian one.

The American breakfast includes toast, eggs (you can choose the way you like it), wieners (Vienna sausage?), and get ready for this: pork and beans! ;-) Frankly, I didn't know that the typical American breakfast consisted of that! ;-) It was a nice addition though.

The Malaysian breakfast included white rice and Nasi Lemak -- accompanied with hardboiled egg, peanuts, and of course, the tasty chicken with chili and other spices. It tasted very good! But if you're used to having just toast or cereal for breakfast, this might be a bit much. It's heavy but being a Filipino used to the longganiza (Filipino sausage), fried egg, and rice breakfast combination, it was fine. I loved the burst of flavor and spicyness of their Nasi Lemak. Who needs coffee when you can have the Nasi Lemak to wake you up?!?? ;-) All of their breakfasts were served with free orange juice and coffee, by the way.

3.) The rooms were clean enough and their bed was comfortable.

Admittedly, it can be pretty obvious that this hotel has been around for a while. You can tell this from the bathroom tiles, furniture with a few dents and scratches, and the rust stains in the shower area. But the Bintang Warisan Hotel tries to make-do with what they have. Unlike the hotel that we stayed at in Bangkok which is probably just as old, I was pleased that there wasn't that 'closed-in' cigarette smoke smell in the room. The carpet was well-maintained too. The bed wasn't hard on the back and everything was the cleanest that they could be. Houseekeeping comes in everyday to clean the room.

The room was small but you have everything that you need there. You get clean towels everyday, free packets of coffee, soap, shower cap, and shampoo as well. As for their TV, I think, from memory, it had about 10 channels or so. Most of them were in Bahasa but there were maybe a couple of channels to please the English speakers. ;-)

4.) Yes, you are very close to all the action but you can also get a good night's sleep here too.

We stayed at Room 701. It doesn't face Jalan Bukit Bintang. It's on the opposite side, facing Jalan Alor. Despite being close to all this action though, we loved how quiet it was in the room. Except for the occasional 'ting' of the elevator opening, we couldn't hear anything else. Now, this is a surprise since the hotel was fully booked when we were there. Their walls must be very thick or they must have done something to block all the noise.

To add to the "good night's sleep" part, the airconditioner is pretty strong. In fact, I had to get up in the middle of the night to adjust the temp because it was just too cold. We loved that. ;-)

5.) From your window, you can get a good view of the Petronas Towers AND the KL Menara.

I'm not sure if all the rooms facing Jalan Alor have windows. But we did! ;-) It was sooo cool to see these two landmarks from our window! They looked even more stunning and majestic at night don't you think? ;-) It's a tiny thing but it definitely made our stay in this hotel more special. ;-)

Despite all these good things, the Bintang Warisan Hotel still has a number of things that they have to improve on before it can be considered KL's number 1 budget hotel in my book. Here we go for the negative:

1.) Where's the toothbrush? The toothpaste? And the blowdryer??!??

On a tray in the bathroom, you'll find a shower cap, soap, and a small bottle of generic shampoo. And then you wonder, where's the toothbrush and the toothpaste? Yes, there is a convenient store located across the street where you can get these things. But still. Shouldn't these things be included in the amenities?

Usually, in the other budget hotels that I've stayed at in Asia, the blowdryer is attached to the wall. At Bintang Warisan, you'll have to request it from the front desk. On our first day there, I realized too late that they didn't have a blowdryer in the room. After showering, I only had 30 minutes before we had to leave to get our viewing tickets at the Petronas Towers. To be assured of a ticket, the websites I visited suggested being there no later than 8 am.

Anyway, I told the front desk that I needed that blowdryer ASAP. Thirty minutes had passed on that first day and still no blow dryer. We had to leave and we never found out if anyone came to drop it off. We thought that housekeeping would just leave the blowdryer on the table. But when we got back, there was nothing.

We weren't in a rush the following day. I called at around 8:30 for that blowdryer and within a few minutes, I got it. It led me to think that maybe Housekeeping comes in past 8 and they're the ones expected to deliver these things. So on the first day, the people at the front desk probably waited for someone from Housekeeping to come in to deliver it instead of taking the initiative to deliver it themselves. Which leads me to my second "beef"...

2.) The service could definitely be improved even more.

We liked the staff at the Heritage Coffeehouse. They were all smiles and the waiters were very accommodating. In fact, we even "pestered" one of them when we asked for directions to go to the Petronas by train. The websites I've visited says to get on the monorail and get off at Bukit Nanas, then walk to transfer to another train and get off two stops later. Man, was I glad that we followed our waiter's suggestion. He said to yes, take the monorail and get off at Bukit Nanas. But instead of transferring to another train, he suggested to walk it instead. It was a much better idea because we soon realized that the walk from Bukit Nanas to the connecting train is really the distance from where we get off to the Petronas -- but just in the opposite direction. It didn't make sense to walk further away from the Petronas just so we can get on a train to get there.

And yet again, I digress...;-) Yes, the staff of the Heritage Coffeehouse were great. I assumed the owner of Bintang Warisan also owns that coffeehouse. But I wondered why the people at the front desk weren't as courteous. Yes, they give you what you ask for. But they just don't go the extra mile. There are no smiles, no 'Good Mornings,' and no one offered to help when we lugged our stuff up to our room after checking in at 2 am! Not the friendliest bunch at all. I wish they could improve this. With tough hotel competition along Jalan Bukit Bintang, this could cost them.

3.) The bathroom is a downer.

As I said, the bathroom tiles show their age. There are rust stains on the drain and a few other areas. If you're used to budget accommodation, these things are actually quite minor. But the thing that disappointed me the most was the shower. The water pressure wasn't that strong. And what's weird is that the shower had a semi-enclosure and in the middle -- a shower curtain. I wondered why not have a full enclosure with a door for the entrance to the shower?

I always felt clumsy when taking a shower. Not only is the shower area small but all you had there was a tiny soap dish on the wall. For a girl who uses a lot of toiletries, I had to put all of my stuff on top of the counter near the sink and step out of the shower each time I have to use them, and step out again to put it back. You can put all of the toiletries on the floor while you shower but since the area is small, you run the risk of bumping your head on the enclosure each time you bend down to get something. I think their bathrooms are definitely due for a renovation.

4.) The smell in the lobby is a bit much.

When you enter the hotel, you'll find a perfume shop across the elevator. I'm not talking about a perfume shop that sells Chanel, Carolina Herrera, and the like. I think they mix the oils themselves. And this really strong and musky scent of what seems like cheap perfume wafts through whole lobby. It's a bit strong and can give you a momentary headache. What I had to do each time was hold my breath and dash to the elevator to escape this. Thankfully, the smell doesn't reach the cafe. You'll only smell it when you're by the receptionist or waiting for the elevator.

So what is the verdict? If Jojo and I were to go back to KL, I think we would still choose Bintang Warisan as our hotel. Despite its shortcomings, it's not that bad of a hotel to stay at when you're on a budget. The location, cleanliness, and the free breakfast, I think, makes up for its shortcomings. ;-) Anyway, as tourists, we were really only at the hotel to sleep and shower. We're out the rest of the time so that lack in warmth and hospitality in their service wasn't too bothersome. As for the bathroom, I know that they're beginning to do renovations. So I'm hoping that they'll do something about these bathrooms very soon.

For more reviews of this hotel, you can visit Tripadvisor HERE.

Now, if you're not on a budget and would like to be in the same area as Bintang Warisan, let me suggest the Piccolo Hotel. To be honest, Piccolo Hotel is our first choice. It's about a block and a half away from Bintang Warisan but the location is still very central. Instead of being right across Plaza Low Yat, the Piccolo Hotel is beside Starhill Gallery (a super posh and upscale mall) and across my favorite mall in KL, the Pavilion. From the Piccolo, you cross the street, and you're there at the monorail station. Right in front of the hotel is the HOHO (Hop On, Hop Off) station. Very convenient, indeed.

And did I mention that it's a boutique hotel too? Have a look at these rooms. Very nice and modern hey?

These rooms start at RM303 (P4,300) per night on asiarooms.com. Their official website can be found HERE. It might be worth checking out. ;-)

Source: The Piccolo Hotel pictures were taken from agoda.com

Are you having a 'blah' day?

2010-06-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

I first saw this video on Inside Edition about a week ago. And since then, I must have viewed it on YouTube about five times already! That little girl never fails to put a smile on my face. She's just so adorable and her positivity is just infectious! Oooh and I love her little dance too. ;-) Hmmm. In fact, I might start doing this in the bathroom too. Watch me go, "Now, my whole house is GREAT! I can do anything good! I love my husband. I love my sisters. I love my laptop. I love my shoes..." ;-) Hahaha! ;-)

What else is going on this month, Manila?

2010-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to look forward to this month. Not only are we heading to KL next week, but there's a bunch of things going on around the metro. Check these out:

LATE NIGHT SHOW WITH THE COMEDY CARTEL
WHAT: For 150 pesos, you can watch stand-up comedy like how it should be done! None of the corny, below-the-belt bashing that is common in local comedy bars. Take your friends, have dinner, a few drinks, and share a lot of laughs this Monday after a possibly long day at work! ;-)

WHEN: Monday, April 12, 2010 at 8 pm

WHERE: Spicy Fingers Restaurant, Greenbelt 2, Makati City

FOR MORE INFO: eCircle Entertainment website

JON SANTOS' FOR VOTER OR FOR WORSE
WHAT: This came highly recommended by a friend. Jon Santos, apparently, has done this show a number of times in the Teatrino Promenade at Greenhills. It was initially slated for just a couple of runs but due to a high demand, they decided to extend the show at a theater in Makati this time. In his comedy act, For Voter or For Worse, Jon Santos impersonates the likes of Noynoy Aquino, Kris Aquino, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, Aling Dionisia (Manny Pacquiao's mother), Korina Sanchez, and many others. And I heard he's really good at it too. It sounds like this is sure to bring a lot of giggles! ;-)

WHEN: April 14, 21, and 28, 2010 at 8:30 pm

WHERE: PowerPlant Mall, Cinema 2, Makati City

HOW TO GET TICKETS: Call 898-1441 or 898-1441 to book your tickets.

FOR MORE INFO: Check out this SITE to see Jon Santos in action. Here you'll see videos and short excerpts of his impersonation of Korina Sanchez, Gloria Arroyo, and Joseph Estrada. ;-)

AWESOME PLANET'S ULTIMATE TASTE TEST 4.0
WHAT: Anton, the blog writer of Awesome Planet, has put together this event for start-up food suppliers who would like to break into the market AND foodies who would be more than willing to try what they have to offer and rate them. It's a win-win thing where food suppliers get no-holds-barred feedback as a way to improve their products and foodies simply get to awaken their tastebuds from all these yummy samples of food! On top of that, the St. Michael the Archangel Parish is happy too since 100% of the proceeds (P150/person entrance fee) goes to the building and construction of this new church at the Fort. ;-)

WHEN: Friday, April 16, 2010 at 7 pm

WHERE: You will be informed of the location after your email registration. Just email rache@diaz.ph with your full name and contact info to join either as a supplier or a foodie.

FOR MORE INFO: Awesome Planet website

MALL OF ASIA SALE
WHAT: It's a mallwide sale with discounts of up to 70%! And if you have an SM Advantage card, you might not want to miss the special 10 am-12 pm sale that they have in the department store. You'll get an additional 10% discount on everything! And that's on top of the sale prices already.

WHEN: Friday, April 16-Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10 am to midnight (Friday and Saturday) and 10 am to 11 pm (Sunday)

WHERE: Mall of Asia, Pasay City

EARTH DAY RUN 2010
WHAT: Join a marathon and choose between 3K, 5K or 10K. Proceeds of this fundraising will support Design Against the Elements Competition. This competition is said to bring "innovative solutions to climate-vulnerable communities in developing countries."

WHEN: Sunday, April 18, 2010, morning

WHERE: near Mall of Asia, Pasay City

HOW TO REGISTER: Register online at http://natgeorun.com/ or go to Timex at the Mall of Asia or SM North Edsa to personally register. Registration costs 500 pesos for a 3K run, 600 pesos for 5K, and 700 pesos for 10K.

"MAS FLAMENCO" SHOW
WHAT: It's a fundraising show for the benefit of the Dance Scholarship Fund at Clara Ramona's school -- Centro de Danza Flamenca. Have a chance to see Clara Ramona dance. I've had a bit of exposure to Flamenco dance and I believe that Clara Ramona is the best there is here in the Philippines. She's very passionate and just completely breathtaking when she dances. For this show, she will also be accompanied by six other female dancers who she has trained and molded to become the amazing Flamenco dancers that they are!
For just 700 pesos, you'll get to see the whole show and enjoy Spanish tapas too.

WHEN: Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 8 pm

WHERE: Clara Ramona Centro de Danza Flamenca, 5062 P. Burgos Street, corner Guerrero, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City

HOW TO GET TICKETS: Call 899-1346 or 0915-434-5789 to reserve.

Photo Credits:
Juice website, http://www.juice.ph/nightout/event/jon-santos-in-kuring-gluring-syerrap-at-dyuning-election-is-nearing
Comedy Cartel, http://www.comedycartel.com.ph/
Eating Asia, http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2007/09/index.html
Jun Acullador's Flicker account, http://www.flickr.com/photos/acullador/1377674349/
Running Pinoy, http://runningpinoy.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/national-geographic-channel%E2%80%99s-earth-day-run/
Life of Guangzhao, http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/node_10/node_35/node_112/node_264/2007/12/06/119692370831324.shtml