isda - chu

I don't eat fish except for tuna. And I'm not talking about sushi-type of tuna, more of the Century variety. Some people call tuna as the "chicken of the sea" even if they don't really fly.

As I've said, I don't eat fish but they sure love eating me.

Me and Yuan went to experience the Fish Spa at the Manila Ocean Park recently. "Treatment" is done by immersing the feet in a pool and the little flesh eating fishes (Garra rufa) feed on the loose and dead skin. As you can see from the picture above, the fishes attacked my feet. It was very ticklish but not painful. My feet were noticeably smooth after the 20 minute feeding session.

Contrary to popular belief, the fish spa is not a new idea. The Kangal Spa in Turkey has been in operation since the early 1900's. There are even some historical evidences that show they've been around for ages.

jollibee

One of the only 5 pictures we took in Hong Kong.

A380

I only want simple things in life. A friend told me once I am quite easy to please. Perhaps. But to be honest I just know what I want and when I have it, I am happy.

The A380 is the world's largest commercial aircraft. It's a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner that provides seating for 525 people in a typical three-class configuration or up to 853 people in all- economy configurations. I was lucky to fly in it from London to Singapore via Singapore Airlines.

The plane is massive. I can't imagine this getting filled. In fact, our flight was only about 50% full. View of the cattle class.

I had the whole row to myself! Managed to lie down, it felt like I was in first-class. Not! hehehe.

Singapore Airlines has one of the best entertainment programs. Saw 5 movies in total whilst on this flight. A quick look at the monitor and we were flying over Romania.

Call me strange but I actually like airline food. Singapore Air's food selection was really good. The first course was Indian Prawn Curry.

We were served snacks in between. Roasted peanuts and pineapple juice. FYI, this was my first orange juice in more than two years.

Ham and Egg sandwich with crisps. That was actually my favorite flavour until I tried the flame grilled steak crisps (also from McCoys) the other day. Sarap!

A couple of hours before landing and we were served one last meal. Stir-fried beef and Singapore noodles.


Half a check off my bucket list. When I ride the largest ship in the world, it'll be a full check.

ulam

Sa atin, ang tawag dito ay Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa.

Here, this dish is called Fine Beans and Butternut Squash with Pork, Chopped Lemongrass, Chili Flakes and Coconut Cream Broth.

p UK

I was in London yesterday to visit the queen to renew my passport. I've never been to the Philippine Embassy in my almost 6 years of living in this country and I was actually pleasantly surprised at its location. Situated in the St James district, right in central London, the embassy is in a prime spot. I'm sure the infamous iron butterly, the delusional (as I'd like to call her) Madame Imelda Marcos was behind the acquisition of this exclusive property. This was probably during her spending spree which resulted in the purchase of properties in NY, Tokyo and other cosmopolitan places in the world

Anyway, the embassy building is right beside the University of Notre Dame London and The National Gallery, practically, in its backyard. Y'all know my fascination of old buildings and architecture, so read the history of the place here.

The entire process of getting a MRP (machine readable passport) was just over an hour and a half which wasn't so bad as intructions on how to get one were printed on A4 papers and pasted on walls in at least 3 different rooms! It was like a wild goose chase. Of course I'm exaggerating but you get my drift. I realised yesterday that no matter where you put the Philippines in the world, it would still be an organised mess. It was hot too. Alright, not as hot as back in Manila but at least there, most buildings are fit with air conditioners and you are only hit by the hot, sticky air outdoors. In the UK, it was actually more unbearable inside than outside because majority of the buildings don't have air con.

Inside the embassy, people were talking about the latest Aquino saga. No, they weren't talking about P-Noy's inauguration tomorrow but Kris' separation from her husband. The latter said she has been mum on her marital woes for a couple years. If she had waited that long, couldn’t she have waited two weeks or two months more until the revelation of her doomed marriage?

Agaw eksena. Tsk, tsk, tsk.


Once my business at the embassy was finished, I went to Earls Court via tube (the underground was like an oven) for lunch. Earls Court is the city's Filipinotown. There are at least a dozen Pinoy establishments in the area from supermarkets to restaurants to hair dressers to travel agents etc. I picked a restaurant where Ketty and I had been before. It was alright. At 5 quid for all-you-can-eat rice, Dinuguan, Embutido, Humba, Calderata, Pancit, Arroz Caldo, Calamares, Chop Suey and a free Wowowee viewing, I was stuffed and entertained.

lunch

Was it the Italians who said, "Live to eat, not eat to live."?

Today's lunch.

Roasted Pork Belly, Tomato and Basil Salad with Olive Oil and Chopped Onions, Chili, Lime Extracts and Soy Sauce

+

Rice!!!

BURP ;-p

rainforest cafe

My cousin Lala is blogging again. The other day, she ym'ed me, "palitan mo link ng blog ko, bago na. Sikat ka. "

I should've known. My family is nuts. Thanks to her, from hereon, I am now known as the "pinakamatakaw" in the family. No, she didn't actually say that. She just gave me a little push to admit the truth. I have the biggest appetite in the family and that's a little bit scary.

Anyway, since we are on the subject of food, let me tell you about the Rainforest Cafe in London Trocadero.


Two weeks ago when the team went to London for a Christmas/team-building, we had lunch at this tourist infested dining place. My boss just had a baby a few months ago which probably explains why she picked this distinctive jungle themed venue offering quick bites amongst alligators and tropical fish.


The restaurant was packed, with kids! And for good reason because there were monkeys and a gorilla hanging from the ceiling and an elephant waiting at the entrance.


None of us ordered any appetizers because we were pressed for time. We only had over an hour before the show.

I ordered the Primitive Roasted Lamb Shank.


Clearly, I wasn't the customer they had in mind. The garlic infused basil oil, with balsamic & red wine sauces was nice and the lamb itself was tender and adequately seasoned but did you notice the size of the serving? In the end, it felt like I had just eaten an appetizer.

This is my problem when going to restaurants that serve ala carte food. Most of the time, I leave these establishments, wanting. They say to truly appreciate the food, one must consume it slowly. By doing so, a person can savor the flavors and appreciate the essence of the dishes. You see, I don't do that. Remember the Sprite motto- obey your thist? I, fulfill my hunger. Nagpapakatotoo lang, brothers and sisters.

That's why I love buffets. But going back to the Rainforest Cafe, the verdict: great for kids, definitely NOT for Kiko.

avenue Q

Best described as a theatrial version of Sesame Street but with very adult humour, Avenue Q follows the story of Princeton, fresh from uni and armed with a BA in English diploma as he embarks on a journey of self discovery. Bull! The show is about the residents of a fictional street located "in an outer-outer borough of New York City", an odd group of people and monsters, whose lives haven't turned out as they'd always planned.

Last Saturday, I saw it again with 8 other people from work. It was a team building/ slash Christmas party kinda event. I suggested that we do this instead, but got beaten when the team voted for a London jolly. I first saw this with Ketty four years ago and loved it. This time, I was still laughing my head off just like when I first saw it. It was crude, rude, politically incorrect and hilarious with a capital H.

The songs come on thick and fast, accounting for more of the show than any acting. Good thing the songs are great because it really gave me a serious case of LSS. Topbilled by an accomplished cast, they were brilliant! I was also pleased to see West End superstar and proud kababayan, Joanna Ampil as Christmas Eve. Although I felt she looks and sounds too sweet for the role. She ended up as Miss Saigon rather than a failed Mrs. Chinatown which is what the role called for. Nevertheless, they were all fantastic and all of us enjoyed it. A couple of my colleagues even commented that it was even better than what they've expected it to be.

After the show, we headed to Covent Garden where we had dinner. I had a big plate of Penne Carbonara which was a little salty for my taste. Not that it mattered to me because I finished my plate faster than Usain Bolt's blazing run at the world championships last year.

cebu state of mind

Last year, I was home for a month's vacation. Ketty and I decided to go away for a weekend trip somewhere and we ended up in Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines and the queen city of the south. That was 365 days ago to this day. Despite the intermittent rains and short time, we had a blast. Allow me to reminisce.

We were billeted at this hotel. Can you feel the Miami vibe?

We woke up to this view. The Hilton Towers in the background.

If only the sky was clear and the sun shining, this would've been perfect.

The missus and I hired a cab and toured the city, stopping by the most famous spots to capture some memories.

We flocked to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino

and joined hundreds of devotees to pray.

Lighted some candles and thanked Him for our blessings, we did too.

Magellan's Cross, one of the most important historical artifacts in the Philippines.

We entered the gate to this great fort

and strolled in its manicured garden.

Then, we climbed some hundred steps

to reach the top of the hill for this, the beautiful Taoist temple in Beverly Hills.

Overlooking the queen city of the south.

Our tour guide/cab driver took us to the Casa Gorordo Museum.

And on our way, passed by this lovely bahay na bato. We both love heritage houses.

We went to a guitar factory and learned how the instrument is made.

Shopping for pasalubongs at the Tabo-an market.

Cebuanos sell sea shells by the sea shore.

Finally, a visit to Cebu wouldn't be complete if one doesn't pay his/her respects to the great warrior, Lapu-Lapu, the first Filipino hero.

palabok fiend

For weeks now, I've been craving for pancit palabok. It's one of the many Pinoy dishes that I truly miss. And since there isn't a place nearby where I can get my palabok fix, I attempted to make some today.

Made from Mama Sita's Palabok mix and topped with boiled egg, pork slices, prawns and deep fried (and crispy brown) garlic and onions, my version is puede na.

Oh, the things I'd do for a Jollibee Palabok Fiesta.

i bet it tastes just like chicken

The pinoys on CSI: Vegas.

* check out the action from the 4:00 mark.

bohol day 2 round up

Our second day in Bohol started at the break of dawn. Four-friking-forty-five early! Dolphin-watching and island-hopping was the order of the day.


The spot where dolphins come out is at least a 45-minute boat ride from Panglao Island’s shores and we have to be there by early morning.


There were at least 2 dozens of them. The marine mammals were greeted by oohs and ahhs everytime they jumped out of the water.

Balicasag is an island off the coast of Panglao. It was a 15 minute boat ride from where we spotted the dolphins.

The island is a popular snorkelling and diving destination. More than half of us went swimming with the fishes in their sanctuary. The rest of us frolicked in the crystal clear waters of the Bohol sea.


Virgin Island is tiny crescent-shaped white sandbar island half an hour from Balicasag. It is postcard pretty and perfect for picture taking. Here, we took hundreds of photos and I'm sure when we left, it was not so virgin anymore.

The banana boat ride that my siblings and a cousin took. For 15 minutes and two taobs, we howled and laughed like there was no tomorrow.

The experience in one word is exhilarating!

For dinner, the family went to the Bohol Bee Farm. We were treated to another delicious meal. We sampled the (in)famous flower salad- with gumamela, bougainvilleas, katurays etc. It was surprisingly good. Or perhaps it was the dressing that made it really yummy. All the dishes served were honey-based and made made from organic ingredients. There was also a mango ice cream which, I shall proclaim, as the best ice cream in the world! It was weird because I don't like ripe mangoes, period. Yet, I abso-frickin-lutely loved it. The ice cream was creamy, smooth, subtly sweet and delightfully tart.