Tofu Fah is a Malaysian dessert we tried while we were in Kuala Lumpur. Our friend Jason drove us around his city one day and recommended us to try it. It’s bean curd served with either clear sweet syrup or brown sugar syrup.

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Tofu Fah reminds us a lot of the Filipino dessert we had plenty of times while growing up in the Philippines. We call it Taho. Instead of a food stall, Filipino vendors usually go door-to-door in the mornings shouting, “taho!”

The texture is soft and mushy. Without the syrup, it would probably be tasteless. Sheila likes it more than me. She’s vegetarian and already eats plenty of tofu unlike me.

Have you tried Tofu Fah or Taho?

I had a check list of places we had to visit once we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One of these places was Batu caves. Batu caves was a shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan, Hindu god of war and victory. Batu caves was only 8 miles from Kuala Lumpur and easily reached by public transportation. Lucky for us, Jason Goh aka. Smashpop was able to show us around.

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At the front entrance of the cave was a giant golden statue of Lord Murugan. To reach the cave visitors must climb up 272 steps to reach the cave entrance. Batu caves was comprised of 3 main caves and a few smaller ones. The main one was called Cathedral cave or Temple cave.

There were several temples and shrines throughout the cave. There was on going ceremony during out visit. However, we we didn’t have enough time to really stay investigate. Batu caves was definitely worth the visit.

My family is from Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao, Philippines. To be honest, there’s really not much do besides stare at the corn fields. However there are some places to go, and one of these places is Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. This lake was once inhabited by the T’boli tribe and is now a tourist attraction.

First on the agenda when we arrived at Lake Sebu was to visit the seven waterfalls and zipline over a few of them. The road to the zipline is narrow and right next to steep cliffs. It was a scary drive, our driver had to paused to pray. He took a few coins out of wallet to throw over the cliffs as offering to the spirits. The majority of filipinos are Catholic. However, it’s interesting to see how animism and the belief in the spiritual world is deeply ingrained in the culture. It must have worked as we arrived at the entrance to the waterfalls safely.

The zipline is a must do when your in the area. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as you might think. It actually goes at a slow speed, giving you a nice aerial view over the waterfalls. I was afraid I would drop my camera, so unfortunately no photos. Maybe next time.

Lunch was at Punta Isla, one of the biggest resorts in Lake Sebu. They have several cottages along the lake. We chose a cottage right on the lake, one in which we had to ride a small boat. Lake Sebu is known for its Tilapia. We ordered so many different dishes out of tilapia, all of them delicious. We had 2 tables full of food for 15 people. The amazing thing is that the total was less than $100.

After lunch we took a scenic tour of the lake. I remember my visit over 10 years ago to Lake Sebu. I remember my family members we’re terrified to go on the boat for fear it would sink. I remember one of my cousins pray, take a few coins and throw it to the waters as an appeasement to the spirits of the lake.

Lake Sebu is a must see if you’re in the area.

We like going to places our friends like. When Sheila and I were hungry in the Upper East Side of Manhattan a few days ago, a quick search on Yelp brought up a familiar place that our friends frequently went to. We decided to check out Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II.

It was late in the afternoon and it wasn’t crowded, so we didn’t have to wait for a table. Some of the reviews online said the place can get really busy and you might have to wait.

The place had tables on two floors. I suggest going to the second floor because the decor was better. The wall was blue with brown accents and the tables were covered with glass with books and toys inside related to Alice in Wonderland.

There were several teas to choose from, but we ordered the first tea on the menu. I read somewhere that the first item on menus is usually recommended. The tea pot they brought had a cute cat figure on top. I’m not a cat person, but I thought that was a nice little detail. The tea itself was a house blend of indian black vanilla tea with japanese green tea and rose petals. It was smooth. I liked it with honey. You can order a three-cup pot of tea for $6 or a six-cup pot for $8.

I ordered the curried chicken salad sandwich ($12) and Sheila tried Alice’s Veggie burger ($12). We regretted it because we looked around after the waiter left and noticed everyone else ordered scones. The sandwich and burger weren’t satisfying either.

A gentleman sitting on another table provided some entertainment. He was speaking loudly to himself and the waitress like he was in one of those old English movies. “My lady, I’d like my chalice filled with water,” he said. “I will now accept the check.”

We didn’t like the food, but we’d go back for a second visit. We’ll try their more popular scones next time. Do you have a favorite tea house?

Our mom likes to collect cups from different cities, so when I was in Barcelona last week, I made sure to bring one back. I did not have much free time because Mobile World Congress kept me busy, so I looked for cups at the airport shop.

I bought this…

I thought it looked good. It clearly screamed, “I got this from Barcelona.”

When I put the cup among my our mom’s collection, I noticed something very similar. Take a look.

It was a shot glass from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. My mind was blown! It made me re-think what souvenirs to bring back home. How about you? What souvenirs do you usually bring back?

If you ask me to name my favorite cities around the world, Amsterdam is at the top of the list. It isn’t that hard to fall in love with Amsterdam. Its laid back attitude towards sex and drugs attract young party goers. For me, Amsterdam is more than the flashing red lights and “coffeeshops.”

Amsterdam is beautiful. My first visit to Amsterdam was during the fall. The summer crowds have gone and what was left was an exploration haven for a solo explorer. Well, semi solo as I accompanied Mark during a conference he attended. While he was working, I was free to explore. Explore, I did. I walked through cobblestone streets, crossed the many bridges over the canals, rested my weary feet in one of the cafes, and explored some more.

The bicycles, they’re everywhere. Look before you cross the street. I watched enviously as stylish girls rode their bikes past me and drooled over the well dressed men in suits. Amsterdam is an organized chaos. Bikers and pedestrians weave through the crowds, cars, and metro with ease.

If you’re a flower lover like me, you’ll enjoy visiting the Bloemenmarkt on Singel canal. The shops had a diverse collection of tulips and many more exotic looking plants. I went back several times admiring the different orchids, tulips and other plants they had in display.

Wander and get lost. You never know what you’ll stumble upon in Amsterdam.

And there’s the cheese. Amsterdam opened my eyes and revealed the world of cheese. I didn’t know there were so many different types of cheese in the world. They give samples too! If you’re a budget traveler you can wander from one cheese shop to the next just snacking.

A visit to Amsterdam would not be complete without taking a canal cruise. There are plenty of companies to choose from. We chose the ones that had outdoor seating. It was a wonderful way to explore Amsterdam, giving us a different perspective of the beautiful city.

Amsterdam was an excellent base for several daytrips. We rented a bike and visited Weesp and Muiden. We also visited the windmills of Zaanse Schans. While it can get touristy in the warmer months you can explore in peace during the fall season. Look for deals during this time of year at a range of Amsterdam hotels online. Don’t forget to sample the cheese in one of the shops and watch a clog making demonstration.

If I can live anywhere in the world, Amsterdam would be my top choice. It’s such an amazing place! Check out this Amsterdam travel guide from the New York Times for more tips.

One of our favorite Filipino desserts is halo-halo. We head over to Krystal’s Cafe & Pastry Shop in Queens, NY whenever we crave it. We happened to crave it last night.

Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice, evaporated milk, various boiled sweet beans, jelly, fruits, and other sweets that restaurants or halo-halo stands want to add. It is usually served in a tall glass or bowl.

Most of the ingredients like fruits, beans, and other sweets are first placed inside the tall glass and then followed by shaved ice. It is then sprinkled with sugar and topped with either leche flan, purple yam, and/or ice cream. Evaporated milk is then added into the mixture upon serving.

I wouldn’t say Krystal’s Cafe has the best halo-halo, but we each ordered one and happily finished both. Where’s your favorite halo-halo spot?

Camera: Canon EOS M

There are so many places to see, but I would love to go back to Italy. We had less than 2 weeks to see what Italy had to offer, and 3 days to experience Rome. It wasn’t enough, and my heart yearns for more. Here are some of the photos we took of our 3 days visit to Rome.

This year is the 12th Valentine Mark and I spent together. While I’m all for reasonable materialism on special occasions, this year we decided to be different. Since we’re trying to save for our next BIG TRIP, we’re on a tight budget. We decided not to spend money on gifts and expensive activities, just to show our love for each other.

Mark suggested we visit Brooklyn Bridge Park and take photos together. This turned out to be an excellent idea. We imitated the poses we found in Pinterest and had many laughs at how silly we felt.

We sent only $2 on a carousel ride on our date, but the memories we made that day was priceless.

Here are more photos we’ve taken in the past at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Our 8-month trip in Asia and Europe last year was spent mostly in cities with warmer temperatures. When we came back to New York, winter sneaked by quickly. While I’m not a big fan of cold weather, there are activities that make it more enjoyable like sledding in Central Park or driving outside New York City to go skiing.

We went to two ski resorts so far this winter. We drove over four hours to Vermont the first time and drove just a couple of hours to the Poconos. We stayed 2 nights both times to rest after skiing and go up the mountains again the next day.

In Vermont, we went to Stratton. The staff were really friendly, the rental equipments looked new, and accommodations were walking distance from the ski lifts. The only thing to complain about is the 4-hour drive from New York.

In the Poconos, we went to Camelback. We’ve been there before when we were younger. While it’s closer to New York, the staff were unfriendly, rental equipment looked old, and it was crowded. We still had fun though.

Some drive away from New York every other week, while others take it even more seriously by flying to another city to ski. We’ll stick to ski resorts near New York for now. If we see that we really enjoy it, maybe we’ll go to another country like France and plan an amazing trip to Valmeinier.

Instead of complaining about the cold and reminiscing how nice and warm Thailand was, just go skiing! A few of our friends do it often. Skiing can be painful though, so try to follow these expert tips from CNN to avoid any unpleasant turns.

What’s your favorite activity in winter?